Leases

12 Months Ended

Jan. 30, 2021

On February 3, 2019, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-02 Leases (Topic 842) and related updates (“ASC 842”) using the optional transition method to recognize a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings. The impact of the optional transition method was deemed immaterial upon adoption of ASC 842. As part of the adoption of ASC 842, the Company utilized the practical expedient relief package, as well as the short-term leases and portfolio approach practical expedients. ASC 842 allows a lessee, as an accounting policy election by class of underlying asset, to choose not to separate non-lease components from lease components and instead to account for each separate lease component and the non-lease components associated with that lease component as a single lease component. We have elected this practical expedient as presented in ASC 842, and do not separate non-lease components for all underlying asset classes. Financial results included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements for Fiscal 2021 and Fiscal 2020 are presented under ASC 842, while Fiscal 2019 is presented under the previous accounting standard, ASC 840.

Signet occupies certain properties and holds machinery and vehicles under operating leases. Signet determines if an arrangement is a lease at the agreement’s inception. Certain operating leases include predetermined rent increases, which are charged to store occupancy costs within cost of sales on a straight-line basis over the lease term, including any construction period or other rental holiday. Other variable amounts paid under operating leases, such as taxes and common area maintenance, are charged to selling, general and administrative expenses as incurred. Premiums paid to acquire short-term leasehold properties and inducements to enter into a lease are recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. In addition, certain leases provide for contingent rent based on a percentage of sales in excess of a predetermined level. Further, certain leases provide for variable rent increases based on indexes specified within the lease agreement. The variable increases based on an index are initially measured as part of the operating lease liability using the index at the commencement date. Contingent rent and subsequent changes to variable increases based on indexes will be recognized in the variable lease cost and included in the determination of total lease cost when it is probable that the expense has been incurred and the amount is reasonably estimable. Operating leases are included in operating lease ROU assets and current and non-current operating lease liabilities in the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

ROU assets represent the Company’s right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent the Company’s obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As most of the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate, the Company uses its incremental borrowing rate at the lease commencement date, based primarily on the underlying lease term, in measuring the present value of lease payments. Lease terms, which include the period of the lease that cannot be canceled, may also include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that the Company will exercise that option. The operating lease ROU asset may also include initial direct costs, prepaid and/or accrued lease payments and the unamortized balance of lease incentives received. ROU assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable in accordance with the Company’s long-lived asset impairment assessment policy.

Payments arising from operating lease activity, as well as variable and short-term lease payments not included within the operating lease liability, are included as operating activities on the Company’s consolidated statement of cash flows. Operating lease payments representing costs to ready an asset for its intended use (i.e. leasehold improvements) are represented within investing activities within the Company’s consolidated statements of cash flows.

The Company deferred substantially all of its rent payments due in the months of April 2020 and May 2020. The Company began paying certain rents in June 2020 and all rents in July 2020. In total, the Company had approximately $82 million of rent payments originally due in Fiscal 2021 that have been deferred to beyond Fiscal 2021 (expected to paid by the end of the second quarter of Fiscal 2022). The Company has not recorded any provision for interest or penalties which may arise as a result of these deferrals, as management does not believe payment for any potential amounts to be probable. In April 2020, the FASB granted guidance (hereinafter, the practical expedient) permitting an entity to choose to forgo the evaluation of the enforceable rights and obligations of the original lease contract, specifically in situations where rent concessions have been agreed to with landlords as a result of COVID-19. Instead, the entity may account for COVID-19 related rent concessions, whatever their form (e.g. rent deferral, abatement or other) either: a) as if they were part of the enforceable rights and obligations of the parties under the existing lease contract; or b) as lease modifications. In accordance with this practical expedient, the Company has elected not to account for any concessions granted by landlords as a result of COVID-19 as lease modifications. Rent abatements under the practical expedient have been recorded as a negative variable lease cost. The Company has negotiated with substantially all of its landlords and has received certain concessions in the form of rent deferrals and other lease or rent modifications. In addition, the Company continued recording lease expense during the deferral period in accordance with its existing policies.

The weighted average lease term and discount rate for the Company’s outstanding operating leases were as follows:


	January 30, 2021		February 1, 2020
Weighted average remaining lease term	6.2 years		6.7 years
Weighted average discount rate	5.5	%	5.5	%

Total lease costs are as follows:


(in millions)	Fiscal 2021		Fiscal 2020
Operating lease cost	$	436.3	460.3
Short-term lease cost	16.3		19.4
Variable lease cost	110.3		107.1
Sublease income	(1.8)		(2.0)
Total lease cost	$	561.1	$	584.8

Total rent expense as determined prior to the adoption of ASC 842 was as follows:


(in millions)	Fiscal 2019
Minimum rentals	$	510.3
Contingent rent	8.1
Sublease income	(1.1)
Total rent expense	$	517.3

Supplemental cash flow information related to leases was as follows:


(in millions)	Fiscal 2021		Fiscal 2020
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities:
Operating cash flows from operating leases	$	400.4	$	467.7
Operating lease right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations	70.8		149.9
Reduction in the carrying amount of ROU assets (1)	348.3		360.1

(1) Excludes impairment of ROU assets of $36.9 million during Fiscal 2021, as further described in Note 16.

The future minimum operating lease payments for operating leases having initial or non-cancelable terms in excess of one year are as follows:


(in millions)	January 30, 2021
Fiscal 2022	$	503.9
Fiscal 2023	349.8
Fiscal 2024	275.3
Fiscal 2025	214.6
Fiscal 2026	157.2
Thereafter	396.7
Total minimum lease payments	$	1,897.5
Less: Imputed interest	(372.9)
Present value of lease liabilities	$	1,524.6