(1) Summary of Significant Accounting Policies


(a)	Business

Publix Super Markets, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiaries (Company) are in the business of operating retail food supermarkets in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee, North Carolina and Virginia. The Company was founded in 1930 and later merged into another corporation that was originally incorporated in 1921. The Company has no other significant lines of business or industry segments.


(b)	Principles of Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, its wholly owned subsidiaries and certain joint ventures in which the Company has a controlling financial interest. All significant intercompany balances and transactions are eliminated in consolidation.


(c)	Fiscal Year

The Company’s fiscal year ends on the last Saturday in December. Fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017 include 52 weeks.


(d)	Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all liquid investments with maturities of three months or less to be cash equivalents.


(e)	Trade Receivables

Trade receivables primarily include amounts due from vendor allowances, debit and credit card sales and third party insurance pharmacy billings.


(f)	Inventories

Inventories are valued at the lower of cost or market. The dollar value last-in, first-out (LIFO) method was used to determine the cost for 85% of inventories as of December 28, 2019 and December 29, 2018. Under this method, inventory is stated at cost, which is determined by applying a cost-to-retail ratio to each similar merchandise category’s ending retail value. The cost of the remaining inventories was determined using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) method. The FIFO cost of inventory approximates replacement or current cost. The FIFO method is used to value certain manufactured, seasonal, perishable and other miscellaneous inventory items because of fluctuating costs and inconsistent product availability. The Company also reduces inventory for estimated losses related to shrink. If all inventories were valued using the FIFO method, inventories and current assets would have been higher than reported by $528,997,000 and $489,058,000 as of December 28, 2019 and December 29, 2018, respectively.


(g)	Investments

Debt securities are classified as available-for-sale and measured at fair value. The Company evaluates whether debt securities are other-than-temporarily impaired (OTTI) based on criteria that include the extent to which the cost (cost of the debt security adjusted for amortization of premium or accretion of discount) exceeds market value, the duration of the market value decline, the credit rating of the issuer or security, the failure of the issuer to make scheduled principal or interest payments and the financial health and prospects of the issuer or security.

Declines in the fair value of debt securities determined to be OTTI are recognized in earnings and reported as OTTI losses. Debt securities with unrealized losses are considered OTTI if the Company intends to sell the debt security or if the Company will be required to sell the debt security prior to any anticipated recovery. If the Company determines that a debt security is OTTI under these circumstances, the impairment recognized in earnings is measured as the difference between the cost and the fair value. A debt security is also determined to be OTTI if the Company does not expect to recover the cost of the debt security. However, in this circumstance, if the Company does not intend to sell the debt security and will not be required to sell the debt security, the impairment recognized in earnings equals the estimated credit loss as measured by the difference between the present value of expected cash flows and the cost of the debt security. Expected cash flows are discounted using the debt security’s effective interest rate. Changes in the fair value of debt securities determined to be temporary are reported in other comprehensive earnings net of income taxes and included as a component of stockholders’ equity.

In 2018, the Company adopted the Accounting Standards Update (ASU) requiring equity securities be measured at fair value with net unrealized gains and losses from changes in the fair value recognized in earnings (fair value adjustment). The fair value adjustment also includes the cumulative effect of the ASU as of December 31, 2017 reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive earnings to retained earnings.

Prior to the adoption of the ASU, changes in the fair value of equity securities were accounted for similar to changes in the fair value of debt securities. Equity securities were classified as available-for-sale and measured at fair value. Declines in the fair value of equity securities determined to be OTTI were recognized in earnings and reported as OTTI losses. An equity security was determined to be OTTI if the Company did not expect to recover the cost of the equity security. Changes in the fair value of equity securities determined to be temporary were reported in other comprehensive earnings net of income taxes and included as a component of stockholders’ equity.

Interest and dividend income, amortization of premiums, accretion of discounts and realized gains and losses on the sale of debt and equity securities are included in investment income. Interest income is accrued as earned. Dividend income is recognized as income on the ex-dividend date. The cost of debt and equity securities sold is based on the specific identification method. With the adoption of the ASU, the fair value adjustment on equity securities held as of December 28, 2019 and December 29, 2018 is also included in investment income.


(h)	Leases

The Company conducts a major portion of its retail operations from leased locations. In 2019, the Company adopted the ASU requiring the lease rights and obligations arising from existing and new lease agreements be recognized as assets and liabilities on the balance sheet. The Company adopted the ASU on a modified retrospective basis and elected the transitional provisions eliminating the requirement to restate reporting periods prior to the date of adoption. The Company also elected to not reassess the original conclusions reached regarding lease identification, lease classification and initial direct costs for leases entered into prior to the adoption of the ASU. Prior to the adoption of the ASU, the Company was not required to record operating leases on the balance sheet when it was the lessee.

The Company determines whether a lease exists at inception. Initial lease terms are typically 20 years followed by five year renewal options and may include rent escalation clauses. A renewal option is included in the right-of-use asset and lease liability to the extent it is reasonably certain the option will be exercised. The present value of future payments for each lease is determined by using the Company’s incremental borrowing rate at the time of lease commencement. The incremental borrowing rate is estimated based on a composite index of debt for similarly rated companies with comparable terms.

Operating lease expense primarily represents fixed lease payments for operating leases recognized on a straight-line basis over the applicable lease term. Variable lease expense represents the payment of real estate taxes, insurance, maintenance and, for certain locations, additional rentals based on a percentage of sales in excess of stipulated minimums (excess rent). The payment of variable real estate taxes, insurance and maintenance is generally based on the Company’s pro-rata share of total shopping center square footage. The Company estimates excess rent, where applicable, based on annual sales projections and uses the straight-line method to amortize the cost. The annual sales projections are reviewed periodically and adjusted if necessary.


(i)	Property, Plant and Equipment and Depreciation

Assets are recorded at cost and depreciated or amortized using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives or the terms of the related leases, if shorter, as follows: buildings and improvements (10–40 years); furniture, fixtures and equipment (3–20 years); and leasehold improvements (10–20 years).

Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred. Expenditures for renewals and betterments are capitalized. The gain or loss realized on disposed assets or assets to be disposed of is recorded in earnings.


(j)	Long-Lived Assets

The Company reviews its long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the net book value of an asset may not be recoverable. Recoverability of assets to be held and used is measured by a comparison of the net book value of an asset to the future net undiscounted cash flows expected to be generated by the asset. An impairment loss is recorded for the excess of the net book value over the fair value of the asset. The fair value is estimated based on expected discounted future cash flows. Assets to be disposed of are reported at the lower of the carrying amount or fair value less cost to sell and are no longer depreciated or amortized. Long-lived assets, including operating lease right-of-use assets, buildings and improvements, leasehold improvements, and furniture, fixtures and equipment, are evaluated for impairment at the supermarket level.


(k)	Self-Insurance

The Company is self-insured for health care claims and certain property, plant and equipment losses. The Company has third party insurance for losses in excess of self-insurance limits for workers’ compensation, general liability and fleet liability claims. Self-insurance reserves are established for health care, workers’ compensation, general liability and fleet liability claims. These reserves are determined based on actual claims experience and an estimate of claims incurred but not reported including, where necessary, actuarial studies. Actuarial projections of losses for general liability and workers’ compensation claims are discounted.


(l)	Postretirement Benefit

The Company provides a postretirement life insurance benefit for certain salaried and hourly full-time employees who meet the eligibility requirements. Effective January 1, 2002, the Company amended the postretirement life insurance benefit under its Group Life Insurance Plan. To receive the postretirement life insurance benefit after the amendment, an employee must have had at least five years of full-time service and the employee’s age plus years of credited service must have equaled 65 or greater as of October 1, 2001. At retirement, such employees also must be at least age 55 with at least 10 years of full-time service to be eligible to receive the postretirement life insurance benefit.

Actuarial projections are used to calculate the year end postretirement benefit obligation, discounted using a yield curve methodology based on high quality bonds with a rating of AA or better. Actuarial losses are amortized from accumulated other comprehensive earnings into net periodic postretirement benefit cost over future years when the accumulation of such losses exceeds 10% of the year end postretirement benefit obligation.


(m)	Comprehensive Earnings

Comprehensive earnings include net earnings and other comprehensive earnings. Other comprehensive earnings include revenues, expenses, gains and losses that have been excluded from net earnings and recorded directly to stockholders’ equity. Included in other comprehensive earnings for the Company are unrealized gains and losses on debt securities in 2019 and 2018, unrealized gains and losses on debt and equity securities in 2017 and adjustments to the postretirement benefit obligation.


(n)	Revenue Recognition

The Company sells grocery (including dairy, produce, floral, deli, bakery, meat and seafood), health and beauty care, general merchandise, pharmacy and other products and services. Grocery was 84% of sales for 2019, 2018 and 2017. All other products and services were 16% of sales for 2019, 2018 and 2017.

Revenue is recognized at the point of sale for retail sales. Customer returns are immaterial. Vendor coupons that are reimbursed are accounted for as sales. Coupons and other sales incentives offered by the Company that are not reimbursed are recorded as a reduction of sales. The Company records sales net of applicable sales taxes.


(o)	Other Operating Income

Other operating income is recognized on a net basis as earned. Other operating income includes income generated from other activities, primarily lottery commissions, licensee sales commissions, mall gift card commissions, automated teller transaction fees, vending machine commissions, money transfer fees and money order commissions.


(p)	Cost of Merchandise Sold

Cost of merchandise sold includes costs of inventory and costs related to in-store production. Cost of merchandise sold also includes inbound freight charges, purchasing and receiving costs, warehousing costs and other costs of the Company’s distribution network.

Allowances and credits, including cooperative advertising allowances, received from a vendor in connection with the purchase or promotion of the vendor’s products are recognized as a reduction of cost of merchandise sold as earned. These allowances and credits are recognized as earned in accordance with the underlying agreement with the vendor and completion of the earnings process. Short-term vendor agreements with advance payment provisions are recorded as a current liability and recognized over the appropriate period as earned according to the underlying agreements. Long-term vendor agreements with advance payment provisions are recorded as a noncurrent liability and recognized over the appropriate period as earned according to the underlying agreements.


(q)	Advertising Costs

Advertising costs are expensed as incurred and were $245,403,000, $249,123,000 and $251,933,000 for 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.


(r)	Other Nonoperating Income, net

Other nonoperating income, net includes rent from tenants in owned shopping centers, net of related expenses, and other miscellaneous nonoperating income.


(s)	Income Taxes

Deferred income taxes are established for temporary differences between financial and tax reporting bases and are subsequently adjusted to reflect changes in income tax rates expected to be in effect when the temporary differences reverse. The Company recognizes accrued interest and penalties related to income tax liabilities as a component of income tax expense. The Company invests in certain investment related tax credits that promote affordable housing and renewable energy. These investments generate a return primarily through the realization of federal and state tax credits and other tax benefits. The Company accounts for its affordable housing investments using the proportional amortization method. Under this method, the investment is amortized into income tax expense in proportion to the tax credits received and the investment tax credits are recognized as a reduction of income tax expense. The Company accounts for its renewable energy investments using the deferral method. Under this method, the investment tax credits are recognized as a reduction of the renewable energy investments.


(t)	Common Stock and Earnings Per Share

Earnings per share is calculated by dividing net earnings by the weighted average shares outstanding. Basic and diluted earnings per share are the same because the Company does not have options or other stock compensation programs that impact the calculation of diluted earnings per share. All shares owned by the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) are included in the earnings per share calculations. Dividends paid to the ESOP, as well as dividends on all other common stock shares, are reflected as a reduction of retained earnings. All common stock shares, including ESOP and 401(k) Plan shares, receive one vote per share and have the same dividend rights. The voting rights for ESOP shares allocated to participants’ accounts are passed through to the participants. The Trustee of the Company’s common stock in the 401(k) Plan votes the shares held in that plan.


(u)	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 reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates.