NATURE OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Nature of Business

Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc. (together with its wholly-owned subsidiaries, the “Company” or “PacSun”) is a leading specialty retailer rooted in the action sports, fashion and music influences of the California lifestyle. The Company sells a combination of branded and proprietary casual apparel, accessories and footwear designed to appeal to teens and young adults. It operates a nationwide, primarily mall-based chain of retail stores under the names “Pacific Sunwear” and “PacSun.” In addition, the Company operates an e-commerce website at www.pacsun.com which sells PacSun merchandise online, provides content and community for its target customers and provides information about the Company. The Company, a California corporation, was incorporated in August 1982. As of January 31, 2015, the Company leased and operated 605 stores in each of the 50 states and Puerto Rico.

Significant Accounting Policies

Basis of Presentation

The consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”).

The results of continuing operations for all periods presented in these consolidated financial statements exclude the financial impact of discontinued operations. See Note 15, “Discontinued Operations” for further discussion related to discontinued operations presentation.

Principles of Consolidation and Financial Reporting Period

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (Pacific Sunwear Stores Corp., a California corporation (“PacSun Stores”) and Miraloma Borrower Corporation, a Delaware corporation (“Miraloma”)). All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

The Company’s fiscal year is the 52- or 53-week period ending on the Saturday closest to January 31st. Fiscal year-end dates for all periods presented or discussed herein are as follows:



Fiscal Year	Year-End Date	# of Weeks
2014	January 31, 2015	52
2013	February 1, 2014	52
2012	February 2, 2013	53

All references herein to "fiscal 2014", represent the results of the 52-week fiscal year ended January 31, 2015; to "fiscal 2013", represent the results of the 52-week fiscal year ended February 1, 2014; and to “fiscal 2012”, represent the results of the 53-week fiscal year ended February 2, 2013. In addition, all references herein to “fiscal 2015”, represent the 52-week fiscal year that will end on January 30, 2016.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the consolidated financial statements as well as the reported sales and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid financial instruments purchased with an original maturity of 3 months or less to be cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents consist primarily of money market funds.

Merchandise Inventories

Merchandise inventories are stated at the lower of average cost or market utilizing the retail method. At any given time, inventories include items that have been marked down to management’s best estimate of their fair market value. These estimates are based on a combination of factors, including current selling prices, current and projected inventory levels, current and projected rates of sell-through, known markdown and/or promotional events expected to create a permanent decrease in inventory value, estimated inventory shrink and aging of specific items. Allowances of approximately $3.6 million and $2.9 million have been recorded to write-down the carrying value of existing inventory at January 31, 2015 and February 1, 2014, respectively, and can vary from year to year depending on the timing and nature of markdowns.

Property and Equipment

All property and equipment are stated at cost. Depreciation is recognized on a straight-line basis over the following estimated useful lives:



Property Category		Depreciation Term
Buildings		39 years
Building improvements		Lesser of remaining estimated useful life of the building or estimated useful life of the improvement
Leasehold improvements		Lesser of remaining lease term (at inception, generally 10 years) or estimated useful life of the improvement
Furniture, fixtures and equipment		Generally 5 years (ranging from 3 to 15 years), depending on the nature of the asset

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company assesses long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value of such assets (or asset group) may not be recoverable. Based on management’s review of the historical operating performance, including sales trends, gross margin rates, current cash flows from operations and the projected outlook for each of the Company’s stores, the Company determines whether certain stores will be able to generate sufficient cash flows over the remaining term of the related leases to recover the Company’s investment in the respective stores. In the event that management determines it is more likely than not a store will be closed, the Company evaluates whether it is necessary to change the depreciation estimates of the related store assets. Any changes to depreciation estimates as a result of that assessment are considered for the purposes of projecting the undiscounted cash flows in conjunction with testing the related assets for recoverability. Based on the results of this analysis, the Company will record an impairment charge within selling, general and administrative expenses in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Operations, to write-down the carrying value of its long-lived store assets to their estimated fair values. See Note 4, “Impairment of Long-Lived Assets,” for a discussion of asset impairment charges.

Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been included in the financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statements and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.

Deferred income tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance if, in the judgment of the Company’s management, it is more likely than not that all or a portion of a deferred tax asset will not be realized. In making such determination, the Company considers all available positive and negative evidence, including recent financial operating results, projected future taxable income, scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, tax planning strategies, and the length of tax asset carryforward periods. The realization of deferred tax assets is primarily dependent upon the Company’s ability to generate sufficient future taxable earnings in certain jurisdictions. If the Company subsequently determines that the carrying value of these assets, for which a valuation allowance has been established, would be realized in the future, the value of the deferred tax assets would be increased by reducing the valuation allowance, thereby increasing net income in the period when that determination was made. See Note 10, “Income Taxes,” for further discussion regarding the realizability of the Company’s deferred tax assets and assessment of a need for a valuation allowance.

The Company accounts for uncertain tax positions in accordance with authoritative guidance for income taxes. This guidance prescribes a recognition threshold and measurement process for recording in the financial statements uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in the Company’s tax return. The literature also provides guidance on derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods and disclosure requirements for uncertain tax positions.

Insurance Reserves

The Company uses a combination of third-party insurance and self-insurance for workers’ compensation, employee medical and general liability insurance. For each type of insurance, the Company has defined stop-loss or deductible provisions that limit the Company’s maximum exposure to claims. The Company maintains reserves for estimated claims associated with these programs, both reported and incurred but not reported, based on historical claims experience and other estimated assumptions.

Revenue Recognition

Sales are recognized upon purchase by customers at the Company’s retail store locations or upon delivery to and acceptance by the customer for orders placed through the Company’s website. The Company records the sale of gift cards as a current liability and recognizes a sale when a customer redeems a gift card. The amount of the gift card liability is determined taking into account the Company’s estimate of the portion of gift cards that will not be redeemed or recovered (“gift card breakage”). Gift card breakage is generally recognized as revenue after 24 months, at which time the likelihood of redemption is considered remote based on the Company’s historical redemption data. Gift card breakage has never been more than 1.0% of net sales in any fiscal year. The Company accrues for estimated sales returns by customers based on historical sales return results. Sales return accrual activity for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended January 31, 2015, is as follows:



	Fiscal Year Ended
	January 31, 2015			February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013
	(In thousands)
Beginning balance	$	439		$	360		$	347
Provisions	15,362			15,485			14,945
Usage	(15,352		)	(15,406		)	(14,932		)
Ending balance	$	449		$	439		$	360

Derivative Liability

The Company’s derivative liability requires bifurcation from the debt host and is remeasured at fair value at each reporting period. Changes in the related fair value are recorded in (gain) loss on derivative liability in the Company’s accompanying Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Operations. See Note 11, “Fair Value Measurements” for further discussion.

E-commerce Shipping and Handling Revenues and Expenses

Shipping and handling revenues and expenses relate to sales activity generated from the Company’s website. Amounts charged to the Company’s e-commerce customers for shipping and handling revenues are included in net sales. Amounts paid by the Company for e-commerce shipping and handling expenses are included in cost of goods sold and encompass payments to third-party shippers and costs to store, move and prepare merchandise for shipment.

Cost of Goods Sold, including Buying, Distribution and Occupancy Costs

Cost of goods sold includes the landed cost of merchandise and all expenses incurred by the Company’s buying and distribution functions. These costs include inbound freight, purchasing and receiving costs, inspection costs, warehousing costs, depreciation, internal transfer costs, and any other costs borne by the Company’s buying department and distribution center. Occupancy costs include store rents, common area maintenance (“CAM”), as well as store expenses related to telephone service, supplies, repairs and maintenance, insurance, loss prevention, and taxes and licenses. Store rents, including CAM, were approximately $137 million, $134 million and $130 million in fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Vendor Allowances

Cash consideration received from vendors primarily includes discounts, vendor allowances and rebates. The Company recognizes cash received from vendors as a reduction in the price of the vendor’s products and, accordingly, as a reduction in cost of goods sold at the time the related inventory is sold.

Straight-Line Rent

Rent expense under the Company’s store operating leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the original term of each store’s lease, inclusive of rent holiday periods during store construction and excluding any lease renewal options. Accordingly, the Company expenses pre-opening rent.

Deferred Lease Incentives

Amounts received from landlords to fund tenant improvements are recorded as a deferred lease incentive liability and then amortized as a credit to rent expense over the related store’s lease term.

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses

Selling, general and administrative expenses include payroll, depreciation and amortization, advertising, credit authorization charges, expenses associated with the counting of physical inventories, and all other general and administrative expenses not directly related to merchandise or operating the Company’s stores.

Advertising Costs

Costs associated with the production or placement of advertising and other in-store visual and promotional materials, such as signage, banners, photography, design, creative talent, editing, magazine insertion fees and other costs associated with such advertising, are expensed the first time the advertising appears publicly. Advertising costs were approximately $13 million, $12 million and $14 million in each of fiscal years 2014, 2013 and 2012, respectively.

Stock-Based Compensation

The Company recognizes compensation expense for all stock-based payment arrangements, net of an estimated forfeiture rate and generally recognizes compensation cost for those shares expected to vest over the requisite service period of the award using the straight-line method of amortization. For stock options and stock appreciation rights, the Company generally determines the grant date fair value using the Black-Scholes option pricing model which requires the input of certain assumptions, including the expected life of the stock-based payment awards, stock price volatility and interest rates. For restricted stock unit valuation, the Company determines the fair value using the grant date price of the Company’s common stock.

The Company recorded non-cash, stock-based compensation in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Operations for fiscal 2014, 2013 and 2012 as follows:



	Fiscal Year Ended
	January 31, 2015		February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013
	(In thousands)
Stock-based compensation expense included in cost of goods sold	$	372	$	635	$	666
Stock-based compensation expense included in selling, general and administrative expenses	1,249		2,008		2,170
Total stock-based compensation expense	$	1,621	$	2,643	$	2,836

Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share is computed using the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding adjusted for the incremental shares attributed to outstanding options to purchase common stock and nonvested restricted stock using the treasury stock method, if dilutive. In periods where a net loss is reported, incremental shares are excluded as their effect would be anti-dilutive. In such circumstances, the weighted-average number of shares outstanding in the basic and diluted earnings per common share calculations will be the same. Anti-dilutive options and nonvested shares are excluded from the computation of diluted earnings per share because either the option exercise price or the grant date fair value of the nonvested share is greater than the market price of the Company’s common stock. Anti-dilutive options and nonvested shares excluded from the diluted earnings per share calculations were as follows:



	Fiscal Year Ended
	January 31, 2015	February 1, 2014	February 2, 2013
Anti-dilutive options and nonvested shares	3,862,004	6,558,028	2,443,976

Vendor and Merchandise Concentrations

In fiscal years 2014 and 2012, no individual vendor accounted for more than 10% of total net sales. In fiscal 2013, Nike, Inc. (which includes the Hurley brand) accounted for 10% of net sales. No other vendor accounted for more than 10% of total net sales in fiscal 2014, 2013 or 2012.

The merchandise assortment for the Company as a percentage of net sales was as follows:



	Fiscal Year Ended
	January 31, 2015		February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013
Men’s Apparel	46	%	46	%	48	%
Women’s Apparel	39	%	39	%	37	%
Accessories and Footwear	15	%	15	%	15	%
Total	100	%	100	%	100	%

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2014, the FASB issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2014-15, "Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern (Subtopic 205-40): Disclosure of Uncertainties about an Entity’s Ability to Continue as a Going Concern" ("ASU 2014-15"). This ASU sets forth guidance regarding management’s responsibility to (1) evaluate whether there is substantial doubt about an organization’s ability to continue as a going concern, and (2) provide related footnote disclosures. ASU 2014-15 requires management to assess the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern by incorporating and expanding upon certain principles that currently exist in United States auditing standards. Specifically, this update provided a definition of the term “substantial doubt,” and added new Subtopic 205-40, Presentation of Financial Statements-Going Concern, which (1) requires an evaluation every reporting period, including interim periods, (2) sets forth principles for considering the mitigating effect of management’s plans, (3) mandates certain disclosures when substantial doubt is alleviated as a result of the consideration of management’s plans, (4) mandates an express statement, and other disclosures, when substantial doubt is not alleviated, and (5) requires an assessment for a period of one year after the date that the financial statements are issued, or are available to be issued. The amendments in this ASU are effective for the annual period ending after December 15, 2016, and for annual periods and interim periods thereafter. Early adoption of this ASU is permitted. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2014-15 to have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09, "Revenue From Contracts with Customers" ("ASU 2014-09"). The ASU amended revenue recognition guidance to clarify the principles for recognizing revenue from contracts with customers. The new standard is based on principles that govern the recognition of revenue at an amount an entity expects to be entitled to when products are transferred to customers. The Company is required to adopt ASU 2014-09 for annual and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016. Early adoption is not permitted. The new revenue accounting standard may be applied retrospectively to each prior period presented or retrospectively with the cumulative effect recognized as of the date of adoption. The Company does not expect the adoption of ASU 2014-09 to have a material impact on its financial position or results of operations.

In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-08, "Presentation of Financial Statements and Property, Plant, and Equipment" and "Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity" ("ASU 2014-08"). The ASU amendment changes the requirements for reporting discontinued operations in Subtopic 205-20. The amendment is effective on a prospective basis for financial statements issued for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning on or after December 15, 2014. Early adoption is permitted. The Company has adopted ASU 2014-08 as of the beginning of its fourth fiscal quarter of 2014. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations. See Note 15 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.