Vendor Allowances and Credits	12 Months Ended
Dec. 29, 2012
Vendor Allowances And Credits Textblock	(4) Vendor Allowances and Credits We participate with our vendors in a broad menu of promotions to increase sales of products. These promotions fall into two main categories: off-invoice allowances and performance-based allowances. These allowances are often subject to negotiation with our vendors. In the case of off-invoice allowances, discounts are typically offered by vendors with respect to certain merchandise purchased by us during a specified period of time. We use off-invoice allowances to support a variety of marketing programs such as reduced price offerings for specific time periods, food shows, pallet promotions and private label promotions. The discounts are either reflected directly on the vendor’s invoice, as a reduction from the normal wholesale prices for merchandise to which the allowance applies, or we are allowed to deduct the allowance as an offset against the vendor’s invoice when it is paid. In the case of performance-based allowances, the allowance or rebate is based on our completion of some specific activity, such as purchasing or selling product during a certain time period. This basic performance requirement may be accompanied by an additional performance requirement such as providing advertising or special in-store promotion, tracking specific shipments of goods to retailers (or to customers in the case of our own retail stores) during a specified period (retail performance allowances), slotting (adding a new item to the system in one or more of our distribution centers) and merchandising a new item, or achieving certain minimum purchase quantities. The billing for these performance-based allowances is normally in the form of a “bill-back,” in which case we are invoiced at the regular price with the understanding that we may bill back the vendor for the requisite allowance when the performance is satisfied. We also assess an administrative fee, reflected on the invoices sent to vendors, to recoup our reasonable costs of performing the tasks associated with administering retail performance allowances. We collectively plan promotions with our vendors and arrive at the amount the respective vendor plans to spend on promotions with us. Each vendor has its own method for determining the amount of promotional funds to be spent with us. In most situations, the vendor allowances are based on units we purchase from the vendor. In other situations, the allowances are based on our past or anticipated purchases and/or the anticipated performance of the planned promotions. Forecasting promotional expenditures is a critical part of our frequently scheduled planning sessions with our vendors. As individual promotions are completed and the associated billing is processed, the vendors track our promotional program execution and spend rate, and discuss the tracking, performance and spend rate with us on a regular basis throughout the year. These communications include discussions with respect to future promotions, product cost, targeted retails and price points, anticipated volume, promotion expenditures, vendor maintenance, billing issues and procedures, new items/discontinued items and trade spend levels relative to budget per event and per year, as well as the resolution of any issues that arise between the vendor and us. In the future, the nature and menu of promotional programs and the allocation of dollars among them may change as a result of ongoing negotiations and commercial relationships between vendors and us. We have a vendor dispute resolution process to facilitate timely research and resolution of disputed deductions from vendor payments. We estimate and record a payable for current claims based on our historical experiences.

Vendor Allowances and Credits

12 Months Ended

Dec. 29, 2012

(4) Vendor Allowances and Credits

We participate with our vendors in a broad menu of promotions to increase sales of products. These promotions fall into two main categories: off-invoice allowances and performance-based allowances. These allowances are often subject to negotiation with our vendors. In the case of off-invoice allowances, discounts are typically offered by vendors with respect to certain merchandise purchased by us during a specified period of time. We use off-invoice allowances to support a variety of marketing programs such as reduced price offerings for specific time periods, food shows, pallet promotions and private label promotions. The discounts are either reflected directly on the vendor’s invoice, as a reduction from the normal wholesale prices for merchandise to which the allowance applies, or we are allowed to deduct the allowance as an offset against the vendor’s invoice when it is paid.

In the case of performance-based allowances, the allowance or rebate is based on our completion of some specific activity, such as purchasing or selling product during a certain time period. This basic performance requirement may be accompanied by an additional performance requirement such as providing advertising or special in-store promotion, tracking specific shipments of goods to retailers (or to customers in the case of our own retail stores) during a specified period (retail performance allowances), slotting (adding a new item to the system in one or more of our distribution centers) and merchandising a new item, or achieving certain minimum purchase quantities. The billing for these performance-based allowances is normally in the form of a “bill-back,” in which case we are invoiced at the regular price with the understanding that we may bill back the vendor for the requisite allowance when the performance is satisfied. We also assess an administrative fee, reflected on the invoices sent to vendors, to recoup our reasonable costs of performing the tasks associated with administering retail performance allowances.

We collectively plan promotions with our vendors and arrive at the amount the respective vendor plans to spend on promotions with us. Each vendor has its own method for determining the amount of promotional funds to be spent with us. In most situations, the vendor allowances are based on units we purchase from the vendor. In other situations, the allowances are based on our past or anticipated purchases and/or the anticipated performance of the planned promotions. Forecasting promotional expenditures is a critical part of our frequently scheduled planning sessions with our vendors. As individual promotions are completed and the associated billing is processed, the vendors track our promotional program execution and spend rate, and discuss the tracking, performance and spend rate with us on a regular basis throughout the year. These communications include discussions with respect to future promotions, product cost, targeted retails and price points, anticipated volume, promotion expenditures, vendor maintenance, billing issues and procedures, new items/discontinued items and trade spend levels relative to budget per event and per year, as well as the resolution of any issues that arise between the vendor and us. In the future, the nature and menu of promotional programs and the allocation of dollars among them may change as a result of ongoing negotiations and commercial relationships between vendors and us.

We have a vendor dispute resolution process to facilitate timely research and resolution of disputed deductions from vendor payments. We estimate and record a payable for current claims based on our historical experiences.