During Fiscal 2018, Signet announced a strategic initiative to outsource its North America private label credit card programs and sell the existing in-house finance receivables. In October 2017, Signet, through its subsidiary Sterling Jewelers Inc (“Sterling”), completed the sale of the prime-only credit quality portion of Sterling’s in-house finance receivable portfolio to Comenity Bank (“Comenity”). Sterling also entered into an agreement with Comenity to outsource its private label credit card programs (the “Sterling Program Agreement”). The Company, through its subsidiary Zale Delaware, Inc. (“Zale”) had previously entered into an agreement with Comenity to provide credit services to its Zales banners for all credit card customers (prime and non-prime) (the “Zale Program Agreement”), and this pre-existing Zale Program Agreement was unaffected by the execution of the Sterling Program Agreement. The Zale Program Agreement was set to expire in January 2023, and the Sterling Program Agreement was set to expire in October 2024.

Under the Sterling Program Agreement and Zale Program Agreement (collectively, the “Program Agreements”), Comenity established a program to issue credit cards to be serviced, marketed and promoted in accordance with the terms of the Program Agreements. Subject to limited exceptions, Comenity is the exclusive issuer of private label credit cards or an installment or other closed end loan product in the US bearing specified Company trademarks during the term of the Program Agreements. Upon expiration or termination by either party of the Program Agreements, the Company retains the option to purchase, or arrange the purchase by a third party of, the Program Agreement assets from Comenity on terms that are no more onerous to the Company than those applicable to Comenity

During Fiscal 2019, in addition to the prime-only credit card portfolio, the Company also entered into various agreements to outsource the non-prime portion of its private label credit card program for Sterling and sell the existing in-house financing receivables. The non-prime portion of the Sterling credit card portfolio was outsourced to CarVal Investors (“CarVal”) and the appointed minority party, Castlelake, L.P. (“Castlelake” and collectively with CarVal, the “Investors”). Under the agreement with the Investors, Signet remains the issuer of non-prime credit with investment funds managed by the Investors purchasing forward receivables at a discount rate determined in accordance with their respective agreements. Signet holds the newly issued non-prime credit receivables on its balance sheet for two business days prior to selling the receivables to the respective counterparty in accordance with the agreements. The purchase price was settled with 95% received as cash upon closing. The remaining 5% of the purchase price was deferred until the second anniversary of the closing date. Final payment of the deferred purchase price was contingent upon the non-prime in-house finance receivable portfolio achieving a pre-defined yield, which was finalized in Fiscal 2021 (see below). The agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants. Various amended and restated agreements have been entered into with the Investors as described below.

During Fiscal 2021, the 2018 agreements pertaining to the purchase of non-prime forward flow receivables were terminated and new agreements were executed with the Investors which were effective until June 30, 2021. Those new agreements provided that the Investors will continue to purchase add-on non-prime receivables created on existing customer accounts at a discount rate determined in accordance with the new agreements. As a result of the above agreements, Signet began retaining all forward flow non-prime receivables created for new customers beginning in the second quarter of Fiscal 2021. The termination of the previous agreements had no effect on the receivables that were previously sold to the Investors prior to the termination, except that Signet agreed to extend the Investors’ payment obligation for the remaining 5% of the receivables previously purchased in June 2018 until the new agreements terminate. The Company’s agreement with the credit servicer Genesis Financial Solutions (“Genesis”) remained in place.

In January 2021, the Company reached additional agreements with the Investors to further amend the purchase agreements described above through June 30, 2021. CarVal continued to purchase add-on receivables for existing accounts and began to purchase 50% of new forward flow non-prime receivables. Genesis (becoming one of the “Investors”) began to purchase the remaining 50% of new forward flow non-prime receivables through June 30, 2021. Castlelake continued to purchase add-on receivables for existing accounts through June 30, 2021. Signet continued to retain add-on receivables for its existing accounts but no longer retained new forward flow non-prime receivables.

The Amended Program Agreements have an initial term from July 1, 2021 through December 31, 2025 and, unless terminated earlier by either party, automatically renew for successive two-year terms. The Amended Program Agreements provide for, among other things, that Comenity operate a primary source program to issue credit cards to Sterling and Zale customers to be serviced, maintained, administered, collected upon, and promoted in accordance with the terms therein (the "Primary Source Program"). The Amended Program Agreements include a signing bonus, which may be repayable under certain conditions if such Program Agreement is terminated.

Subject to limited exceptions, including permitting a second look program, during the term of the Amended Program Agreements, Comenity will be the exclusive issuer of open-ended credit products (including credit cards) in the US bearing specified Company trademarks, including trademarks associated with Kay, Jared, Zale, Banter by Piercing Pagoda, and other specified regional brands under the Amended Program Agreements. The Amended Program Agreements contain customary representations, warranties, and covenants. Upon expiration or termination by either party of a Program Agreement, Sterling or Zale, as applicable, retains the option to purchase, or arrange the purchase by a third party of, the program assets from Comenity on customary terms and conditions. In the case of a purchase by Sterling upon expiration or termination of the Program Agreement, such purchase shall be on terms that are no more onerous to Sterling than those applicable to Comenity Bank under the Purchase Agreement, dated May 25, 2017, by and between Sterling and Comenity Bank.

Sterling and Genesis on July 26, 2018. The Genesis Agreement has an initial term from July 1, 2021 through December 31, 2025 and, unless terminated earlier by either party, automatically renews for successive one-year periods. Under the terms of the Genesis Agreement, Genesis will expand its role in originating, funding, administering and servicing a second look credit program to Sterling customers that are declined under the Sterling Program Agreement.

In March 2021, the Company provided notice to the Investors of its intent not to extend the respective agreements with such Investors beyond the expiration date of June 30, 2021. Effective July 1, 2021 (the “New Program Start Date”), all new prime and non-prime account origination will occur in accordance with the amended and restated Comenity and Genesis agreements as described above.

On June 30, 2021, the Company entered into amended and restated receivable purchase agreements with CarVal and Castlelake regarding the purchase of add-on receivables on such Investors’ existing accounts, as well as the purchase of the Company-owned credit card receivables portfolio for accounts that had been originated through Fiscal 2021 (see Note 14). During the second quarter of Fiscal 2022, Signet received cash proceeds of $57.8 million for the sale of these customer in-house finance receivables to the Investors. These receivables had a net book value of $56.4 million as of the sale date, and thus the Company recognized a gain on sale of $1.4 million in the North America reportable segment within other operating income in the consolidated statements of operations during the second quarter of Fiscal 2022. Additionally, during the second quarter of Fiscal 2022, the Company received $23.5 million from the Investors for the payment obligation of the remaining 5% of the receivables previously purchased in June 2018.

Signet continues to finalize its move toward a fully outsourced credit model. On March 7, 2022, the Company entered into amended and restated receivable purchase agreements with CarVal and Castlelake regarding the purchase of add-on receivables on such Investors’ existing accounts. Under the amended and restated agreements, The Bank of Missouri will be the issuer for the add-on receivables on these existing accounts and CarVal and Castlelake will purchase the receivables from The Bank of Missouri.

As discussed in Note 13, during Fiscal 2021, the 2018 agreements pertaining to the purchase of non-prime forward flow receivables were terminated and new agreements were executed with the Investors which were effective until June 30, 2021. Those new agreements provide that the Investors continued to purchase add-on non-prime receivables created on existing customer accounts but Signet began retaining all forward flow non-prime receivables created for new customers beginning in the second quarter of Fiscal 2021. As further discussed in Note 13, Signet sold all existing customer in-house finance receivables to CarVal and Castlelake during the second quarter of Fiscal 2022. As a result of the amended and restated agreements entered into with Comenity, Genesis, and the Investors during the second quarter of Fiscal 2022, Signet will no longer retain any customer in-house finance receivables.

As described above, Signet continues to be the issuer of non-prime credit for add-on purchases on existing accounts. Therefore, the Company holds these non-prime credit receivables on its balance sheet for two business days prior to selling the receivables to the Investors. Receivables originated by the Company but pending transfer to the Investors as of period end were classified as “held for sale” and included in the accounts receivable caption in the consolidated balance sheets. As of January 29, 2022 and January 30, 2021, the accounts receivable held for sale were recorded at fair value. As detailed in Note 13, Signet will transition away from being the issuer of these existing accounts in Fiscal 2023.

As discussed in Note 13, the Company began to retain certain customer in-house finance receivables in the second quarter of Fiscal 2021. The allowance for credit losses is an estimate of expected credit losses, measured over the estimated life of its credit card receivables that considers forecasts of future economic conditions in addition to information about past events and current conditions. The Company accounts for the expected credit losses under ASC 326, “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” which is referred to as the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) model. The estimate under the CECL model is significantly influenced by the composition, characteristics and quality of the Company’s portfolio of credit card receivables, as well as the

The allowance is maintained through an adjustment to the provision for credit losses and is evaluated for appropriateness and adjusted quarterly. CECL requires entities to use a “pooled” approach to estimate expected credit losses for financial assets with similar risk characteristics. The Company evaluated multiple risk characteristics of its credit card receivables portfolio and determined that credit quality and account vintage to be the most significant characteristics for estimating expected credit losses. To estimate its allowance for credit losses, the Company segregates its credit card receivables into credit quality categories using the customers’ FICO scores.

These risk characteristics are evaluated on at least an annual basis, or more frequently as facts and circumstances warrant. The expected loss rates are adjusted on a quarterly basis based on historical loss trends and are risk-adjusted for current and future economic conditions and events. As summarized in the table below, based on the changes in the agreements with the Investors in Fiscal 2021, there is currently one vintage year since the Company began maintaining new accounts.

In estimating its allowance for credit losses, for each identified risk category, management utilized estimation methods based primarily on historical loss experience, current conditions, and other relevant factors. These methods utilize historical charge-off data of the Company’s non-prime portfolio, as well as incorporate any applicable macroeconomic variables (such as unemployment) that may be expected to impact credit performance. In addition to the quantitative estimate of expected credit losses under CECL using the historical loss information, the Company also incorporates qualitative adjustments for certain factors such as Company specific risks, changes in current economic conditions that may not be captured in the quantitatively derived results, or other relevant factors to ensure the allowance for credit losses reflects the Company’s best estimate of current expected credit losses. Management considered qualitative factors such as the unfavorable macroeconomic conditions caused by the COVID-19 uncertainty (including rates of unemployment), the Company’s non-prime portfolio performance during the prior recession, and the potential impacts of the economic stimulus packages in the US, in developing its estimate for current expected credit losses for the current period.

Beginning in the second quarter of Fiscal 2021, in connection with the new agreements executed with the Investors, additions to the allowance for credit losses are made by recording charges to bad debt expense (credit losses) within selling, general and administrative expenses within the consolidated statements of operations. The uncollectible portion of customer in-house finance receivables are charged to the allowance for credit losses when an account is written-off after 180 days of non-payment, or in circumstances such as bankrupt or deceased cardholders. Write-offs on customer in-house finance receivables include uncollected amounts related to

A credit card account is contractually past due if the Company does not receive the minimum payment by the specified due date on the cardholder’s statement. It is the Company’s policy to continue to accrue interest and fee income on all credit card accounts, except in limited circumstances, until the credit card account balance and all related interest and other fees are paid or charged-off, typically at 180 days delinquent, as noted above.

Interest income related to the Company’s customer in-house finance receivables is included within other operating income, net in the consolidated statements of operations. Accrued interest is included within the same line item as the respective principal amount of the customer in-house finance receivables in the consolidated balance sheets. The accrual of interest is discontinued at the time the receivable is determined to be uncollectible and written-off. The Company recognized $6.5 million of interest income on its customer in-house finance receivables during Fiscal 2022 (Fiscal 2021: $4.2 million). Interest income recognition ceased at the date of the sale of the portfolio as noted above.