Fair Value Measurements

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2012

Fair Value Measurements [Abstract]

Fair Value Measurements

Note J – Fair Value Measurements

The company measures fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. In developing its fair value estimates, the company uses the following hierarchy:

Level 1: Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.

Level 2: Observable market based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.

Level 3: Significant unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data. Generally, these fair value measures are model-based valuation techniques such as discounted cash flows or option pricing models using our own estimates and assumptions or those expected to be used by market participants.

The fair values of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities approximate their carrying values because of their short-term nature.

The fair values of our interest rate swaps, foreign currency contracts and fuel contracts are the amounts receivable or payable to terminate the agreements at the reporting date, taking into account current interest rates, exchange rates and commodity prices. The values are based on market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data. There were no interest rate swap agreements in place at the end of the first quarter of 2012 and the amounts receivable or payable under foreign currency and fuel contracts were not significant. See Note K for additional information on our derivative instruments and hedging activities.

The following table summarizes the company's financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis:

	Level 2
(In thousands)	Fair Value Measurement Category
	March 31, 2012		December 31, 2011		March 26, 2011
Assets
Commodity contracts—fuel	$	790	$	—	$	4,511
Foreign exchange contracts		341		341		633
Liabilities:
Commodity contracts—fuel		—	$	251		—
Foreign exchange contracts	$	435		92	$	331

The company records its senior notes payable at par value, adjusted for amortization of a fair value hedge which was cancelled in 2005. The fair value of the senior notes and the senior secured notes are considered Level 2 fair value measurements and are based on market trades of these securities on or about the dates below.

	March 31, 2012				December 31, 2011				March 26, 2011
(In thousands)	Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value		Carrying Value		Fair Value
$400 million senior notes	$	150,027	$	155,637	$	399,953	$	381,067	$	400,032	$	404,800
$250 million senior secured notes	$	250,000	$	259,379		—		—		—		—

Fair Value Estimates Used in Impairment Analyses

With input from retail store operations, company accounting and finance personnel that organizationally report to the chief financial officer assess the performance of retail stores quarterly against historic patterns and projections of future profitability for evidence of possible asset impairment. For the retail business, these projections are based on management's estimates of store-level sales, gross margins, direct expenses and resulting cash flows and, by their nature, include judgments about how current initiatives will impact future performance. Changes in sales and operating income assumptions can significantly impact the estimated future cash flows. If the anticipated cash flows of a store cannot support the carrying value of its assets, the assets are impaired and written down to estimated fair value using Level 3 inputs.

During the first quarter of 2012, the Division recognized an impairment charge of approximately $18 million based on revised operating projections for certain lower operating stores in the Division. The operating performance for these stores was less than the company had projected for the first quarter, causing us to reevaluate our projections of future operating cash flows for these stores. The revised projections of future cash flows resulted in this impairment charge. The charge related to 56 stores, with 27 reduced to estimated fair value of approximately $7.4 million based on a discounted cash flow analysis, discounted at 11%, and 29 reduced to estimated salvage value of operating assets of $1.7 million. The sales and operating projections are specific to the individual locations impaired and are not indicative of the expected operations for the remainder of stores in our retail chain. The company will continue to evaluate initiatives to improve performance and lower operating costs, including reducing the size of stores when it is considered appropriate. To the extent that forward-looking sales and operating assumptions are not achieved and are subsequently reduced, or if the company commits to a more aggressive store downsizing strategy, including allocating capital to modify store formats, additional impairment charges may result. However, at the end of the first quarter 2012, the impairment analysis reflects the company's best estimate of future performance, including the intended future use of the company's retail store assets.

Unobservable inputs applied to the stores that were partially impaired include average sales growth rates over the remaining life of the lease, including one renewal period, where applicable, of 1.9% for stores less than 5 years old and 1.2% for stores 5 years and older. A 100 basis point decrease in sales used in these estimates would have increased impairment by approximately $7 million. Independent of the sensitivity on sales assumptions, a 50 basis point decrease in gross margin would have increased the impairment by approximately $9 million. The interrelationship of having both of those inputs change as indicated would have resulted in impairment approximately $1 million less than the sum of the two individual inputs.

Fair Value Estimates Used for Paid-in-Kind Dividends

The company's board of directors can elect to pay quarterly dividends on its preferred stock in cash or in-kind. Paid-in-kind dividends are measured at fair value, using Level 3 inputs. The company uses a monte carlo simulation that captures the call, conversion, and interest rate reset features as well the optionality of paying the dividend in-kind or in cash. This feature considers a liquidity measure over stock price across various outcomes as a proxy for the future cash or in-kind dividend decision. The board of directors and company management consider then-current and estimated future liquidity factors in making that quarterly decision. For the first quarter of 2012 valuation, the simulation was based on a beginning stock price of $3.45, stock price volatility of 60.7%, a risk free rate of 3.4%, credit spread of 16.5% and a beginning liquidity measure of approximately $245 million. The calculation resulted in a fair value estimate of approximately $8.2 million for the first quarter of 2012. A stock price volatility of 55% or 65% would have increased the estimate by $0.4 million or decreased the estimate by $0.3 million, respectively. Using a beginning of period stock price of $3.00 or $4.00 would have decreased the estimate by $0.5 million or increased the estimate by $0.5 million, respectively.