Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of 1-800-FLOWERS.COM, Inc. and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “

Company”). All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. During fiscal 2016, 2015, and 2014 approximately 1%, 2%, and 2% respectively, of consolidated net revenue came from international sources.

During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013, the Company made the strategic decision to

divest the e-commerce and procurement businesses of its Winetasting Network subsidiary in order to focus on growth opportunities in its Gourmet Foods and Gift Baskets business segment. The Company closed on the sale of its Winetasting Network business on December 31, 2013. The Company has classified the results of the e-commerce and procurement business of The Winetasting Network as a discontinued operation in fiscal 2014

Fiscal

Year

The Company

’s fiscal year is a 52- or 53-week period ending on the Sunday nearest to June 30. Fiscal year 2016, which ended on July 3, 2016, consisted of 53 weeks, while fiscal years 2015 and 2014, which ended on June 28, 2015 and June 29, 2014, respectively, consisted of 52 weeks

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of demand deposits with banks, highly liquid money market funds, United States government securities, overnight repurchase agreements and commercial paper with maturities of three months or less when purchased.

Inventories

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market using the first-in, first-out method of accounting.

Property, Plant and Equipment

Property, plant and equipment are stated at cost less accumulated depreciation and amortization. Depreciation expense is computed using the straight-line method over the assets

’ estimated useful lives. Amortization of leasehold improvements and capital leases is computed using the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives and the initial lease terms. The Company capitalizes certain internal and external costs incurred to acquire or develop internal-use software. Capitalized software costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the software. Orchards in production, consisting of direct labor and materials, supervision and other items, are capitalized as part of capital projects in progress – orchards until the orchards produce fruit in commercial quantities. Upon attaining commercial levels of production the capital investments in these orchards are recorded as land improvements. Estimated useful lives are periodically reviewed, and where appropriate, changes are made prospectively. The Company’s property plant and equipment is depreciated using the following estimated lives:

Building and building improvements (years)	10	-	40
Leasehold improvements (years)	3	-	10
Furniture, fixtures and production equipment (years)	3	-	10
Software (years)	3	-	7
Orchards in production and land improvements	15	-	35

Property, plant and equipment are reviewed for impairment whenever changes in circumstances or events may indicate that the carrying amounts are not recoverable.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets acquired in each business combination, with the carrying value of the Company

’s goodwill allocated to its reporting units, in accordance with the acquisition method of accounting. Goodwill is not amortized, but it is subject to an annual assessment for impairment, which the Company performs during the fourth quarter, or more frequently if events occur or circumstances change such that it is more likely than not that an impairment may exist. The Company tests goodwill for impairment at the reporting unit level. The Company identifies its reporting units by assessing whether the components of its operating segments constitute businesses for which discrete financial information is available and management of each reporting unit regularly reviews the operating results of those components.

In applying the goodwill impairment test, the Company has the option to perform a qualitative test (also known as “Step 0”) or a two-step quantitative test (consisting of “Step 1” and “Step 2”). Under the Step 0 test, the Company first assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting units is less than its carrying value. Qualitative factors may include, but are not limited to economic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, overall financial performance of the reporting unit and other entity and reporting unit specific events. If after assessing these qualitative factors, the Company determines it is “more-likely-than-not” that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying value, then performing the two-step quantitative test is necessary.

The first step (“Step 1”) of the two-step quantitative test requires comparison of the fair value of each of the reporting units to the respective carrying value. If the carrying value of the reporting unit is less than the fair value, no impairment exists and the second step (“Step 2”) is not performed. If the carrying value of the reporting unit is higher than the fair value, Step 2 must be performed to compute the amount of the goodwill impairment, if any. In Step 2, the impairment is computed by comparing the implied fair value of the reporting unit goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit goodwill exceeds the implied fair value of that goodwill, an impairment loss is recognized for the excess.

The Company generally estimates the fair value of a reporting unit using an equal weighting of the income and market approaches. The Company uses industry accepted valuation models and set criteria that are reviewed and approved by various levels of management and, in certain instances, the Company engages third-party valuation specialists. Under the income approach, the Company uses a discounted cash flow methodology which requires management to make significant estimates and assumptions related to forecasted revenues, gross profit margins, operating income margins, working capital cash flow, perpetual growth rates, and long-term discount rates, among others. For the market approach, the Company uses the guideline public company method. Under this method the Company utilizes information from comparable publicly traded companies with similar operating and investment characteristics as the reporting units, to create valuation multiples that are applied to the operating performance of the reporting unit being tested, in order to obtain their respective fair values. The Company also reconciles the aggregate fair values of its reporting units determined in the first step (as described above) to its current market capitalization, allowing for a reasonable control premium

During

fiscal 2016 the Company performed a Step 0 analysis and determined that it is not “more likely than not” that the fair values of the reporting units were less than their carrying amounts. During fiscal years 2015 and 2014, the Company performed the two-step quantitative impairment test.

Other Intangibles, net

Other intangibles consist of definite-lived intangible assets (such as investment in licenses, customer lists, and others) and indefinite-lived intangible assets (such as acquired trade names and trademarks).

The cost of definite-lived intangible assets is amortized to reflect the pattern of economic benefits consumed, over the estimated periods benefited, ranging from 3 to 16 years, while indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized.

Definite-lived intangibles are reviewed for impairment whenever changes in circumstances or events may indicate that the carrying amounts are not recoverable. When such events or changes in circumstances occur, a recoverability test is performed

comparing projected undiscounted cash flows from the use and eventual disposition of an asset or asset group to its carrying value. If the projected undiscounted cash flows are less than the carrying value, then an impairment charge would be recorded for the excess of the carrying value over the fair value, which is determined by discounting future cash flows

The Company tests indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment at least annually, during the fourth quarter, or whenever changes in circumstances or events may indicate that the carrying amounts are not recoverable.

In applying the impairment test, the Company has the option to perform a qualitative test (also known as “Step 0”) or a quantitative test. Under the Step 0 test, the Company assesses qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. Qualitative factors may include, but are not limited to economic conditions, industry and market considerations, cost factors, financial performance, legal and other entity and asset specific events. If after assessing these qualitative factors, the Company determines it is “more-likely-than-not” that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired, then performing the quantitative test is necessary.

The quantitative impairment test for indefinite-lived intangible assets encompasses calculating a fair value of an indefinite-lived intangible asset and comparing the fair value to its carrying value. If the carrying value exceeds the fair value, impairment is recognized for the difference.

To determine fair value of other indefinite-lived intangible assets, the Company uses an income approach, the relief-from-royalty method. This method assumes that, in lieu of ownership, a third party would be willing to pay a royalty in order to obtain the rights to use the comparable asset. Other indefinite-lived intangible assets’ fair values require significant judgments in determining both the assets’ estimated cash flows as well as the appropriate discount and royalty rates applied to those cash flows to determine fair value.

During

fiscal 2016 the Company performed a Step 0 analysis and determined that it is not “more likely than not” that the fair values of the indefinite-lived intangibles were less than their carrying amounts. During fiscal years 2015 and 2014, the Company performed the two-step quantitative impairment test.

Business Combinations

The Company accounts for business combinations in accordance with ASC Topic 805 which requires, among other things, the acquiring entity in a business combination to recognize the fair value of all the assets acquired and liabilities assumed; the recognition of acquisition-related costs in the consolidated results of operations; the recognition of restructuring costs in the consolidated results of operations for which the acquirer becomes obligated after the acquisition date; and contingent purchase consideration to be recognized at their fair values on the acquisition date with subsequent adjustments recognized in the consolidated results of operations. The fair values assigned to identifiable intangible assets acquired are determined primarily by using an income approach which is based on assumptions and estimates made by management. Significant assumptions utilized in the income approach are based on company specific information and projections which are not observable in the market and are therefore considered Level 3 measurements. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the identified assets and liabilities is recorded as goodwill. Operating results of the acquired entity are reflected in the Company

’s consolidated financial statements from date of acquisition.

Deferred Catalog Costs

The Company capitalizes the costs of producing and distributing its catalogs. These costs are amortized in direct proportion to actual sales from the corresponding catalogs over a period not to exceed 12 months. Included within prepaid and other current assets was $3.0million and $2.5million at July 3, 2016 and June 28, 2015 respectively, relating to prepaid catalog expenses.

Investments

The Company has certain investments in non-marketable equity instruments of private companies. The Company accounts for these investments using the equity method if they provide the Company the ability to exercise significant influence, but not control, over the investee. Significant influence is generally deemed to exist if the Company has an ownership interest in the voting stock of the investee between 20% and 50%, although other factors, such as representation on the investee

’s Board of Directors, are considered in determining whether the equity method is appropriate. The Company records equity method investments initially at cost, and adjusts the carrying amount to reflect the Company’s share of the earnings or losses of the investee.

The Company

’s equity method investments are comprised of a 32% interest in Flores Online, a Sao Paulo, Brazil based internet floral and gift retailer, that the Company made on May 31, 2012. The book value of this investment was $1.1 million as of July 3, 2016 and $2.9 million as of June 28, 2015, and is included in the “Other assets” line item within the Company’s consolidated balance sheets. The Company’s equity in the net income (loss) of Flores Online for the years ended July 3, 2016 and June 28, 2015 was $(0.1) million and $(0.3) million, respectively. During the quarter ended September 27, 2015, the Company determined that the fair value of its investment in Flores Online ($1.2 million) was below its carrying value ($2.9 million) and that this decline was other-than-temporary. As a result, the Company recorded an impairment charge of $1.7 million, which is included within the “Other (income) expense, net” line items in the Company’s consolidated statements of income.

Investments in non-marketable equity instruments of private companies, where the Company does not possess the ability to exercise significant influence, are accounted for under the cost method. Cost method investments are originally recorded at cost, and are included within the “Other assets” line item within the Company

’s consolidated balance sheets. The aggregate carrying amount of the Company’s cost method investments was $1.7 million as of July 3, 2016 (including a $1.5 million investment in Euroflorist – see Note 4) and $0.7 million as of June 28, 2015. During the quarter ended July 3, 2016, the Company determined that the fair value of one of its cost method investments was below its carrying value and that the decline was other-than-temporary. As a result the Company recorded an impairment charge of $0.5 million, which is included within the “Other (income) expense, net” line items in the Company’s consolidated statements of income.

The Company also holds certain trading securities associated with its Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan (“NQDC Plan”). These investments are measured using quoted market prices at the reporting date and are included in Other assets in the condensed consolidated balance sheets (see Note 10).

Each reporting period, the Company uses available qualitative and quantitative information to evaluate its investments for impairment. When a decline in fair value, if any, is determined to be other-than-temporary, an impairment charge is recorded in the consolidated statement of operations.

Concentration of Credit Risk

Financial instruments that potentially subject the Company to significant concentrations of credit risk consist principally of cash and cash equivalents and accounts receivable. The Company maintains cash and cash equivalents with high quality financial institutions. Concentration of credit risk with respect to accounts receivable is limited due to the Company's large number of customers and their dispersion throughout the United States, and the fact that a substantial portion of receivables are related to balances owed by major credit card companies. Allowances relating to consumer, corporate and franchise accounts receivabl

e ($2.1 million at July 3, 2016 and $2.2 million at June 28, 2015) have been recorded based upon previous experience and management’s evaluation.

Revenue Recognition

Net revenues are generated by e-commerce operations from the Company

’s online and telephonic sales channels as well as other operations (retail/wholesale) and primarily consist of the selling price of merchandise, service or outbound shipping charges, net of discounts, returns and credits. Net revenues are recognized primarily upon product delivery and do not include sales tax. Net revenues generated by the Company’s BloomNet Wire Service operations include

membership fees as well as other products and service offerings to florists.

Membership fees are recognized monthly in the period earned, and products sales are recognized upon product shipment with shipping terms primarily FOB shipping point.

Cost of Revenues

Cost of revenues consists primarily of florist fulfillment costs (fees paid directly to florists), the cost of floral and non-floral merchandise sold from inventory or through third parties, and associated costs including inbound and outbound shipping charges. Additionally, cost of revenues includes labor and facility costs related to manufacturing and production operations.

Marketing and Sales

Marketing and sales expense consists primarily of advertising and promotional expenditures, catalog costs, online portal and search expenses, retail store and fulfillment operations (other than costs included in cost of revenues), and customer service center expenses, as well as the operating expenses of the Company

’s departments engaged in marketing, selling and merchandising activities.

The Company expenses all advertising costs, with the exception of catalog costs (see

Deferred Catalog Costs

above), at the time the advertisement is first shown. Advertising expense was $133.1 million, $130.6 million and $83.0 million for the years ended July 3, 2016, June 28, 2015 and June 29, 2014, respectively.

Technology and Development

Technology and development expense consists primarily of payroll and operating expenses of the Company

’s information technology group, costs associated with its websites, including hosting, content development and maintenance and support costs related to the Company’s order entry, customer service, fulfillment and database systems. Costs associated with the acquisition or development of software for internal use are capitalized if the software is expected to have a useful life beyond one year and amortized over the software’s useful life, typically three to seven years. Costs associated with repair maintenance or the development of website content are expensed as incurred as the useful lives of such software modifications are less than one year.

Stock

-Based Compensation

The Company records compensation expense associated with restricted stock awards and other forms of equity compensation based upon t

he fair value of stock-based awards as measured at the grant

date. The cost associated with share-based awards that are subject solely to time-based vesting requirements, less expected forfeitures, is recognized over the awards’ service period for the entire award on a straight-line basis. The cost associated with performance-based equity awards is recognized for each tranche over the service period, based on an assessment of the likelihood that the applicable performance goals will be achieved.

Derivatives and hedging

The Company does not enter into derivative transactions for trading purposes, but rather, on occasion to manage its exposure to interest rate fluctuations. When entering into these transactions, the Company has managed its floating rate debt using interest rate swaps in order to reduce its exposure to the impact of changing interest rates on its consolidated results of operations and future cash outflows for interest. The Company did not have any open derivative positions at July 3, 2016 and June 28, 2015.

Income Taxes

The Company uses the asset and liability method to account for income taxes.

The Company has established deferred tax assets and liabilities for temporary differences between the financial reporting bases and the income tax bases of its assets and liabilities at enacted tax rates expected to be in effect when such assets or liabilities are realized or settled. The Company recognizes as a deferred tax asset, the tax benefits associated with losses related to operations. Realization of these deferred tax assets assumes that we will be able to generate sufficient future taxable income so that these assets will be realized. The factors that the Company considers in assessing the likelihood of realization include the forecast of future taxable income and available tax planning strategies that could be implemented to realize the deferred tax assets.

The Company

recognizes the tax benefit from an uncertain tax position only if it is more likely than not that the tax position will be sustained on examination by the taxing authorities based on the technical merits of the position. The tax benefits recognized in the financial statements on a particular tax position are measured based on the largest benefit that has a greater than a 50% likelihood of being realized upon settlement. The amount of unrecognized tax benefits (“UTBs”) is adjusted as appropriate for changes in facts and circumstances, such as significant amendments to existing tax law, new regulations or interpretations by the taxing authorities, new information obtained during a tax examination, or resolution of an examination. We recognize both accrued interest and penalties, where appropriate, related to UTBs in income tax expense. Assumptions, judgment and the use of estimates are required in determining if the “more likely than not” standard has been met when developing the provision for income taxes.

Net Income Per Share

Basic net income per common share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted net income per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common and dilutive common equivalent shares (consisting primarily of employee stock options and unvested restricted stock awards) outstanding during the period

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers.” This amended guidance will enhance the comparability of revenue recognition practices and will be applied to all contracts with customers. Expanded disclosures related to the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue that is recognized are requirements under the amended guidance. This guidance will be effective for the Company

’s fiscal year ending June 30, 2019 and may be applied retrospectively. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued ASU No. 2015-05, “Customer's Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement.” This standard provides guidance to help entities determine whether a cloud computing arrangement contains a software license that should be accounted for as internal-use software or as a service contract. Upon adoption, an entity has the option to apply the provisions of ASU 2015-05 either prospectively to all arrangements entered into or materially modified, or retrospectively. This standard is effective for the Company

’s fiscal year ending July 2, 2017. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, “Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs,” which amends ASC 835-30, “Interest

– Imputation of Interest.” In order to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs, ASU No. 2015-03 requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from that debt liability, consistent with the presentation of a debt discount. This presentation is consistent with the guidance in Concepts Statement 6, which states that debt issuance costs are similar to a debt discount and in effect reduce the proceeds of borrowing, thereby increasing the effective interest rate. Concepts Statement 6 further states that debt issuance costs are not assets because they provide no future economic benefit. This new guidance is effective for the Company’s fiscal year ending July 2, 2017 and should be applied retrospectively.

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-11, “Inventory (Topic 330).” The pronouncement was issued to simplify the measurement of inventory and changes the measurement from lower of cost or market to lower of cost and net realizable value. ASU 2015-11 is effective for the Company

’s fiscal year ending July 1, 2018. The adoption of ASU 2015-11 is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.

In November 2015 the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-17, “Balance Sheet Classification of Deferred Taxes,” which will require entities to present deferred tax assets (“DTAs”) and deferred tax liabilities (“DTLs”) as noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. The ASU simplifies the current guidance (ASC 740-10-45-4), which requires entities to separately present DTAs and DTLs as current and noncurrent in a classified balance sheet. The ASU is effective for the Company

’s fiscal year ending July 1, 2018, and interim periods within those annual periods. However, the FASB allowed early adoption of the standard, and therefore, the Company adopted this ASU as of December 27, 2015, and has reclassified all prior periods to be consistent with the requirements outlined in the ASU. The impact of the adoption was to reclassify and net $4.9 million of current deferred tax assets within long-term deferred tax liabilities, as of June 28, 2015.

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, "Financial Instruments

– Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities." The pronouncement requires equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income, requires public business entities to use the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes, requires separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset, and eliminates the requirement for public business entities to disclose the method(s) and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized cost. These changes become effective for the Company's fiscal year ending June 30, 2019. The adoption is not expected to have a significant impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, “Leases (Topic 842).” Under this guidance, an entity is required to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on its balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. This guidance offers specific accounting guidance for a lessee, a lessor and sale and leaseback transactions. Lessees and lessors are required to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about leasing arrangements to enable a user of the financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. This guidance is effective for the Company

’s fiscal year ending June 28, 2020. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

In March 2016 the FASB issued ASU No. 2016-09, “Improvements to Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting.” ASU No. 2016-09 affects all entities that issue share-based payment awards to their employees. ASU No. 2016-09 simplifies several aspects of the accounting for share-based payment transactions, including the income tax consequences, classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, and classification on the statement of cash flows, including recognizing all excess tax benefits and tax deficiencies as income tax expense or benefit in the income statement rather than in additional paid-in capital. ASU No. 2016-09 is effective for the Company

’s fiscal year ending July 1, 2018. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

June 2016, the FASB issued ASU no. 2016-13, “Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” ASU 2016-13 introduces a new forward-looking “expected loss” approach, to estimate credit losses on most financial assets and certain other instruments, including trade receivables. The estimate of expected credit losses will require entities to incorporate considerations of historical information, current information and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This ASU also expands the disclosure requirements to enable users of financial statements to understand the entity’s assumptions, models and methods for estimating expected credit losses. ASU 2016-13 is effective for the Company’s fiscal year ending July 4, 2021, and the guidance is to be applied using the modified-retrospective approach. The Company is currently evaluating the potential impact of adopting this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.

Reclassifications

Certain balances in the prior

fiscal years have been reclassified to conform to the presentation in the current fiscal year. See “Recent Accounting Pronouncements” above regarding the impact of our adoption of ASU No. 2015-17 upon the classification of deferred tax assets in our consolidated balance sheets.