COMPANY OVERVIEW AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

6 Months Ended

Feb. 28, 2014

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

COMPANY OVERVIEW AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

COMPANY OVERVIEW AND BASIS OF PRESENTATION

PriceSmart, Inc.’s (“PriceSmart” or the “Company”) business consists primarily of international membership shopping warehouse clubs similar to, but smaller in size than, warehouse clubs in the United States.  As of February 28, 2014, the Company had 32 consolidated warehouse clubs in operation in 12 countries and one U.S. territory (six in Costa Rica, four each in Panama and Trinidad, three each in Colombia, Guatemala and in the Dominican Republic, two each in El Salvador and Honduras and one each in Aruba, Barbados, Jamaica, Nicaragua and the United States Virgin Islands), of which the Company owns 100% of the corresponding legal entities (see Note 2 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies). During fiscal 2013, the Company opened its second and third clubs in Colombia. These clubs are in south and north Cali and opened in October 2012 and May 2013, respectively. On January 8, 2014, the Company acquired land in the southern area of Pereira, Colombia, upon which the Company plans to construct a new warehouse club that is currently planned to open in November 2014. On January 30, 2014, the Company acquired land in the city of Medellin, Colombia and leased land in the city of Bogota, Colombia, upon which the Company plans to construct new warehouse clubs. These warehouse clubs are currently planned to open before the end of calendar year 2014. Together with the three warehouse clubs currently operating in Colombia (one in Barranquilla and two in Cali), these three new clubs will bring the number of PriceSmart warehouse clubs operating in Colombia to six. In October 2013, the Company opened its sixth membership warehouse club in Costa Rica in La Union, Cartago. Additionally, in February 2013, the Company acquired land in Tegucigalpa, Honduras upon which it anticipates opening its third warehouse club in Honduras in May 2014. The Company continues to explore other potential sites for future warehouse clubs in Central America, the Caribbean and Colombia. The warehouse club sales and membership sign-ups experienced with the opening of the Barranquilla and Cali warehouse clubs have reinforced the Company's belief that Colombia could be a market for additional PriceSmart warehouse clubs in other Colombian cities.

Basis of Presentation - The interim consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q for interim financial reporting pursuant to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").  These interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2013 (the “2013 Form 10-K”).  The interim consolidated financial statements include the accounts of PriceSmart, Inc., a Delaware corporation, and its subsidiaries.  Inter-company transactions between the Company and its subsidiaries have been eliminated in consolidation.

In accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board’s (“FASB”) revised guidance establishing general accounting standards and disclosure of subsequent events, the Company has evaluated subsequent events through the date and time these financial statements were issued. 

Reclassifications to consolidated statement of income recorded during fiscal year 2014 for fiscal year 2013 - The Company recordedasset disposal activity during fiscal year 2013 under other income (expense), net. This activity consisted mainly of normally scheduled asset replacement and upgrades involved in operating activities. The Company has determined that these costs represent operating expenses. Therefore, the Company has accordingly recorded such asset disposal activity as operating expenses under loss/(gain) on disposal of assets starting in fiscal year 2014. The Company has made reclassifications to the consolidated statement of income for fiscal year 2013 to conform to the presentation in fiscal year 2014. These reclassifications did not impact net income. The following tables summarize the impact of this reclassification (in thousands):

	Fiscal Year 2013
	Three Months Ended
	November 30, 2012			February 28, 2013			May 31, 2013			August 31, 2013			Total Fiscal Year 2013
Other income (expense), net – as previously reported	$	(58	)	$	(312	)	$	(1,034	)	$	(439	)	$	(1,843	)
Loss/(gain) on disposal of assets, other income (expense), net reclassified to Loss/(gain) on disposal of assets, total operating expenses	57			47			249			536			889
Other income (expense), net – as currently reported	$	(1	)	$	(265	)	$	(785	)	$	97		$	(954	)

	Three Months Ended
	November 30, 2012			February 28, 2013			May 31, 2013			August 31, 2013			Total Fiscal Year 2013
Composition of beginning balance of other income (expense) – as previously reported:
Gain/(loss) on sale	$	(57	)	$	(47	)	$	(249	)	$	(536	)	$	(889	)
Currency gain/(loss)	(1		)	(265		)	(785		)	97			(954		)
Total	$	(58	)	$	(312	)	$	(1,034	)	$	(439	)	$	(1,843	)
Composition of ending balance of other income (expense) – as currently reported:
Gain/(loss) on sale	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Currency gain/(loss)	(1		)	(265		)	(785		)	97			(954		)
Total	$	(1	)	$	(265	)	$	(785	)	$	97		$	(954	)