Quarterlytics / Consumer Cyclical / Specialty Retail / Big 5 Sporting Goods

Big 5 Sporting Goods

bgfv · NASDAQ Consumer Cyclical
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Ticker bgfv
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Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Specialty Retail
Employees 5001-10,000
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FY2011 Annual Report · Big 5 Sporting Goods
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BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORP  (BGFV)

  10-K

Annual report pursuant to section 13 and 15(d)
Filed on 02/29/2012
Filed Period 01/01/2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
                                    
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549

(Mark One)

FORM 10-K

x    ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended January 1, 2012

OR
¨    TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from                                          to                                         

Commission file number: 000-49850

BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)
2525 East El Segundo Boulevard
El Segundo, California
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)

95-4388794
(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

90245
(Zip Code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (310) 536-0611

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of Each Class:
Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share

Name of Each Exchange on which Registered:
The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
None

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  Yes ¨  No þ

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.  Yes ¨  No þ

 
 
 
 
 
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing
requirements for the past 90 days.  Yes þ  No ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Website, if any, every Interactive Data File
required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter
period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).  Yes þ  No ¨

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 on Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained,
to  the  best  of  the  registrant's  knowledge,  in  definitive  proxy  or  information  statements  incorporated  by  reference  in  Part  III  of  this  Form  10-K  or  in  any
amendment to this Form 10-K.  þ

Indicate  by  check  mark  whether  the  registrant  is  a  large  accelerated  filer,  an  accelerated  filer,  a  non-accelerated  filer,  or  a  smaller  reporting

company. See the definitions of "large accelerated filer", "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer ¨
Non-accelerated filer ¨ (Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

          Accelerated filer þ 
  Smaller reporting company ¨

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes ¨  No þ

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant was $139,031,310 as of July 3, 2011 (the last business day of
the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter) based upon the closing price of the registrant's common stock on the NASDAQ Stock Market
LLC reported for July 3, 2011. Shares of common stock held by each executive officer and director and by each person who, as of such date, may be deemed
to  have  beneficially  owned  more  than  5%  of  the  outstanding  voting  stock  have  been  excluded  in  that  such  persons  may  be  deemed  to  be  affiliates  of  the
registrant  under  certain  circumstances.  This  determination  of  affiliate  status  is  not  necessarily  a  conclusive  determination  of  affiliate  status  for  any  other
purpose.

The registrant had 21,750,520 shares of common stock outstanding at February 23, 2012.

Documents Incorporated by Reference

Part  III  of  this  Form  10-K  incorporates  by  reference  certain  information  from  the  registrant's  2012  definitive  proxy  statement  (the  "Proxy

Statement") to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission no later than 120 days after the end of the registrant's fiscal year.

 
 
Forward-Looking Statements

This document includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
forward-looking  statements  relate  to,  among  other  things,  our  financial  condition,  our  results  of  operations,  our  growth  strategy  and  the  business  of  our
company generally. In some cases, you can identify such statements by terminology such as "may", "could", "project", "estimate", "potential", "continue",
"should", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends" or other such terminology. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown
risks,  uncertainties  and  other  factors  that  may  cause  our  actual  results  in  future  periods  to  differ  materially  from  forecasted  results.  These  risks  and
uncertainties include, among other things, continued or worsening weakness in the consumer spending environment and the U.S. financial and credit markets,
the  competitive  environment  in  the  sporting  goods  industry  in  general  and  in  our  specific  market  areas,  inflation,  product  availability  and  growth
opportunities, seasonal fluctuations, weather conditions, changes in cost of goods, operating expense fluctuations, litigation risks, disruption in product flow,
changes  in  interest  rates,  credit  availability,  higher  costs  associated  with  sources  of  credit  resulting  from  uncertainty  in  financial  markets  and  economic
conditions in general. Those and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, in this report. We caution that the risk
factors set forth in this report are not exclusive. In addition, we conduct our business in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment. Accordingly,
new risk factors may arise. It is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors, nor to assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or
the extent to which any individual risk factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statement. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.

1

 
 
ITEM 1.  BUSINESS

General

PART I

Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corporation  ("we",  "our",  "us"  or  the  "Company")  is  a  leading  sporting  goods  retailer  in  the  western  United  States,
operating  406  stores  in  12  states  under  the  "Big  5  Sporting  Goods"  name  as  of  January  1,  2012.  We  provide  a  full-line  product  offering  in  a  traditional
sporting goods store format that averages approximately 11,000 square feet. Our product mix includes athletic shoes, apparel and accessories, as well as a
broad selection of outdoor and athletic equipment for team sports, fitness, camping, hunting, fishing, tennis, golf, snowboarding and roller sports.

We  believe  that  over  our  57-year  history  we  have  developed  a  reputation  with  the  competitive  and  recreational  sporting  goods  customer  as  a
convenient  neighborhood  sporting  goods  retailer  that  consistently  delivers  value  on  quality  merchandise.  Our  stores  carry  a  wide  range  of  products  at
competitive prices from well-known brand name manufacturers, including adidas, Coleman, Easton, New Balance, Nike, Reebok, Spalding, Under Armour
and Wilson. We also offer brand name merchandise produced exclusively for us, private label merchandise and specials on quality items we purchase through
opportunistic buys of vendor over-stock and close-out merchandise. We reinforce our value reputation through weekly print advertising in major and local
newspapers,  direct  mailers  and  internet  and  email  marketing  designed  to  generate  customer  traffic,  drive  net  sales  and  build  brand  awareness.  We  also
maintain social media sites to enhance distribution capabilities for our promotional offers and to enable communication with our customers.

Robert W. Miller co-founded our company in 1955 with the establishment of five retail locations in California. We sold World War II surplus
items until 1963, when we began focusing exclusively on sporting goods and changed our trade name to "Big 5 Sporting Goods." In 1971, we were acquired
by  Thrifty  Corporation,  which  was  subsequently  purchased  by  Pacific  Enterprises.  In  1992,  management  bought  our  company  in  conjunction  with  Green
Equity  Investors,  L.P.,  an  affiliate  of  Leonard  Green  &  Partners,  L.P.  In  1997,  Robert  W.  Miller,  Steven  G.  Miller  and  Green  Equity  Investors,  L.P.
recapitalized our company so that the majority of our common stock would be owned by our management and employees.

In  2002,  we  completed  an  initial  public  offering  of  our  common  stock  and  used  the  proceeds  from  that  offering,  together  with  credit  facility
borrowings,  to  repurchase  outstanding  high-yield  debt  and  preferred  stock,  fund  management  bonuses  and  repurchase  common  stock  from  non-executive
employees.

Our  accumulated  management  experience  and  expertise  in  sporting  goods  merchandising,  advertising,  operations  and  store  development  have
enabled  us  to  historically  generate  profitable  growth.  We  believe  our  historical  success  can  be  attributed  to  a  value-based  and  execution-driven  operating
philosophy, a controlled growth strategy and a proven business model. Additional information regarding our management experience is available in Item 1,
Business, under the sub-heading "Management Experience", of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. In fiscal 2011, we generated net sales of $902.1 million,
operating income of $19.2 million, net income of $11.7 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.53.

We  are  a  holding  company  incorporated  in  Delaware  on  October  31,  1997.  We  conduct  our  business  through  Big  5  Corp.,  a  wholly  owned
subsidiary incorporated in Delaware on October 27, 1997. We conduct our gift card operations through Big 5 Services Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Big 5 Corp. incorporated in Virginia on December 19, 2003.

Our  corporate  headquarters  are  located  at  2525  East  El  Segundo  Boulevard,  El  Segundo,  California  90245.  Our  Internet  address  is
www.big5sportinggoods.com. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, our Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments, if
any, to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act, are available on our website, free of charge, as soon
as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC").

2

 
 
Expansion and Store Development

Throughout  our  operating  history,  we  have  sought  to  expand  our  business  with  the  addition  of  new  stores  through  a  disciplined  strategy  of
controlled growth. Our expansion within the western United States has been systematic and designed to capitalize on our name recognition, economical store
format and economies of scale related to distribution and advertising. Over the past five fiscal years, we have opened 73 stores, an average of approximately
15  new  stores  annually,  of  which  38%  were  in  California.  Uncertainty  resulting  from  the  economic  recession  slowed  our  store  expansion  efforts  in  fiscal
2009, but we resumed our expansion program in fiscal 2010 and 2011. The following table illustrates the results of our expansion program during the periods
indicated:

        Year        

2007
2008
2009
2010
2011

  California  
6
7
1
7
7

Other

  Markets  
17
12
  2
  8
  6

  Total  
23
19
  3
15
13

Stores

    Relocated

(1)

(3)
(1)
–
(1)
(5)

Stores
  Closed  
–
–
–
–
–

  Number of Stores  

at Period End
363
381
384
398
406

(1)

 Three stores that were replaced by relocated stores opened in fiscal 2010 were closed in fiscal 2011.

Our  store  format  enables  us  to  have  substantial  flexibility  regarding  new  store  locations.  We  have  successfully  operated  stores  in  major
metropolitan areas and in areas with as few as 40,000 people. Our 11,000 average square foot store format differentiates us from superstores that typically
average over 35,000 square feet, require larger target markets, are more expensive to operate and require higher net sales per store for profitability.

New  store  openings  represent  attractive  investment  opportunities  due  to  the  relatively  low  investment  required  and  the  relatively  short  time
necessary before our stores typically become profitable. Our store format typically requires investments of approximately $0.6 million in fixtures, equipment
and  leasehold  improvements,  and  approximately  $0.4  million  in  net  working  capital  with  limited  pre-opening  and  real  estate  expense  related  to  leased
locations that are built to our specifications. We seek to maximize new store performance by staffing new store management with experienced personnel from
our existing stores.

Our in-house store development personnel analyze new store locations with the assistance of real estate firms that specialize in retail properties.
We seek expansion opportunities to further penetrate our established markets, develop recently entered markets and expand into new, contiguous markets with
attractive demographic, competitive and economic profiles.

Management Experience

We believe the experience and tenure of our professional staff in the retail industry gives us a competitive advantage. The table below indicates

the tenure of our professional staff in some of our key functional areas as of January 1, 2012:

Senior Management
Vice Presidents
Buyers
Store District / Regional Supervisors
Store Managers

Merchandising

Number of
  Employees  
7
9
20
42
406

Average
Number of
  Years With Us  
27
24
19
22
11

We target the competitive and recreational sporting goods customer with a full-line product offering at a wide variety of price points. We offer a
product  mix  that  includes  athletic  shoes,  apparel  and  accessories,  as  well  as  a  broad  selection  of  outdoor  and  athletic  equipment  for  team  sports,  fitness,
camping, hunting, fishing, tennis, golf,

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snowboarding and roller sports. We believe we offer consistent value to consumers by offering a distinctive merchandise mix that includes a combination of
well-known brand name merchandise, merchandise produced exclusively for us under a manufacturer's brand name, private label merchandise and specials on
quality items we purchase through opportunistic buys of vendor over-stock and close-out merchandise.

We believe we enjoy significant advantages in making opportunistic buys of vendor over-stock and close-out merchandise because of our strong
vendor relationships, purchasing volume and rapid decision-making process. Vendor over-stock and close-out merchandise typically represent approximately
7%  of  our  net  sales.  Our  strong  vendor  relationships  and  purchasing  volume  also  enable  us  to  purchase  merchandise  produced  exclusively  for  us  under  a
manufacturer's brand name which allows us to differentiate our product selection from competition, obtain volume pricing discounts from vendors and offer
unique value to our customers. Our weekly advertising highlights our opportunistic buys together with merchandise produced exclusively for us in order to
reinforce our reputation as a retailer that offers attractive values to our customers.

The following table illustrates our mix of soft goods, which are non-durable items such as shirts and shoes, and hard goods, which are durable

items such as fishing rods and golf clubs, as a percentage of net sales:

Soft goods

Athletic and sport apparel
Athletic and sport footwear

Total soft goods

Hard goods
Total

  2011  

  2010  

Fiscal Year
  2009  

  2008  

  2007  

16.1%       
29.2          
45.3          
54.7          
  100.0%       

16.1%       
29.0          
45.1          
54.9          
  100.0%       

16.3%       
29.1          
45.4          
54.6          
  100.0%       

17.3%       
29.2          
46.5          
53.5          
  100.0%       

16.8%  
29.8     
46.6     
53.4     
  100.0%  

We  purchase  our  popular  branded  merchandise  from  an  extensive  list  of  major  sporting  goods  equipment,  athletic  footwear  and  apparel

manufacturers. Below is a selection of some of the brands we carry:

adidas
Asics
Bearpaw
Browning
Bushnell
Coleman
Converse

  Crocs
  Crosman
  Easton
  Everlast
  Fila
  Footjoy
  Franklin

  Head
  Heelys
  Hillerich & Bradsby
  Icon (Proform)
  Impex
  JanSport
  K2

   K-Swiss
   Lifetime
   Mizuno
   New Balance
   Nike
   Prince
   Rawlings

   Razor
   Reebok
   Remington
   Rollerblade
   Russell Athletic
   Saucony
   Shimano

   Spalding
   Speedo
   Timex
   Titleist
   Under Armour
   Wilson
   Zebco

We also offer a variety of private label merchandise to complement our branded product offerings, which represents approximately 3% of our net
sales. Our sale of private label merchandise enables us to provide our customers with a broader selection of quality merchandise at a wider range of price
points  and  allows  us  the  opportunity  to  achieve  higher  margins  than  on  sales  of  comparable  name  brand  products.  Our  private  label  items  include  shoes,
apparel,  binoculars,  camping  equipment,  fishing  supplies  and  snowsport  equipment.  Private  label  merchandise  is  sold  under  trademarks  owned  by  us  or
licensed by us from third parties. Our owned trademarks include Court Casuals, Golden Bear, Harsh, Pacifica, Rugged Exposure and Triple Nickel, all of
which are registered as federal trademarks. The renewal dates for these trademark registrations range from 2014 to 2019. Our licensed trademarks include
Avet, Body Glove, Fila, GoFit, Hi-Tec, Maui & Sons, Morrow, Realm and The Realm. We are currently in the process of renewing two of these licenses. The
remaining license agreements renew automatically, except for one which is scheduled to expire in 2012. We intend to renew these trademark registrations and
license agreements if we are still using the trademarks in commerce and they continue to provide value to us at the time of renewal.

Through  our  57  years  of  experience  across  different  demographic,  economic  and  competitive  markets,  we  have  refined  our  merchandising
strategy to offer a selection of products that meets customer demands. Our edited selection of products enables customers to comparison shop without being
overwhelmed by a large number of different products in any one category. We further tailor our merchandise selection on a store-by-store basis in order to
satisfy each region's specific needs and seasonal buying habits.

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We  experience  seasonal  fluctuations  in  our  net  sales  and  operating  results  and  historically  have  generated  higher  net  sales  in  the  fourth  fiscal
quarter, which includes the holiday selling season. Accordingly, in the fourth fiscal quarter we experience normally higher purchase volumes and increased
expense for staffing and advertising. Seasonality influences our buying patterns which directly impacts our merchandise and accounts payable levels and cash
flows. We purchase merchandise for seasonal activities in advance of a season. If we miscalculate the demand for our products generally or for our product
mix during the fourth fiscal quarter, our net sales can decline, which can harm our financial performance. A shortfall from expected fourth fiscal quarter net
sales can negatively impact our annual operating results, as occurred in fiscal 2011.

Our  buyers,  who  average  19  years  of  experience  with  us,  work  closely  with  senior  management  to  determine  and  enhance  product  selection,
promotion and pricing of our merchandise mix. Management utilizes integrated merchandising, business intelligence analytics, distribution, point-of-sale and
financial information systems to continuously refine our merchandise mix, pricing strategy, advertising effectiveness and inventory levels to best serve the
needs of our customers.

Advertising and Marketing

Through  years  of  targeted  advertising,  we  have  solidified  our  reputation  for  offering  quality  products  at  attractive  prices.  We  have  advertised
almost exclusively through weekly print advertisements since 1955. We typically utilize four-page color advertisements to highlight promotions across our
merchandise  categories.  We  believe  our  print  advertising,  which  includes  an  average  weekly  distribution  of  over  18  million  newspaper  inserts  or  mailers,
consistently reaches more households in our established markets than that of our full-line sporting goods competitors. The consistency and reach of our print
advertising programs drive sales and create high customer awareness of the name "Big 5 Sporting Goods."

We  use  our  own  professional  in-house  advertising  staff  to  generate  our  advertisements,  including  design,  layout,  production  and  media
management.  Our  in-house  advertising  department  provides  management  with  the  flexibility  to  react  quickly  to  merchandise  trends  and  to  maximize  the
effectiveness of our weekly inserts and mailers. We are able to effectively target different population zones for our advertising expenditures. We place inserts
in over 200 newspapers throughout our markets, supplemented in many areas by mailer distributions to create market saturation.

We maintain a digital marketing program that includes email marketing (the "E-Team"), social media, including Facebook and Twitter, and other
website initiatives. Our E-Team program invites our customers to subscribe to our E-Team for weekly advertisements, special deals and product information
disseminated on a regular basis. Within our social media program, our customers have the opportunity to engage in conversations with other sports-minded
people and receive exclusive information about new products and unique weekly offers. All of these marketing methods are intended to simplify the shopping
experience for our customers and further demonstrate our commitment to providing great brands at great value.

We  have  developed  a  strong  cause  marketing  platform  through  our  11-year  support  of  the  March  of  Dimes  annual  fundraising  campaign  and
other charities. We also build brand awareness by providing sponsorship support of established, high profile running events that benefit our customers' active
lifestyles, such as the "Honda LA Marathon" in Los Angeles, California.

We offer a loyalty program that provides youth-league organizations the ability to earn cash rebates and team discounts through their supporters'

purchases at our stores.

Vendor Relationships

We have developed strong vendor relationships over the past 57 years. We currently purchase merchandise from approximately 800 vendors. In
fiscal 2011, only one vendor represented greater than 5% of total purchases, at 7.7%. We believe current relationships with our vendors are good. We benefit
from the long-term working relationships with vendors that our senior management and our buyers have carefully nurtured throughout our history.

5

 
 
Management Information Systems

We  have  fully  integrated  management  information  systems  that  report  aggregated  sales  information  throughout  the  day,  support  merchandise
management,  inventory  receiving  and  distribution  functions  and  provide  pertinent  information  for  financial  reporting,  as  well  as  new  business  intelligence
retail analytics tools. The management information systems also include networks that connect all system users to the main host system, electronic mail and
other related enterprise applications. The main host system and our stores' point-of-sale registers are linked by a network that provides managed DSL primary
communications  with  satellite  backup  for  purchasing  card  (i.e.,  credit  and  debit  card)  authorization  and  processing,  as  well  as  daily  polling  of  sales  and
merchandise  movement  at  the  store  level.  This  wide  area  network  also  provides  stable  communications  for  the  stores  to  access  valuable  tools  for
collaboration, training, workforce management, corporate communications and a new customer service kiosk device. We believe our management information
systems are effectively supporting our current operations and provide a foundation for future growth.

Distribution

We operate a distribution center located in Riverside, California, that services all of our stores. The facility has approximately 953,000 square
feet  of  storage  and  office  space.  The  distribution  center  warehouse  management  system  is  fully  integrated  with  our  management  information  systems  and
provides  comprehensive  warehousing  and  distribution  capabilities.  We  distribute  merchandise  from  our  distribution  center  to  our  stores  at  least  once  per
week,  using  our  fleet  of  leased  tractors,  as  well  as  contract  carriers.  Our  lease  for  the  distribution  center  is  scheduled  to  expire  on  August  31,  2015,  and
includes three additional five-year renewal options.

In the second quarter of fiscal 2011, we opened a small distribution hub in Oregon to help mitigate fuel costs. This approximately 12,000 square-
foot facility enables us to ship full trailers of product from our Riverside distribution center to the Pacific Northwest, where we separate products for regional
delivery. This distribution point has greatly reduced the number of transportation miles logged to distribute our product to the Pacific Northwest. Our lease for
the Oregon hub is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2019, and includes four additional five-year renewal options.

Industry and Competition

The retail market for sporting goods is highly competitive. In general, competition tends to fall into the following five basic categories:

Sporting  Goods  Superstores.  Stores  in  this  category  typically  are  larger  than  35,000  square  feet  and  tend  to  be  free-standing  locations.  These
stores emphasize high volume sales and a large number of stock-keeping units. Examples include Academy Sports & Outdoors, Dick's Sporting Goods, The
Sports Authority and Sport Chalet.

Traditional  Sporting  Goods  Stores.  This  category  consists  of  traditional  sporting  goods  chains,  including  us.  These  stores  range  in  size  from
5,000  to  20,000  square  feet  and  are  frequently  located  in  regional  malls  and  multi-store  shopping  centers.  The  traditional  chains  typically  carry  a  varied
assortment  of  merchandise  and  attempt  to  position  themselves  as  convenient  neighborhood  stores.  Sporting  goods  retailers  operating  stores  within  this
category include Hibbett Sports and Modell's.

Specialty  Sporting  Goods  Stores.  Specialty  sporting  goods  retailers  are  stores  that  typically  carry  a  wide  assortment  of  one  specific  product
category, such as athletic shoes, golf, or outdoor equipment. Examples of these retailers include Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, Foot Locker, Gander Mountain,
Golfsmith and REI. This category also includes pro shops that often are single-store operations.

Mass Merchandisers. This category includes discount retailers such as Kmart, Target and Wal-Mart and department stores such as JC Penney,
Kohl's  and  Sears.  These  stores  range  in  size  from  50,000  to  200,000  square  feet  and  are  primarily  located  in  regional  malls,  shopping  centers  or  on  free-
standing  sites.  Sporting  goods  merchandise  and  apparel  represent  a  small  portion  of  the  total  merchandise  in  these  stores  and  the  selection  is  often  more
limited than in other sporting goods retailers.

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Catalog  and  Internet-based  Retailers.  This  category  consists  of  numerous  retailers  that  sell  a  broad  array  of  new  and  used  sporting  goods
products via catalogs or the Internet. The Internet has been a rapidly growing sales channel, particularly with younger consumers, and an increasing source of
competition in the retail industry.

In competing with the retailers discussed above, we focus on what we believe are the primary factors of competition in the sporting goods retail
industry,  including  experienced  and  knowledgeable  personnel;  customer  service;  breadth,  depth,  price  and  quality  of  merchandise  offered;  advertising;
purchasing  and  pricing  policies;  effective  sales  techniques;  direct  involvement  of  senior  officers  in  monitoring  store  operations;  management  information
systems and store location and format.

Employees

As  of  January  1,  2012,  we  had  over  8,800  active  full  and  part-time  employees.  The  International  Brotherhood  of  Teamsters,  Local  Union
No. 986, Miscellaneous Warehousemen Drivers and Helpers represents approximately 460 hourly employees in our distribution center and select stores. The
collective bargaining agreements covering both our distribution center and select store employees expire on August 31, 2012. We have not had a strike or
work  stoppage  in  over  30  years,  although  such  a  disruption  could  have  a  significant  negative  impact  on  our  business  operations  and  financial  results.  We
believe we provide working conditions and wages that are comparable to those offered by other retailers in the sporting goods industry and that employee
relations are good.

Employee Training

We  have  developed  a  comprehensive  training  program  that  is  tailored  for  each  store  position.  All  employees  are  given  an  orientation  and
reference  materials  that  stress  excellence  in  customer  service  and  selling  skills.  All  full-time  employees,  including  salespeople,  cashiers  and  management
trainees,  receive  additional  training  specific  to  their  job  responsibilities.  Our  tiered  curriculum  includes  seminars,  individual  instruction  and  performance
evaluations  to  promote  consistency  in  employee  development.  The  manager  trainee  schedule  provides  seminars  on  operational  responsibilities  such  as
merchandising strategy, loss prevention and inventory control. Moreover, each manager trainee must complete a progressive series of outlines and evaluations
in order to advance to the next successive level. Ongoing store management training includes topics such as advanced merchandising, delegation, personnel
management,  scheduling,  payroll  control,  harassment  prevention  and  loss  prevention.  We  also  provide  unique  opportunities  for  our  employees  to  gain
knowledge about our products, through periodic "hands-on" training seminars. In 2011, we implemented a new learning management system providing us
with the ability to consistently train our employees online.

Description of Service Marks and Trademarks

We use the "Big 5" and "Big 5 Sporting Goods" names as service marks in connection with our business operations and have registered these
names as federal service marks. The renewal dates for these service mark registrations are in 2015 and 2013, respectively. We have also registered the names
Court Casuals, Golden Bear, Harsh, Pacifica, Rugged Exposure and Triple Nickel as federal trademarks under which we sell a variety of merchandise. The
renewal dates for these trademark registrations range from 2014 to 2019. We intend to renew these service mark and trademark registrations if we are still
using the marks in commerce and they continue to provide value to us at the time of renewal.

7

 
 
ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

An  investment  in  the  Company  entails  risks  and  uncertainties  including  the  following.  You  should  carefully  consider  these  risk  factors  when
evaluating  any  investment  in  the  Company.  Any  of  these  risks  and  uncertainties  could  cause  our  actual  results  to  differ  materially  from  the  results
contemplated by the forward-looking statements set forth herein, and could otherwise have a significant adverse impact on our business, prospects, financial
condition or results of operations or on the price of our common stock.

Risks Related to Our Business and Industry

Disruptions in the overall economy and the financial markets may adversely impact our business and results of operations, as well as our lenders.

The retail industry can be greatly affected by macroeconomic factors, including changes in national, regional and local economic conditions, as
well  as  consumers'  perceptions  of  such  economic  factors.  In  general,  sales  represent  discretionary  spending  by  our  customers.  Discretionary  spending  is
affected by many factors, including general business conditions, interest rates, inflation, consumer debt levels, the availability of consumer credit, currency
exchange rates, taxation, gasoline prices, income, unemployment trends and other matters that influence consumer confidence and spending, among others.
Many of these factors are outside of our control. We have experienced and may continue to experience increased inflationary pressure on our product costs.
Our  customers'  purchases  of  discretionary  items,  including  our  products,  generally  decline  during  periods  when  disposable  income  is  lower,  when  prices
increase in response to rising costs, or in periods of actual or perceived unfavorable economic conditions.

As  discussed  in  this  and  prior  reports,  the  consumer  environment  has  been  particularly  challenging  over  the  last  few  years.  The  economic
recession  has  deteriorated  the  consumer  spending  environment  and  reduced  consumer  income,  liquidity,  credit  and  confidence  in  the  economy,  and  has
resulted  in  substantial  reductions  in  consumer  spending.  Continued  weakness  or  further  deterioration  of  the  consumer  spending  environment  would  be
harmful to our financial position and results of operations, could adversely affect our ability to comply with covenants under our credit facility and, as a result,
may negatively impact our ability to continue payment of our quarterly dividend, to repurchase our stock and to open additional stores in the manner that we
have in the past. Government responses to the disruptions in the financial markets may not restore consumer confidence, stabilize such markets or increase
liquidity and the availability of credit to consumers and businesses.

Worldwide capital and credit markets experienced nearly unprecedented volatility and disruption beginning in fiscal 2007 and continuing through
fiscal  2011,  which  has  impacted  the  ability  of  several  financial  institutions  to  meet  their  obligations.  Entering  2012,  the  financial  condition  of  European
countries  and  financial  institutions  appears  to  be  unstable,  which  could  impact  consumer  demand  and  credit  markets  in  the  United  States.  Based  on
information  available  to  us,  all  of  the  lenders  under  our  revolving  credit  facility  are  currently  able  to  fulfill  their  commitments  thereunder.  However,
circumstances could arise that may impact their ability to fund their obligations in the future. Although we believe the commitments from our lenders under
the revolving credit facility, together with our cash and cash equivalents on hand and anticipated operating cash flows, should be sufficient to meet our near-
term borrowing requirements, if Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, our principal lender, or any other lender, is for any reason unable to perform its
lending or administrative commitments under the facility, then disruptions to our business could result and may require us to replace this facility with a new
facility or to raise capital from alternative sources on less favorable terms, including higher rates of interest.

Intense competition in the sporting goods industry could limit our growth and reduce our profitability.

The  retail  market  for  sporting  goods  is  highly  fragmented  and  intensely  competitive.  We  compete  directly  or  indirectly  with  the  following

categories of companies:

•

•

•

  sporting goods superstores, such as Academy Sports & Outdoors, Dick's Sporting Goods, The Sports Authority and Sport Chalet;

  traditional sporting goods stores and chains, such as Hibbett Sports and Modell's;

  specialty sporting goods shops and pro shops, such as Bass Pro Shops, Cabela's, Foot Locker, Gander Mountain, Golfsmith and REI;

8

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•

•

  mass merchandisers, discount stores and department stores, such as JC Penney, Kmart, Kohl's, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart; and

  catalog  and  Internet-based  retailers,  such  as  Amazon.com,  and  mass  merchandisers  and  other  sporting  goods  stores  that  also  have  substantial

Internet sales operations.

Some of our competitors have a larger number of stores and greater financial, distribution, marketing and other resources than we have. If our
competitors reduce their prices, it may be difficult for us to reach our net sales goals without reducing our prices, which could impact our margins. As a result
of this competition, we may also need to spend more on advertising and promotion than we anticipate. We currently do not sell our products over the Internet,
which has been a rapidly growing sales channel, particularly with younger consumers, and an increasing source of competition in the retail industry. If we are
unable to compete successfully, our operating results will suffer.

If we fail to anticipate changes in consumer preferences, we may experience lower net sales, higher inventory, higher inventory markdowns and lower
margins.

Our products must appeal to a broad range of consumers whose preferences cannot be predicted with certainty. These preferences are also subject
to  change.  Our  success  depends  upon  our  ability  to  anticipate  and  respond  in  a  timely  manner  to  trends  in  sporting  goods  merchandise  and  consumers'
participation in sports. If we fail to identify and respond to these changes, our net sales may decline. In addition, because we often make commitments to
purchase products from our vendors up to six months in advance of the proposed delivery, if we misjudge the market for our merchandise, we may over-stock
unpopular products and be forced to take inventory markdowns that could have a negative impact on profitability.

Our  quarterly  net  sales  and  operating  results,  reported  and  expected,  can  fluctuate  substantially,  which  may  adversely  affect  the  market  price  of  our
common stock.

Our net and same store sales and results of operations, reported and expected, have fluctuated in the past and will vary from quarter to quarter in
the future. These fluctuations may adversely affect our financial condition and the market price of our common stock. A number of factors, many of which are
outside our control, have historically caused and will continue to cause variations in our quarterly net and same store sales and operating results, including
changes in consumer demand for our products, competition in our markets, inflation, changes in pricing or other actions taken by our competitors, weather
conditions  in  our  markets,  natural  disasters,  litigation,  political  events,  government  regulation,  changes  in  accounting  standards,  changes  in  management's
accounting estimates or assumptions and economic conditions, including those specific to our western markets.

Increased costs or declines in the effectiveness of print advertising, or a reduction in publishers of print advertising, could cause our operating results to
suffer.

Our business relies heavily on print advertising. We utilize print advertising programs that include newspaper inserts, direct mailers and courier-
delivered inserts in order to effectively deliver our message to our targeted markets. Newspaper circulation and readership has been declining, which could
limit the number of people who receive or read our advertisements. Additionally, declining newspaper demand and the weak macroeconomic environment are
adversely impacting newspaper publishers and could jeopardize their ability to operate, which could restrict our ability to advertise in the manner we have in
the past. If we are unable to develop other effective strategies to reach potential customers within our desired markets, awareness of our stores, products and
promotions could decline and our net sales could suffer. In addition, an increase in the cost of print advertising, paper or postal or other delivery fees could
increase the cost of our advertising and adversely affect our operating results.

Because our stores are concentrated in the western United States, we are subject to regional risks.

Our stores are located in the western United States. Because of this, we are subject to regional risks, such as the economy, including downturns in
the  housing  market,  state  financial  conditions,  unemployment  and  gas  prices.  Other  regional  risks  include  adverse  weather  conditions,  power  outages,
earthquakes  and  other  natural  disasters  specific  to  the  states  in  which  we  operate.  For  example,  particularly  in  southern  California  where  we  have  a  high
concentration  of  stores,  seasonal  factors  such  as  unfavorable  snow  conditions,  inclement  weather  or  other  localized  conditions  such  as  flooding,  fires,
earthquakes  or  electricity  blackouts  could  harm  our  operations.  State  and  local  regulatory  compliance  also  can  impact  our  financial  results.  Economic
downturns  or  other  adverse  regional  events  could  have  an  adverse  impact  upon  our  net  sales  and  profitability  and  our  ability  to  implement  our  planned
expansion program.

9

 
 
 
 
 
A significant amount of our sales is impacted by seasonal weather conditions in our markets.

Because many of the products we sell are used for seasonal outdoor sporting activities, our business is significantly impacted by unseasonable
weather conditions in our markets. For example, our winter sports and apparel sales are dependent on cold winter weather and snowfall in our markets, and
can be negatively impacted by unseasonably warm weather in our markets. In that regard, unseasonably warm and dry weather during the 2011 holiday period
had  a  substantial  negative  impact  on  our  sales  for  that  period.  Conversely,  sales  of  our  spring  products  and  summer  products,  such  as  baseball  gear  and
camping equipment, can be adversely impacted by unseasonably cold or wet weather in those periods. Accordingly, our sales results and financial condition
will typically suffer when weather patterns don't conform to seasonal norms.

Our business is subject to seasonal fluctuations, and unanticipated changes in our customers' seasonal buying patterns can impact our business.

We  experience  seasonal  fluctuations  in  our  net  sales  and  operating  results  and  historically  have  generated  higher  net  sales  in  the  fourth  fiscal
quarter, which includes the holiday selling season. Accordingly, a reduction of consumer confidence during the holiday season will have a significant impact
on  our  business.  Further,  in  the  fourth  fiscal  quarter  we  experience  normally  higher  purchase  volumes  and  increased  expense  for  staffing  and  advertising.
Seasonality  also  influences  our  buying  patterns  which  directly  impacts  our  merchandise  and  accounts  payable  levels  and  cash  flows.  We  purchase
merchandise for seasonal activities in advance of a season. If we miscalculate the demand for our products generally or for our product mix during the fourth
fiscal quarter, our net sales can decline, which can harm our financial performance. A shortfall from expected fourth fiscal quarter net sales can negatively
impact our annual operating results, as occurred in fiscal 2011.

If we lose key management or are unable to attract and retain the talent required for our business, our operating results could suffer.

Our future success depends to a significant degree on the skills, experience and efforts of Steven G. Miller, our Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer, and other key personnel with longstanding tenure who are not obligated to stay with us. The loss of the services of any of these individuals
for any reason could harm our business and operations. In addition, as our business grows, we will need to attract and retain additional qualified personnel in a
timely  manner  and  develop,  train  and  manage  an  increasing  number  of  management-level  sales  associates  and  other  employees.  Competition  for  qualified
employees  could  require  us  to  pay  higher  wages  and  benefits  to  attract  a  sufficient  number  of  employees,  and  increases  in  the  minimum  wage  or  other
employee benefit costs could increase our operating expense. If we are unable to attract and retain personnel as needed in the future, our net sales growth and
operating results may suffer.

All of our stores rely on a single distribution center. Any disruption or other operational difficulties at this distribution center could reduce our net sales
or increase our operating costs.

We rely on a single distribution center to service our business. Any natural disaster or other serious disruption to the distribution center due to
fire, earthquake or any other cause could damage a significant portion of our inventory and could materially impair both our ability to adequately stock our
stores  and  our  net  sales  and  profitability.  If  the  security  measures  used  at  our  distribution  center  do  not  prevent  inventory  theft,  our  gross  margin  may
significantly  decrease.  Our  distribution  center  is  staffed  in  part  by  employees  represented  by  The  International  Brotherhood  of  Teamsters,  Local  Union
No. 986, Miscellaneous Warehousemen Drivers and Helpers. We have not had a strike or work stoppage in over 30 years, although such a disruption could
have a significant negative impact on our business operations and financial results. Further, in the event that we are unable to grow our net sales sufficiently to
allow us to leverage the costs of this distribution center in the manner we anticipate, our financial results could be negatively impacted.

10

 
 
If we are unable to successfully implement our controlled growth strategy or manage our growing business, our future operating results could suffer.

One  of  our  strategies  includes  opening  profitable  stores  in  new  and  existing  markets.  As  a  result,  at  the  end  of  fiscal  2011  we  operated
approximately  18%  more  stores  than  we  did  at  the  end  of  fiscal  2006.  In  response  to  the  economic  recession,  we  slowed  our  store  expansion  program
substantially in fiscal 2009, and resumed our expansion efforts in fiscal 2010 and 2011 in anticipation of an improved economic environment.

Our ability to successfully implement and capitalize on our growth strategy could be negatively affected by various factors including:

  we may again choose to slow our expansion efforts as a result of challenging conditions in the retail industry and the economic recession overall;

  we may not be able to find suitable sites available for leasing;

  we may not be able to negotiate acceptable lease terms;

  we may not be able to hire and retain qualified store personnel; and

  we may not have the financial resources necessary to fund our expansion plans.

•

•

•

•

•

In addition, our expansion in new and existing markets may present competitive, merchandising, marketing and distribution challenges that differ
from  our  current  challenges.  These  potential  new  challenges  include  competition  among  our  stores,  added  strain  on  our  distribution  center,  additional
information to be processed by our management information systems, diversion of management attention from ongoing operations and challenges associated
with  managing  a  substantially  larger  enterprise.  We  face  additional  challenges  in  entering  new  markets,  including  consumers'  lack  of  awareness  of  us,
difficulties in hiring personnel and problems due to our unfamiliarity with local real estate markets and demographics. New markets may also have different
competitive conditions, consumer tastes, responsiveness to print advertising and discretionary spending patterns than our existing markets. To the extent that
we are not able to meet these new challenges, our net sales could decrease and our operating costs could increase.

Our hardware and software systems are vulnerable to damage, theft or intrusion that could harm our business.

Our  success,  in  particular  our  ability  to  successfully  manage  inventory  levels  and  process  customer  transactions,  largely  depends  upon  the
efficient  operation  of  our  computer  hardware  and  software  systems.  We  use  management  information  systems  to  track  inventory  at  the  store  level  and
aggregate  daily  sales  information,  communicate  customer  information  and  process  purchasing  card  transactions,  process  shipments  of  goods  and  report
financial information. These systems and our operations are vulnerable to damage or interruption from:

•

•

•

•

  earthquake, fire, flood and other natural disasters;

  power loss, computer systems failures, Internet and telecommunications or data network failures, operator negligence, improper operation by or

supervision of employees;

  physical and electronic loss of data, security breaches, misappropriation, data theft and similar events; and

  computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, intrusions, or other external threats.

Any failure of our computer hardware or software systems that causes an interruption in our operations or a decrease in inventory tracking could
result  in  reduced  net  sales  and  profitability.  Additionally,  if  any  data  intrusion,  security  breach,  misappropriation  or  theft  were  to  occur,  we  could  incur
significant costs in responding to such event, including responding to any resulting claims, litigation or investigations, which could harm our operating results.

If our suppliers do not provide sufficient quantities of products, our net sales and profitability could suffer.

We purchase merchandise from approximately 800 vendors. Although only one vendor represented more than 5.0% of our total purchases during
fiscal 2011, our dependence on principal suppliers involves risk. Our 20 largest vendors collectively accounted for 37.3% of our total purchases during fiscal
2011. If there is a disruption in supply from a principal supplier or distributor, we may be unable to obtain merchandise that we desire to sell and that

11

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
consumers desire to purchase. A vendor could discontinue selling products to us at any time for reasons that may or may not be within our control. Our net
sales  and  profitability  could  decline  if  we  are  unable  to  promptly  replace  a  vendor  who  is  unwilling  or  unable  to  satisfy  our  requirements  with  a  vendor
providing equally appealing products. Moreover, many of our suppliers provide us with incentives, such as return privileges, volume purchase allowances and
co-operative advertising. A decline or discontinuation of these incentives could reduce our profits.

Because many of the products that we sell are manufactured abroad, we may face delays, increased cost or quality control deficiencies in the importation
of these products, which could reduce our net sales and profitability.

Like  many  other  sporting  goods  retailers,  a  significant  portion  of  the  products  that  we  purchase  for  resale,  including  those  purchased  from
domestic suppliers, is manufactured abroad in countries such as China, Taiwan and South Korea. In addition, we believe most, if not all, of our private label
merchandise is manufactured abroad. Foreign imports subject us to the risks of changes in import duties or quotas, new restrictions on imports, loss of "most
favored nation" status with the United States for a particular foreign country, work stoppages, delays in shipment, freight cost increases, product cost increases
due  to  foreign  currency  fluctuations  or  revaluations  and  economic  uncertainties  (including  the  United  States  imposing  antidumping  or  countervailing  duty
orders, safeguards, remedies or compensation and retaliation due to illegal foreign trade practices). If any of these or other factors were to cause a disruption
of  trade  from  the  countries  in  which  the  suppliers  of  our  vendors  are  located,  we  may  be  unable  to  obtain  sufficient  quantities  of  products  to  satisfy  our
requirements or our cost of obtaining products may increase. In addition, to the extent that any foreign manufacturers which supply products to us directly or
indirectly utilize quality control standards, labor practices or other practices that vary from those legally mandated or commonly accepted in the United States
(such as the high lead content found in several products manufactured abroad during the past few years), we could be hurt by any resulting negative publicity
or,  in  some  cases,  face  potential  liability.  Historically,  instability  in  the  political  and  economic  environments  of  the  countries  in  which  our  vendors  or  we
obtain our products has not had a material adverse effect on our operations. However, we cannot predict the effect that future changes in economic or political
conditions in such foreign countries may have on our operations. In the event of disruptions or delays in supply due to economic or political conditions in
foreign countries, such disruptions or delays could adversely affect our results of operations unless and until alternative supply arrangements could be made.
In addition, merchandise purchased from alternative sources may be of lesser quality or more expensive than the merchandise we currently purchase abroad.

Disruptions in transportation, including disruptions at shipping ports through which our products are imported, could prevent us from timely distribution
and delivery of inventory, which could reduce our net sales and profitability.

A substantial amount of our inventory is manufactured abroad. From time to time, shipping ports experience capacity constraints, labor strikes,
work stoppages or other disruptions that may delay the delivery of imported products. In addition, acts of terrorism could significantly disrupt operations at
shipping ports or otherwise impact transportation of the imported merchandise we sell.

Future disruptions in transportation services or at a shipping port at which our products are received may result in delays in the transportation of
such  products  to  our  distribution  center  and  may  ultimately  delay  the  stocking  of  our  stores  with  the  affected  merchandise.  As  a  result,  our  net  sales  and
profitability could decline.

Our costs may change as a result of currency exchange rate fluctuations or inflation in the purchase cost of merchandise manufactured abroad.

We  source  goods  from  various  countries,  including  China,  and  thus  changes  in  the  value  of  the  U.S.  dollar  compared  to  other  currencies,  or
foreign labor and raw material cost inflation, may affect the cost of goods that we purchase. If the cost of goods that we purchase increase, we may not be able
to similarly increase the retail prices of goods that we charge consumers without impacting our sales and our operating profits may suffer.

Increases in transportation costs due to rising fuel costs, climate change regulation and other factors may negatively impact our operating results.

We rely upon various means of transportation, including ship and truck, to deliver products from vendors to our distribution center and from our
distribution center to our stores. Consequently, our results can vary depending upon the price of fuel. The price of oil has fluctuated drastically over the last
few years, and has recently increased

12

 
 
again, which has increased our fuel costs. In addition, efforts to combat climate change through reduction of greenhouse gases may result in higher fuel costs
through taxation or other means. Any such future increases in fuel costs would increase our transportation costs for delivery of product to our distribution
center and distribution to our stores, as well as our vendors' transportation costs, which could decrease our operating profits.

In addition, labor shortages, or other factors, in the transportation industry could negatively affect transportation costs and our ability to supply
our stores in a timely manner. In particular, our business is highly dependent on the trucking industry to deliver products to our distribution center and our
stores. Our operating results may be adversely affected if we or our vendors are unable to secure adequate trucking resources at competitive prices to fulfill
our delivery schedules to our distribution center or stores.

Terrorism and the uncertainty of war may harm our operating results.

Terrorist attacks or acts of war may cause damage or disruption to us and our employees, facilities, information systems, vendors and customers,
which  could  significantly  impact  our  net  sales,  profitability  and  financial  condition.  Terrorist  attacks  could  also  have  a  significant  impact  on  ports  or
international shipping on which we are substantially dependent for the supply of much of the merchandise we sell. Our corporate headquarters is located near
Los  Angeles  International  Airport  and  the  Port  of  Los  Angeles,  which  have  been  identified  as  potential  terrorism  targets.  The  potential  for  future  terrorist
attacks, the national and international responses to terrorist attacks and other acts of war or hostility may cause greater uncertainty and cause our business to
suffer  in  ways  that  we  cannot  currently  predict.  Military  action  taken  in  response  to  such  attacks  could  also  have  a  short  or  long-term  negative  economic
impact upon the financial markets, international shipping and our business in general.

Risks Related to Our Capital Structure

We are leveraged, future cash flows may not be sufficient to meet our obligations and we might have difficulty obtaining more financing or refinancing
our existing indebtedness on favorable terms.

As  of  January  1,  2012,  the  aggregate  amount  of  our  outstanding  indebtedness,  including  capital  lease  obligations,  was  $68.2  million.  Our

leveraged financial position means:

•

•

•

  our ability to obtain financing in the future for working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate purposes might be impeded;

  we are more vulnerable to economic downturns and our ability to withstand competitive pressures is limited; and

  we are more vulnerable to increases in interest rates, which may affect our interest expense and negatively impact our operating results.

If our business declines, our future cash flow might not be sufficient to meet our obligations and commitments.

If  we  fail  to  make  any  required  payment  under  our  revolving  credit  facility,  our  debt  payments  may  be  accelerated  under  this  agreement.  In
addition, in the event of bankruptcy, insolvency or a material breach of any covenant contained in our revolving credit facility, our debt may be accelerated.
This acceleration could also result in the acceleration of other indebtedness that we may have outstanding at that time.

The level of our indebtedness, and our ability to service our indebtedness, is directly affected by our cash flow from operations. If we are unable
to generate sufficient cash flow from operations to meet our obligations, commitments and covenants of our revolving credit facility, we may be required to
refinance or restructure our indebtedness, raise additional debt or equity capital, sell material assets or operations, delay or forego expansion opportunities, or
cease or curtail our quarterly dividends or share repurchase plans. These alternative strategies might not be effected on satisfactory terms, if at all.

13

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The terms of our revolving credit facility impose operating and financial restrictions on us, which may impair our ability to respond to changing business
and economic conditions.

The terms of our revolving credit facility impose operating and financial restrictions on us, including, among other things, covenants that require
us  to  maintain  a  fixed-charge  coverage  ratio  of  not  less  than  1.0  to  1.0  in  certain  circumstances,  restrictions  on  our  ability  to  incur  liens,  incur  additional
indebtedness, transfer or dispose of assets, change the nature of the business, guarantee obligations, pay dividends or make other distributions or repurchase
stock, and make advances, loans or investments. For example, our ability to engage in the foregoing transactions will depend upon, among other things, our
level  of  indebtedness  at  the  time  of  the  proposed  transaction  and  whether  we  are  in  default  under  our  revolving  credit  facility.  As  a  result,  our  ability  to
respond to changing business and economic conditions and to secure additional financing, if needed, may be significantly restricted, and we may be prevented
from engaging in transactions that might further our growth strategy or otherwise benefit us and our stockholders without obtaining consent from our lenders.
In  addition,  our  revolving  credit  facility  is  secured  by  a  perfected  security  interest  in  our  assets.  In  the  event  of  our  insolvency,  liquidation,  dissolution  or
reorganization, the lenders under our revolving credit facility would be entitled to payment in full from our assets before distributions, if any, were made to
our stockholders.

Risks Related to Regulatory, Legislative and Legal Matters

Current and future government regulation may negatively impact demand for our products and increase our cost of conducting business.

The conduct of our business, and the distribution, sale, advertising, labeling, safety, transportation and use of many of our products are subject to
various laws and regulations administered by federal, state and local governmental agencies in the United States. These laws and regulations may change,
sometimes dramatically, as a result of political, economic or social events. Changes in laws, regulations or governmental policy may alter the environment in
which we do business and the demand for our products and, therefore, may impact our financial results or increase our liabilities. Some of these laws and
regulations include:

•   laws and regulations governing the manner in which we advertise or sell our products;
•   laws and regulations that prohibit or limit the sale, in certain localities, of certain products we offer, such as firearms and ammunition;
•   laws and regulations governing the activities for which we sell products, such as hunting and fishing;
•   laws  and  regulations  governing  consumer  products,  such  as  the  lead  and  phthalate  restrictions  included  in  the  federal  Consumer  Product

Safety Improvement Act and similar state laws;

•   labor  and  employment  laws,  such  as  minimum  wage  or  living  wage  laws,  other  wage  and  hour  laws  and  laws  requiring  mandatory  health

insurance for employees; and

•   U.S. customs laws and regulations pertaining to proper item classification, quotas and payment of duties and tariffs.

Changes  in  these  and  other  laws  and  regulations  or  additional  regulation  could  cause  the  demand  for  and  sales  of  our  products  to  decrease.
Moreover,  complying  with  increased  or  changed  regulations  could  cause  our  operating  expense  to  increase.  This  could  adversely  affect  our  net  sales  and
profitability.

We may be subject to periodic litigation that may adversely affect our business and financial performance.

From  time  to  time,  we  may  be  involved  in  lawsuits  and  regulatory  actions  relating  to  our  business,  certain  of  which  may  be  maintained  in
jurisdictions with reputations for aggressive application of laws and procedures against corporate defendants. Due to the inherent uncertainties of litigation
and  regulatory  proceedings,  we  cannot  accurately  predict  the  ultimate  outcome  of  any  such  proceedings.  An  unfavorable  outcome  could  have  a  material
adverse  impact  on  our  business,  results  of  operations  and  financial  condition.  In  addition,  regardless  of  the  outcome  of  any  litigation  or  regulatory
proceedings, these proceedings could result in substantial costs and may require that we devote substantial resources to defend against these claims, which
could impact our results of operations.

In  particular,  we  may  be  involved  in  lawsuits  related  to  employment,  advertising  and  other  matters,  including  class  action  lawsuits  brought

against us for alleged violations of the Fair Labor Standards Act, state wage

14

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
and hour laws, state or federal advertising laws and other laws. An unfavorable outcome or settlement in any such proceeding could, in addition to requiring
us to pay any settlement or judgment amount, increase our operating expense as a consequence of any resulting changes we might be required to make in
employment, advertising or other business practices.

In addition, we sell products manufactured by third parties, some of which may or may not be defective. Many such products are manufactured
overseas in countries which may utilize quality control standards that vary from those legally allowed or commonly accepted in the United States, which may
increase  our  risk  that  such  products  may  be  defective  (such  as,  for  example,  in  the  cases  of  products  reported  over  the  past  few  years  to  have  high  lead
content).  If  any  products  that  we  sell  were  to  cause  physical  injury  or  injury  to  property,  the  injured  party  or  parties  could  bring  claims  against  us  as  the
retailer of the products based upon strict product liability. In addition, our products are subject to the federal Consumer Product Safety Act and the Consumer
Product Safety Improvement Act, which empower the Consumer Product Safety Commission to protect consumers from hazardous products. The Consumer
Product Safety Commission has the authority to exclude from the market and recall certain consumer products that are found to be hazardous. Similar laws
exist in some states and cities in the United States. If we fail to comply with government and industry safety standards, we may be subject to claims, lawsuits,
product recalls, fines and negative publicity that could harm our results of operations and financial condition.

We also sell firearms and ammunition, products which may be associated with an increased risk of injury and related lawsuits. We may incur
losses due to lawsuits relating to our performance of background checks on firearms purchases as mandated by state and federal law or the improper use of
firearms  sold  by  us,  including  lawsuits  by  individuals,  municipalities  or  other  organizations  attempting  to  recover  damages  or  costs  from  firearms
manufacturers  and  retailers  relating  to  the  misuse  of  firearms.  Commencement  of  these  lawsuits  against  us  could  reduce  our  net  sales  and  decrease  our
profitability.

Our insurance coverage may not be adequate to cover claims that could be asserted against us. If a successful claim was to be brought against us
in excess of our insurance coverage, or for which we have no insurance coverage, it could harm our business. Even unsuccessful claims could result in the
expenditure of funds and management time and could have a negative impact on our business.

The sale of firearms and ammunition is subject to strict regulation, which could affect our operating results.

Because we sell firearms and ammunition, we are required to comply with federal, state and local laws and regulations pertaining to the purchase,
storage, transfer and sale of firearms and ammunition. These laws and regulations require us, among other things, to ensure that all purchasers of firearms are
subjected to a pre-sale background check, to record the details of each firearm sale on appropriate government-issued forms, to record each receipt or transfer
of a firearm at our distribution center or any store location on acquisition and disposition records, and to maintain these records for a specified period of time.
We also are required to timely respond to traces of firearms by law enforcement agencies. Over the past several years, the purchase and sale of firearms and
ammunition has been the subject of increased federal, state and local regulation, and this may continue in our current markets and other markets into which we
may  expand.  If  we  fail  to  comply  with  existing  or  newly  enacted  laws  and  regulations  relating  to  the  purchase  and  sale  of  firearms  and  ammunition,  our
licenses to sell firearms at our stores or maintain inventory of firearms at our distribution center may be suspended or revoked. If this occurs, our net sales and
profitability could suffer. Further, complying with increased regulation relating to the sale of firearms and ammunition could cause our operating expense to
increase and this could adversely affect our results of operations.

Changes  in  accounting  standards  and  subjective  assumptions,  estimates  and  judgments  by  management  related  to  complex  accounting  matters  could
significantly affect our financial results.

Accounting  principles  generally  accepted  in  the  United  States  of  America  ("GAAP")  and  related  accounting  pronouncements,  implementation
guidelines  and  interpretations  with  regard  to  a  wide  range  of  matters  that  are  relevant  to  our  business,  such  as  revenue  recognition;  lease  accounting;  the
carrying amount of merchandise inventories, property and equipment and goodwill; valuation allowances for receivables, sales returns and deferred income
tax  assets;  estimates  related  to  gift  card  breakage  and  the  valuation  of  share-based  compensation  awards;  and  obligations  related  to  asset  retirements,
litigation, self-insurance liabilities and employee benefits are highly complex and may involve many subjective assumptions, estimates and judgments by our
management.  Changes  in  these  rules  or  their  interpretation  or  changes  in  underlying  assumptions,  estimates  or  judgments  by  our  management  could
significantly change our reported or expected financial performance.

15

 
 
Risks Related to Investing in Our Common Stock

The declaration of discretionary dividend payments may not continue.

We currently pay quarterly dividends subject to capital availability and periodic determinations that cash dividends are in the best interest of us
and our stockholders. Our dividend policy may be affected by, among other items, business conditions, our views on potential future capital requirements, the
terms of our debt instruments, legal risks, changes in federal income tax law and challenges to our business model. Our dividend policy may change from time
to time and we may or may not continue to declare discretionary dividend payments. A change in our dividend policy could have a negative effect on our
stock price.

Our  anti-takeover  provisions  could  prevent  or  delay  a  change  in  control  of  our  company,  even  if  such  change  of  control  would  be  beneficial  to  our
stockholders.

Provisions of our amended and restated certificate of incorporation and amended and restated bylaws as well as provisions of Delaware law could
discourage,  delay  or  prevent  a  merger,  acquisition  or  other  change  in  control  of  our  company,  even  if  such  change  in  control  would  be  beneficial  to  our
stockholders. These provisions include:

•

•

•

•

•

  a Board of Directors that is classified such that only two or three of the seven directors, depending on classification, are elected each year;

  authorization  of  the  issuance  of  "blank  check"  preferred  stock  that  could  be  issued  by  our  Board  of  Directors  to  increase  the  number  of

outstanding shares and thwart a takeover attempt;

  limitations on the ability of stockholders to call special meetings of stockholders;

  prohibition of stockholder action by written consent and requiring all stockholder actions to be taken at a meeting of our stockholders; and

  establishment of advance notice requirements for nominations for election to the Board of Directors or for proposing matters that can be acted

upon by stockholders at stockholder meetings.

In addition, Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporations Law limits business combination transactions with 15% stockholders that have not
been  approved  by  the  Board  of  Directors.  These  provisions  and  other  similar  provisions  make  it  more  difficult  for  a  third  party  to  acquire  us  without
negotiation. These provisions may apply even if the transaction may be considered beneficial by some stockholders.

ITEM 1B.   UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

16

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES

Properties

Our primary corporate headquarters are located at 2525 East El Segundo Boulevard, El Segundo, California 90245, with a satellite office located
nearby at 2401 East El Segundo Boulevard, El Segundo, California 90245. We lease approximately 55,000 square feet of office and adjoining retail space
related to our primary corporate headquarters, and we lease approximately 8,000 square feet related to our satellite office. The lease for the primary corporate
headquarters  is  scheduled  to  expire  on  February  28,  2016  and  provides  us  with  three  five-year  renewal  options,  while  the  lease  for  the  satellite  office  is
scheduled to expire on February 29, 2016 and provides us with two five-year renewal options.

Our distribution facility is located in Riverside, California and has approximately 953,000 square feet of warehouse and office space. Our lease
for  the  distribution  center  is  scheduled  to  expire  on  August  31,  2015,  and  includes  three  additional  five-year  renewal  options.  We  have  a  distribution  hub
located  in  Salem,  Oregon,  utilizing  approximately  12,000  square  feet  of  space  to  separate  consolidated  truck  loads  of  product  for  delivery  to  our  regional
markets. Our lease for the hub is scheduled to expire on January 31, 2019, and includes four additional five-year renewal options.

We lease all of our retail store sites. Most of our store leases contain multiple fixed-price renewal options and the average lease expiration term
from inception of our store leases, taking into account renewal options, is approximately 32 years. As of January 1, 2012, of our total store leases, 40 leases
are due to expire in the next five years without renewal options.

Our Stores

Throughout our history, we have focused on operating traditional, full-line sporting goods stores. Our stores generally range from 8,000 to 15,000
square feet and average approximately 11,000 square feet. Our typical store is located in either a free-standing street location or a multi-store shopping center.
Our numerous convenient locations and accessible store format encourage frequent customer visits, resulting in approximately 27.4 million sales transactions
and an average transaction size of approximately $33 in fiscal 2011. The following table details our store locations by state as of January 1, 2012: 

  State
  California
  Washington
  Arizona
  Oregon
  Colorado
  Utah
  Nevada
  New Mexico
  Idaho
  Texas
  Oklahoma
  Wyoming
Total

Year

  Entered  
1955
1984
1993
1995
2001
1997
1978
1995
1994
1995
2007
2010

Number
  of Stores  

Percentage of Total
Number of Stores

207    
47    
35    
25    
21    
16    
16    
15    
11    
11    
1    
1    
406    

51.0% 
11.5  
8.6  
6.2  
5.2  
4.0  
4.0  
3.7  
2.7  
2.7  
0.2  
0.2  
100.0% 

Our store format has resulted in productivity levels that we believe are among the highest of any full-line sporting goods retailer, with same store
sales per square foot of approximately $202 for fiscal 2011. Our high same store sales per square foot combined with our efficient store-level operations and
low  store  maintenance  costs  have  allowed  us  to  historically  generate  strong  store-level  returns.  Our  same  store  sales  reflect  the  economic  recession  and
continued uncertainty in the financial sector, which resulted in weak same store sales since fiscal 2007.

17

 
 
    
 
    
 
    
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
 
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
    
    
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
    
    
 
 
 
    
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

On  August  13,  2009,  the  Company  was  served  with  a  complaint  filed  in  the  California  Superior  Court  for  the  County  of  San  Diego,  entitled
Michael  Kelly  v.  Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corporation,  et  al.,  Case  No.  37-2009-00095594-CU-MC-CTL,  alleging  violations  of  the  California  Business  and
Professions  Code  and  California  Civil  Code.  The  complaint  was  brought  as  a  purported  class  action  on  behalf  of  persons  who  purchased  certain  tennis,
racquetball and squash rackets from the Company. The plaintiff alleged, among other things, that the Company employed deceptive pricing, marketing and
advertising practices with respect to the sale of such rackets. The plaintiff sought, on behalf of the class members, unspecified amounts of damages and/or
restitution;  attorneys'  fees  and  costs;  and  injunctive  relief  to  require  the  Company  to  discontinue  the  allegedly  improper  conduct.  On  July  20,  2010,  the
plaintiff  filed  with  the  court  a  Motion  for  Class  Certification.  The  plaintiff  and  the  Company  engaged  in  mediation  on  September  1,  2010  and  again  on
November 22, 2010. During mediation, the parties agreed to settle the lawsuit. On January 27, 2011, the plaintiff filed a motion to preliminarily approve the
settlement with the court. On March 21, 2011, the court granted preliminary approval of the settlement. On July 15, 2011, the plaintiff filed with the court a
motion for final approval of the settlement. On July 29, 2011, the court granted final approval of the settlement and entered judgment on the settlement. Under
the terms of the settlement, the Company agreed that class members who submit valid and timely claim forms will receive a refund of the purchase price of a
class racket, up to $50 per racket, in the form of either a gift card or a check. Additionally, the Company agreed to pay plaintiff's attorneys' fees and costs, an
enhancement  payment  to  the  class  representative  and  claims  administrator's  fees.  Furthermore,  the  Company  agreed  that  if  the  total  amount  paid  by  the
Company for the class payout, plaintiff's attorneys' fees and costs, class representative enhancement payment and claims administrator's fees is less than $4.0
million,  then  the  Company  would  issue  merchandise  vouchers  to  a  charity  for  the  balance  of  the  deficiency  in  the  manner  provided  in  the  settlement
agreement. On October 19, 2011, the period for class members to submit claims forms expired. The Company has issued the required merchandise vouchers
and otherwise made all payments and distributions required by the settlement agreement. The Company's estimated total cost pursuant to this settlement is
reflected  in  a  legal  settlement  accrual  recorded  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  2010.  The  Company  admitted  no  liability  or  wrongdoing  with  respect  to  the
claims set forth in the lawsuit. The settlement constitutes a full and complete settlement and release of all claims related to the lawsuit.

The Company was served on the following dates with the following nine complaints, each of which was brought as a purported class action on
behalf  of  persons  who  made  purchases  at  the  Company's  stores  in  California  using  credit  cards  and  were  requested  or  required  to  provide  personal
identification information at the time of the transaction: (1) on February 22, 2011, a complaint filed in the California Superior Court in the County of Los
Angeles, entitled Maria Eugenia Saenz Valiente v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. BC455049; (2) on February 22, 2011, a complaint filed
in the California Superior Court in the County of Los Angeles, entitled Scott Mossler v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. BC455477; (3) on
February  28,  2011,  a  complaint  filed  in  the  California  Superior  Court  in  the  County  of  Los  Angeles,  entitled  Yelena  Matatova  v.  Big  5  Sporting  Goods
Corporation, et al., Case No. BC455459; (4) on March 8, 2011, a complaint filed in the California Superior Court in the County of Los Angeles, entitled Neal
T. Wiener v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. BC456300; (5) on March 22, 2011, a complaint filed in the California Superior Court in the
County of San Francisco, entitled Donna Motta v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. CGC-11-509228; (6) on March 30, 2011, a complaint
filed in the California Superior Court in the County of Alameda, entitled Steve Holmes v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. RG11563123;
(7) on March 30, 2011, a complaint filed in the California Superior Court in the County of San Francisco, entitled Robin Nelson v. Big 5 Sporting Goods
Corporation, et al., Case No. CGC-11-508829; (8) on April 8, 2011, a complaint filed in the California Superior Court in the County of San Joaquin, entitled
Pamela B. Smith v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. 39-2011-00261014-CU-BT-STK; and (9) on May 31, 2011, a complaint filed in the
California  Superior  Court  in  the  County  of  Los  Angeles,  entitled  Deena  Gabriel  v.  Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corporation,  et  al.,  Case  No.  BC462213.  On
June 16, 2011, the Judicial Council of California issued an Order Assigning Coordination Trial Judge designating the California Superior Court in the County
of Los Angeles as having jurisdiction to coordinate and to hear all nine of the cases as Case No. JCCP4667. On October 21, 2011, the plaintiffs collectively
filed  a  Consolidated  Amended  Complaint,  alleging  violations  of  the  California  Civil  Code,  negligence,  invasion  of  privacy  and  unlawful  intrusion.  The
plaintiffs allege, among other things, that customers making purchases with credit cards at the Company's stores in California were improperly requested to
provide their zip code at the time of such purchases. The plaintiffs seek, on behalf of the class members, the following: statutory penalties; attorneys' fees;
costs; restitution of property; disgorgement of profits; and injunctive relief. The Company intends to defend this litigation vigorously. Because this litigation
remains in the preliminary stages and, among other things, discovery is still ongoing, the Company is not able to evaluate the likelihood of an unfavorable
outcome in this litigation or to estimate a range of potential loss in the event of an

18

 
 
unfavorable outcome in this litigation at the present time. If this litigation is resolved unfavorably to the Company, such litigation and the costs of defending it
could have a material negative impact on the Company's results of operations or financial condition.

On October 31, 2011, the Company was served with a complaint filed in the California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles, entitled
George Zepeda v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. BC472450, alleging violations of the California Civil Code. The complaint was brought
as a purported class action on behalf of mobility impaired/wheelchair-bound persons located in California. The plaintiff alleges, among other things, that the
Company violated California state law by failing to make certain store locations accessible to individuals with disabilities. The plaintiff seeks, on behalf of the
class members, unspecified amounts of damages; attorneys' fees and costs; and injunctive relief. The Company intends to defend this litigation vigorously.
The Company's estimated total cost for this litigation is not expected to have a material negative impact on the Company's results of operations or financial
condition.

On December 21, 2011, the Company was served with a complaint filed in the California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles, entitled
Sean Callahan v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corp., et al., Case No. BC471854, alleging violations of the California Labor Code and the California Business and
Professions Code. The complaint was brought as a purported class action on behalf of the Company's store managers and assistant managers in California for
the four years prior to the filing of the complaint. The plaintiff alleged, among other things, that the Company failed to reimburse class members for business
expenses incurred in connection with their employment as required under California law and failed to pay class members wages (regular and overtime) for
time  worked  outside  of  recorded  work  time  as  required  under  California  law.  In  February  2012,  the  Company  and  the  plaintiff  reached  a  confidential
agreement providing for the full and complete settlement and release of all of the plaintiff's individual claims and a dismissal of all claims purportedly brought
on behalf of the class members in exchange for the Company's payment of a non-material amount to the plaintiff and the plaintiff's counsel. The Company
admitted  no  liability  or  wrongdoing  with  respect  to  the  claims  set  forth  in  the  lawsuit.  The  court  has  approved  the  settlement,  and  all  claims  have  been
dismissed.

The Company is involved in various other claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the

ultimate disposition of these matters is not expected to have a material negative impact on the Company's results of operations or financial condition.

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

None.

19

 
 
PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET  FOR  REGISTRANT'S  COMMON  EQUITY,  RELATED  STOCKHOLDER  MATTERS  AND  ISSUER  PURCHASES  OF

EQUITY SECURITIES

  Our common stock, par value $0.01 per share, trades on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC under the symbol "BGFV." The following table sets

forth the high and low closing sale prices for our common stock as reported by The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC during fiscal 2011 and 2010:

Fiscal Period
First Quarter
Second Quarter
Third Quarter
Fourth Quarter

2011

2010

  High  

  Low  

  High  

  Low  

  $
  $
  $
  $

15.85    
12.30    
9.00    
11.02    

  $
  $
  $
  $

11.24    
7.81    
5.91    
5.55    

  $
  $
  $
  $

17.65    
18.19    
13.99    
15.70    

  $
  $
  $
  $

13.59    
12.91    
11.51    
12.40    

As of February 23, 2012, the closing price for our common stock as reported on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC was $9.02 per share.

As of February 23, 2012, there were 21,750,520 shares of common stock outstanding held by approximately 280 holders of record.

Performance Graph

Set forth below is a graph comparing the cumulative total stockholder return for our common stock with the cumulative total return of (i) the
NASDAQ  Composite  Stock  Market  Index  and  (ii)  the  NASDAQ  Retail  Trade  Index.  The  information  in  this  graph  is  provided  at  annual  intervals  for  the
fiscal years ended 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011. This graph shows historical stock price performance (including reinvestment of dividends) and is not
necessarily indicative of future performance:

20

 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
Dividend Policy

Dividends are paid at the discretion of the Board of Directors. Quarterly dividend payments of $0.05 per share, for an annual rate of $0.20
per  share,  were  paid  in  fiscal  2009  and  2010.  In  fiscal  2011,  our  Board  of  Directors  declared  quarterly  cash  dividends  of  $0.075  per  share  of  outstanding
common stock, for an annual rate of $0.30 per share. In the first quarter of fiscal 2012, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.075 per
share of outstanding common stock, which will be paid on March 22, 2012 to stockholders of record as of March 8, 2012.

The agreement governing our revolving credit facility imposes restrictions on our ability to make dividend payments. For example, our
ability to pay cash dividends on our common stock will depend upon, among other things, our compliance with certain availability and fixed charge coverage
ratio requirements at the time of the proposed dividend or distribution, and whether we are in default under the agreement. Our future dividend policy will
also depend on the requirements of any future credit or other financing agreements to which we may be a party and other factors considered relevant by our
Board of Directors, including the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware, which provides that dividends are only payable out of surplus or current
net profits.

Issuer Repurchases

The following tabular summary reflects the Company's share repurchase activity during the quarter ended January 1, 2012:

ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

(1) (2)

  Total Number  
  of Shares  
  Purchased  
—
62,003
47,547
109,550  

Average
Price Paid
per Share
—
$  8.74
$  9.24

  Total Number of  
  Shares Purchased  
  as Part of Publicly  
  Announced Plans  
  or Programs  
—
62,003
47,547
109,550  

Period
October 3 – October 30
October 31 – November 27
November 28 – January 1

      Total

Maximum Number (or    
Approximate Dollar    
Value) of Shares that    
May Yet Be Purchased    
Under the Plans or    

(3)

Programs  
$    14,207,000  
      13,665,000  
      13,226,000  
$    13,226,000  

The Company repurchased 109,550 shares of its common stock for $1.0 million during the fourth fiscal quarter ended January 1, 2012. The current share repurchase program was announced
on  November  1,  2007.  Under  the  authorization,  the  Company  may  purchase  shares  from  time  to  time  in  the  open  market  or  in  privately  negotiated  transactions  in  compliance  with  the
applicable rules and regulations of the SEC. However, the timing and amount of such purchases, if any, would be at the discretion of management and would depend upon market conditions
and other considerations. The current program authorizes the repurchase of the Company's common stock for amounts totaling $20.0 million, and the Company has repurchased 741,892
shares of its common stock for $6.8 million, pursuant to that authorization through January 1, 2012. As of January 1, 2012, a total of $13.2 million remained available for share repurchases
under the Company's current share repurchase program. Since the inception of its initial share repurchase program in May 2006 through January 1, 2012, the Company has repurchased a total
of 1,478,635 shares for $21.8 million.

The Company's dividends and stock repurchases are generally funded by distributions from its subsidiary, Big 5 Corp. The Company's Credit Agreement contains covenants that require it to
maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of not less than 1.0:1.0 in certain circumstances, and limit the ability to, among other things, pay dividends or repurchase stock. The Company may
declare or pay cash dividends or repurchase stock only if, among other things, no default or event of default then exists or would arise from such dividend or repurchase of stock and, after
giving effect to such dividend or repurchase, certain availability and/or fixed charge coverage ratio requirements are satisfied. See Part II, Item 7, Management's Discussion and Analysis of
Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a further discussion of the Credit Agreement.

This amount reflects the dollar value of shares remaining available to repurchase under previously announced plans.

(1

)

(2

)

(3

)

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans as of January 1, 2012

on Form 10-K.

See Item 12, Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters, of this Annual Report

21

 
 
  
  
  
  
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The "Statement of Operations Data" and the "Balance Sheet Data" for all years presented below have been derived from our audited consolidated
financial statements. Selected consolidated financial data under the captions "Store Data" and "Other Financial Data" have been derived from the unaudited
internal  records  of  our  operations.  The  information  contained  in  these  tables  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  our  consolidated  financial  statements  and
accompanying notes and Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations appearing elsewhere in this Annual Report
on Form 10-K.

Statement of Operations Data:
Net sales 
Cost of sales 

(3) (6)

(2)

Gross profit 

(2) (6)

Selling and administrative expense 

(2) (4) (5) (7)

Operating income

Interest expense

Income before income taxes

Income taxes

Net income 

(2) (5) (6) (7) (8)

Earnings per share:

 Basic

 Diluted

Dividends per share
Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding:

 Basic

 Diluted

(9)

(11)

(10)

Store Data:
Same store sales (decrease) increase 
Same store sales per square foot (in dollars) 
End of period stores
End of period same stores
Same store sales per store 
Other Financial Data:
Depreciation and amortization
Capital expenditures 
Inventory turns 
Balance Sheet Data:
Cash and cash equivalents
Working capital 
Total assets
Long-term debt and capital leases, less current portion
Stockholders' equity

(12)

(13)

(14)

(See notes on following page:)

2011

Fiscal Year 
2009
(Dollars and shares in thousands, except per share and certain store data)

2008

2010

(1)

$902,134  
610,531  
291,603  
272,436  
19,167  
2,561  
16,606  
4,933  
11,673  

$0.54  

$0.53  

$0.30  

21,656  

21,869  

$896,813  
599,101  
297,712  
263,488  
34,224  
2,108  
32,116  
11,554  
$20,562  

$0.95  

$0.94  

$0.20  

21,552  

21,890  

$895,542  
597,792  
297,750  
260,068  
37,682  
2,465  
35,217  
13,406  
$21,811  

$1.02  

$1.01  

$0.20  

21,434  

21,657  

$864,650  
579,165  
285,485  
257,883  
27,602  
5,198  
22,404  
8,500  
$13,904  

$0.64  

$0.64  

$0.36  

21,608  

21,619  

2007

$898,292  
589,150  
309,142  
256,180  
52,962  
6,614  
46,348  
18,257  
$28,091  

$1.25  

$1.25  

$0.36  

22,465  

22,559  

(1.2)%    
$202  
406  
378  
$2,286  

0.8%    

$204  
398  
380  
$2,315  

(0.6)%    
$210  
384  
362  
$2,373  

(7.0)%    
$213  
381  
339  
$2,393  

(1.0)% 
$233  
363  
321  
$2,625  

$18,627  
$15,628  
2.4x 

$5,620  
$130,737  
$392,356  
$49,882  
$150,726  

$19,400  
$5,764  
2.6x 

$5,765  
$120,541  
$366,122  
$57,233  
$131,861  

$19,135  
$20,447  
2.4x 

$9,058  
$129,282  
$388,357  
$99,447  
$111,800  

$17,687  
$20,769  
2.3x 

$9,741  
$133,034  
$403,923  
$105,648  
$109,155  

$18,544  
$12,990  
2.3x 

$4,900  
$156,909  
$394,064  
$66,621  
$156,590  

22

 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
   
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
  
 
 
(Notes to table on previous page)

(1) Our fiscal year is the 52 or 53 week reporting period ending on the Sunday closest to the calendar year end. Fiscal 2011, 2010, 2008 and 2007 each included 52 weeks, and fiscal 2009

included 53 weeks.

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010, we recorded a net pre-tax charge of $2.3 million reflecting a legal settlement accrual, of which $0.8 million was classified as a reduction to net sales
and $1.5 million was classified as selling and administrative expense. This charge reduced net income in fiscal 2010 by $1.5 million, or $0.07 per diluted share.

Cost  of  sales  includes  the  cost  of  merchandise,  net  of  discounts  or  allowances  earned,  freight,  inventory  reserves,  buying,  distribution  center  costs  and  store  occupancy  costs.  Store
occupancy costs include rent, amortization of leasehold improvements, common area maintenance, property taxes and insurance.

Selling  and  administrative  expense  includes  store-related  expense,  other  than  store  occupancy  costs,  as  well  as  advertising,  depreciation  and  amortization,  expense  associated  with
operating our corporate headquarters and impairment charges, if any.

In  fiscal  2011,  we  recorded  a  pre-tax  non-cash  impairment  charge  of  $2.1  million  related  to  certain  underperforming  stores.  This  impairment  charge  was  included  in  selling  and
administrative expense, and reduced net income in fiscal 2011 by $1.5 million, or $0.07 per diluted share.

In the second quarter of fiscal 2008, we recorded a nonrecurring pre-tax charge of $1.5 million to correct an error in our previously recognized straight-line rent expense, substantially all
of  which  related  to  prior  periods  and  accumulated  over  a  period  of  15  years.  This  charge  reduced  net  income  in  fiscal  2008  by  $0.9  million,  or  $0.04  per  diluted  share.  We  have
determined this charge to be immaterial to our prior periods' consolidated financial statements.

In  the  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  2009,  we  recorded  a  net  pre-tax  charge  of  $1.0  million,  which  reflected  a  legal  settlement  accrual  offset  by  proceeds  received  from  the  settlement  of  a
lawsuit relating to credit card fees. This charge reduced net income in fiscal 2009 by $0.6 million, or $0.03 per diluted share.

(8) Net income for fiscal 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007 was impacted by the economic recession and continued uncertainty in the financial sector.

(9)

Same store sales for a period reflect net sales from stores operated throughout that period as well as the corresponding prior period; e.g., two comparable annual reporting periods for
annual comparisons. Our same store sales comparisons reflect the economic recession and continued uncertainty in the financial sector, which resulted in weak same store sales since
fiscal 2007.

(10) Same store sales per square foot is calculated by dividing net sales for same stores, as defined above, by the total square footage for those stores. Fiscal 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007

reflect the economic recession and continued uncertainty in the financial sector.

(11) Same store sales per store is calculated by dividing net sales for same stores, as defined above, by total same store count. Fiscal 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and 2007 reflect the economic

recession and continued uncertainty in the financial sector.

(12) Lower capital expenditures in fiscal 2009 reflect substantially fewer store openings when compared with fiscal 2011, 2010, 2008 and 2007 due to the economic recession.

(13)

Inventory turns equal fiscal year cost of sales divided by the fiscal year four-quarter weighted-average cost of merchandise inventory.

(14) Working capital is defined as current assets less current liabilities. In the second quarter of fiscal 2008, we reclassified approximately $5.1 million of workers' compensation reserves from
accrued expenses to other long-term liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet as of December 30, 2007. Additionally, we reclassified approximately $2.0 million of the related deferred
income  tax  assets  from  current  deferred  income  tax  assets  to  long-term  deferred  income  tax  assets  on  the  consolidated  balance  sheet  as  of  December  30,  2007.  This  reclassification
increased working capital for fiscal 2008 and 2007 by $3.1 million, but had no effect on our previously reported consolidated statements of operations or consolidated statements of cash
flows, and is not considered material to any previously reported consolidated financial statements. Working capital in fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2007 was impacted by higher inventory levels
at the end of the year associated with lower than anticipated sales for the fourth quarter of those fiscal years.

23

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Throughout  this  section,  the  Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corporation  ("we",  "our",  "us")  fiscal  years  ended  January  1,  2012,  January  2,  2011  and
January 3, 2010 are referred to as fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition and results of
operations for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009 includes information with respect to our plans and strategies for our business and should be read in conjunction with
the  consolidated  financial  statements  and  related  notes,  the  risk  factors  and  the  cautionary  statement  regarding  forward-looking  information  included
elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our fiscal year ends on the Sunday nearest December 31. Fiscal 2011 and 2010 each included 52 weeks, while fiscal 2009 included 53 weeks.

Overview

We are a leading sporting goods retailer in the western United States, operating 406 stores in 12 states under the name "Big 5 Sporting Goods" at
January  1,  2012.  We  provide  a  full-line  product  offering  in  a  traditional  sporting  goods  store  format  that  averages  approximately  11,000  square  feet.  Our
product mix includes athletic shoes, apparel and accessories, as well as a broad selection of outdoor and athletic equipment for team sports, fitness, camping,
hunting, fishing, tennis, golf, snowboarding and roller sports.

We  believe  that  over  our  57-year  history  we  have  developed  a  reputation  with  the  competitive  and  recreational  sporting  goods  customer  as  a
convenient  neighborhood  sporting  goods  retailer  that  consistently  delivers  value  on  quality  merchandise.  Our  stores  carry  a  wide  range  of  products  at
competitive prices from well-known brand name manufacturers, including adidas, Coleman, Easton, New Balance, Nike, Reebok, Spalding, Under Armour
and Wilson. We also offer brand name merchandise produced exclusively for us, private label merchandise and specials on quality items we purchase through
opportunistic buys of vendor over-stock and close-out merchandise. We reinforce our value reputation through weekly print advertising in major and local
newspapers, direct mailers and internet marketing designed to generate customer traffic, drive net sales and build brand awareness. We also maintain social
media sites to enhance distribution capabilities for our promotional offers and to enable communication with our customers.

Throughout our history, we have emphasized controlled growth. We resumed our growth in fiscal 2010 and 2011, after our growth in fiscal 2009
was slowed substantially in response to the economic recession. We opened 11 new stores and two relocations in fiscal 2011, and closed three stores in fiscal
2011 as part of relocations that began in fiscal 2010. For fiscal 2012, we expect to open approximately ten new stores and relocate approximately seven stores.
Of the seven stores expected to be relocated in fiscal 2012, we anticipate closing approximately four stores this year and the remaining three stores in fiscal
2013. The following table summarizes our store count for the periods presented:

Big 5 Sporting Goods stores:

(1)

Beginning of period
New stores 
Stores relocated 
Stores closed
End of period

(2)

New stores opened per year, net

    2011    

Fiscal Year
    2010    

    2009    

398   
13   
(5)  
—   

406 

8 

384   
15   
(1)  
—   

398   

14   

381   
3   
—   
—   

384   

3   

(1)

(2)

  Stores that are relocated are classified as new stores. Sales from the prior location are treated as sales from a closed store and thus are excluded from same store sales calculations.
  Three stores closed in fiscal 2011 as part of relocations that began in fiscal 2010.

24

 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
  
  
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
Executive Summary

  Our operating results for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009 reflected unfavorable macroeconomic conditions in our markets resulting primarily from
the lingering effects of the economic recession and uncertainty in the financial sector. These conditions have led to an erosion of consumer confidence and, as
long as this economic weakness continues, it is likely to continue to impact our operating results.

•

•

•

•

•

  Net sales for fiscal 2011 increased 0.6% to $902.1 million compared to fiscal 2010. The increase in net sales was primarily attributable to revenue

from new stores, partially offset by decreased same store sales of 1.2%.

  Net income for fiscal 2011 decreased 43.2% to $11.7 million, or $0.53 per diluted share, compared to $20.6 million, or $0.94 per diluted share, for
fiscal 2010. The decrease was driven primarily by lower merchandise margins and higher selling and administrative expense, which included a pre-
tax impairment charge of $2.1 million, partially offset by lower income tax expense.

  Gross profit for fiscal 2011 represented 32.3% of net sales, compared with 33.2% in the prior year. Merchandise margins were 74 basis points lower

than last year, while store occupancy expense was higher, reflecting new store openings.

  Selling and administrative expense for fiscal 2011 increased 3.4% to $272.4 million, or 30.2% of net sales, compared to $263.5 million, or 29.4% of
net  sales,  for  fiscal  2010.  The  increase  was  primarily  attributable  to  higher  store-related  expense,  excluding  occupancy,  as  a  result  of  new  store
openings, combined with higher advertising expense. Selling and administrative expense also reflected a pre-tax impairment charge of $2.1 million
during fiscal 2011.

  Operating income for fiscal 2011 declined 44.0% to $19.2 million, or 2.1% of net sales, compared to $34.2 million, or 3.8% of net sales, for fiscal

2010. The lower operating income primarily reflects lower merchandise margins and higher selling and administrative expense.

Results of Operations

  The following table sets forth selected items from our consolidated statements of operations by dollar and as a percentage of our net sales for the

periods indicated:

Statement of Operations Data:
Net sales 
Cost of sales 

(2) 

(3)

Gross profit 

(2)

Selling and administrative expense 

(2) (4) (5) (6)

Operating income

Interest expense

Income before income taxes

Income taxes
Net income 

(2) (5) (6) 

Other Financial Data:
Net sales change
Same store sales change 
Net income change 

(8)

(7)

(1)

2011 

Fiscal Year
(1)
2010 
(Dollars in thousands)

(1)

2009 

       $

       $

902,134        100.0% 
610,531       
291,603       
272,436       
19,167       
2,561       
16,606       
4,933       
11,673       

67.7  
32.3  
30.2  
2.1  
0.3  
1.8  
0.5  
1.3% 

     $

     $

896,813        100.0% 
599,101       
297,712       
263,488       
34,224       
2,108       
32,116       
11,554       
20,562       

66.8  
33.2  
29.4  
3.8  
0.2  
3.6  
1.3  
2.3% 

   $

   $

895,542        100.0% 
597,792       
297,750       
260,068       
37,682       
2,465       
35,217       
13,406       
21,811       

66.8  
33.2  
29.0  
4.2  
0.3  
3.9  
1.5  
2.4% 

0.6% 
(1.2)% 
(43.2)% 

0.1 % 
0.8 % 
(5.7)% 

3.6% 
(0.6)% 
56.9 % 

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

  Fiscal 2011 and 2010 each included 52 weeks. Fiscal 2009 included 53 weeks.

In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010, we recorded a net pre-tax charge of $2.3 million reflecting a legal settlement accrual, of which $0.8 million was classified as a reduction to net sales
and $1.5 million was classified as selling and administrative expense. This charge reduced net income in fiscal 2010 by $1.5 million, or $0.07 per diluted share.

  Cost  of  sales  includes  the  cost  of  merchandise,  net  of  discounts  or  allowances  earned,  freight,  inventory  reserves,  buying,  distribution  center  costs  and  store  occupancy  costs.  Store
  Selling  and  administrative  expense  includes  store-related  expense,  other  than  store  occupancy  costs,  as  well  as  advertising,  depreciation  and  amortization,  expense  associated  with

occupancy costs include rent, amortization of leasehold improvements, common area maintenance, property taxes and insurance.

operating our corporate headquarters and impairment charges, if any.

25

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
 
    
 
 
 
  
 
    
 
  
  
 
  
 
  
    
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
  
  
    
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
  
 
  
 
  
  
    
 
    
 
    
  
    
 
    
 
    
  
    
 
    
 
    
 
 
 
(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

In  fiscal  2011,  we  recorded  a  pre-tax  non-cash  impairment  charge  of  $2.1  million  related  to  certain  underperforming  stores.  This  impairment  charge  was  included  in  selling  and
administrative expense, and reduced net income in fiscal 2011 by $1.5 million, or $0.07 per diluted share.
In  the  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  2009,  we  recorded  a  net  pre-tax  charge  of  $1.0  million,  which  reflected  a  legal  settlement  accrual  offset  by  proceeds  received  from  the  settlement  of  a
lawsuit relating to credit card fees. This charge reduced net income in fiscal 2009 by $0.6 million, or $0.03 per diluted share.

  Same store sales for a period reflect net sales from stores operated throughout that period as well as the corresponding prior period; e.g., two comparable annual reporting periods for
annual  comparisons.  Same  store  sales  comparisons  for  fiscal  2010  versus  fiscal  2009  were  made  on  a  comparable  52-week  basis,  while  same  store  sales  comparisons  for  fiscal  2009
versus fiscal 2008 were made on a comparable 53-week basis.

  Net income for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009 reflected the impact of the economic recession, which weakened consumer demand and negatively impacted our net sales.

Fiscal 2011 Compared to Fiscal 2010

Net Sales.    Net sales increased by $5.3 million, or 0.6%, to $902.1 million for fiscal 2011 from $896.8 million for fiscal 2010. The change in net

sales was primarily attributable to the following:

•

•

•

•

  Added sales from new stores reflected the opening of 28 new stores since January 3, 2010. The revenue from new store sales was partially offset by

a reduction in same store and closed store sales.

  Same  store  sales  decreased  1.2%  for  fiscal  2011  versus  fiscal  2010.  Same  store  sales  for  a  period  reflect  net  sales  from  stores  that  operated

throughout the period as well as the corresponding prior period; e.g., comparable yearly reporting periods for yearly comparisons.

  Net sales for fiscal 2011 continued to be impacted by the economic recession, and we experienced decreased customer traffic into our retail stores

when compared with fiscal 2010.

  Net sales for fiscal 2010 reflected a net pre-tax charge of $0.8 million for a legal settlement accrual that was classified as a reduction of net sales.

Store count at the end of fiscal 2011 was 406 versus 398 at the end of fiscal 2010. We opened 11 new stores and two relocations in fiscal 2011,
and closed three stores in fiscal 2011 as part of relocations that began in fiscal 2010. For fiscal 2012, we expect to open approximately ten new stores and
relocate approximately seven stores. Of the seven stores expected to be relocated in fiscal 2012, we anticipate closing approximately four stores this year and
the remaining three stores in fiscal 2013.

Gross  Profit.    Gross  profit  decreased  by  $6.1  million  to  $291.6  million  in  fiscal  2011  from  $297.7  million  in  fiscal  2010.  Gross  profit  as  a
percentage of net sales in fiscal 2011 was 32.3% compared with 33.2% during the prior year. The change in gross profit was primarily attributable to the
following:

•

•
•

  Merchandise  margins,  which  exclude  buying,  occupancy  and  distribution  costs,  decreased  for  fiscal  2011  by  74  basis  points  versus  fiscal  2010,
primarily reflecting the impact of product cost inflation, increased promotional activities to stimulate sales and a sales mix shift away from higher
margin winter product categories during the fourth quarter as a result of unseasonably warm weather.

  Store occupancy costs for fiscal 2011 increased by $1.4 million, or 11 basis points, year over year, due primarily to the increase in store count.
  Net sales increased by $5.3 million in fiscal 2011 compared to the prior year.

Selling and Administrative Expense.  Selling and administrative expense increased by $8.9 million, or 3.4%, to $272.4 million, or 30.2% of net
sales, in fiscal 2011 from $263.5 million, or 29.4% of net sales, in fiscal 2010. The change in selling and administrative expense was primarily attributable to
the following:

•

•

•

  Store-related  expense,  excluding  occupancy,  increased  by  $6.8  million,  or  65  basis  points,  due  primarily  to  higher  labor  and  operating  costs  to

support the increase in store count and increased employee benefit costs.

  Advertising expense for fiscal 2011 increased by $2.7 million, or 27 basis points, due primarily to an increase in newspaper advertising, internet

marketing and other advertising to support sales.

  Administrative  expense  for  fiscal  2011  included  a  pre-tax  non-cash  impairment  charge  of  $2.1  million  related  to  certain  underperforming  stores.

Administrative expense in fiscal 2010 reflected a net pre-tax charge for a legal settlement accrual of $1.5 million.

26

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Interest  Expense.    Interest  expense  increased  by  $0.5  million,  or  21.4%,  to  $2.6  million  in  fiscal  2011  from  $2.1  million  in  fiscal  2010.  The
increase  in  interest  expense  primarily  reflects  an  increase  in  average  debt  levels  of  approximately  $7.5  million  to  $67.5  million  in  fiscal  2011  from  $60.0
million in fiscal 2010, combined with an increase in average interest rates of approximately 40 basis points to 2.5% during fiscal 2011 from 2.1% in fiscal
2010. The increase in average interest rates was due mainly to higher applicable margins under our current credit agreement as compared to our prior credit
agreement. Interest expense in fiscal 2010 included a $0.3 million charge for a one-time early termination fee and the write-off of the remaining deferred debt
issuance costs associated with the termination of our prior credit agreement.

Income Taxes.  The provision for income taxes was $4.9 million for fiscal 2011 compared with $11.6 million for fiscal 2010. This decrease was
primarily due to lower pre-tax income in fiscal 2011 compared to the prior year. Our effective tax rate was 29.7% for fiscal 2011 compared with 36.0% for
fiscal 2010. Our lower effective tax rate for fiscal 2011 compared to the prior year primarily reflects the impact of higher income tax credits for fiscal 2011
relative to lower pre-tax income.

Fiscal 2010 Compared to Fiscal 2009

Net Sales.  Net sales increased by $1.3 million, or 0.1%, to $896.8 million for fiscal 2010 from $895.5 million for fiscal 2009. The change in net

sales was primarily attributable to the following:

•

•

•
•
•

  Added sales from new stores reflected the opening of 18 new stores since December 28, 2008. The revenue from new store sales was partially offset

by a reduction in closed store sales.

  Same store sales increased 0.8% for the 52 weeks ended January 2, 2011, versus the comparable 52-week period in the prior year. Same store sales
for  a  period  reflect  net  sales  from  stores  that  operated  throughout  the  period  as  well  as  the  corresponding  prior  period;  e.g.,  comparable  yearly
reporting periods for yearly comparisons.

  The extra week in fiscal 2009 negatively impacted the net sales comparison to fiscal 2010 by $15.8 million.
  Net sales for fiscal 2010 reflected a net pre-tax charge of $0.8 million for a legal settlement accrual that was classified as a reduction of net sales.
  While net sales for fiscal 2010 continued to be impacted by the economic recession, we experienced increased customer traffic into our retail stores

when compared with fiscal 2009.

Store count at the end of fiscal 2010 was 398 versus 384 at the end of fiscal 2009. We opened 11 new stores and had four relocations in fiscal
2010. Of the four relocations, we closed one store in fiscal 2010 and closed the remaining three stores relocated in fiscal 2010 in fiscal 2011. Our fiscal 2009
store growth was slowed substantially in response to the economic recession, which reflected the opening of three new stores.

Gross  Profit.    Gross  profit  decreased  by  $0.1  million  to  $297.7  million  in  fiscal  2010  from  $297.8  million  in  fiscal  2009.  Gross  profit  as  a
percentage of net sales in fiscal 2010 remained unchanged compared with fiscal 2009 at 33.2%. The slight change in gross profit was primarily attributable to
the following:

•

•
•
•

  Merchandise  margins,  which  exclude  buying,  occupancy  and  distribution  costs,  decreased  for  fiscal  2010  by  13  basis  points  versus  fiscal  2009,

primarily due to shifts in product sales mix.

  Store occupancy costs for fiscal 2010 increased by $1.4 million, or 15 basis points, year over year, due primarily to the increase in store count.
  Distribution costs, including costs capitalized into inventory, decreased by $2.7 million, or 30 basis points, in fiscal 2010 compared to fiscal 2009.
  Net sales increased by $1.3 million in fiscal 2010 compared to fiscal 2009.

Selling and Administrative Expense. Selling and administrative expense increased by $3.4 million, or 1.3%, to $263.5 million, or 29.4% of net
sales, in fiscal 2010 from $260.1 million, or 29.0% of net sales, in fiscal 2009. The change in selling and administrative expense was primarily attributable to
the following:

•

•

  Store-related  expense,  excluding  occupancy,  increased  by  $4.2  million,  or  44  basis  points,  due  primarily  to  higher  labor  and  operating  costs  to

support the increase in store count, offset by lower depreciation.

  Advertising expense for fiscal 2010 decreased by $0.9 million, or 11 basis points, due primarily to a reduction in the frequency and distribution of

advertising circulars.

27

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
•

  Administrative expense for fiscal 2010 increased by $0.1 million, and remained unchanged as a percentage of net sales in comparison with fiscal
2009.  Administrative  expense  in  fiscal  2010  and  fiscal  2009  reflected  net  pre-tax  charges  for  legal  settlement  accruals  of  $1.5  million  and  $1.0
million, respectively.

Interest  Expense.    Interest  expense  decreased  by  $0.4  million,  or  14.5%,  to  $2.1  million  in  fiscal  2010  from  $2.5  million  in  fiscal  2009.  The
decrease in interest expense primarily reflected a reduction in average debt levels of approximately $23.6 million to $60.0 million in fiscal 2010 from $83.6
million in fiscal 2009, combined with a reduction in average interest rates of approximately 10 basis points to 2.1% during fiscal 2010 from 2.2% in fiscal
2009. Interest expense in fiscal 2010 reflected a one-time early termination fee and the write off of the remaining deferred debt issuance costs of $0.3 million
associated with the termination of our prior credit agreement.

Income Taxes.  The provision for income taxes was $11.6 million for fiscal 2010 compared with $13.4 million for fiscal 2009. This decrease was
primarily due to lower pre-tax income in fiscal 2010 compared to fiscal 2009. Our effective tax rate was 36.0% for fiscal 2010 compared with 38.1% for fiscal
2009.  Our  lower  effective  tax  rate  for  fiscal  2010  compared  to  fiscal  2009  primarily  reflected  an  increased  benefit  from  income  tax  credits  taken  in  fiscal
2010.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our  principal  liquidity  requirements  are  for  working  capital,  capital  expenditures  and  cash  dividends.  We  fund  our  liquidity  requirements
primarily through cash and cash equivalents on hand, cash flow from operations and borrowings from our revolving credit facility. We believe our cash and
cash equivalents on hand, future funds from operations and borrowings from our revolving credit facility will be sufficient to fund our cash requirements for
at least the next 12 months. There is no assurance, however, that we will be able to generate sufficient cash flows from operations or maintain our ability to
borrow under our revolving credit facility.

We ended fiscal 2011 with $4.9 million of cash and cash equivalents compared with $5.6 million in fiscal 2010. After reducing our long-term
debt by $6.7 million, or 12.1%, during fiscal 2010, we increased our long-term debt by $15.2 million, or 31.4%, during fiscal 2011 to $63.5 million from
$48.3 million at the end of fiscal 2010. The following table summarizes our cash flows from operating, investing and financing activities for each of the past
three fiscal years:

Total cash provided by (used in):

Operating activities
Investing activities
Financing activities

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

2011

Fiscal Year
2010

(Dollars in thousands)

2009

  $ 

  $ 

2,218    $ 

  (11,988)  
9,050   
(720)   $ 

29,867    
  (15,624)   
(14,388)   
(145)   

$   

$   

54,087    
(5,764)   
(51,616)   
(3,293)   

The seasonality of our business historically provides greater cash flow from operations during the holiday and winter selling season, with fourth
fiscal  quarter  net  sales  traditionally  generating  the  strongest  profits  of  our  fiscal  year.  Typically,  we  use  operating  cash  flow  and  borrowings  under  our
revolving credit facility to fund inventory increases in anticipation of the holidays and our inventory levels are at their highest in the months leading up to
Christmas. As holiday sales significantly reduce inventory levels, this reduction, combined with net income, historically provides us with strong cash flow
from operations at the end of our fiscal year.

For  fiscal  2011,  we  strategically  increased  merchandise  inventory  levels  to  add  certain  new  products  to  stimulate  sales  and  also  purchased
inventory earlier in the year to mitigate the impact of product cost inflation and potential delivery delays. Reduced inventory purchases in the fourth quarter of
fiscal 2011 resulted in lower accounts payable as a percentage of inventory. Also, weaker than anticipated sales during fiscal 2011, particularly in the fourth
quarter, resulted in higher inventory levels and reduced operating cash flow for the year, contributing to higher debt balances year over year.

For  fiscal  2010,  we  purchased  larger  quantities  of  inventory  primarily  in  anticipation  of  improving  business  conditions  and  as  a  result  of

increased availability of certain products. The higher inventory levels combined

28

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
with lower than anticipated sales in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 resulted in reduced operating cash flow for the year as compared to the prior year. For
fiscal 2009, our improved earnings contributed to higher cash flow from operations compared to fiscal 2008. For fiscal 2009 we purchased lower quantities of
inventory to reduce our overall inventory levels in anticipation of weaker consumer demand and also reduced our capital spending for new store openings in
response to the economic recession.

Operating Activities. Net cash provided by operating activities for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $2.2 million, $29.9 million and $54.1 million,
respectively. The decrease in cash provided by operating activities for fiscal 2011 compared to fiscal 2010 primarily reflected higher funding of merchandise
inventory along with the timing of inventory purchases and payments, as well as lower net income and accrued expenses and other liabilities, primarily for
legal settlements. The decrease in cash provided by operating activities for fiscal 2010 compared to fiscal 2009 primarily reflected higher inventory levels at
the end of fiscal 2010 as a result of lower than anticipated fourth quarter holiday sales. The decrease in cash provided by operating activities in fiscal 2010
compared  to  fiscal  2009  also  reflected  higher  accounts  receivable  balances  related  primarily  to  landlord  tenant  allowances  for  new  stores  and  income  tax
refunds, along with reduced net income, partially offset by the positive cash flow impact of higher accounts payable related to inventory purchases.

Investing  Activities.    Net  cash  used  in  investing  activities  for  fiscal  2011,  2010  and  2009  was  $12.0  million,  $15.6  million  and  $5.8  million,
respectively.  In  fiscal  2011,  we  received  proceeds  of  $0.5  million  from  the  sale  of  owned  real  property  and  $0.5  million  as  part  of  a  local  utility  rebate
program related to the implementation of a green energy system at our distribution center. Our capital spending is primarily for new store openings, store-
related remodeling, distribution center and corporate headquarters' costs and computer hardware and software purchases. Capital expenditures by category for
each of the last three fiscal years are as follows:

New stores
Store-related remodels
Distribution center
Computer hardware, software and other

Total

2011

Fiscal Year
2010
(Dollars in thousands)

2009

    $

    $

7,108   
3,749   
1,127   
1,006   
 12,990   

    $

    $

9,773   
3,888   
1,487   
480   
 15,628   

    $

    $

2,227   
2,575   
384   
578   
  5,764   

Capital spending in fiscal 2011 and 2010 reflected the resumption of our new store expansion program. Capital spending levels in fiscal 2009
were  lower  due  to  substantially  fewer  new  store  openings  as  a  result  of  efforts  to  conserve  capital  in  response  to  the  economic  recession.  Our  capital
expenditures included 11 new stores and two relocations in fiscal 2011; 11 new stores and four relocations in fiscal 2010; and three new stores in fiscal 2009.
Capital  expenditures  in  fiscal  2011,  2010  and  2009  also  included  amounts  related  to  the  implementation  of  computer  system  improvements  and  enhanced
security measures to support our infrastructure.

Financing Activities. Net cash provided by financing activities for fiscal 2011 was $9.1 million, and net cash used in financing activities for fiscal
2010  and  2009  was  $14.4  million  and  $51.6  million,  respectively.  For  fiscal  2011,  cash  provided  by  financing  activities  primarily  reflected  increased
borrowings  under  our  revolving  credit  facility,  partially  offset  by  dividend  payments  and  capital  lease  payments.  Borrowings  under  our  revolving  credit
facility were largely used to fund merchandise inventory purchases. For fiscal 2010, we used cash provided from operating activities to pay down borrowings
from our revolving credit facility, pay dividends and make lease payments. The lower paydown of borrowings under our revolving credit facility in fiscal
2010 compared with fiscal 2009 primarily reflected increased funding of inventory purchases along with the resumption of our new store expansion program
in fiscal 2010. For fiscal 2009, cash provided by operating activities was used to pay down a significant portion of borrowings under our revolving credit
facility, and we reduced our quarterly dividend payments to $0.05 per share in order to preserve capital.

  As of January 1, 2012, we had revolving credit borrowings of $63.5 million and letter of credit commitments of $3.7 million outstanding. These

balances compare to borrowings of $48.3 million and letter of credit commitments of $0.8 million outstanding as of January 2, 2011.

Our revolving credit facility balances have historically increased from the end of the first quarter to the end of the second quarter and from the

end of the third quarter to the week of Thanksgiving. The historical increases

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in our revolving credit facility balances reflect the build-up of inventory in anticipation of our summer and winter selling seasons. Revolving credit facility
balances typically fall from the week of Thanksgiving to the end of the fourth quarter, reflecting inventory sales during the holiday and winter selling season.
The increase in our revolving credit borrowings at the end of fiscal 2011 compared to the end of fiscal 2010 primarily reflects higher inventory levels, as
discussed above, combined with lower accounts payable as a percentage of inventory due in part to the timing of payments.

Quarterly dividend payments of $0.05 per share, for an annual rate of $0.20 per share, were paid in fiscal 2009 and 2010. In fiscal 2011, our
Board  of  Directors  declared  quarterly  cash  dividends  of  $0.075  per  share  of  outstanding  common  stock,  for  an  annual  rate  of  $0.30  per  share.  In  the  first
quarter of fiscal 2012, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.075 per share of outstanding common stock, which will be paid on
March 22, 2012 to stockholders of record as of March 8, 2012.

Periodically,  we  repurchase  our  common  stock  in  the  open  market  pursuant  to  programs  approved  by  our  Board  of  Directors.  Depending  on
business conditions, we may repurchase our common stock for a variety of reasons, including the current market price of our stock, to offset dilution related to
equity-based compensation plans and to optimize our capital structure.

Our  Board  of  Directors  authorized  two  share  repurchase  programs  for  the  purchase  of  $15.0  million  and  $20.0  million  of  our  common  stock.
Under  the  authorizations,  we  may  purchase  shares  from  time  to  time  in  the  open  market  or  in  privately  negotiated  transactions  in  compliance  with  the
applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). However, the timing and amount of such purchases, if any, would be at
the discretion of management, and would depend upon market conditions and other considerations. Prior to fiscal 2009, we repurchased 1,369,085 shares of
our common stock under these programs for $20.8 million. In light of the economic climate, we did not repurchase any shares of our common stock under
these  programs  during  fiscal  2009  or  fiscal  2010.  In  the  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  2011,  we  resumed  our  share  repurchase  activity  under  these  programs,
repurchasing  109,550  shares  of  our  common  stock  for  $1.0  million.  Since  the  inception  of  our  initial  share  repurchase  program  in  May  2006  through
January 1, 2012, we have repurchased a total of 1,478,635 shares for $21.8 million, leaving a total of $13.2 million available for share repurchases under our
current share repurchase program.

Credit Agreement. On October 18, 2010, we entered into a credit agreement (the "Credit Agreement") with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association
("Wells Fargo"), as administrative agent, and a syndicate of other lenders. Initial borrowings under the Credit Agreement on October 18, 2010 were used to,
among  other  things,  repay  all  of  our  outstanding  indebtedness  under  our  prior  financing  agreement,  at  which  time  the  prior  financing  agreement  was
terminated. As further discussed below, the Credit Agreement was amended on October 31, 2011.

The Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility (the "Credit Facility") with an aggregate committed availability of up to $140.0
million, which amount may be increased at our option up to a maximum of $165.0 million. We may also request additional increases in aggregate availability,
up to a maximum of $200.0 million, in which case the existing lenders under the Credit Agreement will have the option to increase their commitments to
accommodate the requested increase. If such existing lenders do not exercise that option, we may (with the consent of Wells Fargo, not to be unreasonably
withheld) seek other lenders willing to provide such commitments. The Credit Facility includes a $50.0 million sublimit for issuances of letters of credit and a
$20.0 million sublimit for swingline loans. All amounts outstanding under the Credit Facility were originally to mature and become due on October 18, 2014.
On October 31, 2011, the Credit Agreement was amended to extend its maturity date to October 31, 2016 (see discussion below). As of January 1, 2012 and
January  2,  2011,  our  total  remaining  borrowing  availability  under  the  Credit  Agreement,  after  subtracting  letters  of  credit,  was  $72.8  million  and  $90.9
million, respectively.

We may borrow under the Credit Facility from time to time, provided the amounts outstanding will not exceed the lesser of the then aggregate
availability  (as  discussed  above)  and  the  Borrowing  Base  (such  lesser  amount  being  referred  to  as  the  "Loan  Cap").  The  "Borrowing  Base"  generally  is
comprised of the sum, at the time of calculation of (a) 90.00% of our eligible credit card accounts receivable; plus (b)(i) during the period of September 15
through December 15 of each year, the cost of our eligible inventory, net of inventory reserves, multiplied by 90.00% of the appraised net orderly liquidation
value of eligible inventory (expressed as a percentage of the cost of eligible inventory); and (ii) at all other times, the cost of our eligible inventory, net of
inventory reserves, multiplied by 85.00% of the appraised net orderly liquidation value of eligible inventory (expressed as a percentage of the cost of eligible
inventory); plus (c) the lesser of (i) the cost of our eligible in-transit inventory, net of inventory reserves,

30

 
 
multiplied by 85.00% of the appraised net orderly liquidation value of our eligible in-transit inventory (expressed as a percentage of the cost of eligible in-
transit  inventory),  or  (ii)  $10.0  million,  minus  (d)  certain  reserves  established  by  Wells  Fargo  in  its  role  as  the  Administrative  Agent  in  its  reasonable
discretion.

Generally, we may designate specific borrowings under the Credit Facility as either base rate loans or LIBO rate loans. In each case, prior to the
amendment dated October 31, 2011 (see discussion below), the applicable interest rate was a function of the daily average, over the preceding fiscal quarter,
of the excess of the Loan Cap over amounts outstanding under the Credit Facility (such amount being referred to as the "Average Daily Excess Availability").
Those loans designated as LIBO rate loans shall bear interest at a rate equal to the then applicable LIBO rate plus an applicable margin as shown in the table
below.  Those  loans  designated  as  base  rate  loans  shall  bear  interest  at  a  rate  equal  to  the  applicable  margin  for  base  rate  loans  (as  shown  below)  plus  the
highest  of  (a)  the  Federal  funds  rate,  as  in  effect  from  time  to  time,  plus  one-half  of  one  percent  (0.50%),  (b)  the  LIBO  rate,  as  adjusted  to  account  for
statutory reserves, plus one percent (1.00%), or (c) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Wells Fargo as its
"prime  rate."  Prior  to  the  amendment  discussed  below,  the  applicable  margin  for  all  loans  was  as  set  forth  below  as  a  function  of  Average  Daily  Excess
Availability for the preceding fiscal quarter.

LIBO Rate

Base Rate

  Level  
I
II

Average Daily Excess Availability
Greater than 50% of the Loan Cap
Less than or equal to 50% of the Loan Cap

  Applicable Margin  
2.00%
2.25%

  Applicable Margin  
1.00%
1.25%

Obligations under the Credit Facility are secured by a general lien and perfected security interest in substantially all of our assets. Our Credit
Agreement contains covenants that require us to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of not less than 1.0:1.0 in certain circumstances, and limit our ability
to, among other things, incur liens, incur additional indebtedness, transfer or dispose of assets, change the nature of the business, guarantee obligations, pay
dividends or make other distributions or repurchase stock, and make advances, loans or investments. We may declare or pay cash dividends or repurchase
stock only if, among other things, no default or event of default then exists or would arise from such dividend or repurchase of stock and, after giving effect to
such  dividend  or  repurchase,  certain  availability  and/or  fixed  charge  coverage  ratio  requirements  are  satisfied.  The  Credit  Agreement  contains  customary
events of default, including, without limitation, failure to pay when due principal amounts with respect to the Credit Facility, failure to pay any interest or
other  amounts  under  the  Credit  Facility  for  five  days  after  becoming  due,  failure  to  comply  with  certain  agreements  or  covenants  contained  in  the  Credit
Agreement, failure to satisfy certain judgments against us, failure to pay when due (or any other default which does or may lead to the acceleration of) certain
other material indebtedness in principal amount in excess of $5.0 million, and certain insolvency and bankruptcy events.

On October 31, 2011, we entered into a First Amendment to Credit Agreement and amended certain provisions of our Credit Agreement. After
the amendment, the applicable interest rate on our borrowings will be a function of the daily average, over the preceding fiscal quarter, of the excess of the
Credit  Facility  over  amounts  borrowed  (such  amount  being  referred  to  as  the  "Average  Daily  Excess  Availability").  Those  loans  designated  as  LIBO  rate
loans shall bear interest at a rate equal to the then applicable LIBO rate plus an applicable margin as shown in the table below. Those loans designated as base
rate loans shall bear interest at a rate equal to the applicable margin for base rate loans (as shown below) plus the highest of (a) the Federal funds rate, as in
effect from time to time, plus one-half of one percent (0.50%), (b) the LIBO rate, as adjusted to account for statutory reserves, plus one percent (1.00%), or
(c) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Wells Fargo as its "prime rate." The applicable margin for all loans
will be as set forth below as a function of Average Daily Excess Availability for the preceding fiscal quarter.

  Level  
I
II
III

Average Daily Excess Availability
Greater than or equal to $70,000,000
Greater than or equal to $40,000,000
Less than $40,000,000

LIBO Rate
  Applicable Margin  
1.50%
1.75%
2.00%

Base Rate
  Applicable Margin  
0.50%
0.75%
1.00%

The amendment reduced the commitment fee assessed on the unused portion of the Credit Facility to 0.375% per annum. The amendment also
extended the maturity date of the Credit Agreement from October 18, 2014 to October 31, 2016 and modified the provisions for restricting certain payments
and investments.

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The following table provides information about our revolving credit borrowings as of and for the periods indicated:

Fiscal year-end balance
Average interest rate
Maximum outstanding during the year
Average outstanding during the year

Fiscal Year

2011

2010

(Dollars in thousands)

63,476  

2.53% 

  106,095  
67,489  

    $

    $
    $

48,313  

2.05% 

  94,687  
59,996  

  $

  $
  $

Future Capital Requirements.  We had cash and cash equivalents on hand of $4.9 million at January 1, 2012. We expect capital expenditures for
fiscal 2012, excluding non-cash acquisitions, to range from approximately $15.0 million to $18.0 million, primarily to fund the opening of new stores, store-
related remodeling, distribution center equipment and computer hardware and software purchases. For fiscal 2012, we expect to open approximately ten new
stores and relocate approximately seven stores. Of the seven stores expected to be relocated in fiscal 2012, we anticipate closing approximately four stores this
year and the remaining three stores in fiscal 2013.

Quarterly dividend payments of $0.05 per share of outstanding common stock, for an annual rate of $0.20 per share, were paid in fiscal 2010. In
the first quarter of fiscal 2011, our Board of Directors increased our quarterly cash dividend to $0.075 per share of outstanding common stock, for an annual
rate of $0.30 per share, which was paid in fiscal 2011. In the first quarter of fiscal 2012, our Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.075
per share of outstanding common stock, which will be paid on March 22, 2012 to stockholders of record as of March 8, 2012.

As  of  February  23,  2012,  a  total  of  $12.1  million  remained  available  for  share  repurchases  under  our  share  repurchase  program.  We  consider
several  factors  in  determining  when  and  if  we  make  share  repurchases  including,  among  other  things,  our  alternative  cash  requirements,  existing  business
conditions and the market price of our stock.

We believe we will be able to fund our cash requirements, for at least the next twelve months, from cash and cash equivalents on hand, operating
cash flows and borrowings from our revolving credit facility. However, our ability to satisfy our cash requirements depends upon our future performance,
which  in  turn  is  subject  to  general  economic  conditions  and  regional  risks,  and  to  financial,  business  and  other  factors  affecting  our  operations,  including
factors beyond our control. There is no assurance that we will be able to generate sufficient cash flow or that we will be able to maintain our ability to borrow
under our revolving credit facility.

If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flow from operations to meet our obligations and commitments, or if we are unable to maintain our
ability to borrow sufficient amounts under our Credit Agreement, we will be required to refinance or restructure our indebtedness or raise additional debt or
equity  capital.  Additionally,  we  may  be  required  to  sell  material  assets  or  operations,  suspend  or  reduce  dividend  payments  or  delay  or  forego  expansion
opportunities. We might not be able to implement successful alternative strategies on satisfactory terms, if at all.

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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements and Contractual Obligations.  Our material off-balance sheet arrangements are operating lease obligations and
letters of credit. We excluded these items from the balance sheet in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America
("GAAP").  A  summary  of  our  operating  lease  obligations  and  letter  of  credit  commitments  by  fiscal  year  is  included  in  the  table  below.  Additional
information regarding our operating leases is available in Item 2, Properties and Note 7, Lease Commitments, of the notes to consolidated financial statements
included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our future obligations and commitments as of January 1, 2012, include the following:

Capital lease obligations
Lease commitments:

Operating lease commitments
Other occupancy costs

Other liabilities
Revolving credit facility
Letters of credit
Total

Payments Due by Period

  Less Than  

    Total    

  1 Year  

    1-3    
    Years    
(In thousands)

    3-5    
    Years    

    After 5    

    Years    

  $    

5,131      $    

1,796      $    

2,656      $    

679      $    

—   

310,514     
65,590     
9,119     
63,476     
3,710     
457,540      $    

  $    

64,695     
13,394     
2,506     
—     
3,710     

86,101      $    

114,196     
23,728     
2,846     
—     
—     
143,426      $    

69,790     
14,952     
1,487     
63,476     
—     
150,384      $    

61,833   
13,516   
2,280   
—   
—   
77,629   

Capital  lease  obligations,  which  include  imputed  interest,  consist  principally  of  leases  for  some  of  our  distribution  center  delivery  tractors,
management  information  systems  hardware  and  point-of-sale  equipment  for  our  stores.  Payments  for  these  lease  obligations  are  provided  by  cash  flows
generated from operations or through borrowings from our revolving credit facility.

Operating  lease  commitments  consist  principally  of  leases  for  our  retail  store  facilities,  distribution  center  and  corporate  office.  These  leases
frequently  include  options  which  permit  us  to  extend  the  terms  beyond  the  initial  fixed  lease  term.  With  respect  to  most  of  those  leases,  we  intend  to
renegotiate those leases as they expire.

Operating lease commitments also include a lease commitment for a building adjacent to our corporate office. The lease term for this property
commenced  in  2009  and  the  primary  term  expires  on  February  28,  2019.  In  accordance  with  terms  of  the  lease  agreement,  we  are  committed  to  the
construction of a new retail building on the premises before the primary term expires in 2019. We are not yet able to determine the ultimate amount of the
construction commitment.

Other  occupancy  costs  include  estimated  property  maintenance  fees  and  property  taxes  for  our  stores,  distribution  center  and  corporate

headquarters.

Other liabilities consist principally of actuarially-determined reserve estimates related to self-insurance liabilities, a contractual obligation for the
surviving spouse of Robert W. Miller, our co-founder, and asset retirement obligations related to the removal of leasehold improvements for certain stores
upon termination of their leases.

Periodic interest payments on the Credit Agreement are not included in the preceding table because interest expense is based on variable indices,
and the balance of our Credit Agreement fluctuates daily depending on operating, investing and financing cash flows. Assuming no changes in our revolving
credit facility debt or interest rates as of the fiscal 2011 year-end, our projected annual interest payments would be approximately $1.6 million.

Issued and outstanding letters of credit were $3.7 million at January 1, 2012, and were related primarily to securing insurance program liabilities.

In the ordinary course of business, we enter into arrangements with vendors to purchase merchandise in advance of expected delivery. Because
most  of  these  purchase  orders  do  not  contain  any  termination  payments  or  other  penalties  if  cancelled,  they  are  not  included  as  outstanding  contractual
obligations.

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Critical Accounting Estimates

Our  critical  accounting  estimates  are  included  in  our  significant  accounting  policies  as  described  in  Note  2  of  the  consolidated  financial
statements included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Those consolidated financial statements
were prepared in accordance with GAAP. Critical accounting estimates are those that we believe are most important to the portrayal of our financial condition
and  results  of  operations.  The  preparation  of  our  consolidated  financial  statements  requires  us  to  make  estimates  and  judgments  that  affect  the  reported
amounts of assets, liabilities, revenue and expense. Our estimates are evaluated on an ongoing basis and drawn from historical experience, current trends and
other  factors  that  management  believes  to  be  relevant  at  the  time  our  consolidated  financial  statements  are  prepared.  Actual  results  may  differ  from  our
estimates.  Management  believes  that  the  following  accounting  estimates  reflect  the  more  significant  judgments  and  estimates  we  use  in  preparing  our
consolidated financial statements.

Valuation of Merchandise Inventories, Net

Our merchandise inventories are made up of finished goods and are valued at the lower of cost or market using the weighted-average cost method
that approximates the first-in, first-out ("FIFO") method. Average cost includes the direct purchase price of merchandise inventory, net of vendor allowances
and cash discounts, and allocated overhead costs associated with our distribution center.

We  record  valuation  reserves  on  a  quarterly  basis  for  merchandise  damage  and  defective  returns,  merchandise  items  with  slow-moving  or
obsolescence exposure and merchandise that has a carrying value that exceeds market value. These reserves are estimates of a reduction in value to reflect
inventory valuation at the lower of cost or market. The reserve for merchandise returns is based upon the determination of the historical net realizable value of
products sold from our returned goods inventory or returned to vendors for credit. Our reserve for merchandise returns includes amounts for returned product
on-hand  as  well  as  damaged  and  defective  merchandise  in  the  chainwide  merchandise  inventory.  Factors  included  in  determining  slow-moving  or
obsolescence  reserve  estimates  include  current  and  anticipated  demand  or  customer  preferences,  merchandise  aging,  seasonal  trends  and  decisions  to
discontinue certain products. Because of our merchandise mix, we have not historically experienced significant occurrences of obsolescence. Our inventory
valuation reserves for merchandise returns, slow-moving or obsolescent merchandise and for lower of cost or market provisions totaled $3.1 million and $2.7
million as of January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, respectively, representing approximately 1% of our merchandise inventory for both periods.

Inventory  shrinkage  is  accrued  as  a  percentage  of  merchandise  sales  based  on  historical  inventory  shrinkage  trends.  We  perform  physical
inventories  at  each  of  our  stores  at  least  once  per  year  and  cycle  count  inventories  encompassing  all  inventory  items  at  least  once  every  quarter  at  our
distribution  center.  The  reserve  for  inventory  shrinkage  primarily  represents  an  estimate  for  inventory  shrinkage  for  each  store  since  the  last  physical
inventory date through the reporting date. Inventory shrinkage can be impacted by internal factors such as the level of investment in employee training and
loss  prevention  and  external  factors  such  as  the  health  of  the  overall  economy,  and  shrink  reserve  estimates  can  vary  from  actual  results.  Our  reserve  for
inventory  shrinkage  was  $2.0  million  and  $1.9  million  as  of  January  1,  2012  and  January  2,  2011,  respectively,  representing  approximately  1%  of  our
merchandise inventory for both periods.

A 10% change in our inventory reserves estimate in total at January 1, 2012, would result in a change in reserves of approximately $0.5 million
and a change in pre-tax earnings by the same amount. Our reserves are estimates, which could vary significantly, either favorably or unfavorably, from actual
results if future economic conditions, consumer demand and competitive environments differ from our expectations. At this time, we do not believe that there
is a reasonable likelihood that there will be a material change in the future estimates or assumptions that we use to calculate our inventory reserves.

Valuation of Long-Lived Assets

We  review  our  long-lived  assets  for  impairment  at  least  annually  or  whenever  events  or  changes  in  circumstances  indicate  that  the  carrying

amount of an asset may not be recoverable.

Long-lived assets are reviewed for recoverability at the lowest level in which there are identifiable cash flows ("asset group"), usually at the store
level. Each store typically requires investments of approximately $0.6 million in long-lived assets to be held and used, subject to recoverability testing. The
carrying amount of an asset group is not considered recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the

34

 
 
asset group. If the asset group is determined not to be recoverable, then an impairment charge will be recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount
of the asset group exceeds its fair value, determined using discounted cash flow valuation techniques, as defined in the impairment provisions of Financial
Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") No. 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment.

We determine the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the asset group by projecting future revenue and operating expense
for each store under consideration for impairment. The estimates of future cash flows involve management judgment and are based upon assumptions about
expected  future  operating  performance.  Assumptions  used  in  these  forecasts  are  consistent  with  internal  planning,  and  include  assumptions  about  sales,
margins, operating expense and advertising expense in relation to the current economic environment and our future expectations, competitive factors in our
various markets and inflation. The actual cash flows could differ from management's estimates due to changes in business conditions, operating performance
and economic conditions.

Our evaluation resulted in a pre-tax impairment charge of $2.1 million recognized in fiscal 2011 related to certain underperforming stores. No

long-lived asset impairment charges were incurred during fiscal 2010 and 2009.

A 10% change in the sum of our undiscounted cash flow estimates resulting from different assumptions used at January 1, 2012, would not result

in a change in long-lived asset impairment charges for fiscal 2011.

Self-Insurance Liabilities

We  maintain  self-insurance  programs  for  our  estimated  commercial  general  liability  risk  and,  in  certain  states,  our  estimated  workers'
compensation liability risk. In addition, effective January 1, 2010, we have a self-insurance program for a portion of our employee medical benefits. Under
these  programs,  we  maintain  insurance  coverage  for  losses  in  excess  of  specified  per-occurrence  amounts.  Estimated  costs  under  the  self-insured  workers'
compensation and medical benefits programs, including incurred but not reported claims, are recorded as expense based upon historical experience, trends of
paid and incurred claims, and other actuarial assumptions. If actual claims trends under these programs, including the severity or frequency of claims, differ
from our estimates, our financial results may be significantly impacted. Our estimated self-insurance liabilities are classified in our balance sheet as accrued
expenses or other long-term liabilities based upon whether they are expected to be paid during or beyond our normal operating cycle of 12 months from the
date of our consolidated financial statements. As of January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, our self-insurance liabilities totaled $8.2 million and $7.8 million,
respectively.

A 10% change in our estimated self-insurance liabilities estimate as of January 1, 2012, would result in a change in our liability of approximately

$0.8 million and a change in pre-tax earnings by the same amount.

Seasonality and Impact of Inflation

We  experience  seasonal  fluctuations  in  our  net  sales  and  operating  results  and  historically  have  generated  higher  net  sales  in  the  fourth  fiscal
quarter, which includes the holiday selling season. Accordingly, in the fourth fiscal quarter we experience normally higher purchase volumes and increased
expense for staffing and advertising. Seasonality influences our buying patterns which directly impacts our merchandise and accounts payable levels and cash
flows. We purchase merchandise for seasonal activities in advance of a season. If we miscalculate the demand for our products generally or for our product
mix during the fourth fiscal quarter, our net sales can decline, which can harm our financial performance. A shortfall from expected fourth fiscal quarter net
sales can negatively impact our annual operating results, as occurred in fiscal 2011.

Beginning  in  the  second  half  of  fiscal  2010,  continuing  through  fiscal  2011  and  into  the  first  quarter  of  fiscal  2012,  we  have  experienced
increasing inflation in the purchase cost, including transportation cost, of certain products received in fiscal 2011 or expected to be received in fiscal 2012. If
we are unable to adjust our selling prices for purchase cost increases then our merchandise margins will decline, which will adversely impact our operating
results. Our lower merchandise margins for fiscal 2011 compared to fiscal 2010 partially reflected purchase cost increases.

Recently Issued Accounting Updates

  See Note 2 to consolidated financial statements included in Item 8, Financial Statements and Supplementary Data, of this Annual Report on

Form 10-K.

35

 
 
Forward-Looking Statements

  This document includes certain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
forward-looking  statements  relate  to,  among  other  things,  our  financial  condition,  our  results  of  operations,  our  growth  strategy  and  the  business  of  our
company generally. In some cases, you can identify such statements by terminology such as "may", "could", "project", "estimate", "potential", "continue",
"should", "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends" or other such terminology. These forward-looking statements involve known and unknown
risks,  uncertainties  and  other  factors  that  may  cause  our  actual  results  in  future  periods  to  differ  materially  from  forecasted  results.  These  risks  and
uncertainties include, among other things, continued or worsening weakness in the consumer spending environment and the U.S. financial and credit markets,
the  competitive  environment  in  the  sporting  goods  industry  in  general  and  in  our  specific  market  areas,  inflation,  product  availability  and  growth
opportunities, seasonal fluctuations, weather conditions, changes in cost of goods, operating expense fluctuations, litigation risks, disruption in product flow,
changes  in  interest  rates,  credit  availability,  higher  costs  associated  with  sources  of  credit  resulting  from  uncertainty  in  financial  markets  and  economic
conditions in general. Those and other risks and uncertainties are more fully described in Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors, in this report. We caution that the risk
factors set forth in this report are not exclusive. In addition, we conduct our business in a highly competitive and rapidly changing environment. Accordingly,
new risk factors may arise. It is not possible for management to predict all such risk factors, nor to assess the impact of all such risk factors on our business or
the extent to which any individual risk factor, or combination of factors, may cause results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking
statement. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement that may be made from time to time by us or on our behalf.

36

 
 
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

   We are subject to risks resulting from interest rate fluctuations since interest on our borrowings under our Credit Facility is based on variable
rates. We enter into borrowings under our Credit Facility principally for working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate purposes. We routinely
evaluate the best use of our cash and cash equivalents on hand and manage financial statement exposure to interest rate fluctuations by managing our level of
indebtedness  and  the  interest  base  rate  options  on  such  indebtedness.  We  do  not  utilize  derivative  instruments  and  do  not  engage  in  foreign  currency
transactions or hedging activities to manage our interest rate risk. If the interest rate on our debt was to change 1.0% as compared to the rate at January 1,
2012, our interest expense would change approximately $0.6 million on an annual basis based on the outstanding balance of our borrowings under our Credit
Facility at January 1, 2012.

   Inflationary factors and changes in foreign currency rates can increase the purchase cost of our products. If we are unable to adjust our selling
prices for purchase cost increases then our merchandise margins will decline, which will adversely impact our operating results. All of our stores are located
in the United States, and all imported merchandise is purchased in U.S. dollars.

ITEM 8.  FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

   The financial statements and the supplementary financial information required by this Item and included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K

are listed in the Index to consolidated financial statements beginning on page F-1.

ITEM 9. CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

   None.

37

 
 
 
ITEM 9A.  CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain a system of disclosure controls and procedures that are designed to provide reasonable assurance that information which is required
to  be  timely  disclosed  is  accumulated  and  communicated  to  our  management,  including  our  Chief  Executive  Officer  ("CEO")  and  Chief  Financial  Officer
("CFO"), in a timely fashion. We conducted an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of our CEO and CFO, of the effectiveness of the
design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act
of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act")) as of January 1, 2012. Based on such evaluation, our CEO and CFO have concluded that, as of January 1, 2012,
our disclosure controls and procedures are effective, at a reasonable assurance level, in recording, processing, summarizing and reporting, on a timely basis,
information required to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act and are effective in ensuring that information required
to be disclosed by us in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our CEO
and CFO, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management's Annual Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under

the Exchange Act.

Our internal control over financial reporting includes policies and procedures that pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail,
accurately  and  fairly  reflect  transactions  and  disposition  of  assets;  provide  reasonable  assurance  that  transactions  are  recorded  as  necessary  to  permit
preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"), and
that receipts and expenditures are being made only in accordance with the authorization of our management and directors; and provide reasonable assurance
regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use or disposition of our assets that could have a material effect on our consolidated
financial statements.

Because  of  its  inherent  limitations,  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  may  not  prevent  or  detect  misstatements.  Also,  projection  of  any
evaluation of effectiveness to future periods is subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of
compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

Management conducted an assessment of the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of January 1, 2012, based upon the
Internal  Control—Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission  ("COSO").  Based  on  this
assessment, management has concluded that, as of January 1, 2012, we maintained effective internal control over financial reporting. The attestation report
issued by Deloitte & Touche LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, on our internal control over financial reporting is included herein.

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in our internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) during the most

recent fiscal quarter that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

38

 
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation
El Segundo, California

We have audited the internal control over financial reporting of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation and subsidiaries ("the Company") as of January 1, 2012,
based on criteria established in Internal Control –Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.
The Company's management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of
internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  included  in  the  accompanying  Management's  Annual  Report  on  Internal  Control  Over  Financial  Reporting.  Our
responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company's internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that
we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material
respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing
and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered
necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company's internal control over financial reporting is a process designed by, or under the supervision of, the company's principal executive and principal
financial  officers,  or  persons  performing  similar  functions,  and  effected  by  the  company's  board  of  directors,  management,  and  other  personnel  to  provide
reasonable  assurance  regarding  the  reliability  of  financial  reporting  and  the  preparation  of  financial  statements  for  external  purposes  in  accordance  with
generally accepted accounting principles. A company's internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the
maintenance  of  records  that,  in  reasonable  detail,  accurately  and  fairly  reflect  the  transactions  and  dispositions  of  the  assets  of  the  company;  (2)  provide
reasonable  assurance  that  transactions  are  recorded  as  necessary  to  permit  preparation  of  financial  statements  in  accordance  with  generally  accepted
accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors
of  the  company;  and  (3)  provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  prevention  or  timely  detection  of  unauthorized  acquisition,  use,  or  disposition  of  the
company's assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because  of  the  inherent  limitations  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  including  the  possibility  of  collusion  or  improper  management  override  of
controls, material misstatements due to error or fraud may not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness
to  future  periods  are  subject  to  the  risk  that  controls  may  become  inadequate  because  of  changes  in  conditions,  or  that  the  degree  of  compliance  with  the
policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of January 1, 2012, based on the criteria
established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission.

We  also  have  audited,  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  Public  Company  Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United  States),  the  consolidated  financial
statements and financial statement schedule as of and for the year ended January 1, 2012 of the Company and our report dated February 29, 2012 expressed an
unqualified opinion on those financial statements and financial statement schedule.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

Los Angeles, California
February 29, 2012

39

 
 
ITEM 9B.  OTHER INFORMATION

   None.

40

 
 
ITEM 10.

DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

PART III

        The  information  required  by  this  Item  has  been  omitted  and  will  be  incorporated  herein  by  reference,  when  filed,  to  our  Proxy  Statement,

which is expected to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year ended January 1, 2012.

ITEM 11.

EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

        The  information  required  by  this  Item  has  been  omitted  and  will  be  incorporated  herein  by  reference,  when  filed,  to  our  Proxy  Statement,

which is expected to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year ended January 1, 2012.

ITEM 12.

SECURITY  OWNERSHIP  OF  CERTAIN  BENEFICIAL  OWNERS  AND  MANAGEMENT  AND  RELATED  STOCKHOLDER
MATTERS

   The information required by this Item has been omitted and will be incorporated herein by reference, when filed, to our Proxy Statement, which

is expected to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year ended January 1, 2012.

ITEM 13.

CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

   The information required by this Item has been omitted and will be incorporated herein by reference, when filed, to our Proxy Statement, which

is expected to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year ended January 1, 2012.

ITEM 14.

PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES

        The  information  required  by  this  Item  has  been  omitted  and  will  be  incorporated  herein  by  reference,  when  filed,  to  our  Proxy  Statement,

which is expected to be filed not later than 120 days after the end of our fiscal year ended January 1, 2012.

41

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 15.

EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(a)

Documents filed as part of this report:

PART IV

(1)

(2)

(3)

Financial Statements.

See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements on page F-1 hereof.

Financial Statement Schedule.

See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements on page F-1 hereof.

Exhibits.

See Index to Exhibits on page E-1 hereof immediately following the financial statements, which is hereby incorporated by reference into
this Item 15. Certain exhibits are incorporated by reference from documents previously filed by the Company with the SEC as required
by Item 601 of Regulation S-K.

42

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on

its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

SIGNATURES

  BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION,
  a Delaware corporation

Date:  February 29, 2012

  By:

/s/ Steven G. Miller
     Steven G. Miller
Chairman of the Board of Directors,
President, Chief Executive Officer and
Director of the Company

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the

registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

Signatures
/s/ Steven G. Miller
     Steven G. Miller

/s/ Barry D. Emerson
     Barry D. Emerson

/s/ Sandra N. Bane
     Sandra N. Bane
/s/ G. Michael Brown
     G. Michael Brown
/s/ Dominic P. DeMarco
     Dominic P. DeMarco
/s/ Jennifer Holden Dunbar
     Jennifer Holden Dunbar
/s/ David R. Jessick
     David R. Jessick
/s/ Michael D. Miller
     Michael D. Miller

Title
Chairman of the Board of Directors,
President, Chief Executive Officer and
Director of the Company
(Principal Executive Officer)
Senior Vice President,
Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
(Principal Financial and
Accounting Officer)
Director of the Company

Director of the Company

Director of the Company

Director of the Company

Director of the Company

Director of the Company

43

Date
February 29, 2012

February 29, 2012

February 29, 2012

February 29, 2012

February 29, 2012

February 29, 2012

February 29, 2012

February 29, 2012

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
     
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
Consolidated Balance Sheets at January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011
Consolidated Statements of Operations for the fiscal years ended January 1, 2012,
January 2, 2011 and January 3, 2010
Consolidated Statements of Stockholders' Equity for the fiscal years ended
January 1, 2012, January 2, 2011 and January 3, 2010
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal years ended January 1, 2012,
January 2, 2011 and January 3, 2010
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
Consolidated Financial Statement Schedule:
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts as of January 1, 2012, January 2, 2011 and January  3, 2010

F-1

F-1
F-2
F-3

F-4

F-5

F-6
F-7

   Schedule

II

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Board of Directors and Stockholders of
Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation
El Segundo, California

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation and subsidiaries (the "Company") as of January 1, 2012
and  January  2,  2011,  and  the  related  consolidated  statements  of  operations,  stockholders'  equity,  and  cash  flows  for  the  years  ended  January  1,
2012, January 2, 2011, and January 3, 2010. Our audits also included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15(a)(2). These financial
statements and financial statement schedule are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial
statements and financial statement schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that
we  plan  and  perform  the  audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  the  financial  statements  are  free  of  material  misstatement.  An  audit  includes
examining,  on  a  test  basis,  evidence  supporting  the  amounts  and  disclosures  in  the  financial  statements.  An  audit  also  includes  assessing  the  accounting
principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits
provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, such consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation and
subsidiaries as of January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for the years ended January 1, 2012, January 2,
2011,  and  January  3,  2010,  in  conformity  with  accounting  principles  generally  accepted  in  the  United  States  of  America.  Also,  in  our  opinion,  such
consolidated financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly, in all
material respects, the information set forth therein.

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the Company's internal control
over  financial  reporting  as  of  January  1,  2012,  based  on  the  criteria  established  in  Internal  Control—Integrated  Framework  issued  by  the  Committee  of
Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated February 29, 2012 expressed an unqualified opinion on the Company's internal
control over financial reporting.

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP

Los Angeles, California
February 29, 2012

F-2

 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share amounts)

ASSETS

    January 1,    
2012

    January 2,    
2011

Current assets:

Cash and cash equivalents
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of $142 and $201, respectively
Merchandise inventories, net
Prepaid expenses
Deferred income taxes

Total current assets
Property and equipment, net
Deferred income taxes
Other assets, net of accumulated amortization of $383 and $69, respectively
Goodwill

Total assets

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Current liabilities:

Accounts payable
Accrued expenses
Current portion of capital lease obligations

Total current liabilities
Deferred rent, less current portion
Capital lease obligations, less current portion
Long-term debt
Other long-term liabilities
Total liabilities
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:

Common stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 50,000,000 shares; issued 23,483,815 and 23,315,832 shares,

respectively; outstanding 21,890,970 and 21,832,537 shares, respectively

Additional paid-in capital
Retained earnings
Less: Treasury stock, at cost; 1,592,845 and 1,483,295 shares, respectively

Total stockholders' equity
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

4,900     $ 
13,106   
264,278   
7,972   
8,410   
298,666   
75,369   
13,236   
2,360   
4,433   
394,064     $ 

77,593     $ 
62,547   
1,617   
141,757   
22,483   
3,145   
63,476   
6,613   
237,474   

235   
99,665   
79,037   
(22,347)  
156,590   
394,064     $ 

5,620  
15,000  
254,217  
7,588  
9,447  
291,872  
81,333  
12,396  
2,322  
4,433  
392,356  

94,818  
64,392  
1,925  
161,135  
24,349  
1,569  
48,313  
6,264  
241,630  

233  
97,910  
73,949  
(21,366) 
150,726  
392,356  

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

F-3

 
 
 
  
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(In thousands, except per share data)

Net sales
Cost of sales

Gross profit

Selling and administrative expense

Operating income

Interest expense

Income before income taxes

Income taxes
Net income

Earnings per share:

Basic

Diluted

Dividends per share

Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding:

Basic

Diluted

 $  

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 
 $  

    January 1,    
2012

Year Ended
    January 2,    
2011

    January 3,    
2010

902,134    $ 
610,531   
291,603   
272,436   
19,167   
2,561   
16,606   
4,933   
11,673    $ 

0.54    $ 

0.53    $ 

0.30    $ 

21,656   

21,869   

896,813    $ 
599,101   
297,712   
263,488   
34,224   
2,108   
32,116   
11,554   
20,562    $ 

0.95    $ 

0.94    $ 

0.20    $ 

21,552   

21,890   

895,542  
597,792  
297,750  
260,068  
37,682  
2,465  
35,217  
13,406  
21,811  

1.02  

1.01  

0.20  

21,434  

21,657  

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

F-4

 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY
(In thousands, except share amounts)

Balance at December 28, 2008

Net income
Dividends on common stock ($0.20 per share)
Issuance of nonvested share awards
Exercise of share option awards
Share-based compensation
Tax benefit from share-based awards activity
Forfeiture of nonvested share awards
Retirement of common stock for payment of withholding tax
Balance at January 3, 2010

Net income
Dividends on common stock ($0.20 per share)
Issuance of nonvested share awards
Exercise of share option awards
Share-based compensation
Tax benefit from share-based awards activity
Forfeiture of nonvested share awards
Retirement of common stock for payment of withholding tax
Balance at January 2, 2011

Net income
Dividends on common stock ($0.30 per share)
Issuance of nonvested share awards
Exercise of share option awards
Share-based compensation
Tax deficiency from share-based awards activity
Forfeiture of nonvested share awards
Retirement of common stock for payment of withholding tax
Purchases of treasury stock

Common Stock

Shares
      21,520,792  $ 

       Amount       
230  $ 

  Additional  
Paid-In
Capital

     Retained

    Earnings    

  Treasury  
Stock,
At Cost

92,704  $ 

40,232  $ 

(21,366) $ 

    Total    
111,800 

-  
-  
12,000  
42,775  
-  
-  
(1,100) 
(7,701) 
21,566,766  

-  
-  
172,000  
104,175  
-  
-  
(1,300) 
(9,104) 
21,832,537  

-  
-  
152,100  
48,262  
-  
-  
(8,625) 
(23,754) 
(109,550) 

-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
230  

-  
-  
2  
1  
-  
-  
-  
-  
233  

-  
-  
2  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  

-  
-  
-  
425  
2,139  
38  
-  
(47) 
95,259  

-  
-  
(2) 
756  
1,727  
313  
-  
(143) 
97,910  

-  
-  
(2) 
316  
1,798  
(74) 
-  
(283) 
-  

21,811  
(4,305) 
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
57,738  

20,562  
(4,351) 
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
73,949  

11,673  
(6,585) 
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  

-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
(21,366) 

-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
(21,366) 

-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
-  
(981) 

21,811 
(4,305)
-     
425 
2,139 
38 
-     
(47)
131,861 

20,562 
(4,351)
-     
757 
1,727 
313 
-     
(143)
150,726 

11,673 
(6,585)
-     
316 
1,798 
(74)
-     
(283)
(981)

Balance at January 1, 2012

21,890,970  $ 

235  $ 

99,665  $ 

79,037  $ 

(22,347) $ 

156,590 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

F-5

 
 
 
 
 
 
    
    
    
 
 
    
    
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(In thousands)

Cash flows from operating activities:
  Net income
  Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:

  January 1,  
2012

Year Ended
  January 2,  
2011

  January 3,  
2010

   $ 

11,673   $ 

20,562   $ 

21,811 

Depreciation and amortization
Impairment of store assets
Share-based compensation
Excess tax benefit related to share-based awards
Amortization of debt issuance costs
Deferred income taxes
(Gain) loss on disposal of property and equipment
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:

Accounts receivable, net
Merchandise inventories, net
Prepaid expenses and other assets
Accounts payable
Accrued expenses and other long-term liabilities
Net cash provided by operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities:
  Purchases of property and equipment
  Proceeds from solar energy rebate
  Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment

Net cash used in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities:
  Principal borrowings under current revolving credit facility
  Principal payments under current revolving credit facility
  Net principal payments under previous revolving credit facility
  Changes in book overdraft
  Debt issuance costs
  Principal payments under capital lease obligations
  Proceeds from exercise of share option awards
  Excess tax benefit related to share-based awards
  Purchases of treasury stock
  Tax withholding payments for share-based compensation
  Dividends paid

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year
Cash and cash equivalents at end of year

Supplemental disclosures of non-cash investing and financing activities:
Property and equipment acquired under capital leases

Property and equipment purchases accrued

Solar energy rebate receivable

Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:

Interest paid

Income taxes paid

18,544  
2,116  
1,798  
(90) 
314  
197  
(250) 

2,144  
(10,061) 
(432) 
(19,789) 
(3,946) 
2,218  

(12,990) 
500  
502  
(11,988) 

225,597  
(210,434) 
-  
3,681  
(304) 
(2,102) 
316  
90  
(981) 
(283) 
(6,530) 
9,050  

(720) 
5,620  
4,900   $ 

3,551   $ 

776   $ 

250   $ 

2,182   $ 

4,658   $ 

18,627  
-  
1,727  
(327) 
135  
(2,793) 
18  

(1,602) 
(23,306) 
2,008  
10,070  
4,748  
29,867  

(15,628) 
-  
4  
(15,624) 

109,919  
(61,606) 
(54,955) 
(991) 
(1,305) 
(2,065) 
757  
327  
-  
(143) 
(4,326) 
(14,388) 

(145) 
5,765  
5,620   $ 

1,381   $ 

1,470   $ 

-   $ 

1,882   $ 

15,384   $ 

19,400 
- 
2,139 
(43)
53 
2,684 
(59)

3,213 
2,051 
(1,441)
1,564 
2,715 
54,087 

(5,764)
- 
- 
(5,764)

- 
- 
(41,544)
(3,914)
- 
(2,284)
425 
43 
- 
(47)
(4,295)
(51,616)

(3,293)
9,058 
5,765 

1,930 

310 

- 

2,706 

11,231 

   $ 

   $ 

   $ 

   $ 

   $ 

   $ 

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

F-6

 
 
 
      
 
      
    
    
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(1)

Description of Business

BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

The  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements  as  of  January  1,  2012  and  January  2,  2011  and  for  the  years  ended  January  1,  2012
("fiscal 2011"), January 2, 2011 ("fiscal 2010") and January 3, 2010 ("fiscal 2009"), represent the financial position, results of operations and cash flows of
Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation (the "Company") and its wholly owned subsidiary, Big 5 Corp. and Big 5 Corp.'s wholly owned subsidiary, Big 5 Services
Corp. The Company operates as one business segment, as a sporting goods retailer under the "Big 5 Sporting Goods" name. The Company carries a full-line
product offering, operating 406 stores at January 1, 2012 in California, Washington, Arizona, Oregon, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Idaho, Colorado,
Oklahoma and Wyoming.

(2)

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Consolidation

The  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements  include  the  accounts  of  Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corporation,  Big  5  Corp.  and  Big  5

Services Corp. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Reporting Period

The Company follows the concept of a 52-53 week fiscal year, which ends on the Sunday nearest December 31. Fiscal 2011 and 2010 each

included 52 weeks. Fiscal 2009 included 53 weeks.

Recently Issued Accounting Updates

In  September  2011,  the  Financial  Accounting  Standards  Board  issued  Accounting  Standards  Update  ("ASU")  No.  2011-08,  Intangibles—
Goodwill and Other. ASU No. 2011-08 is intended to simplify goodwill impairment testing by adding a qualitative review step to assess whether the required
quantitative  impairment  analysis  that  exists  today  is  necessary.  ASU  No.  2011-08  permits  an  entity  to  first  perform  a  qualitative  assessment  to  determine
whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If it is concluded that this is the case, it is necessary to
perform the currently prescribed two-step goodwill impairment test. Otherwise, the two-step goodwill impairment test is not required. Additionally, an entity
has the option to bypass the qualitative assessment in any period and proceed directly to performing the first step of the two-step goodwill impairment test. An
entity may resume performing the qualitative assessment in any subsequent period. ASU No. 2011-08 is effective for annual and interim goodwill impairment
tests performed for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2011. Early adoption is permitted, including for annual and interim goodwill impairment tests
performed as of a date before September 15, 2011, if an entity's financial statements for the most recent annual or interim period have not yet been issued. The
Company does not expect the adoption of ASU No. 2011-08 to have a material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Use of Estimates

Management has made a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets, liabilities and stockholders' equity and the
disclosure  of  contingent  assets  and  liabilities  at  the  date  of  the  consolidated  financial  statements  and  reported  amounts  of  revenue  and  expense  during  the
reporting  period  to  prepare  these  consolidated  financial  statements  in  conformity  with  accounting  principles  generally  accepted  in  the  United  States  of
America  ("GAAP").  Certain  items  subject  to  such  estimates  and  assumptions  include  the  carrying  amount  of  merchandise  inventories,  property  and
equipment, and goodwill; valuation allowances for receivables, sales returns and deferred income tax assets; estimates related to gift card breakage and the
valuation of share-based compensation awards; and obligations related to asset retirements, litigation, self-insurance liabilities and employee benefits. Actual
results could differ significantly from these estimates under different assumptions and conditions.

F-7

 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

Segment Reporting

The  Company  operates  solely  as  a  sporting  goods  retailer,  with  each  store  having  similar  square  footage  and  offering  essentially  the  same
general product mix throughout the entire store chain. The Company's core customer demographic remains similar chainwide, as does the Company's process
for  the  procurement  and  marketing  of  its  product  mix.  Furthermore,  the  Company  distributes  its  product  mix  chainwide  from  a  single  distribution  center.
Given the similar economic characteristics of the Company's store formats, the similar nature of the products sold, the type of customer and the method of
distribution, the Company operates as one reportable segment as defined by Accounting Standards Codification ("ASC") 280, Segment Reporting.

The approximate net sales attributable to hard goods, athletic and sport apparel, athletic and sport footwear and other for the periods presented

are set forth as follows:

Hard goods
Athletic and sport apparel
Athletic and sport footwear
Other sales

Net sales

Earnings Per Share

2011

491,493  
145,209  
262,558  
2,874  
902,134  

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

Fiscal Year
2010
 (In thousands) 

491,106  
143,994  
259,889  
1,824  
896,813  

$ 

$ 

2009

487,178 
145,325 
259,989 
3,050 
895,542 

The Company calculates earnings per share in accordance with ASC 260, Earnings Per Share, which requires a dual presentation of basic and
diluted  earnings  per  share.  Basic  earnings  per  share  is  calculated  by  dividing  net  income  by  the  weighted-average  shares  of  common  stock  outstanding,
reduced by shares repurchased and held in treasury, during the period. Diluted earnings per share represents basic earnings per share adjusted to include the
potentially dilutive effect of outstanding share option awards, nonvested share awards and nonvested share unit awards.

Revenue Recognition

The Company earns revenue by selling merchandise primarily through its retail stores. Revenue is recognized when merchandise is sold and
delivered to the customer and is shown net of estimated returns during the relevant period. The allowance for sales returns is estimated based upon historical
experience.

Cash received from the sale of gift cards is recorded as a liability, and revenue is recognized upon the redemption of the gift card or when it is
determined that the likelihood of redemption is remote ("gift card breakage") and no liability to relevant jurisdictions exists. The Company determines the gift
card breakage rate based upon historical redemption patterns and recognizes gift card breakage on a straight-line basis over the estimated gift card redemption
period (20 quarters as of the end of fiscal 2011). The Company recognized approximately $0.4 million, $0.4 million and $0.5 million in gift card breakage
revenue for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

The Company records sales tax collected from its customers on a net basis, and therefore excludes it from revenue as defined in ASC 605,

Revenue Recognition ("ASC 605").

Included in revenue are sales of returned merchandise to vendors specializing in the resale of defective or used products, which accounted for

less than 1% of net sales in each of the periods reported.

F-8

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
   
   
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

Cost of Sales

Cost of sales includes the cost of merchandise, net of discounts or allowances earned, freight, inventory reserves, buying, distribution center
costs and store occupancy costs. Store occupancy costs include rent, amortization of leasehold improvements, common area maintenance, property taxes and
insurance.

Selling and Administrative Expense

Selling and administrative expense includes store-related expense, other than store occupancy costs, as well as advertising, depreciation and

amortization, expense associated with operating the Company's corporate headquarters and impairment charges, if any.

Vendor Allowances

The Company receives allowances for co-operative advertising and volume purchase rebates earned through programs with certain vendors.
The Company records a receivable for these allowances which are earned but not yet received when it is determined the amounts are probable and reasonably
estimable, in accordance with ASC 605. Amounts relating to the purchase of merchandise are treated as a reduction of inventory cost and reduce cost of goods
sold  as  the  merchandise  is  sold.  Amounts  that  represent  a  reimbursement  of  costs  incurred,  such  as  advertising,  are  recorded  as  a  reduction  in  selling  and
administrative expense. The Company performs detailed analyses to determine the appropriate amount of vendor allowances to be applied as a reduction of
merchandise cost and selling and administrative expense.

Advertising Costs

Advertising costs are expensed when the advertising first occurs. Advertising expense, net of co-operative advertising allowances, amounted
to $47.6 million, $44.9 million and $45.8 million for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Advertising expense is included in selling and administrative
expense  in  the  accompanying  consolidated  statements  of  operations.  The  Company  receives  co-operative  advertising  allowances  from  product  vendors  in
order  to  subsidize  qualifying  advertising  and  similar  promotional  expenditures  made  relating  to  vendors'  products.  These  advertising  allowances  are
recognized as a reduction to selling and administrative expense when the Company incurs the advertising cost eligible for the credit. Co-operative advertising
allowances recognized as a reduction to selling and administrative expense amounted to $6.2 million, $6.9 million and $6.9 million for fiscal 2011, 2010 and
2009, respectively.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company accounts for its share-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation. Accordingly, the
Company  recognizes  compensation  expense  on  a  straight-line  basis  over  the  requisite  service  period  using  the  fair-value  method  for  share  option  awards,
nonvested  share  awards  and  nonvested  share  unit  awards  granted  with  service-only  conditions.  See  Note  14  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements  for  a
further discussion on share-based compensation.

Pre-opening Costs

Pre-opening  costs  for  new  stores,  which  consist  primarily  of  payroll  and  recruiting  costs,  training,  marketing,  rent,  travel  and  supplies,  are

expensed as incurred.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents consist of cash on hand and all highly liquid instruments purchased with a maturity of three months or less at the

date of purchase. Book overdrafts are recorded in accounts payable and accrued expenses.

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable consist primarily of third party purchasing card receivables, amounts due from inventory vendors for returned products or

co-operative advertising and amounts due from lessors for tenant

F-9

 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

improvement  allowances.  Accounts  receivable  have  not  historically  resulted  in  any  material  credit  losses.  An  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  is  provided
when accounts are determined to be uncollectible.

Valuation of Merchandise Inventories, Net

The  Company's  merchandise  inventories  are  made  up  of  finished  goods  and  are  valued  at  the  lower  of  cost  or  market  using  the  weighted-
average cost method that approximates the first-in, first-out ("FIFO") method. Average cost includes the direct purchase price of merchandise inventory, net
of vendor allowances and cash discounts, in-bound freight-related costs and allocated overhead costs associated with the Company's distribution center.

Management regularly reviews inventories and records valuation reserves for merchandise damage and defective returns, merchandise items
with  slow-moving  or  obsolescence  exposure  and  merchandise  that  has  a  carrying  value  that  exceeds  market  value.  Because  of  its  merchandise  mix,  the
Company has not historically experienced significant occurrences of obsolescence.

Inventory shrinkage is accrued as a percentage of merchandise sales based on historical inventory shrinkage trends. The Company performs
physical inventories of its stores at least once per year and cycle counts inventories at its distribution center throughout the year. The reserve for inventory
shrinkage represents an estimate for inventory shrinkage for each store since the last physical inventory date through the reporting date.

These  reserves  are  estimates,  which  could  vary  significantly,  either  favorably  or  unfavorably,  from  actual  results  if  future  economic

conditions, consumer demand and competitive environments differ from expectations.

Prepaid Expenses

Prepaid  expenses  include  the  prepayment  of  various  operating  costs  such  as  insurance,  rent,  property  taxes,  software  maintenance  and
supplies, which are expensed when the operating cost is realized. Prepaid expenses also include the purchase of seasonal fish and game licenses from certain
state and federal governmental agencies. The Company has a right to return these licenses if they are unsold. The prepaid expenses associated with seasonal
fish and game licenses totaled $0.5 million and $0.4 million as of January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, respectively.

Property and Equipment, Net

Property  and  equipment  are  stated  at  cost  and  are  being  depreciated  or  amortized  utilizing  the  straight-line  method  over  the  following

estimated useful lives:

Land
Buildings
Leasehold improvements
Furniture and equipment

Indefinite
20 years
Shorter of estimated useful life or term of lease
3 – 10 years

Maintenance and repairs are expensed as incurred.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over fair value of net assets acquired. Under ASC 350, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other,
goodwill  is  not  amortized  but  evaluated  for  impairment  annually  or  whenever  events  or  changes  in  circumstances  indicate  that  the  value  may  not  be
recoverable.

The  Company  performed  an  annual  impairment  test  as  of  the  end  of  fiscal  2011,  2010  and  2009,  and  determined  that  goodwill  was  not

impaired. Furthermore, as of January 1, 2012, no goodwill impairment losses have been recognized since the adoption of ASC 350.

F-10

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

Valuation of Long-Lived Assets

The  Company  reviews  long-lived  assets  for  impairment  at  least  annually  or  whenever  events  or  changes  in  circumstances  indicate  that  the

carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.

Long-lived assets are reviewed for recoverability at the lowest level in which there are identifiable cash flows ("asset group"), usually at the
store level. Each store typically requires investments of approximately $0.6 million in long-lived assets to be held and used, subject to recoverability testing.
The carrying amount of an asset group is not considered recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the asset
group. If the asset group is determined not to be recoverable, then an impairment charge will be recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the
asset group exceeds its fair value, determined using discounted cash flow valuation techniques, as defined in ASC 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment.

The Company determines the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the asset group by projecting future revenue and
operating expense for each store under consideration for impairment. The estimates of future cash flows involve management judgment and are based upon
assumptions about expected future operating performance. Assumptions used in these forecasts are consistent with internal planning, and include assumptions
about sales, margins, operating expense and advertising expense in relation to the current economic environment and future expectations, competitive factors
in  various  markets  and  inflation.  The  actual  cash  flows  could  differ  from  management's  estimates  due  to  changes  in  business  conditions,  operating
performance and economic conditions.

In fiscal 2011, the Company recognized a pre-tax non-cash impairment charge of $2.1 million related to certain underperforming stores. This
impairment  charge  is  included  in  selling  and  administrative  expense  for  fiscal  2011  in  the  consolidated  statement  of  operations.  No  long-lived  asset
impairment charges were incurred during fiscal 2010 and 2009.

Leases and Deferred Rent

The Company accounts for its leases under the provisions of ASC 840, Leases.

The  Company  evaluates  and  classifies  its  leases  as  either  operating  or  capital  leases  for  financial  reporting  purposes.  Operating  lease
commitments consist principally of leases for the Company's retail store facilities, distribution center and corporate office. Capital lease obligations consist
principally of leases for some of the Company's distribution center delivery tractors, management information systems hardware and point-of-sale equipment
for the Company's stores.

Certain of the leases for the Company's retail store facilities provide for payments based on future sales volumes at the leased location, which

are not measurable at the inception of the lease. These contingent rents are expensed as they accrue.

Deferred rent represents the difference between rent paid and the amounts expensed for operating leases. Certain leases have scheduled rent
increases,  and  certain  leases  include  an  initial  period  of  free  or  reduced  rent  as  an  inducement  to  enter  into  the  lease  agreement  ("rent  holidays").  The
Company recognizes rent expense for rent increases and rent holidays on a straight-line basis over the term of the underlying leases, without regard to when
rent payments are made. The calculation of straight-line rent is based on the non-cancelable lease term when it is at least ten years or the "reasonably assured"
lease term as defined in ASC 840 when the initial non-cancelable lease term is less than ten years.

Landlord allowances for tenant improvements, or lease incentives, are recorded as deferred rent and amortized on a straight-line basis over the

"reasonably assured" lease term as a component of rent expense.

Asset Retirement Obligations

The  Company  accounts  for  its  asset  retirement  obligations  ("ARO")  in  accordance  with  ASC  410,  Asset  Retirement  and  Environmental
Obligations, which requires the recognition of a liability for the fair value of a legally required asset retirement obligation when incurred if the liability's fair
value can be reasonably estimated. The

F-11

 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

Company's ARO liabilities are associated with the disposal and retirement of leasehold improvements resulting from contractual obligations at the end of a
lease to restore the facility back to a condition specified in the lease agreement.

The Company records the net present value of the ARO liability and also records a related capital asset in an equal amount for those leases
that contractually obligate the Company with an asset retirement obligation. The estimate of the ARO liability is based on a number of assumptions including
store closing costs, inflation rates and discount rates. Accretion expense related to the ARO liability is recognized as operating expense. The capitalized asset
is depreciated on a straight-line basis over the useful life of the leasehold improvement. Upon ARO removal, any difference between the actual retirement
costs  incurred  and  the  recorded  estimated  ARO  liability  is  recognized  as  an  operating  gain  or  loss  in  the  consolidated  statements  of  operations.  The  ARO
liability, which totaled $0.6 million and $0.6 million as of January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, respectively, is included in other long-term liabilities in the
accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Self-Insurance Liabilities

The  Company  maintains  self-insurance  programs  for  its  commercial  general  liability  risk  and,  in  certain  states,  its  estimated  workers'
compensation liability risk. The Company also has a self-funded insurance program for a portion of its employee medical benefits. Under these programs, the
Company  maintains  insurance  coverage  for  losses  in  excess  of  specified  per-occurrence  amounts.  Estimated  costs  under  the  self-insured  workers'
compensation and medical benefits programs, including incurred but not reported claims, are recorded as expense based upon historical experience, trends of
paid and incurred claims, and other actuarial assumptions. If actual claims trends under these programs, including the severity or frequency of claims, differ
from  the  Company's  estimates,  its  financial  results  may  be  significantly  impacted.  The  Company's  estimated  self-insurance  liabilities  are  classified  on  the
balance sheet as accrued expenses or other long-term liabilities based upon whether they are expected to be paid during or beyond the normal operating cycle
of 12 months from the date of the consolidated financial statements. Self-insurance liabilities totaled $8.2 million and $7.8 million as of January 1, 2012 and
January 2, 2011, respectively, of which $3.5 million and $3.5 million were recorded as a component of accrued expenses as of January 1, 2012 and January 2,
2011, respectively, and $4.7 million and $4.3 million were recorded as a component of other long-term liabilities as of January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011,
respectively, in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets.

Income Taxes

Under the asset and liability method prescribed under ASC 740, Income Taxes, the Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for
the  future  tax  consequences  attributable  to  differences  between  financial  statement  carrying  amounts  of  assets  and  liabilities  and  their  respective  tax
bases.  Deferred  tax  assets  and  liabilities  are  measured  using  enacted  tax  rates  expected  to  apply  to  taxable  income  in  the  years  in  which  those  temporary
differences are expected to be realized or settled. 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. The realizability of deferred tax assets is assessed throughout the year and a valuation allowance is recorded if necessary to
reduce net deferred tax assets to the amount more likely than not to be realized.

ASC 740 provides that a tax benefit from an uncertain tax position may be recognized when it is more likely than not that the position will be
sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation processes, based on the technical merits of the position. ASC 740 also
provides guidance on measurement, derecognition, classification, interest and penalties, accounting in interim periods, disclosure and transition.

The  Company's  practice  is  to  recognize  interest  accrued  related  to  unrecognized  tax  benefits  in  interest  expense  and  penalties  in  operating

expense. At January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, the Company had no accrued interest or penalties.

F-12

 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

Concentration of Risk

The  Company  maintains  its  cash  and  cash  equivalents  accounts  in  financial  institutions.  Accounts  at  these  institutions  are  insured  by  the
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") up to $250,000. The Company performs ongoing evaluations of these institutions to limit its concentration
risk exposure.

The Company operates traditional sporting goods retail stores located principally in the western United States. Because of this, the Company
is subject to regional risks, such as the economy, including downturns in the housing market, state financial conditions, unemployment and gas prices. Other
regional risks include weather conditions, power outages, earthquakes and other natural disasters specific to the states in which the Company operates.

The Company relies on a single distribution center located in Riverside, California, which services all of its stores. Any natural disaster or
other  serious  disruption  to  the  distribution  center  due  to  fire,  earthquake  or  any  other  cause  could  damage  a  significant  portion  of  inventory  and  could
materially impair the Company's ability to adequately stock its stores.

A substantial amount of the Company's inventory is manufactured abroad, and shipped through the Port of Los Angeles. From time to time,
shipping  ports  experience  capacity  constraints,  labor  strikes,  work  stoppages  or  other  disruptions  that  may  delay  the  delivery  of  imported  products.  In
addition, acts of terrorism could significantly disrupt operations at shipping ports or otherwise impact transportation of the Company's imported merchandise.
Disruptions at the Port of Los Angeles, or other shipping ports, may result in delays in the transportation of such products to the Company's distribution center
and may ultimately delay the Company's ability to adequately stock its stores.

The Company purchases merchandise from approximately 800 suppliers, and the Company's 20 largest suppliers accounted for 37.3% of total
purchases in fiscal 2011. One vendor represented greater than 5% of total purchases, at 7.7%, in fiscal 2011. A significant portion of the Company's purchases
is manufactured abroad in countries such as China, Taiwan and South Korea. If a disruption of trade were to occur from the countries in which the suppliers of
the Company's vendors are located, the Company may be unable to obtain sufficient quantities of products to satisfy its requirements, or the cost of obtaining
products may increase.

The Company could be exposed to credit risk in the event of nonperformance by any lender under its revolving credit facility. Currently, there
continues  to  be  uncertainty  in  the  financial  and  capital  markets.  The  uncertainty  in  the  market  brings  additional  potential  risks  to  the  Company,  including
higher costs of credit, potential lender defaults, and potential commercial bank failures. The Company has received no indication that any such events will
negatively impact the lenders under its current revolving credit facility; however, the possibility does exist.

F-13

 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

(3)

Property and Equipment, Net

Property and equipment, net, consist of the following:

Leasehold improvements
Furniture and equipment
Land
Building

Accumulated depreciation and amortization

Assets not placed into service

Property and equipment, net

  $ 

  $ 

    January 1,    
2012

    January 2,    
2011

(In thousands)
 $ 

111,959    
128,861    
—    
—    
240,820    
(166,227)   
74,593    
776    
75,369    

 $ 

107,449   
122,438   
186   
434   
230,507   
(152,218)  
78,289   
3,044   
81,333   

Depreciation expense associated with property and equipment, including assets leased under capital leases, was $9.8 million, $9.8 million and
$10.7 million for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Amortization expense for leasehold improvements was $8.8 million, $8.8 million and $8.7 million
for  fiscal  2011,  2010  and  2009,  respectively.  The  gross  cost  of  equipment  under  capital  leases,  included  above,  was  $10.1  million  and  $7.5  million  as  of
January  1,  2012  and  January  2,  2011,  respectively.  The  accumulated  amortization  related  to  these  capital  leases  was  $3.9  million  and  $3.0  million  as  of
January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, respectively.

(4)

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived  assets  are  reviewed  for  impairment  at  least  annually  or  whenever  events  or  changes  in  circumstances  indicate  that  the  carrying
amount of an asset may not be recoverable. In fiscal 2011, the Company recognized a pre-tax non-cash impairment charge of $2.1 million related to certain
underperforming stores. The weak sales performance, coupled with future undiscounted cash flow projections, indicated that the carrying value of these stores'
assets exceeded their estimated fair values as determined by their future discounted cash flow projections. When projecting the stream of future undiscounted
cash  flows  associated  with  an  individual  store  for  purposes  of  determining  long-lived  asset  recoverability,  management  makes  assumptions,  incorporating
local market conditions, about key store variables including sales growth rates, gross margin and operating expenses. If economic conditions in the markets in
which  the  Company  conducts  business  remain  weak  or  further  deteriorate,  or  if  other  negative  market  conditions  develop,  the  Company  may  experience
additional impairment charges in the future for underperforming stores. This impairment charge is included in selling and administrative expense for fiscal
2011 in the consolidated statement of operations. No impairment charges were recognized in fiscal 2010 or 2009.

(5)

Fair Value Measurements

The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses approximate the fair values of
these instruments due to their short-term nature. The carrying amount for borrowings under the revolving credit facility approximates fair value because of the
variable market interest rate charged to the Company for these borrowings.

During fiscal 2011, the Company's only significant assets or liabilities measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis subsequent to their initial
recognition were certain assets subject to long-lived asset impairment. As discussed in Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company estimated
the fair values of these long-lived assets based on the Company's own judgments about the assumptions that market participants would use in pricing the asset
and on observable market data, when available. The Company classified these fair value measurements as Level 3. After the impairment charge, the carrying
values of the remaining assets of these stores were not material.

F-14

 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

(6)

Accrued Expenses

The major components of accrued expenses are as follows:

Payroll and related expense
Sales tax
Occupancy costs
Advertising
Other

Accrued expenses

(7)

Lease Commitments

$ 

$ 

    January 1,    
2012

    January 2,    
2011

(In thousands)
$ 

19,691   
9,235   
8,722   
7,685   
17,214   
62,547   

$ 

18,920  
10,359  
8,573  
6,603  
19,937  
64,392  

The  Company  currently  leases  stores,  distribution  and  headquarters  facilities  under  non-cancelable  operating  leases.  The  Company's  leases
generally contain multiple renewal options for periods ranging from five to ten years and require the Company to pay all executory costs such as maintenance
and insurance. Certain of the Company's store leases provide for the payment of contingent rent based on a percentage of sales.

Rent expense for operating leases consisted of the following:

    January 1,     
2012

Year Ended
    January 2,    
2011
(In thousands)

    January 3,    
2010

Rent expense
Contingent rent

   Total rent expense

  $ 

  $ 

57,456   
1,100   
58,556   

 $ 

 $ 

55,732   
1,423   
57,155   

 $ 

 $ 

54,901  
1,149  
56,050  

Rent expense includes sublease rent income of $0.3 million, $0.3 million and $0.2 million for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.

Future minimum lease payments under non-cancelable leases, with lease terms in excess of one year, as of January 1, 2012 are as follows:

Year Ending:

 2012
 2013
 2014
 2015
 2016
 Thereafter

Total minimum lease payments

Imputed interest
Present value of minimum lease payments

        Capital        
Leases

    Operating    
Leases
(In thousands)

          Total          

  $ 

  $ 

F-15

 $ 

 $ 

1,796   
1,500   
1,156   
510   
169   
—   
5,131   

(369)  
4,762   

64,695   
61,274   
52,922   
41,566   
28,224   
61,833   
310,514   

 $ 

 $ 

66,491  
62,774  
54,078  
42,076  
28,393  
61,833  
315,645  

 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
   
   
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

In  February  2008,  the  Company  entered  into  a  lease  for  a  parcel  of  land  with  an  existing  building  adjacent  to  its  corporate  headquarters
location. The lease term commenced in 2009 and the primary term expires on February 28, 2019, which may be renewed for six successive periods of five
years each. In accordance with terms of the lease agreement, the Company is committed to the construction of a new retail building on the premises before the
primary term expires in 2019, regardless of whether or not any renewal options are exercised.

(8)

Long-Term Debt

On  October  18,  2010,  the  Company  entered  into  a  new  credit  agreement  (the  "Credit  Agreement")  with  Wells  Fargo  Bank,  National
Association ("Wells Fargo"), as administrative agent, and a syndicate of other lenders. Initial borrowings under the Credit Agreement on October 18, 2010
were used to, among other things, repay all of the Company's outstanding indebtedness under its prior financing agreement, at which time the prior financing
agreement was terminated.

The Credit Agreement provides for a revolving credit facility (the "Credit Facility") with an aggregate committed availability of up to $140.0
million, which amount may be increased at the Company's option up to a maximum of $165.0 million. The Company may also request additional increases in
aggregate availability, up to a maximum of $200.0 million, in which case the existing lenders under the Credit Agreement will have the option to increase
their commitments to accommodate the requested increase. If such existing lenders do not exercise that option, the Company may (with the consent of Wells
Fargo, not to be unreasonably withheld) seek other lenders willing to provide such commitments. The Credit Facility includes a $50.0 million sublimit for
issuances of letters of credit and a $20.0 million sublimit for swingline loans. Previously, all amounts outstanding under the Credit Facility were to mature and
become due on October 18, 2014. On October 31, 2011, the Credit Agreement was amended to, among other things, extend its maturity date to October 31,
2016 (see discussion below).

Obligations under the Credit Facility are secured by a general lien and perfected security interest in substantially all of the Company's assets.
The Credit Agreement contains covenants that require the Company to maintain a fixed charge coverage ratio of not less than 1.0:1.0 in certain circumstances,
and  limit  the  Company's  ability  to,  among  other  things,  incur  liens,  incur  additional  indebtedness,  transfer  or  dispose  of  assets,  change  the  nature  of  the
business, guarantee obligations, pay dividends or make other distributions or repurchase stock, and make advances, loans or investments.

On  October  31,  2011,  the  Company  amended  certain  provisions  of  its  Credit  Agreement.  The  applicable  interest  rate  on  the  Company's
borrowings will be a function of the daily average, over the preceding fiscal quarter, of the excess of the Credit Facility over amounts borrowed (such amount
being  referred  to  as  the  "Average  Daily  Excess  Availability").  Those  loans  designated  as  LIBO  rate  loans  shall  bear  interest  at  a  rate  equal  to  the  then
applicable LIBO rate plus an applicable margin as shown in the table below. Those loans designated as base rate loans shall bear interest at a rate equal to the
applicable  margin  for  base  rate  loans  (as  shown  below)  plus  the  highest  of  (a)  the  Federal  funds  rate,  as  in  effect  from  time  to  time,  plus  one-half  of  one
percent (0.50%), (b) the LIBO rate, as adjusted to account for statutory reserves, plus one percent (1.00%), or (c) the rate of interest in effect for such day as
publicly  announced  from  time  to  time  by  Wells  Fargo  as  its  "prime  rate."  The  applicable  margin  for  all  loans  will  be  as  set  forth  below  as  a  function  of
Average Daily Excess Availability for the preceding fiscal quarter.

  Level    
I
II
III

Average Daily Excess Availability
Greater than or equal to $70,000,000
Greater than or equal to $40,000,000
Less than $40,000,000

    LIBO Rate    
Applicable
Margin
1.50%
1.75%
2.00%

Base Rate
    Applicable    
Margin
0.50%
0.75%
1.00%

A  commitment  fee  of  0.375%  per  annum  is  payable  quarterly  in  arrears  and  assessed  on  the  unused  portion  of  the  Credit  Facility.  The
amendment also extended the maturity date of the Credit Agreement from October 18, 2014 to October 31, 2016 and modified the provisions for restricting
certain payments and investments.

F-16

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

At January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, the one-month LIBO rate was 0.4% and 0.3%, respectively, and the Wells Fargo Bank prime lending
rate was 3.25% and 3.25%, respectively. The average interest rate on the Company's revolving credit borrowings during fiscal 2011 and 2010 was 2.53% and
2.05%, respectively. On January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, the Company had borrowings outstanding bearing interest at both LIBO and the prime lending
rates as follows:

LIBO rate
Prime lending rate

Total borrowings

$ 

$ 

    January 1,    
2012

    January 2,    
2011

(In thousands)

50,000   
13,476   
63,476   

  $ 

  $ 

34,000  
14,313  
48,313  

Total  remaining  borrowing  availability,  after  subtracting  letters  of  credit,  was  $72.8  million  and  $90.9  million  as  of  January  1,  2012  and

January 2, 2011, respectively.

Based on terms of the Credit Agreement, the Company has presented its cash flows related to borrowing and repayment activities under the

revolving credit facility on a gross basis for fiscal 2011 and beginning October 18, 2010 for fiscal 2010.

(9)

Income Taxes

Total income tax expense (benefit) consists of the following:

Fiscal 2011:
  Federal
  State

Fiscal 2010:
  Federal
  State

Fiscal 2009:
  Federal
  State

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

  $ 

      Current      

      Deferred      
(In thousands)

         Total         

3,250      $ 
1,486     
4,736      $ 

11,747      $ 
2,600     
14,347      $ 

9,376      $ 
1,384     
10,760      $ 

821       $ 
(624)     
197       $ 

(2,216)      $ 
(577)     
(2,793)      $ 

2,336       $ 
310      
2,646       $ 

4,071    
862    
4,933    

9,531    
2,023    
11,554    

11,712    
1,694    
13,406    

The provision for income taxes differs from the amounts computed by applying the federal statutory tax rate of 35% to earnings before income

taxes, as follows:

Tax expense at statutory rate
State taxes, net of federal benefit
Tax credits and other

    January 1,    
2012

  $ 

  $ 

5,812    $ 
765   
(1,644)  
4,933    $ 

F-17

Year Ended
    January 2,    
2011
(In thousands)

    January 3,    
2010

11,240    $ 
1,485   
(1,171)  
11,554    $ 

12,326  
1,651  
(571) 
13,406  

 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

Deferred tax assets and liabilities consist of the following tax-effected temporary differences:

Deferred tax assets:
Deferred rent
Share-based compensation
Inventory
Solar rebate
Accrued legal fees
Other

Deferred tax assets

Deferred tax liabilities – basis difference in fixed assets

Net deferred tax assets

    January 1,    
2012

    January 2,    
2011

(In thousands)

  $ 

  $ 

10,297    $ 
3,787   
1,081   
297   
48   
10,509   
26,019   
(4,373)  
21,646    $ 

11,000  
3,580  
1,151  
—  
951  
10,028  
26,710  
(4,867) 
21,843  

In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the
deferred  tax  assets  will  be  realized.  The  ultimate  realization  of  deferred  tax  assets  is  dependent  upon  the  generation  of  future  taxable  income  during  the
periods in which those temporary differences become deductible. Management considers the scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future
taxable  income  and  tax  planning  strategies  in  making  this  assessment.  Based  upon  the  level  of  historical  taxable  income  and  projections  of  future  taxable
income over the periods during which the deferred tax assets are deductible, management believes it is more likely than not that the Company will realize the
benefits of these deductible differences. The amount of the deferred tax asset considered realizable, however, could be reduced if estimates of future taxable
income are reduced.

The  Company  files  a  consolidated  federal  income  tax  return  and  files  tax  returns  in  various  state  and  local  jurisdictions.  The  statutes  of
limitations for its consolidated federal income tax returns are open for fiscal years 2008 and after, and state and local income tax returns are open for fiscal
years 2007 and after.

At  January  1,  2012  and  January  2,  2011,  the  Company  had  no  unrecognized  tax  benefits  that,  if  recognized,  would  affect  the  Company's
effective  income  tax  rate  over  the  next  12  months.  The  Company's  policy  is  to  recognize  interest  accrued  related  to  unrecognized  tax  benefits  in  interest
expense and penalties in operating expense. At January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, the Company had no accrued interest or penalties.

F-18

 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

(10)

Earnings Per Share

The Company calculates earnings per share in accordance with ASC 260, Earnings Per Share, which requires a dual presentation of basic and
diluted  earnings  per  share.  Basic  earnings  per  share  is  calculated  by  dividing  net  income  by  the  weighted-average  shares  of  common  stock  outstanding,
reduced by shares repurchased and held in treasury, during the period. Diluted earnings per share represents basic earnings per share adjusted to include the
potentially dilutive effect of outstanding share option awards, nonvested share awards and nonvested share unit awards.

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per common share:

    January 1,    
2012

Year Ended
    January 2,    
2011
(In thousands, except per share data)

    January 3,    
2010

Net income

Weighted-average shares of common stock outstanding:

Basic
Dilutive effect of common stock equivalents arising from share option, nonvested share and

nonvested share unit awards

Diluted

Basic earnings per share

Diluted earnings per share

 $ 

11,673  $ 

20,562  $ 

21,811 

21,656  

213  
21,869  

0.54  $ 

0.53  $ 

21,552  

338  
21,890  

0.95 $ 

0.94 $ 

21,434 

223 
21,657 

1.02

1.01

 $ 

 $ 

The  computation  of  diluted  earnings  per  share  for  fiscal  2011,  2010  and  2009  does  not  include  share  option  awards  in  the  amounts  of
1,043,480, 892,499 and 923,559, respectively, that were outstanding and antidilutive (i.e., including such share option awards would result in higher earnings
per  share),  since  the  exercise  prices  of  these  share  option  awards  exceeded  the  average  market  price  of  the  Company's  common  shares.  Additionally,  the
computation of diluted earnings per share for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009 does not include nonvested share awards in the amount of 118,312, 183 and 6,760
shares, respectively, that were outstanding and antidilutive, since the grant date fair values of these nonvested share awards exceeded the average market price
of the Company's common shares.

In  the  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  2011,  the  Company  resumed  its  share  repurchase  activity  under  its  share  repurchase  program,  repurchasing
109,550 shares of common stock for $1.0 million. The Company did not repurchase shares of common stock during fiscal 2009 and 2010. Since the inception
of the Company's initial share repurchase program in May 2006 through January 1, 2012, the Company has repurchased a total of 1,478,635 shares for $21.8
million, leaving a total of $13.2 million available for share repurchases under the current share repurchase program.

(11)

Employee Benefit Plans

The Company has a 401(k) plan covering eligible employees. Employee contributions are supplemented by Company contributions subject to
401(k) plan terms. The Company recognized employer matching and profit-sharing contributions of $1.7 million for fiscal 2011, $1.9 million for fiscal 2010
and $2.0 million for fiscal 2009.

F-19

 
 
 
 
    
 
    
    
    
 
    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

(12)

Related Party Transactions

G.  Michael  Brown  is  a  director  of  the  Company  and  a  partner  of  the  law  firm  of  Musick,  Peeler  &  Garrett  LLP.  From  time  to  time,  the
Company  retains  Musick,  Peeler  &  Garrett  LLP  to  handle  various  litigation  matters.  The  Company  received  services  from  Musick,  Peeler  &  Garrett  LLP
amounting to $0.8 million, $0.6 million and $0.5 million in fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively. Amounts due to Musick, Peeler & Garrett LLP totaled
$59,000 and $75,000 as of January 1, 2012 and January 2, 2011, respectively.

Prior  to  his  death  in  fiscal  2008,  the  Company  had  an  employment  agreement  with  Robert  W.  Miller  ("Mr.  Miller"),  co-founder  of  the
Company  and  the  father  of  Steven  G.  Miller,  Chairman  of  the  Board,  President,  Chief  Executive  Officer  and  a  director  of  the  Company,  and  Michael  D.
Miller,  a  director  of  the  Company.  The  employment  agreement  provided  for  Mr.  Miller  to  receive  an  annual  base  salary  of  $350,000.  The  employment
agreement further provided that, following his death, the Company will pay his surviving wife $350,000 per year and provide her specified benefits for the
remainder of her life. During fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009, the Company made a payment of $350,000 to Mr. Miller's wife. The Company recognized expense
of  $0.3  million,  $0.3  million  and  $0.4  million  in  fiscal  2011,  2010  and  2009,  respectively,  to  provide  for  a  liability  for  the  future  obligations  under  this
agreement.  Based  upon  actuarial  valuation  estimates  related  to  this  agreement,  the  Company  recorded  a  liability  of  $1.7  million  and  $1.7  million  as  of
January  1,  2012  and  January  2,  2011,  respectively.  The  short-term  portion  of  this  liability  is  recorded  in  accrued  expenses,  and  the  long-term  portion  is
recorded in other long-term liabilities.

(13)

Commitments and Contingencies

On August 13, 2009, the Company was served with a complaint filed in the California Superior Court for the County of San Diego, entitled
Michael  Kelly  v.  Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corporation,  et  al.,  Case  No.  37-2009-00095594-CU-MC-CTL,  alleging  violations  of  the  California  Business  and
Professions  Code  and  California  Civil  Code.  The  complaint  was  brought  as  a  purported  class  action  on  behalf  of  persons  who  purchased  certain  tennis,
racquetball and squash rackets from the Company. The plaintiff alleged, among other things, that the Company employed deceptive pricing, marketing and
advertising practices with respect to the sale of such rackets. The plaintiff sought, on behalf of the class members, unspecified amounts of damages and/or
restitution;  attorneys'  fees  and  costs;  and  injunctive  relief  to  require  the  Company  to  discontinue  the  allegedly  improper  conduct.  On  July  20,  2010,  the
plaintiff  filed  with  the  court  a  Motion  for  Class  Certification.  The  plaintiff  and  the  Company  engaged  in  mediation  on  September  1,  2010  and  again  on
November 22, 2010. During mediation, the parties agreed to settle the lawsuit. On January 27, 2011, the plaintiff filed a motion to preliminarily approve the
settlement with the court. On March 21, 2011, the court granted preliminary approval of the settlement. On July 15, 2011, the plaintiff filed with the court a
motion for final approval of the settlement. On July 29, 2011, the court granted final approval of the settlement and entered judgment on the settlement. Under
the terms of the settlement, the Company agreed that class members who submit valid and timely claim forms will receive a refund of the purchase price of a
class racket, up to $50 per racket, in the form of either a gift card or a check. Additionally, the Company agreed to pay plaintiff's attorneys' fees and costs, an
enhancement  payment  to  the  class  representative  and  claims  administrator's  fees.  Furthermore,  the  Company  agreed  that  if  the  total  amount  paid  by  the
Company for the class payout, plaintiff's attorneys' fees and costs, class representative enhancement payment and claims administrator's fees is less than $4.0
million,  then  the  Company  would  issue  merchandise  vouchers  to  a  charity  for  the  balance  of  the  deficiency  in  the  manner  provided  in  the  settlement
agreement. On October 19, 2011, the period for class members to submit claims forms expired. The Company has issued the required merchandise vouchers
and otherwise made all payments and distributions required by the settlement agreement. The Company's estimated total cost pursuant to this settlement is
reflected  in  a  legal  settlement  accrual  recorded  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  2010.  The  Company  admitted  no  liability  or  wrongdoing  with  respect  to  the
claims set forth in the lawsuit. The settlement constitutes a full and complete settlement and release of all claims related to the lawsuit.

The Company was served on the following dates with the following nine complaints, each of which was brought as a purported class action on
behalf  of  persons  who  made  purchases  at  the  Company's  stores  in  California  using  credit  cards  and  were  requested  or  required  to  provide  personal
identification information at the time of the transaction: (1) on February 22, 2011, a complaint filed in the California Superior Court in the County of Los
Angeles, entitled Maria Eugenia Saenz Valiente v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. BC455049; (2) on February 22, 2011, a complaint filed
in the California Superior Court in the County of Los Angeles, entitled

F-20

 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

Scott Mossler v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. BC455477; (3) on February 28, 2011, a complaint filed in the California Superior Court
in the County of Los Angeles, entitled Yelena Matatova v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. BC455459; (4) on March 8, 2011, a complaint
filed in the California Superior Court in the County of Los Angeles, entitled Neal T. Wiener v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. BC456300;
(5) on March 22, 2011, a complaint filed in the California Superior Court in the County of San Francisco, entitled Donna Motta v. Big 5 Sporting Goods
Corporation, et al., Case No. CGC-11-509228; (6) on March 30, 2011, a complaint filed in the California Superior Court in the County of Alameda, entitled
Steve Holmes v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. RG11563123; (7) on March 30, 2011, a complaint filed in the California Superior Court
in  the  County  of  San  Francisco,  entitled  Robin  Nelson  v.  Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corporation,  et  al.,  Case  No.  CGC-11-508829;  (8)  on  April  8,  2011,  a
complaint filed in the California Superior Court in the County of San Joaquin, entitled Pamela B. Smith v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case
No.  39-2011-00261014-CU-BT-STK;  and  (9)  on  May  31,  2011,  a  complaint  filed  in  the  California  Superior  Court  in  the  County  of  Los  Angeles,  entitled
Deena  Gabriel  v.  Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corporation,  et  al.,  Case  No.  BC462213.  On  June  16,  2011,  the  Judicial  Council  of  California  issued  an  Order
Assigning Coordination Trial Judge designating the California Superior Court in the County of Los Angeles as having jurisdiction to coordinate and to hear
all nine of the cases as Case No. JCCP4667. On October 21, 2011, the plaintiffs collectively filed a Consolidated Amended Complaint, alleging violations of
the California Civil Code, negligence, invasion of privacy and unlawful intrusion. The plaintiffs allege, among other things, that customers making purchases
with credit cards at the Company's stores in California were improperly requested to provide their zip code at the time of such purchases. The plaintiffs seek,
on behalf of the class members, the following: statutory penalties; attorneys' fees; costs; restitution of property; disgorgement of profits; and injunctive relief.
The Company intends to defend this litigation vigorously. Because this litigation remains in the preliminary stages and, among other things, discovery is still
ongoing, the Company is not able to evaluate the likelihood of an unfavorable outcome in this litigation or to estimate a range of potential loss in the event of
an  unfavorable  outcome  in  this  litigation  at  the  present  time.  If  this  litigation  is  resolved  unfavorably  to  the  Company,  such  litigation  and  the  costs  of
defending it could have a material negative impact on the Company's results of operations or financial condition.

On October 31, 2011, the Company was served with a complaint filed in the California Superior Court for the County of Los Angeles, entitled
George Zepeda v. Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, et al., Case No. BC472450, alleging violations of the California Civil Code. The complaint was brought
as a purported class action on behalf of mobility impaired/wheelchair-bound persons located in California. The plaintiff alleges, among other things, that the
Company violated California state law by failing to make certain store locations accessible to individuals with disabilities. The plaintiff seeks, on behalf of the
class members, unspecified amounts of damages; attorneys' fees and costs; and injunctive relief. The Company intends to defend this litigation vigorously.
The Company's estimated total cost for this litigation is not expected to have a material negative impact on the Company's results of operations or financial
condition.

On  December  21,  2011,  the  Company  was  served  with  a  complaint  filed  in  the  California  Superior  Court  for  the  County  of  Los  Angeles,
entitled  Sean  Callahan  v.  Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corp.,  et  al.,  Case  No.  BC471854,  alleging  violations  of  the  California  Labor  Code  and  the  California
Business and Professions Code. The complaint was brought as a purported class action on behalf of the Company's store managers and assistant managers in
California  for  the  four  years  prior  to  the  filing  of  the  complaint.  The  plaintiff  alleged,  among  other  things,  that  the  Company  failed  to  reimburse  class
members  for  business  expenses  incurred  in  connection  with  their  employment  as  required  under  California  law  and  failed  to  pay  class  members  wages
(regular  and  overtime)  for  time  worked  outside  of  recorded  work  time  as  required  under  California  law.  In  February  2012,  the  Company  and  the  plaintiff
reached a confidential agreement providing for the full and complete settlement and release of all of the plaintiff's individual claims and a dismissal of all
claims purportedly brought on behalf of the class members in exchange for the Company's payment of a non-material amount to the plaintiff and the plaintiff's
counsel. The Company admitted no liability or wrongdoing with respect to the claims set forth in the lawsuit. The court has approved the settlement, and all
claims have been dismissed.

The Company is involved in various other claims and legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management,

the ultimate disposition of these matters is not expected to have a material adverse effect on the Company's results of operations or financial condition.

F-21

 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

(14)

Share-Based Compensation Plans

2002 Stock Incentive Plan

In June 2002, the Company adopted the 2002 Stock Incentive Plan ("2002 Plan"). The 2002 Plan provided for the grant of incentive share
option awards and non-qualified share option awards to the Company's employees, directors and specified consultants. Share option awards granted under the
2002  Plan  generally  vested  and  became  exercisable  at  the  rate  of  25%  per  year  with  a  maximum  life  of  ten  years.  Upon  exercise  of  granted  share  option
awards,  shares  are  expected  to  be  issued  from  new  shares  previously  registered  for  the  2002  Plan.  The  2002  Plan  was  terminated  in  connection  with  the
approval of the 2007 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan, as described below. Consequently, at January 1, 2012, no shares remained available for future
grant and 955,123 share option awards remained outstanding under the 2002 Plan, subject to adjustment to reflect any changes in the outstanding common
stock of the Company by reason of any reorganization, recapitalization, reclassification, stock combination, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split,
spin off or other similar transaction.

2007 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan

In  June  2007,  the  Company  adopted  the  2007  Equity  and  Performance  Incentive  Plan  ("2007  Plan")  and  cancelled  the  2002  Plan.  The
aggregate amount of shares authorized for issuance under the 2007 Plan is 2,399,250 shares of common stock of the Company, plus any shares subject to
awards  granted  under  the  2002  Plan  which  are  forfeited,  expire  or  are  cancelled  after  April  24,  2007  (the  effective  date  of  the  2007  Plan).  This  amount
represents the amount of shares that remained available for grant under the 2002 Plan as of April 24, 2007. Awards under the 2007 Plan may consist of share
option awards (both incentive share option awards and non-qualified share option awards), stock appreciation rights, nonvested share awards, other stock unit
awards, performance awards, or dividend equivalents. Any shares that are subject to awards of options or stock appreciation rights shall be counted against
this limit as one share for every one share granted, regardless of the number of shares actually delivered pursuant to the awards. Any shares that are subject to
awards  other  than  share  option  awards  or  stock  appreciation  rights  (including  shares  delivered  on  the  settlement  of  dividend  equivalents)  shall  be  counted
against this limit as 2.5 shares for every one share granted. The aggregate number of shares available under the 2007 Plan and the number of shares subject to
outstanding share option awards will be increased or decreased to reflect any changes in the outstanding common stock of the Company by reason of any
recapitalization, spin-off, reorganization, reclassification, stock dividend, stock split, reverse stock split, or similar transaction. Share option awards granted
under the 2007 Plan generally vest and become exercisable at the rate of 25% per year with a maximum life of ten years. Share option awards, nonvested
share awards and nonvested share unit awards provide for accelerated vesting if there is a change in control. The exercise price of the share option awards is
equal to the quoted market price of the Company's common stock on the date of grant. Upon the grant of nonvested share awards or the exercise of granted
share option awards, shares are expected to be issued from new shares which were registered for the 2007 Plan.

F-22

 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

Amendment and Restatement of 2007 Plan

On  June  14,  2011,  the  Company's  shareholders  approved  an  amendment  and  restatement  of  the  Company's  2007  Equity  and  Performance
Incentive Plan (as so amended and restated, the "Amended 2007 Plan"). Generally, the amendment and restatement made the following revisions to the 2007
Plan that had been adopted as of April 24, 2007:

•

•

•

•

  the maximum number of shares of the Company's common stock that may be issued or subject to awards under the Amended 2007 Plan was

increased by 1,250,000 from the number authorized by the 2007 Plan;

  the term of the Amended 2007 Plan was extended through April 26, 2021 (i.e., by approximately four years from the scheduled expiration of the

2007 Plan);

  the continuation of the terms of Article X of the Amended 2007 Plan was approved for purposes of Section 162(m) of the Internal Revenue Code;

and

  certain  technical  updates  and  enhancements  were  implemented,  including  an  exception  to  certain  vesting  requirements  for  up  to  10%  of  the

shares authorized under the Amended 2007 Plan.

These principal features of the Amended 2007 Plan are not intended to be a complete discussion of all of the terms of the Amended 2007 Plan.

A copy of the Amended 2007 Plan was filed in a Current Report on Form 8-K in the second quarter of fiscal 2011.

In fiscal 2011, the Company granted 152,100 nonvested share awards, 9,000 nonvested share unit awards and 44,000 share option awards to
certain  employees,  as  defined  by  ASC  718,  Compensation—Stock  Compensation,  under  the  Amended  2007  Plan.  At  January  1,  2012,  1,728,552  shares
remained  available  for  future  grant  and  791,155  share  option  awards,  304,700  nonvested  share  awards  and  9,000  nonvested  share  unit  awards  remained
outstanding under the Amended 2007 Plan.

The Company accounts for its share-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718 and recognizes compensation expense on a straight-line
basis  over  the  requisite  service  period,  net  of  estimated  forfeitures,  using  the  fair-value  method  for  share  option  awards,  nonvested  share  awards  and
nonvested  share  unit  awards  granted  with  service-only  conditions.  The  estimated  forfeiture  rate  considers  historical  employee  turnover  rates  stratified  into
employee  pools  in  comparison  with  an  overall  employee  turnover  rate,  as  well  as  expectations  about  the  future.  The  Company  periodically  revises  the
estimated forfeiture rate in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Compensation expense recorded under this method for fiscal
2011, 2010 and 2009 was $1.8 million, $1.7 million and $2.1 million, respectively, which reduced operating income and income before income taxes by the
same amount. Compensation expense recognized in cost of sales was $0.1 million, $0.1 million and $0.1 million in fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively,
and compensation expense recognized in selling and administrative expense was $1.7 million, $1.6 million and $2.0 million in fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009,
respectively.  The  recognized  tax  benefit  related  to  compensation  expense  for  fiscal  2011,  2010  and  2009  was  $0.5  million,  $0.6  million  and  $0.8  million,
respectively. Net income for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009 was reduced by $1.3 million, $1.1 million and $1.3 million, respectively, or $0.06, $0.05 and $0.06
per basic and diluted share, respectively.

F-23

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

Share Option Awards

The  fair  value  of  each  share  option  award  on  the  date  of  grant  was  estimated  using  the  Black-Scholes  method  based  on  the  following

weighted-average assumptions:

Risk-free interest rate
Expected term
Expected volatility
Expected dividend yield

    January 1,    

Year Ended
    January 2,    

    January 3,    

2012

2011

2010

2.0%   
7.30 years   
51.0%   
3.83%   

2.4%   
6.50 years   
55.2%   
1.54%   

2.3%   
6.50 years   
55.2%   
4.07%   

The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield curve in effect at the time of grant for periods corresponding with the expected
term of the option award; the expected term represents the weighted-average period of time that option awards granted are expected to be outstanding giving
consideration  to  vesting  schedules  and  historical  participant  exercise  behavior;  the  expected  volatility  is  based  upon  historical  volatility  of  the  Company's
common stock; and the expected dividend yield is based upon the Company's current dividend rate and future expectations.

The  weighted-average  grant-date  fair  value  of  share  option  awards  granted  for  fiscal  2011,  2010  and  2009  was  $2.84  per  share,  $6.26  per

share and $1.92 per share, respectively.

A summary of the status of the Company's share option awards is presented below:

Outstanding at January 2, 2011
Granted
Exercised
Forfeited or Expired
Outstanding at January 1, 2012

Exercisable at January 1, 2012

Vested and Expected to Vest at January 1, 2012

Weighted-
Average
Exercise
Price

Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Life
(In Years)

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value

14.25  
7.82  
6.56  
16.16  
14.25  

16.52  

14.27  

4.87   $ 

4.18   $ 

4.86   $ 

3,044,384 

1,384,423 

3,025,700 

Shares

1,795,550   $ 
44,000  
(48,262) 
(45,010) 
1,746,278   $ 

1,362,740   $ 

1,741,941   $ 

The aggregate intrinsic value in the preceding table represents the total pre-tax intrinsic value, based upon the Company's closing stock price
of $10.44 as of January 1, 2012, which would have been received by the share option award holders had all share option award holders exercised their share
option awards as of that date.

The total intrinsic value of share option awards exercised for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009 was approximately $0.2 million, $0.9 million and
$0.3 million, respectively. The total cash received from employees as a result of employee share option award exercises for fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009 was
approximately  $0.3  million,  $0.8  million  and  $0.4  million,  respectively.  The  actual  tax  benefit  realized  for  the  tax  deduction  from  share  option  award
exercises of share-based compensation awards in fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009 totaled $0.1 million, $0.3 million and $0.1 million, respectively.

As of January 1, 2012, there was $0.5 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share option awards granted. That

cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of 1.3 years.

F-24

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

Nonvested Share Awards and Nonvested Share Unit Awards

Nonvested  share  awards  and  nonvested  share  unit  awards  granted  by  the  Company  vest  from  the  date  of  grant  in  four  equal  annual
installments of 25% per year. Nonvested share awards are delivered to the recipient upon their vesting. With respect to nonvested share unit awards, vested
shares will be delivered to the recipient on the tenth business day of January following the year in which the recipient's service to the Company is terminated.
The total fair value of nonvested share awards which vested during fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $0.8 million, $0.5 million and $0.2 million, respectively.

The following table details the Company's nonvested share awards activity for fiscal 2011:

Balance at January 2, 2011
Granted
Vested
Forfeited
Balance at January 1, 2012

Shares

233,750     
152,100   
(72,525)  
(8,625)  
304,700     

$  

$  

The following table details the Company's nonvested share unit awards activity for fiscal 2011:

Balance at January 2, 2011
Granted
Vested
Forfeited
Balance at January 1, 2012

Units

—       

$  

9,000   
—     
—     
9,000     

$  

Weighted-
Average Grant-
   Date Fair Value   

Weighted-
Average Grant-
   Date Fair Value   

13.69  
11.84  
12.62  
13.32  
13.03  

—  
8.26  
—  
—  
8.26  

The  weighted-average  grant-date  fair  value  of  nonvested  share  awards  and  nonvested  share  unit  awards  is  the  quoted  market  price  of  the
Company's common stock on the date of grant, as shown in the tables above. The weighted-average grant-date fair value of nonvested share awards granted in
fiscal 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $11.84, $15.52 and $13.17, respectively. The weighted-average grant-date fair value per share of the Company's nonvested
share unit awards granted in fiscal 2011 was $8.26. No nonvested share unit awards were granted in fiscal 2010 or fiscal 2009.

As of January 1, 2012, there was $2.8 million and $0.1 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share awards and
nonvested share unit awards, respectively. That cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted-average period of approximately 2.5 years and 3.5 years for
nonvested share awards and nonvested share unit awards, respectively.

To  satisfy  employee  minimum  statutory  tax  withholding  requirements  for  nonvested  share  awards  that  vest,  the  Company  withholds  and
retires a portion of the vesting common shares, unless an employee elects to pay cash. In fiscal 2011, the Company withheld 23,754 common shares with a
total value of $0.3 million. This amount is presented as a cash outflow from financing activities in the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows.

F-25

 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(continued)

(15)

Selected Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited)

Net sales
Gross profit
Net income (loss)
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

Net sales
Gross profit
Net income
Basic earnings per share
Diluted earnings per share

  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 

Fiscal 2011
First
  Quarter  

221,143    $ 
72,183    $ 
2,760    $ 
0.13    $ 
0.13    $ 

Fiscal 2010
First
Quarter

Second   
(1)

   Quarter

Third
  Quarter  

Fourth
   Quarter

(1)

(In thousands, except per share data)

219,588    $ 
71,742    $ 
3,105    $ 
0.14    $ 
0.14    $ 

234,680    $ 
76,989    $ 
5,817    $ 
0.27    $ 
0.27    $ 

226,723   
70,689   
(9)  
—   
—   

Second
Quarter

Third
Quarter

(In thousands, except per share data)

Fourth
   Quarter

(2)

  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 
  $ 

218,521    $ 
71,550    $ 
5,033    $ 
0.23    $ 
0.23    $ 

219,828    $ 
72,966    $ 
4,752    $ 
0.22    $ 
0.22    $ 

231,753    $ 
77,416    $ 
6,823    $ 
0.32    $ 
0.31    $ 

226,711   
75,780   
3,954   
0.18   
0.18   

(1)

(2)

The  Company  recorded  pre-tax  non-cash  impairment  charges  in  the  second  quarter  and  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  2011  of  $0.6  million  and  $1.5  million,  respectively,  related  to  certain
underperforming stores. These impairment charges were included in selling and administrative expense, and reduced net income in the second quarter of fiscal 2011 by $0.4 million, or
$0.02 per diluted share, and the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 by $1.1 million, or $0.05 per diluted share.
In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010, the Company recorded a net pre-tax charge of $2.3 million, reflecting a legal settlement accrual, of which $0.8 million was classified as a reduction to
net sales and $1.5 million was classified as selling and administrative expense. This charge reduced net income in fiscal 2010 by $1.5 million, or $0.07 per diluted share.

(16)

Subsequent Event

In the first quarter of fiscal 2012, the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.075 per share of outstanding

common stock, which will be paid on March 22, 2012 to stockholders of record as of March 8, 2012.

F-26

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
  
   
 
   
 
  
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
  
 
   
 
  
 
 
 
Schedule VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
SCHEDULE II — VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS
(In thousands)

January 1, 2012
  Allowance for doubtful receivables
  Allowance for sales returns

Inventory reserves

January 2, 2011
  Allowance for doubtful receivables
  Allowance for sales returns

Inventory reserves

January 3, 2010
  Allowance for doubtful receivables
  Allowance for sales returns

Inventory reserves

Balance at
   Beginning of   
Period

    Charged to    
Costs and
Expenses

    Deductions    

Balance at
  End of Period  

$     201      
1,488      
4,607      

$     223      
1,395      
4,645      

$     305      
1,423      
4,434      

$        (24) (1)
(70)      
6,047       

$        22       
93       
5,547       

$        21       
(28)      
3,786       

$      (35)  
—    
(5,545)  

$      (44)  
—    
(5,585)  

$    (103)  
—    
(3,576)  

$     142  
1,418  
5,109  

$     201  
1,488  
4,607  

$     223  
1,395  
4,645  

(1)

In fiscal 2011, "Charged to Costs and Expenses" for allowance for doubtful receivables reflects the reversal of a prior provision of $50,000.

II

 
 
 
 
 
 
   
  
    
    
      
  
    
    
  
  
  
   
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
  
    
    
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number
3.1
3.2
4.1
10.1
10.2
10.3

10.4

10.5

10.6
10.7
10.8

10.9

10.10

10.11

10.12
10.13

10.14

10.15
10.16
10.17
10.18

10.19

10.20

10.21
10.22
14.1
21.1
23.1
31.1
31.2
32.1

  Exhibit Description
  Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation. (1)
  Amended and Restated Bylaws. (1)
  Specimen of Common Stock Certificate. (2)

2002 Stock Incentive Plan. (3)

  Form of Amended and Restated Employment Agreement between Robert W. Miller and Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation. (3)

Second Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated as of December 31, 2008, between Steven G. Miller and Big 5 Sporting Goods
Corporation. (13)
Amended and Restated Indemnification Implementation Agreement between Big 5 Corp. (successor to United Merchandising Corp.) and
Thrifty PayLess Holdings, Inc. dated as of April 20, 1994. (1)
Agreement and Release among Pacific Enterprises, Thrifty PayLess Holdings, Inc., Thrifty PayLess, Inc., Thrifty and Big 5 Corp. (successor
to United Merchandising Corp.) dated as of March 11, 1994. (1)

  Form of Indemnification Agreement. (1)
  Form of Indemnification Letter Agreement. (2)

Credit Agreement, dated as of October 18, 2010, among Big 5 Corp., Big 5 Services Corp. and Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, Wells
Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent and Swingline Lender, the Lenders named therein, and Bank
of America, N.A. as Documentation Agent. (5)
Security Agreement, dated as of October 18, 2010, among Big 5 Corp., Big 5 Services Corp. and Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation and Wells
Fargo Bank, National Association, as Collateral Agent. (5)
Guaranty, dated as of October 18, 2010, by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation in favor of Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as
Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent for the Lenders described therein. (5)
First Amendment to Credit Agreement, dated October 31, 2011 among Big 5 Corp., Big 5 Services Corp., Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation,
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent and Swingline Lender, Bank of America, N.A., as
Documentation Agent, and the Lenders, party thereto. (6)

  Lease dated as of April 14, 2004 by and between Pannatoni Development Company, LLC and Big 5 Corp.(7)

Form of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation Stock Option Grant Notice and Stock Option Agreement for use with Steven G. Miller with the
2002 Stock Incentive Plan. (8)
Form of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation Stock Option Grant Notice and Stock Option Agreement for use with 2002 Stock Incentive Plan.
(8)

  Employment Offer Letter dated August 15, 2005 between Barry D. Emerson and Big 5 Corp. (9)
  Severance Agreement dated as of August 9, 2006 between Barry D. Emerson and Big 5 Corp. (10)
  Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation 2007 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan (Amended and Restated as of April 26, 2011). (14)
Form of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation Stock Option Grant Notice and Stock Option Agreement for use with 2007 Equity and
Performance Incentive Plan. (11)
Form of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation Restricted Stock Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Agreement for use with 2007 Equity and
Performance Incentive Plan. (12)
Form of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation Restricted Stock Unit Agreement and Restricted Stock Unit Grant Notice approved for use with
Amended and Restated 2007 Equity and Performance Incentive Plan.(14)
Independent Contractor Services Agreement, dated July 7, 2011, by and between Thomas J. Schlauch and Big 5 Corp. (15)

  General Release of Claims, dated July 7, 2011, by and between Thomas J. Schlauch and Big 5 Corp.(15)
  Code of Business Conduct and Ethics. (4)
  Subsidiaries of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation. (8)
  Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP. (16)
  Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of Chief Executive Officer. (16)
  Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of Chief Financial Officer. (16)
  Section 1350 Certification of Chief Executive Officer. (16)

E-1

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BIG 5 SPORTING GOODS CORPORATION
EXHIBIT INDEX
(continued)

  Section 1350 Certification of Chief Financial Officer. (16)
  XBRL Instance. (16)

32.2
101.INS
101.SCH   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema. (16)
101.CAL
101.DEF
101.LAB   XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels. (16)
101.PRE

  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation. (16)
  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition. (16)

  XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation. (16)

(1)

(2)

(3)

(4)

(5)

(6)

(7)

(8)

(9)

(10)

(11)

(12)

(13)

(14)

(15)

(16)

Incorporated by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on March 31, 2003.
Incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 4 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on June 24, 2002.
Incorporated by reference to Amendment No. 2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on June 5, 2002.
Incorporated by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on March 12, 2004.
Incorporated by reference to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on November 3, 2010.
Incorporated by reference to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on November 3, 2011.
Incorporated by reference to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on August 6, 2004.
Incorporated by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on September 6, 2005.
Incorporated by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on March 16, 2006.
Incorporated by reference to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on August 11, 2006.
Incorporated by reference to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on June 25, 2007.
Incorporated by reference to the Annual Report on Form 10-K filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on March 10, 2008.
Incorporated by reference to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on January 6, 2009.
Incorporated by reference to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on June 20, 2011.
Incorporated by reference to the Current Report on Form 8-K filed by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation on July 13, 2011.
Filed herewith.

E-2

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CONSENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

We consent to the incorporation by reference in Registration Statement Nos. 333-149730, 333-104898, and 333-179602 on Form S-8 of our reports dated
February  29,  2012,  relating  to  the  financial  statements  and  financial  statement  schedule  of  Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corporation  and  subsidiaries,  and  the
effectiveness of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation and subsidiaries' internal control over financial reporting, appearing in this Annual Report on Form 10-K
of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation for the fiscal year ended January 1, 2012.

Exhibit 23.1

/s/ Deloitte & Touche LLP
Los Angeles, CA
February 29, 2012

 
I, Steven G. Miller, certify that:

CERTIFICATIONS

Exhibit 31.1

1.

2.

3.

4.

I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation;

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered
by this report;

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects
the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and
15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a)

b)

c)

d)

Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or  caused  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to  be  designed  under  our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements
for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most
recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably
likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.

The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a)

b)

All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in  the  design  or  operation  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which  are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
control over financial reporting.

Date: February 29, 2012

/s/

  Steven G. Miller
  Steven G. Miller
  President and Chief Executive Officer

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
I, Barry D. Emerson, certify that:

CERTIFICATIONS

Exhibit 31.2

1.

2.

3.

4.

I have reviewed this Annual Report on Form 10-K of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation;

Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make
the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered
by this report;

Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects
the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;

The registrant's other certifying officer and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and
15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:

a)

b)

c)

d)

Designed  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures,  or  caused  such  disclosure  controls  and  procedures  to  be  designed  under  our
supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by
others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;

Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our
supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements
for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;

Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the
effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and

Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant's most
recent fiscal quarter (the registrant's fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably
likely to materially affect, the registrant's internal control over financial reporting; and

5.

The registrant's other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to
the registrant's auditors and the audit committee of the registrant's board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):

a)

b)

All  significant  deficiencies  and  material  weaknesses  in  the  design  or  operation  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  which  are
reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and

Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal
control over financial reporting.

Date: February 29, 2012

/s/

  Barry D. Emerson
  Barry D. Emerson
  Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF
THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

Exhibit 32.1

In  connection  with  the  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  of  Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corporation  (the  "Company")  for  the  period
ending January 1, 2012 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the "Report"), I, Steven G. Miller,
President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  of  the  Company,  certify,  pursuant  to  18  U.S.C.  §  1350,  as  adopted  pursuant  to  §  906  of  the
Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge:

(1)

(2)

The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended; and

The  information  contained  in  the  Report  fairly  presents,  in  all  material  respects,  the  financial  condition  and  results  of
operations of the Company.

/s/

  Steven G. Miller
  Steven G. Miller
  President and Chief Executive Officer

February 29, 2012

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation and will
be retained by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CERTIFICATION
PURSUANT TO 18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 906 OF
THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002

Exhibit 32.2

In  connection  with  the  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  of  Big  5  Sporting  Goods  Corporation  (the  "Company")  for  the  period
ending January 1, 2012 as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the "Report"), I, Barry D. Emerson,
Senior  Vice  President,  Chief  Financial  Officer  and  Treasurer  of  the  Company,  certify,  pursuant  to  18  U.S.C.  §  1350,  as  adopted
pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that, to my knowledge:

(1)

(2)

The Report fully complies with the requirements of section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended; and

The  information  contained  in  the  Report  fairly  presents,  in  all  material  respects,  the  financial  condition  and  results  of
operations of the Company.

/s/

  Barry D. Emerson
  Barry D. Emerson
  Senior Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

February 29, 2012

A signed original of this written statement required by Section 906 has been provided to Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation and will
be retained by Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission or its staff upon request.