Basis of Presentation

6 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

1. Basis of Presentation

        We have prepared these financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") applicable to interim financial information and on a basis that is consistent with the accounting principles applied in our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012, including the notes thereto (our "2012 Financial Statements") included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2012 ("2012 Annual Report"). In our opinion, these financial statements reflect all adjustments (including normal recurring items) necessary for a fair presentation of our results for the interim periods presented. These financial statements do not include all information or notes necessary for a complete presentation of financial position, results of operations and cash flows in conformity with GAAP. Accordingly, these financial statements should be read in conjunction with the 2012 Financial Statements. Results for interim periods are not necessarily indicative of results which may be achieved for a full year.

        On October 1, 2010, pursuant to an Agreement and Plan of Merger dated as of July 15, 2010, among NBTY, Inc. ("NBTY" or the "Company"), Alphabet Holding Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation ("Holdings") formed by an affiliate of TC Group, L.L.C. (d/b/a The Carlyle Group ("Carlyle")), and Alphabet Merger Sub, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned subsidiary of Holdings ("Merger Sub"), formed solely for the purpose of entering into the Merger, Merger Sub merged with and into NBTY with NBTY as the surviving corporation (also referred to herein as the "Merger" or the "Acquisition"). As a result of the Merger, NBTY became a wholly owned subsidiary of Holdings.

        Effective October 1, 2012, we reorganized our segments to better align them with how we currently review operating results for the purposes of allocating resources and managing performance. After this reorganization, we continue to have four reportable segments as follows: 1) Wholesale, 2) European Retail, 3) Direct Response/E-Commerce and 4) North American Retail. In accordance with ASC 280, Segment Reporting, we have reclassified all prior period amounts to conform to this new reportable segment presentation. The reclassification of prior period amounts did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements. (See Note 13 for additional information on our segment presentation.)

        Effective July 2, 2012, Julian Graves Limited was placed into administration under the laws of the United Kingdom and Wales, and this former subsidiary is reported as discontinued operations in the accompanying financial statements. During the course of the administration, attempts to sell the business were unsuccessful and the operations were wound down by the end of August 2012. All amounts related to discontinued operations are excluded from the notes to the consolidated financial statement unless otherwise indicated. See Note 3 for additional information about discontinued operations. The operations of this subsidiary were previously reported in the European Retail segment.

        Effective August 31, 2012, we sold certain assets and liabilities of Le Naturiste, Inc., and have reported this former subsidiary as discontinued operations in the accompanying financial statements. All amounts related to discontinued operations are excluded from the notes to the consolidated financial statement unless otherwise indicated. See Note 3 for additional information about discontinued operations. The operations of this subsidiary were previously reported in the North American Retail segment.

Estimates

        The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires that we make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities at the dates of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. These judgments can be subjective and complex, and consequently actual results could differ materially from those estimates and assumptions. We base our estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Our most significant estimates include: sales returns, promotions and other allowances; inventory valuation and obsolescence; valuation and recoverability of long-lived assets; stock-based compensation; income taxes; accruals for the outcome of current litigation and restructuring estimates; and purchase price allocation for acquisitions.

Accounts Receivable Reserves

        Accounts receivable are presented net of the following reserves:

	March 31, 2013		September 30, 2012
Allowance for sales returns	$	11,628	$	10,360
Promotional programs incentive allowance		77,178		71,845
Allowance for doubtful accounts		5,203		5,244
	$	94,009	$	87,449

Reclassification

        In accordance with ASC 280, Segment Reporting, we have reclassified all prior period amounts to conform to our new reportable segment presentation. The reclassification of prior period amounts did not have a material impact on the Company's financial statements.