RELATED PARTY INFORMATION - WAKEFERN

12 Months Ended

Jul. 25, 2020

Related Party Transactions [Abstract]

RELATED PARTY INFORMATION - WAKEFERN

RELATED PARTY INFORMATION - WAKEFERN

The Company’s ownership interest in its principal supplier, Wakefern, which is operated on a cooperative basis for its stockholder members, is 12.5% of the outstanding shares of Wakefern at July 25, 2020. The investment is stated at cost and is pledged as collateral for any obligations to Wakefern. In addition, all obligations to Wakefern are personally guaranteed by certain shareholders of Village.

The Company is obligated to purchase 85% of its primary merchandise requirements from Wakefern until ten years from the date that stockholders representing 75% of Wakefern sales notify Wakefern that those stockholders request that the Wakefern Stockholder Agreement be terminated. If this purchase obligation is not met, Village is required to pay Wakefern’s profit contribution shortfall attributable to this failure. Similar payments are due if Wakefern loses volume by reason of the sale of Company stores or a merger with another entity. Village fulfilled the above obligation in fiscal 2020 and 2019. The Company also has an investment of approximately 7.8% in Insure-Rite, Ltd., a Wakefern affiliated company, which provides Village with liability and property insurance coverage.

Wakefern has increased from time to time the required investment in its common stock for each supermarket owned by a member, with the exact amount per store computed based on the amount of each store’s purchases from Wakefern. At July 25, 2020, the Company’s indebtedness to Wakefern for the outstanding amount of these stock subscriptions was $1,185. Installment payments are due as follows: 2021 - $303; 2022 - $353; 2023 - $188; 2024 - $154; 2025 - $154; and $33 thereafter. The maximum per store investment, which is currently $950, did not change in fiscal 2020. Village receives additional shares of common stock to the extent paid for at the end of each fiscal year (which ends on or about September 30) of Wakefern calculated at the then book value per share. The payments, together with any stock issued thereunder, at the option of Wakefern, may be null and void and all payments on this subscription shall become the property of Wakefern in the event the Company does not complete the payment of this subscription in a timely manner.

Village purchases substantially all of its merchandise from Wakefern. As a stockholder of Wakefern, Village earns a share of Wakefern’s earnings, which are distributed as a “patronage dividend.” This dividend is based on a distribution of substantially all of Wakefern’s operating profits for its fiscal year in proportion to the dollar volume of purchases by each member from Wakefern during that fiscal year. Patronage dividends are recorded as a reduction of cost of sales as merchandise is sold. Village accrues estimated patronage dividends due from Wakefern quarterly based on an estimate of the annual Wakefern patronage dividend and an estimate of Village’s share of this annual dividend based on Village’s estimated proportional share of the dollar volume of business transacted with Wakefern that year. Patronage dividends and other vendor allowances and rebates amounted to $33,151 and $31,412 in fiscal 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Wakefern provides the Company with support services in numerous areas including advertising, liability and property insurance, supplies, certain equipment purchasing, coupon processing, certain financial accounting applications, retail technology support, and other store services. Village incurred charges of $33,303 and $33,581 from Wakefern in fiscal 2020 and 2019, respectively, for these services, which are reflected in operating and administrative expense in the consolidated statements of operations. Additionally, the Company has certain related party leases (see Note 7) with Wakefern.

At July 25, 2020, the Company held variable rate notes receivable due from Wakefern of $26,130 that earn interest at the prime rate plus 1.25% and mature on August 15, 2022 and $26,878 that earn interest at the prime rate plus .75% and mature on February 15, 2024. The Company invested $24,937 of the proceeds received from the notes that matured on February 15, 2019 in variable rate notes receivable from Wakefern that earn interest at the prime rate plus .75% and mature on February 15, 2024. Wakefern has the right to prepay these notes at any time. Under certain conditions, the Company can require Wakefern to prepay the notes, although interest earned since inception would be reduced as if it was earned based on overnight money market rates as paid by Wakefern on demand deposits.

At July 25, 2020, the Company had demand deposits invested at Wakefern in the amount of $76,259. These deposits earn overnight money market rates.

Interest income earned on investments with Wakefern was $3,992 and $5,215 in fiscal 2020 and 2019, respectively.