Basis of Presentation and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

3 Months Ended

May 02, 2020

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of Chico's FAS, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries (collectively, the "Company") have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q and do not include all of the information and notes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, such interim financial statements reflect all normal, recurring adjustments considered necessary to present fairly the condensed consolidated financial position, the results of operations and cash flows for the interim periods presented. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

Use of Estimates

The preparation of unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. The COVID-19 pandemic has created and may continue to create significant uncertainty in macroeconomic conditions, which may cause further business disruptions and adversely impact our results of operations. As a result, many of our estimates and assumptions required increased judgment and carry a higher degree of variability and volatility. As events continue to evolve and additional information becomes available, our actual results could materially differ from those estimates in future periods.    

New Accounting Pronouncements

Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncements

Effective February 2, 2020, the Company adopted Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework-Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement, which modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements. The amendments related to the range and weighted average of significant unobservable inputs used to develop Level 3 fair value measurements and the narrative description of measurement uncertainty were applied prospectively. All other amendments were applied retrospectively. Adoption of this pronouncement did not have a material effect on our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements.

Effective February 2, 2020, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments — Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments ("ASU 2016-13"). The update and additional changes, modifications, clarifications, or interpretations related to this guidance thereafter, changes the methodology for measuring credit losses on financial instruments and the timing of when such losses are recorded. The Company has developed processes for assessment and documentation, model development and validation. While the Company generally expects that the implementation of ASU 2016-13 may increase its allowance balance for credit losses, the credit losses is not expected to have a material impact on our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements. The guidance is to be applied using the modified-retrospective approach. As a result of the adoption of ASU 2016-13, the Company recorded a cumulative effect adjustment of $0.8 million as a decrease to opening retained earnings on February 2, 2020.

RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS

In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued ASU 2019-12, Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes ("ASU 2019-12"), which eliminates certain exceptions related to the approach for intraperiod tax allocation, the methodology for calculating income taxes in an interim period and the recognition of deferred tax liabilities for outside basis differences. It also clarifies and simplifies other aspects of the accounting for income taxes. This guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, and interim periods within those fiscal years. The Company is currently evaluating the impact the adoption of ASU 2019-12 will have on its consolidated financial statements.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue pursuant to Accounting Standard Codification ("ASC") 606, Revenue Recognition ("ASC 606"), as established by ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). Retail sales by our stores are recorded at the point of sale and are net of estimated customer returns, sales discounts under rewards programs and Company issued coupons, promotional discounts and employee discounts. Sales from our websites and catalogs are recognized at the time of shipment. Amounts related to shipping and handling costs billed to customers are recorded in net sales and the related shipping and handling costs are recorded in cost of goods sold in the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated statements of (loss) income. Amounts paid by customers to cover shipping and handling costs are immaterial. Our policy towards taxes assessed by a government authority directly imposed on revenue producing transactions between a seller and a customer is, and has been, to exclude all such taxes from revenue. Licensing and wholesale revenue, which is not a significant component of total revenue, is recognized based upon delivery of products, except when the customer has a contractual right of return.    

We sell gift cards in stores, on our e-commerce website and through third parties. Our gift cards do not have expiration dates. We account for gift cards by recognizing a liability at the time the gift card is sold. The liability is relieved and revenue is recognized, net of third party sales commissions, for gift cards upon redemption. In addition, we recognize revenue for the amount of gift cards expected to go unredeemed (commonly referred to as gift card breakage) under the redemption recognition method. This method records gift card breakage as revenue on a proportional basis over the redemption period based on our historical gift card breakage rate. We determine the gift card breakage rate based on our historical redemption patterns. We recognize revenue on the remaining unredeemed gift cards based on determining that the likelihood of the gift card being redeemed is remote and that there is no legal obligation to remit the unredeemed gift cards to relevant jurisdictions.

Soma offers a points-based loyalty program in which customers earn points based on purchases. Attaining specified loyalty point levels results in the issuance of reward coupons to discount future purchases. As program members accumulate

points, we accrue the estimated future liability, adjusted for expected redemption rates and expirations. The liability is relieved and revenue is recognized for loyalty point reward coupons upon redemption. In addition, we recognize revenue on unredeemed points when it can be determined that the likelihood of the point being redeemed is remote and there is no legal obligation to remit the point value. We determine the loyalty point breakage rate based on historical and redemption patterns.

As part of the normal sales cycle, we receive customer merchandise returns related to store, website and catalog sales. To account for the financial impact of potential customer merchandise returns, we estimate future returns on previously sold merchandise. Reductions in sales and gross margin are recorded for estimated merchandise returns based on return history, current sales levels and projected future return levels.

The Company's accounting policies and treatment over revenue recognition are consistent with the provisions of ASC 606 and represent a faithful depiction of the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to in exchange for those goods or services.

Leases

Beginning on February 3, 2019, the Company accounts for leases pursuant to ASC 842, Leases, as established by ASU 2016-02, Leases. We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in ROU assets, current lease liabilities and long-term lease liabilities in our unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets. The Company does not have finance leases in the periods presented.

ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our 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 fixed lease payments over the lease term. The operating lease ROU asset represents the net present value of fixed payments required under the lease, discounted at the Company's incremental borrowing rate, offset by impairments and lease incentives such as tenant improvements and deferred rent balances.

Our leases do not provide an implicit rate. Accordingly, we use the Company's incremental borrowing rate at commencement date in determining the present value of lease payments over the lease term. Furthermore, we elected to apply a portfolio approach, using the same discount rate applied to a portfolio of leases for similar asset types with a similar lease term.

Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease. When it is reasonably certain that we will exercise an option to extend or terminate a lease, the Company will adjust its ROU asset and lease liability. For leases with no impairment of the ROU asset, lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. For stores with impairment of the ROU asset, lease expense consists of straight-line amortization of the ROU asset and the implicit interest expense on the lease liability.

We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components. We have made a policy election to treat both lease and non-lease components as a single component and account for the full consideration as a single lease component. This policy election is applied to all asset classes for which the Company is a lessee.

We lease retail stores and a limited amount of office space under operating leases. The majority of our lease agreements provide for tenant improvement allowances, rent escalation clauses and/or contingent rent provisions. Tenant improvement allowances, fixed rent escalation clauses and impairments are included in the ROU asset computation.

Certain leases provide for contingent rents based on defined criteria, such as gross sales in excess of a specified level. We record a contingent rent liability in accrued liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets and the corresponding rent expense when the criteria has been achieved or is probable.

Additionally, we have a nominal number of leases that meet the standard's definition of a "short-term lease" (a lease that, at the commencement date, has a lease term of twelve months or less and does not include an option to purchase the underlying asset that the lessee is reasonably certain to exercise). We have made a policy election to recognize these leases as incurred and have not recognized a ROU asset or corresponding lease liability for them. The Company's short-term leases are not material.

Fair Value Measurements

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Our financial instruments consist of cash, money market accounts, marketable securities, assets held in our non-qualified deferred compensation plan, accounts receivable and payable, and debt. Cash, accounts receivable and accounts payable are carried at cost, less reserves for credit losses as applicable, which approximates their fair value due to the short-term nature of the instruments.

Marketable securities are classified as available-for-sale and as of May 2, 2020 generally consist of corporate bonds, commercial paper, U.S. government agencies and municipal securities, with $4.6 million of securities with maturity dates within one year or less and $23.2 million with maturity dates over one year and less than two years.

We consider all marketable securities available-for-sale, including those with maturity dates beyond 12 months, and therefore classify these securities within current assets on the condensed consolidated balance sheets as they are available to support current operational liquidity needs. Marketable securities are carried at fair value, with the unrealized holding gains and losses, net of income taxes, reflected in accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income until realized, and any credit risk related losses recognized in net income the period incurred. For the purposes of computing realized and unrealized gains and losses, cost is determined on a specific identification basis.

Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. Entities are required to use a three-level hierarchy, which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value.

The valuation hierarchy is based upon the transparency of inputs to the valuation of an asset or liability on the measurement date. The three levels are defined as follows: 

Level 1	—	Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities
Level 2	—	Unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for similar assets or liabilities; or Unadjusted quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active; or Inputs other than quoted prices that are observable for the asset or liability
Level 3	—	Unobservable inputs for the asset or liability

Assets Measured on a Recurring Basis

We measure certain financial assets at fair value on a recurring basis, including our marketable securities, which are classified as available-for-sale securities, certain cash equivalents, specifically our money market accounts and assets held in our non-qualified deferred compensation plan. The money market accounts are valued based on quoted market prices in active markets. Our marketable securities are generally valued based on other observable inputs for those securities (including market corroborated pricing or other models that utilize observable inputs such as interest rates and yield curves) based on information provided by independent third-party pricing entities, except for U.S. government securities which are valued based on quoted market prices in active markets. The investments in our non-qualified deferred compensation plan are valued using quoted market prices and are included in other assets on our consolidated balance sheets.

Assets Measured on a Nonrecurring Basis

From time to time, we measure certain assets at fair value on a non-recurring basis. This includes the evaluation of long-lived assets, goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment using Company-specific assumptions which would fall within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy.

We assess the carrying amount of long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. The Company uses market participant rents and a market participant discount rate to calculate the fair value of ROU assets. The Company uses discounted future cash flows of the asset or asset group using a discount rate that approximates the cost of capital of a market participant to quantify fair value for other long-lived assets within the asset group which are primarily leasehold improvements. The asset group is defined as the lowest level for which identifiable cash flows are available and largely independent of the cash flows of other groups of assets, which for our retail stores, is primarily at the store level.

To assess the fair value of goodwill, we have historically utilized both an income approach and a market approach. Inputs used to calculate the fair value based on the income approach primarily include estimated future cash flows, discounted at a rate that approximates the cost of capital of a market participant. Inputs used to calculate the fair value based on the market approach include identifying sales and EBITDA multiples based on guidelines for similar publicly traded companies and recent transactions.

To assess the fair value of trademarks, we utilize a relief from royalty approach. Inputs used to calculate the fair value of the trademarks primarily include future sales projections, discounted at a rate that approximates the cost of capital of a market participant and an estimated royalty rate.