Quarterlytics / Consumer Cyclical / Apparel - Retail / Genesco Inc. / FY2017 Annual Report

Genesco Inc.
Annual Report 2017

GCO · NYSE Consumer Cyclical
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Ticker GCO
Exchange NYSE
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Apparel - Retail
Employees 5400
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FY2017 Annual Report · Genesco Inc.
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GE NE S CO  IN C.  |  GEN ES CO PAR K  |  P.O.  B OX  731   | N ASHV ILLE ,  TN   37202 -073 1

THE BUSINESS OF GENESCO  

The Company’s business includes the sourcing and design, marketing and distribution of footwear and accessories through 
retail stores, including Journeys®, Journeys Kidz®, Shi by Journeys®, Little Burgundy®, Underground by Journeys® and 
Johnston & Murphy® in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada and through Schuh® stores in the United Kingdom, the Republic of 
Ireland and Germany, and through e-commerce websites and catalogs, and at wholesale, primarily under the Company’s 
Johnston & Murphy® brand, the H.S. Trask® brand, the licensed Dockers® brand, and other brands that the Company licenses 
for men’s footwear. The Company’s wholesale footwear brands are distributed to more than 1,225 retail accounts in the United 
States, including a number of leading department, discount, and specialty stores. The Company’s business also includes Lids 
Sports, which operates (i) headwear and accessory stores under the Lids® name and other names in the U.S., Puerto Rico and 
Canada, (ii) the Lids Locker Room and Lids Clubhouse businesses, consisting of sports-oriented fan shops featuring a broad 
array of licensed merchandise such as apparel, hats and accessories, sports decor and novelty products, operating under various 
trade names, (iii) licensed team merchandise departments in Macy's department stores operated under the name  Locker Room 
by Lids and on macys.com under a license agreement with Macy's, and (iv) e-commerce operations.  Including both the 
footwear businesses and the Lids Sports business, at January 28, 2017, the Company operated 2,794 retail stores and leased 
departments in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Germany. 

TOTAL RETURN TO SHAREHOLDERS  

INCLUDES REINVESTMENT OF DIVIDENDS 

The graph below compares the cumulative total shareholder return on the Company’s common stock for the last five fiscal 
years with the cumulative total return of (i) the S&P 500 Index and (ii) the S&P 1500 Footwear Index. The graph assumes the 
investment of $100 in the Company’s common stock, the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 1500 Footwear Index at the market 
close on January 31, 2012 and the reinvestment monthly of all dividends. 

COMPARISON OF CUMULATIVE 5 YEAR TOTAL RETURN 

250

200

150

100

50

0
FYE 12

Comparison of Cumulative Five Year Total Return  

Genesco Inc.
S&P 500 Index
S&P 1500 Footwear Index

FYE 13

FYE 14

FYE 15

FYE 16

FYE 17

Company / Index 

Genesco Inc. 

S&P 500 Index 
S&P 1500 Footwear Index 

Company / Index 

Genesco Inc. 
S&P 500 Index 
S&P 1500 Footwear Index 

ANNUAL RETURN PERCENTAGE 
Years Ending 

Jan 13 

Jan 14 

Jan 15 

Jan 16 

Jan 17 

1.98 

17.60 
2.70 

11.76 

20.31 
36.80 

1.75 

14.22 
24.49 

-7.43 

-0.67 
29.33 

-10.34 

20.87 
-11.31 

INDEXED RETURNS 
Years Ending 

Jan 13 

101.98 
117.60 
102.70 

Jan 14 

113.98 
141.48 
140.49 

Jan 15 

115.97 
161.61 
174.90 

Jan 16 

107.35 
160.53 
226.21 

Jan 17 

96.25 
194.03 
200.63 

Base 
Period 

Jan 12 

100 
100 
100 

*The S&P 1500 Footwear Index consists of Crocs, Inc., Deckers Outdoor Corporation, Nike, Inc., Skechers U.S.A.,  Inc., Steven Madden, Ltd. and Wolverine 
World Wide, Inc. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CORPORATE INFORMATION  

Annual Meeting of Shareholders  
The annual meeting of shareholders will be held Thursday, June 22, 2017, at 10:00 a.m. CDT, at the corporate headquarters in 
Genesco Park, Nashville, Tennessee.  

Corporate Headquarters  
Genesco Park  
1415 Murfreesboro Road –P.O. Box 731  
Nashville, Tennessee 37202-0731  

Independent Auditors  
Ernst & Young  
150 Fourth Avenue North, Suite 1400  
Nashville, Tennessee 37219  

Transfer Agent and Registrar  
Communications concerning stock transfer, consolidating accounts, change of address and lost or stolen stock certificates 
should be directed to the transfer agent. When corresponding with the transfer agent, shareholders should state the exact 
name(s) in which the stock is registered and certificate number, as well as old and new information about the account.  

Shareholder correspondence should be mailed to:  

Computershare  
P. O. Box 30170  
College Station, Texas 77842-3170  

Overnight correspondence should be sent to:  

Computershare  
211 Quality Circle, Suite 210  
College Station, Texas 77845  

Questions & Inquiries via Computershare’s website:  
www.computershare.com/investor  
Computershare Phone: (877) 224-0366  
Hearing Impaired/TDD: 1-800-952-9245  

Investor Relations  
Security analysts, portfolio managers or other investment community representatives should contact:  
Mimi E. Vaughn, Senior Vice President – Finance, Chief Financial Officer  
Genesco Park, Suite 490 –P.O. Box 731  
Nashville, Tennessee 37202-0731  
(615) 367-7386 

Other Information  
A copy of any exhibits to the Annual Report on Form 10-K will be furnished to shareholders upon written request, addressed to 
Director, Corporate Relations, Genesco Inc., Genesco Park, Suite 490, P.O. Box 731, Nashville, Tennessee 37202-0731, 
accompanied by a check in the amount of $15.00 payable to Genesco Inc. Certifications by the Chief Executive Officer and the 
Chief Financial Officer of the Company pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 have been filed as exhibits 
of the Company’s 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K.  

Common Stock Listing  
New York Stock Exchange: GCO  

Shareholder Information  
Shareholder information may be accessed at www.genesco.com  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
Washington, D.C. 20549 
 _______________________________________________________ 
FORM 10-K 
(Mark One) 

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

1934 

For the Fiscal Year Ended January 28, 2017 

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

OF 1934 

for the transition period from             to 

Commission File No. 1-3083 
_____________________________________________________ 

Genesco Inc. 

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) 

Tennessee 
(State or other jurisdiction of 
incorporation or organization) 

Genesco Park, 1415 Murfreesboro Road 
Nashville, Tennessee 
(Address of principal executive offices) 

62-0211340 
(I.R.S. Employer 
Identification No.) 

37217-2895 

(Zip Code) 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (615) 367-7000 

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: 

Title of each class 

Common Stock, $1.00 par value 

Name of Exchange 
on which Registered 
New York 

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: 
Employees’ Subordinated Convertible Preferred Stock 

________________________________________________________ 

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

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   

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      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      No   

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is 
not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information 
statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K.    

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

Large accelerated filer  

Accelerated filer 



Non-accelerated filer      (Do not check if smaller reporting company)  

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   

The aggregate market value of common stock held by nonaffiliates of the registrant as of July 30, 2016, the last business day of 
the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $1,432,000,000.  The market value 
calculation was determined using a per share price of $69.42, the price at which the common stock was last sold on the New 
York Stock Exchange on such date. For purposes of this calculation, shares held by nonaffiliates excludes only those shares 
beneficially owned by officers, directors, and shareholders owning 10% or more of the outstanding common stock (and, in each 
case, their immediate family members and affiliates). 

As of March 10, 2017, 19,611,875 shares of the registrant’s common stock were outstanding. 

Documents Incorporated by Reference 

Portions of the proxy statement for the June 22, 2017 annual meeting of shareholders are incorporated into Part III by 
reference. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

PART I 

Business 

Item 1. 
Item 1A.  Risk Factors 
Item 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments 
Item 2. 
Item 3. 
Item 4.  Mine Safety Disclosures 
Item 4A.  Executive Officers 

Properties 
Legal Proceedings 

PART II 
Item 5.  Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity 

Securities 
Selected Financial Data 

Item 6. 
Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations 
Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk 
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 
Item 8. 
Item 9. 
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure 
Item 9A.  Controls and Procedures 
Item 9B.  Other Information 

PART III 

Item 10.  Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 
Item 11. 
Item 12. 
Item 13.  Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 
Item 14. 

Executive Compensation 
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters 

Principal Accounting Fees and Services 

Item 15.  Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 
Item 16. 

Form 10-K Summary 

PART IV 

2 

 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 1, BUSINESS 

General 

PART I 

Genesco Inc. ("Genesco" or the  “Company”), incorporated in 1934 in the State of Tennessee, is a leading retailer and 
wholesaler of  branded footwear, apparel and accessories  with net sales for Fiscal 2017 of $2.87 billion. During Fiscal 
2017, the Company operated five reportable business segments (not including corporate): (i) Journeys Group, comprised 
of  the  Journeys,  Journeys  Kidz,  Shi  by  Journeys,  Little  Burgundy,  acquired  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  Fiscal  2016,  and 
Underground by Journeys retail footwear chains, e-commerce operations and catalog; (ii) Schuh Group, comprised of the 
Schuh  retail  footwear  chain  and  e-commerce  operations;  (iii) Lids  Sports  Group,  comprised  of  (a) headwear  and 
accessory stores under the Lids® name and other names in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, (b) the Lids Locker Room 
and Lids Clubhouse businesses, consisting of sports-oriented fan shops featuring a broad array of licensed merchandise 
such  as  apparel,  hats  and  accessories,  sports  decor  and  novelty  products,  operating  under  various  trade  names, 
(c) licensed team merchandise departments in Macy's department stores operated under the name Locker Room by Lids 
and  on  macys.com  under  a  license  agreement  with  Macy's,  and  (d) e-commerce  operations  (an  athletic  team  dealer 
business operating as Lids Team Sports was sold in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2016); (iv) Johnston & Murphy Group, 
comprised  of  Johnston &  Murphy  retail  operations,  e-commerce  operations  and  catalog  and  wholesale  distribution  of 
products  under  the  Johnston  &  Murphy®  and  H.S.Trask®  brands;  and  (v) Licensed  Brands,  comprised  of  Dockers® 
Footwear, sourced and marketed under a license from Levi Strauss & Company, SureGrip® Footwear which was sold in 
the  fourth  quarter  of  Fiscal  2017,  G.H.  Bass  Footwear  operated  under  a  license  from  G-III Apparel  Group,  Ltd.,  and 
other brands. 

At January 28, 2017, the Company operated 2,794 retail footwear, headwear and sports apparel and accessory stores and 
leased departments located primarily throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico, but also including 147 headwear 
and  sports  apparel  and  accessory  stores  and  87  footwear  stores  in  Canada  and  128  footwear  stores  in  the  United 
Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Germany. The Company currently plans to open a total of approximately 101 new 
retail stores and to close approximately 133 retail stores in Fiscal 2018. At January 28, 2017, Journeys Group operated 
1,249  stores,  Schuh  Group  operated  128  stores,  Lids  Sports  Group  operated  1,240  stores  and  leased  departments  and 
Johnston & Murphy Group operated 177 retail shops and factory stores. 

The following table  sets forth certain additional information concerning  the Company’s  retail footwear, headwear and 
sports apparel and accessory stores and leased departments during the five most recent fiscal years: 

Retail Stores and Leased Departments 

Beginning of year 

Opened during year 
Acquired during year 
Closed during year 

End of year 

Fiscal 
2013 

Fiscal 
2014 

Fiscal 
2015 

Fiscal 
2016 

Fiscal 
2017 

2,387    
104    
33    
(65 )  
2,459    

2,459    
183    
15    
(89 )  
2,568    

2,568    
273    
56    
(73 )  
2,824    

2,824    
81    
37    
(90 )  
2,852    

2,852  
81  
—  
(139 ) 
2,794  

The  Company  also  sources,  designs,  markets  and  distributes  footwear  under  its  own  Johnston &  Murphy  brand,  the 
Trask brand, the licensed Dockers® brand and other brands that the Company licenses for men's footwear to over 1,225 
retail accounts in the United States, including a number of leading department, discount, and specialty stores. 

Shorthand  references  to  fiscal  years  (e.g.,  “Fiscal  2017”)  refer  to  the  fiscal  year  ended  on  the  Saturday  nearest 
January 31st in the named year (e.g., January 28, 2017).  The terms "Company," "Genesco," "we," "our" or "us" as used 
herein  and  unless  otherwise  stated  or  indicated  by  context  refer  to  Genesco  Inc.  and  its  subsidiaries.   All  information 
contained in Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” which 
is  referred  to  in  this  Item 1  of  this  report,  is  incorporated  by  such  reference  in  Item 1.  This  report  contains  forward-

3 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
looking statements. Actual results may vary materially and adversely from the expectations reflected in these statements. 
For  a  discussion  of  some  of  the  factors  that  may  lead  to  different  results,  see  Item 1A,  “Risk  Factors”  and  Item 7, 
“Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” 

Available Information 

The  Company  files reports  with the  Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including annual reports on Form 
10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and other reports from time to time. The public may read and copy any materials 
we file with the SEC at the SEC’s Public Reference Room at 100 F. Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549. The public may 
obtain  information  on  the  operation  of  the  Public  Reference  Room  by  calling  the  SEC  at  1-800-SEC-0330.  The 
Company  is  an  electronic  filer  and  the  SEC  maintains  an  internet  site  at  http://www.sec.gov  that  contains  the  reports, 
proxy  and  information  statements,  and  other  information  filed  electronically.  The  Company’s  website  address  is 
http://www.genesco.com.  The  Company’s  website  address  is  provided  as  an  inactive  textual  reference  only.  The 
Company makes available free of charge through the  website annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 
10-Q,  current  reports  on  Form  8-K,  and  all  amendments  to  those  reports  as  soon  as  reasonably  practicable  after  such 
material  is  electronically  filed  with  or  furnished  to  the  SEC.  Copies  of  the  charters  of  each  of  the  Company’s Audit 
Committee,  Compensation  Committee  and  Nominating  and  Corporate  Governance  Committee,  as  well  as  the 
Company’s  Corporate  Governance  Guidelines  and  Code  of  Ethics  along  with  position  descriptions  for  the  Company's 
board  of  directors  (the  "Board  of  Directors"  or  the  "Board")  and  Board  committees  are  also  available  free  of  charge 
through the website. The information provided on the Company’s website is not part of this report, and is therefore not 
incorporated by reference unless such information is otherwise specifically incorporated elsewhere in this report. 

Segments 

Journeys Group 

The Journeys Group segment, including Journeys, Journeys Kidz, Shi by Journeys, Little Burgundy and Underground by 
Journeys retail stores, e-commerce operations and catalog, accounted for approximately 44% of the Company’s net sales 
in Fiscal 2017.  The Company believes that the Journeys Group’s distinctive store formats, its mix of well-known brands 
and new product introductions, and its experienced management team provide significant competitive advantages for the 
Journeys  Group.    For  Fiscal  2017,  same  store  sales  decreased  5%,  comparable  direct  sales  increased  12%  and 
comparable  sales,  including  both  store  and  direct  sales,  decreased  4%  from  Fiscal  2016.    Earnings  from  operations 
attributable to Journeys Group were $85.9 million in Fiscal 2017, with an operating margin of 6.9%. 

At  January  28,  2017,  Journeys  Group  operated  1,249  stores,  including  230  Journeys  Kidz  stores,  39  Shi  by  Journeys 
stores,  36  Little  Burgundy  stores  and  95  Underground  by  Journeys  stores  averaging  approximately  1,950  square  feet, 
located primarily in malls and factory outlet centers throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico and Canada, selling 
footwear and accessories for young men, women and children.  The Underground by Journeys stores have been added to 
the Journeys stores starting in Fiscal 2018 since the stores are similarly merchandised. 

Journeys retail footwear stores target customers in the 13 to 22 year age group through the use of youth-oriented decor 
and multi-channel media.  Journeys stores carry predominately branded merchandise across a wide range of prices. The 
Journeys Kidz retail footwear stores sell footwear and accessories primarily for younger children ages five to 12. Shi by 
Journeys retail footwear stores sell footwear and accessories to a target customer group consisting of fashion-conscious 
women in their early 20’s to mid 30’s. Little Burgundy retail footwear stores sell footwear and accessories to fashion-
oriented men and  women in the 18 to 34 age group ranging from students to young professionals. In Fiscal 2017, the 
Journeys Group added 27 net new stores, and plans to open approximately 10 net new stores in Fiscal 2018. 

Lids Sports Group 

The  Lids Sports Group segment,  as described above, accounted for approximately 29% of the Company’s net sales in 
Fiscal  2017.    For  Fiscal  2017,  same  store  sales  increased  4%,  comparable  direct  sales  increased  2%  and  comparable 
sales,  including  both  store  and  direct  sales,  increased  3%  from  Fiscal  2016.    Earnings  from  operations  attributable  to 
Lids Sports Group was $41.6 million in Fiscal 2017, with an operating margin of 4.9%. 

4 

 
 
 
At January 28, 2017, Lids Sports Group operated 1,240 stores and leased departments, including 882 Lids stores, 207 
Lids Locker Room and Clubhouse  stores and 151 Locker Room by Lids leased departments, averaging approximately 
1,175 square feet, throughout the United States and in Puerto Rico and Canada. Lids Sports Group added 15 new stores 
and leased departments but closed 107 stores and leased departments in Fiscal 2017, and plans to close a net of 53 stores 
and leased departments in Fiscal 2018. 

The core headwear stores and kiosks, located in malls, airports, street and factory outlet centers throughout the United 
States and in Puerto Rico and Canada, target customers in the early-teens to mid-20’s age group. In general, the stores 
offer  headwear  from  an  assortment  of  college,  MLB,  NBA,  NFL  and  NHL  teams,  as  well  as  other  specialty  fashion 
categories. The Lids Locker Room and Lids Clubhouse stores, operating under a number of trade names, located in malls 
and other locations primarily in the United States and Canada, target sports fans of all ages. These stores offer headwear, 
apparel, accessories and novelties representing an assortment of college and professional teams.  The Locker Room by 
Lids leased departments in Macy's department stores offer headwear, apparel, accessories and novelties representing an 
assortment of college and professional teams generally focused on the particular Macy's department store's geographic 
location. 

Schuh Group 

The Schuh Group segment, including e-commerce operations, accounted for approximately 13% of the Company’s net 
sales  in  Fiscal  2017.    For  Fiscal  2017,  same  store  sales  decreased  2%,  comparable  direct  sales  increased  6%  and 
comparable sales, including both store and direct sales, decreased 1%.  Earnings from operations attributable to Schuh 
Group was $20.5 million in Fiscal 2017, with an operating margin of 5.5%. 

At January 28, 2017, Schuh Group operated 128 Schuh stores, averaging approximately 4,875 square feet, which include 
both street-level and mall locations in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland and mall locations in Germany.  
Schuh Group opened three net new stores in Fiscal 2017 and plans to open approximately seven net new Schuh stores in 
Fiscal 2018.  Schuh stores target men and women in the 15 to 30 age group, selling a broad range of branded casual and 
athletic footwear along with a meaningful private label offering. 

Johnston & Murphy Group 

The  Johnston &  Murphy  Group  segment,  including  retail  stores,  e-commerce  and  catalog  operations  and  wholesale 
distribution,  accounted  for  approximately  10%  of  the  Company’s  net  sales  in  Fiscal  2017.  Same  store  sales  for 
Johnston &  Murphy  retail  operations  increased  1%,  comparable  direct  sales  increased  8%  and  comparable  sales, 
including both store and direct sales, increased 2% for Fiscal 2017.  Earnings from operations attributable to Johnston & 
Murphy Group was $19.7 million in Fiscal 2017, with an operating margin of 6.8%. The majority of Johnston & Murphy 
wholesale  sales  are  of  the  Genesco-owned  Johnston &  Murphy  brand,  and  all  of  the  group’s  retail  sales  are  of 
Johnston & Murphy branded products. 

Johnston & Murphy Retail Operations. At January 28, 2017, Johnston & Murphy operated 177 retail shops and factory 
stores  throughout  the  United  States  and  in  Canada  averaging  approximately  1,900  square  feet  and  selling  footwear, 
apparel  and  accessories  primarily  for  men  in  the  35  to  55  age  group,  targeting  business  and  professional  customers.  
Women’s footwear and accessories are sold in select Johnston & Murphy locations.  Johnston & Murphy retail shops are 
located  primarily  in  better  malls  and  airports  nationwide  and  sell  a  broad  range  of  men’s  dress  and  casual  footwear, 
apparel  and  accessories.  The  Company  also  sells  Johnston &  Murphy  products  directly  to  consumers  through  an  e-
commerce website and a direct mail catalog.  Retail prices for Johnston & Murphy footwear generally range from $100 
to  $275.  Footwear  accounted  for  64%  of  Johnston &  Murphy  retail  sales  in  Fiscal  2017,  with  the  balance  consisting 
primarily of apparel and accessories. Johnston & Murphy Group added four net new shops and factory stores in Fiscal 
2017 and plans to open approximately four net new shops and factory stores in Fiscal 2018. 

Johnston & Murphy Wholesale Operations. Johnston & Murphy men’s and women's footwear and accessories are sold at 
wholesale, primarily to better department and independent specialty stores. Johnston & Murphy’s wholesale customers 
offer  the  brand’s  footwear  for  dress,  dress  casual,  and  casual  occasions,  with  the  majority  of  styles  offered  in  these 

5 

 
 
channels  selling  from  $100  to  $195.    Additionally,  the  Company  offers  the  Trask  brand,  with  men's  and  women's 
footwear  and  leather  accessories  offered  primarily  through  better  independent  retailers  and  department  stores,  an  e-
commerce website and catalog.  Suggested retail prices for Trask footwear range from $195 to $495. 

Licensed Brands 

The  Licensed  Brands  segment  accounted  for  approximately  4%  of  the  Company’s  net  sales  in  Fiscal  2017.  Earnings 
from  operations  attributable  to  Licensed  Brands  was  $4.6  million  in  Fiscal  2017,  with  an  operating  margin  of  4.3%. 
Licensed Brands sales include footwear marketed under the Dockers® brand, for which Genesco has had the exclusive 
men’s  footwear  license  in  the  United  States  since  1991.  See  “Licenses”  below.  Dockers  footwear  is  marketed  to  men 
aged  30  to  55  through  many  of  the  same  national  retail  chains  that  carry  Dockers  slacks  and  sportswear  and  in 
department and specialty  stores across the  country. Suggested retail prices for Dockers  footwear generally range from 
$50  to  $90.    The  Company  sold  Keuka  Footwear,  Inc.  and  the  related  SureGrip  Footwear  brand,  a  slip-resistant 
occupational footwear business operated within the Licensed Brands segment since Fiscal 2011, in the fourth quarter of 
Fiscal 2017. The Company also sells footwear under other licenses and in March 2015 entered into a License Agreement 
to source and distribute certain men's and women's footwear under the G.H. Bass trademark and related marks. 

For  further  information  on  the  Company’s  business  segments,  see  Note  14  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements 
included  in  Item 8,  "Financial  Statements  and  Supplementary  Data"  and  Item  7,  “Management’s  Discussion  and 
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” 

Manufacturing and Sourcing 

The Company relies on independent third-party manufacturers for production of its footwear products sold at wholesale. 
The  Company  sources  footwear  and  accessory  products  from  foreign  manufacturers  located  in  Bangladesh,  Brazil, 
Canada,  China,    Dominican  Republic,  El  Salvador,  France,  Germany,  Hong  Kong,  India,  Indonesia,  Italy,  Mexico, 
Pakistan,  Portugal,  Peru,  Romania,  Taiwan,  Tunisia  and  Vietnam.  The  Company’s  retail  operations  sell  primarily 
branded products from third parties who source primarily overseas. 

Competition 

Competition  is  intense  in  the  footwear,  headwear,  sports  apparel  and  accessory  industries.  The  Company’s  retail 
footwear,  headwear,  sports  apparel  and  accessory  competitors  range  from  small,  locally  owned  stores  to  regional  and 
national  department  stores,  discount  stores,  specialty  chains  and  online  retailers.  The  Company  also  competes  with 
hundreds of footwear wholesale operations in the United States and throughout the world, most of which are relatively 
small,  specialized  operations,  but  some  of  which  are  large,  more  diversified  companies.  Some  of  the  Company’s 
competitors have  resources that are not available to the Company. The  Company’s  success depends upon its ability to 
remain competitive with respect to the key factors of style, price, quality, comfort, brand loyalty, customer service, store 
location and atmosphere, technology, infrastructure and speed of delivery to support e-commerce and the ability to offer 
distinctive products. 

Licenses 

The Company owns its Johnston & Murphy® and H.S. Trask® brands and owns or licenses the trade names of its retail 
concepts either directly or through wholly-owned subsidiaries. The Dockers® footwear line, introduced in Fiscal 1993, is 
sold under a license agreement granting the Company the exclusive right to sell men’s footwear under the trademark in 
the United States, Canada and Mexico and in certain other Latin American countries. The Dockers license agreement's 
current term expires on November 30, 2018.  Net sales of Dockers products were approximately $67 million in Fiscal 
2017  and  approximately  $78  million  in  Fiscal  2016.  The  Company  licenses  certain  of  its  footwear  brands,  mostly  in 
foreign markets. License royalty income was not material in Fiscal 2017. 

6 

 
 
 
Wholesale Backlog 

Most  of  the  orders  in  the  Company’s  wholesale  divisions  are  for  delivery  within  150  days.  Because  most  of  the 
Company’s business is at-once, the backlog at any one time is not necessarily indicative of future sales. As of February 
25,  2017,  the  Company’s  wholesale  operations  had  a  backlog  of  orders,  including  unconfirmed  customer  purchase 
orders, amounting to approximately $34.9 million, compared to approximately $32.8 million on February 27, 2016. The 
backlog  is  somewhat  seasonal,  reaching  a  peak  in  the  spring. The  Company  maintains  in-stock  programs  for  selected 
product lines with anticipated high volume sales. 

Employees 

Genesco  had  approximately  27,200  employees  at  January  28,  2017,  approximately  150  of  whom  were  employed  in 
corporate  staff  departments  and  the  balance  in  operations.    Retail  stores  employ  a  substantial  number  of  part-time 
employees, and approximately 19,775 of the Company’s employees were part-time at January 28, 2017. 

Seasonality 

The  Company's  business  is  seasonal  with  the  Company's  investment  in  inventory  and  accounts  receivable  normally 
reaching  peaks  in  the  spring  and  fall  of  each  year  and  a  significant  portion  of  the  Company's  net  sales  and  operating 
earnings generated during the fourth quarter. 

Properties 

At January 28, 2017, the Company operated 2,794 retail footwear, headwear and sports apparel and accessory stores and 
leased  departments  throughout  the  United  States  and  in  Puerto  Rico,  Canada,  the  United  Kingdom,  the  Republic  of 
Ireland and Germany. New shopping center store leases in the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada typically are for a 
term of approximately 10 years. New store leases in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Germany typically 
have terms of between 10 and 20 years. Both typically provide for rent based on a percentage of sales against a fixed 
minimum rent based on the square footage leased. 

7 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The general location, use and approximate size of the Company’s principal properties are set forth below: 

Location 

  Owned/Leased 

Segment 

Use 

Approximate 
Area 
Square Feet 

Lebanon, TN 

Indianapolis, IN 

Owned 

Leased 

Journeys 
Group 

Lids Sports 
Group 

Nashville, TN 

Leased 

Various 

Indianapolis, IN 

Bathgate, Scotland 

Chapel Hill, TN 

Fayetteville, TN 

Zionsville, IN 

Deans Industrial Estate, 
Livingston, Scotland 

Nashville, TN 

Mississauga, Ontario, 
Canada 

Leased/ 
Subleased 

Owned 

Owned 

Owned 

Owned 

Owned 

Owned 

Leased 

Lids Sports 
Group 
Schuh 
Group 

Licensed 
Brands 

Johnston & 
Murphy 
Group 
Lids Sports 
Group 
Schuh 
Group 
Journeys 
Group 

Lids Sports 
Group 

Distribution warehouse 

320,000 

Distribution warehouse 

311,600 

Executive & footwear 
operations offices 

306,455 

  * 

Distribution warehouse 

271,825 

  ** 

Distribution warehouse 

244,644 

Distribution warehouse 

182,000 

Distribution warehouse 

178,500 

Administrative offices 

150,000 

  Distribution warehouse and 

administrative offices 

106,813 

Distribution warehouse 

63,000 

Distribution warehouses 

43,611 

* 

The Company occupies approximately 97% of the building and subleases the remainder of the building. 

**  The Company occupies approximately 25% of the building and subleases the remainder of the building. 

The lease on the Company’s Nashville office expires in April 2022. The Company believes that all leases of properties 
that are material to its operations  may be renewed, or that alternative properties are available, on terms not  materially 
less favorable to the Company than existing leases. 

Environmental Matters 

The  Company’s  former  manufacturing  operations  and  the  sites  of  those  operations  as  well  as  the  sites  of  its  current 
operations are subject to numerous federal, state, and local laws and regulations relating to human health and safety and 
the  environment.  These  laws  and  regulations  address  and  regulate,  among  other  matters,  wastewater  discharge,  air 
quality and the generation, handling, storage, treatment, disposal, and transportation of solid and hazardous wastes and 
releases  of  hazardous  substances  into  the  environment.  In  addition,  third  parties  and  governmental  agencies  in  some 
cases  have  the  power  under  such  laws  and  regulations  to  require  remediation  of  environmental  conditions  and,  in  the 
case of governmental agencies, to impose fines and penalties. Several of the facilities owned by the Company (currently 
or  in  the  past)  are  located  in  industrial  areas  and  have  historically  been  used  for  extensive  periods  for  industrial 
operations such as tanning, dyeing, and manufacturing. Some of these operations used materials and generated wastes 
that  would  be  considered  regulated  substances  under  current  environmental  laws  and  regulations.  The  Company 
currently is involved in certain administrative and judicial environmental proceedings relating to the Company’s former 
facilities.  See  Item 3,  "Legal  Proceedings"  and  Note  13  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  included  in  Item  8, 
"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data". 

8 

 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
ITEM 1A, RISK FACTORS 

Our business is subject to significant risks. You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below and 
the  other  information  in  this  Form 10-K,  including  our  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  the  notes  to  those 
statements. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties 
that  we  do not presently know about or that  we  currently  consider immaterial  may also affect our business operations 
and  financial  performance.  If  any  of  the  events  described  below  actually  occur,  our  business,  financial  condition  or 
results of operations could be adversely affected in a  material  way. This could cause the trading price  of our stock to 
decline, perhaps significantly, and you may lose part or all of your investment. 

Poor  economic  conditions  and  other  factors  can  affect  consumer  spending  and  may  significantly  harm  our 
business, affecting our financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations. 

The success of our business depends to a significant extent upon the level of consumer spending in general and on our 
product  category.  A  number  of  factors  may  affect  the  level  of  consumer  spending  on  merchandise  that  we  offer, 
including, among other things: 

•   general economic, industry and weather conditions; 

•   energy costs, which affect gasoline and home heating prices; 

•   the level of consumer debt; 

•   pricing of products; 

•   interest rates; 

•   tax rates, refunds and policies; 

•   war, terrorism and other hostilities; and 

•   consumer confidence in future economic conditions. 

Adverse  economic  conditions  and  any  related  decrease  in  consumer  demand  for  discretionary  items  could  have  a 
material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition. The merchandise we sell generally 
consists  of  discretionary  items.  Reduced  consumer  confidence  and  spending  may  result  in  reduced  demand  for 
discretionary  items  and  may  force  us  to  take  inventory  markdowns,  decreasing  sales  and  making  expense  leverage 
difficult to achieve.  Demand can also be influenced by other factors beyond our control. For example, sales in the Lids 
Sports Group segment have historically been affected by developments in team sports, and could be adversely impacted 
by player strikes or other interruptions, as well as by the performance and reputation of certain teams and players. 

Moreover, while the Company believes that its operating cash flows and its borrowing capacity under committed lines of 
credit  will be  more than adequate  for its anticipated cash requirements, if the  economy  were to experience a renewed 
downturn, or if one or more of the Company’s revolving credit banks were to fail to honor its commitments under the 
Company’s  credit  lines,  the  Company  could  be  required  to  modify  its  operations  for  decreased  cash  flow  or  to  seek 
alternative sources of liquidity, and such alternative sources might not be available to the Company. 

These same factors could impact our wholesale customers, limiting their ability to buy or pay for merchandise offered by 
the Company. 

Our business involves a degree of fashion risk. 

The majority of our businesses serve a fashion-conscious customer base and depend upon the ability of our buyers and 
merchandisers to react to fashion trends, to purchase inventory that reflects such trends, and to manage our inventories 
appropriately  in  view  of  the  potential  for  sudden  changes  in  fashion,  consumer  taste,  or  other  drivers  of  demand, 
including  the  performance  and  popularity  of  individual  sports  teams  and  athletes.  Failure  to  execute  any  of  these 

9 

 
 
activities successfully could result in adverse  consequences, including lower sales, product  margins, operating income 
and cash flows. 

Our  business  and  results  of  operations  are  subject  to  a  broad  range  of  uncertainties  arising  out  of  world  and 
domestic events. 

Our business and results of operations are subject to uncertainties arising out of world and domestic events, which may 
impact  not  only  consumer  demand,  but  also  our  ability  to  obtain  the  products  we  sell,  most  of  which  are  produced 
outside  the  countries  in  which  we  operate. These  uncertainties  may  include  a  global  economic  slowdown,  changes  in 
consumer spending or travel, increase in fuel prices, and the economic consequences of natural disasters, military action 
or terrorist activities and increased regulatory and compliance burdens related to governmental actions in response to a 
variety of factors, including but not limited to national security and anti-terrorism concerns and concerns about climate 
change. Any  future  events  arising  as  a  result  of  terrorist  activity  or  other  world  events  may  have  a  material  adverse 
impact on our business, including the demand for and our ability to source products, and consequently on our results of 
operations and financial condition. 

The  increasing  scope  of  our  non-U.S.  operations  exposes  our  performance  to  risks  including  foreign  economic 
conditions and exchange rate fluctuations. 

Our performance depends in part on general economic conditions affecting all countries in which we do business. The 
British decision to exit the European Union could impact consumer demand, currency rates and supply chain.  We are 
dependent  on  foreign  manufacturers  for  the  products  we  sell,  and  our  inventory  is  subject  to  cost  and  availability  of 
foreign materials and labor. In addition to the other risks disclosed herein, demand for our product offering in our non-
U.S.  operations  is  also  subject  to  local  market  conditions.   As  a  result,  there  can  be  no  assurance  that  Schuh's  or  our 
Canadian operations' future performance will not be adversely affected by economic conditions in their markets. 

As  we  expand  our  international  operations,  we  also  increase  our  exposure  to  exchange  rate  fluctuations.  Sales  from 
stores outside the U.S. are denominated in the currency of the country in which these operations or stores are located and 
changes in foreign exchange rates affect the translation of the sales and earnings of these businesses into U.S. dollars for 
financial reporting purposes. Additionally, inventory purchase agreements may also be denominated in the currency of 
the country where the vendor resides. 

Our business is intensely competitive and increased or new competition could have a material adverse effect on 
us. 

The  retail  footwear,  headwear,  sports  apparel  and  accessory  markets  are  intensely  competitive.  We  currently  compete 
against  a  diverse  group  of  retailers,  including  other  regional  and  national  specialty  stores,  department  and  discount 
stores, small independents and e-commerce retailers, which sell products similar to and often identical to those we sell. 
Our branded businesses, selling footwear at wholesale, also face intense competition, both from other branded wholesale 
vendors  and  from  private  label  initiatives  of  their  retailer  customers. A  number  of  different  competitive  factors  could 
have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition, including: 

•   increased operational efficiencies of competitors; 

•   competitive pricing strategies; 

•   expansion by existing competitors; 

•   expansion of direct-to-consumer by our vendors; 

•   entry by new competitors into markets in which we currently operate; and 

•   adoption by existing retail competitors of innovative store formats or sales methods. 

10 

 
 
Use of social media may adversely impact our reputation or subject us to fines or other penalties. 

There  has been a substantial increase  in the  use  of social  media platforms and similar devices,  including blogs, social 
media websites, and other forms of internet-based communications, which allow individuals access to a broad audience 
of consumers and other interested persons. As laws and regulations rapidly evolve to govern the use of these platforms 
and  devices,  the  failure  by  us,  our  associates  or  third  parties  acting  at  our  direction  to  abide  by  applicable  laws  and 
regulations in the use of these platforms and devices could adversely impact our reputation or subject us to fines or other 
penalties. 

Consumers value readily available information concerning retailers and their goods and services and often act on such 
information without further investigation and without regard to its accuracy. Information concerning us may be posted 
on social media platforms and similar devices at any time and may be adverse to our reputation or business. The harm 
may be immediate without affording us an opportunity for redress or correction. Damage to our reputation could result in 
declines in customer loyalty and sales, affect our vendor relationships, development opportunities and associate retention 
and otherwise adversely affect our business. 

If we are unsuccessful in establishing and protecting our intellectual property, the value of our brands could be 
adversely affected. 

Our ability to remain competitive is dependent upon our continued ability to secure and protect trademarks, patents and 
other intellectual property rights in the U.S. and internationally for all of our lines of business. We rely on a combination 
of  trade  secret,  patent,  trademark,  copyright  and  other  laws,  license  agreements  and  other  contractual  provisions  and 
technical measures to protect our intellectual property rights; however, some countries’ laws do not protect intellectual 
property rights to the same extent U.S. laws do. 

Our business could be significantly harmed if we are not able to protect our intellectual property, or if a court found us to 
be  infringing  on  other  persons’  intellectual  property  rights.  Any  future  intellectual  property  lawsuits  or  threatened 
lawsuits in which we are involved, either as a plaintiff or as a defendant, could cost us a significant amount of time and 
money and distract management’s attention from operating our business. If we do not prevail on any intellectual property 
claims, then we may have to change our manufacturing processes, products or  trade names, any of which could reduce 
our profitability. 

We are dependent on third-party vendors for the merchandise we sell. 

We  do  not  manufacture  the  merchandise  we  sell.  This  means  that  our  product  supply  is  subject  to  the  ability  and 
willingness of third-party suppliers to deliver merchandise we order on time and in the quantities and of the quality we 
need. In addition, a material portion of our retail footwear sales consists of products marketed under brands, belonging to 
unaffiliated vendors, which have fashion significance to our customers. Our core retail hat and sports apparel businesses 
are  dependent  upon  products  bearing  sports  and  other  logos,  each  generally  controlled  by  a  single  licensee/vendor.  If 
those vendors were to decide not to sell to us or to limit the availability of their products to us, or if they become unable 
because of economic conditions, work stoppages, strikes, political unrest, raw materials supply disruptions, or any other 
reason to supply us with products, we could be unable to offer our customers the products they wish to buy and could 
lose their business to competitors. Additionally, manufacturers are required to remain in compliance with certain wage, 
labor and environment-related laws and regulations. Delayed compliance or complete failure to comply with such laws 
and  regulations  by  our  vendors  could  adversely  affect  our  ability  to  obtain  products  generally  or  at  favorable  costs, 
affecting our overall ability to maintain and manage inventory levels. 

An increase in the cost or a disruption in the flow of our imported products may significantly decrease our sales 
and profits. 

Merchandise originally manufactured and imported from overseas makes up a large proportion of our total inventory. A 
disruption  in  the  shipping  of  our  imported  merchandise  or  an  increase  in  the  cost  of  those  products  may  significantly 
decrease  our  sales  and  profits.  We  may  be  unable  to  meet  our  customers’  demands  or  pass  on  price  increases  to  our 

11 

 
 
 
 
customers.  In  addition,  if  imported  merchandise  becomes  more  expensive  or  unavailable,  the  transition  to  alternative 
sources may not occur in time to meet demand. Products from alternative sources may also be of lesser quality or more 
expensive than those we currently import. Risks associated with our reliance on imported products include: 

disruptions in the shipping and importation of imported products because of factors such as: 

▪   raw material shortages, work stoppages, strikes and political unrest; 

▪   problems with oceanic shipping, including shipping container shortages and delays in ports; 

▪   increased  customs  inspections  of  import  shipments  or  other  factors  that  could  result  in  penalties 
causing delays in shipments; 

▪   economic crises, natural disasters, international disputes and wars; and 

•   increases in the cost of purchasing or shipping foreign merchandise resulting from: 

•   imposition of additional cargo or safeguard measures; 

•   denial  by  the  United  States  of  “most  favored  nation”  trading  status  to  or  the  imposition  of 
quotas or other restriction on imports from a foreign country from which we purchase goods; 

•   import duties, import quotas and other trade sanctions; and 

•   increases in shipping rates. 

A significant amount of the inventory we sell is imported from the People’s Republic of China, which has historically 
been subject to efforts to increase duty rates or to impose restrictions on imports of certain products. 

A  small  portion  of  the  products  we  buy  abroad  is  priced  in  foreign  currencies  and,  therefore,  we  are  affected  by 
fluctuating currency exchange rates. In the  past,  we have  entered into foreign currency exchange contracts with major 
financial  institutions  to  hedge  these  fluctuations.  We  might  not  be  able  to  effectively  protect  ourselves  in  the  future 
against  currency  rate  fluctuations,  and  our  financial  performance  could  suffer  as  a  result.  Even  dollar-denominated 
foreign purchases may be affected by currency fluctuations, as suppliers seek to reflect appreciation in the local currency 
against the dollar in the price of the products that they provide. You should read Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and 
Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for more information about our foreign currency exchange 
rate exposure and hedging activities. 

Increased operating costs could have an adverse effect on our results. 

Increased  operating  costs,  including  those  resulting  from  potential  increases  in  the  minimum  wage  or  wage  increases 
reflecting  competition  in  relevant  labor  markets,  store  occupancy  costs,  and  other  expense  items,  including  healthcare 
costs, may reduce our operating margin and, by making it more difficult to identify new store locations that we believe 
will  meet  our  investment  return  requirements,  slow  our  growth.  In  addition,  other  employment  and  healthcare  law 
changes  may  increase  the  cost  of  provided  retirement,  pension  and  healthcare  benefits  expenses.  Increases  in  the 
Company’s  overall  employment  costs  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  the  Company’s  business,  results  of 
operations and financial and competitive position. 

The operation of the Company’s business is heavily dependent on its information systems. 

We depend on a variety of information technology systems for the efficient functioning of our business and security of 
information. Much information essential to our business is maintained electronically, including competitively sensitive 
information and potentially sensitive personal information about customers and employees.  Our insurance policies may 
not provide coverage for security breaches and similar incidents or may have coverage limits which may not be adequate 
to  reimburse  us  for  losses  caused  by  security  breaches.  We  also  rely  on  certain  hardware  and  software  vendors  to 
maintain and periodically upgrade many of these systems so that they can continue to support our business. The software 
programs  supporting  many  of  our  systems  were  licensed  to  the  Company  by  independent  software  developers.  The 
inability  of  these  developers  or  the  Company  to  continue  to  maintain  and  upgrade  these  information  systems  and 
software programs could disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations. In addition, costs and potential problems and 
interruptions  associated  with  the  implementation  of  new  or  upgraded  systems  and  technology  or  with  maintenance  or 

12 

 
 
adequate support of existing systems could also disrupt or reduce the efficiency of our operations or leave the Company 
vulnerable to security breaches. 

We also rely heavily on our information technology staff. If we cannot meet our staffing needs in this area, we may not 
be able to fulfill our technology initiatives or to provide maintenance on existing systems. 

We  are  subject  to  payment-related  risks  that  could  increase  our  operating  costs,  expose  us  to  fraud  or  theft, 
subject us to fraud or theft, subject us to potential liability and potentially disrupt our business. 

As a retailer who accepts payments using a variety of methods, including credit and debit cards, PayPal, and gift cards, 
the  Company  is  subject  to rules,  regulations,  contractual  obligations  and  compliance  requirements,  including  payment 
network  rules  and  operating  guidelines,  data  security  standards  and  certification  requirements,  and  rules  governing 
electronic  funds  transfers.    The  regulatory  environment  related  to  information  security  and  privacy  is  increasingly 
rigorous,  with  new  and  constantly  changing  requirements  applicable  to  our  business,  and  compliance  with  those 
requirements  could  result  in  additional  costs  or  accelerate  these  costs.    For  certain  payment  methods,  including  credit 
and debit cards, we pay interchange and other fees, which could increase over time and raise our operating costs.  We 
rely on third parties to provide payment processing services, including the processing of credit cards, debit cards, and 
other forms of electronic payment.  If these companies become unable to provide these services to us, or if their systems 
are compromised, it could disrupt our business. 

The  payment  methods  that  we  offer  also  subject  us  to  potential  fraud  and  theft  by  persons  who  seek  to  obtain 
unauthorized access to or exploit any  weaknesses  that  may exist in  the payment  systems.  The  payment card industry 
established October 1, 2015 as the date on which it shifted liability for certain transactions to retailers who are not able 
to accept EMV card transactions.  The Company did not implement the EMV technology and receive certification prior 
to October 1, 2015, and accordingly  has been liable  for costs incurred by payment card issuing banks and other third 
parties as a result of fraudulent use of credit card information improperly obtained from information captured by us until 
such time as the technology has been implemented and certified.  The Company expects to complete the implementation 
and receive certification in its second quarter of Fiscal 2018. 

A privacy breach could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business and reputation. 

We  rely  heavily  on  digital  technologies  for  the  successful  operation  of  our  business,  including  electronic  messaging, 
digital marketing efforts and the collection and retention of customer data and employee information. We also rely on  
third parties to process credit card transactions, perform online e-commerce and social media activities and retain data 
relating  to  the  Company’s  financial  position  and  results  of  operations,  strategic  initiatives  and  other  important 
information.  Despite  the  security  measures  we  have  in  place,  our  facilities  and  systems  and  those  of  our  third-party 
service providers may be vulnerable to cyber-security breaches, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, misplaced or  lost 
data,  programming  and/or  human  errors  or  other  similar  events.  Any  misappropriation,  loss  or  other  unauthorized 
disclosure of confidential or personally identifiable information, whether by us or by our third-party service providers, 
could  adversely  affect  our  business  and  operations,  including  loss  of  sales  generated  through  our  websites,  severely 
damaging our reputation and our relationships with our customers, suppliers, employees and investors and expose us to 
risks of litigation and liability. 

In  addition,  we  may  incur  significant  remediation  costs  in  the  event  of  a  cyber-security  breach  or  incident,  including 
liability for stolen customer or employee information, repairing system damage or providing credit monitoring or other 
benefits to affected customers or employees. We may also incur increased costs to comply with various applicable laws 
or  industry  standards  regarding  use  and/or  unauthorized  disclosure  of  personal  information.  These  and  other  cyber-
security-related compliance, prevention and remediation costs may adversely impact our financial condition and results 
of operations. 

13 

 
 
 
The  loss  of,  or  disruption  in,  one  of  our  distribution  centers  and  other  factors  affecting  the  distribution  of 
merchandise, could have a material adverse effect on our business and operations. 

Each of our operations uses a single distribution center to handle all or a significant amount of its merchandise. Most of 
our operations’ inventory is shipped directly from suppliers to our operations' distribution centers, where the inventory is 
then processed, sorted and shipped to our stores or to our wholesale customers. We depend on the orderly operation of 
this  receiving  and  distribution  process,  which  depends,  in  turn,  on  adherence  to  shipping  schedules  and  effective 
management of the distribution centers. Although we believe that our receiving and distribution process is efficient and 
well  positioned  to  support  our  current  business  and  our  expansion  plans,  we  cannot  offer  assurance  that  we  have 
anticipated  all  of  the  changing  demands  that  our  expanding  operations  will  impose  on  our  receiving  and  distribution 
system, or that events beyond our control, such as disruptions in operations due to fire or other catastrophic events, labor 
disagreements or shipping problems (whether in our own or in our third party vendors’ or carriers’ businesses), will not 
result  in  delays  in  the  delivery  of  merchandise  to  our  stores  or  to  our  wholesale  customers  or  retail  customers  (e-
commerce). In addition, we add capacity to distribution centers by either leasing or building new distribution centers or 
adding capacity at existing centers.  Failure to execute on these initiatives may cause disruption in our business. We also 
make changes in our distribution processes from time to time in an effort to improve efficiency and maximize capacity. 
We cannot assure that these changes  will not result in unanticipated delays or interruptions in distribution. We depend 
upon UPS for shipment of a significant amount of merchandise. An interruption in service by UPS for any reason could 
cause temporary disruptions in our business, a loss of sales and profits, and other material adverse effects. 

Our freight cost is impacted by changes in fuel prices through surcharges. Fuel prices and surcharges affect freight cost 
both on inbound freight from vendors to our distribution centers and outbound freight from our distribution centers to 
our stores and wholesale customers. Increases in fuel prices and surcharges and other factors may increase freight costs 
and thereby increase our cost of goods sold. 

Any acquisitions we make or new businesses we launch, as well as any dispositions of assets or businesses, involve 
a degree of risk. 

Acquisitions  have  been  a  component  of  the  Company’s  growth  strategy  in  recent  years  and  we  expect  that  we  may 
continue  to  engage  in  acquisitions  or  launch  new  businesses  to  grow  our  revenues  and  meet  our  other  strategic 
objectives. If any future acquisitions are not successfully integrated with our business, our ongoing operations could be 
adversely affected. Additionally, acquisitions or new businesses may not achieve desired profitability objectives or result 
in  any  anticipated  successful  expansion  of  the  businesses  or  concepts,  causing  lower  than  expected  earnings  and  cash 
flow and potentially requiring impairment of goodwill and other intangibles.  Although we review and analyze assets or 
companies  we  acquire,  such  reviews  are  subject  to  uncertainties  and  may  not  reveal  all  potential  risks. Additionally, 
although we attempt to obtain protective contractual provisions, such as representations, warranties and indemnities, in 
connection  with acquisitions, we cannot offer assurance that  we can obtain such provisions in our acquisitions or that 
they  will  fully  protect  us  from  unforeseen  costs  of,  or  liabilities  associated  with,  the  acquisitions.  We  may  also  incur 
significant costs and diversion of management time and attention in connection with pursuing possible acquisitions even 
if the acquisition is not ultimately consummated. 

Additionally, we may decide to divest assets or businesses that are  no longer material to our core business. Following 
such divestitures, we may incur liabilities relating to our previous ownership of the assets or business that we sell. Any 
required payments on retained liabilities or indemnification obligations  with respect to past or future asset or business 
divestitures could have a material adverse effect on our business or results of operations. 

Further,  acquisitions  and  dispositions  are  often  structured  such  that  the  purchase  price  paid  or  received  by  us,  as 
applicable,  is  subject  to  post-closing  adjustments,  whether  as  a  result  of  net  working  capital  adjustments,  contingent 
payments (i.e., earn-outs) or otherwise. Any such adjustments could result in a material change in the consideration paid 
to or received by us, as applicable, in such transactions. 

14 

 
 
 
 
We face a number of risks in opening new stores. 

We expect to open new stores, both in regional malls, where most of the operational experience of our U.S. businesses 
lies, and in other venues including outlet centers, major city street locations, airports and tourist destinations.  We cannot 
offer assurances that we will be able to open as many stores as we have planned, that any new store will achieve similar 
operating results to those of our existing stores or that new stores opened in markets in which we operate will not have a 
material adverse effect on the revenues and profitability of our existing stores. The success of our planned expansion will 
be dependent upon numerous factors, many of which are beyond our control, including the following: 

•   our ability to identify suitable markets and individual store sites within those markets; 

•   the competition for suitable store sites; 

•   our ability to negotiate favorable lease terms for new stores and renewals (including rent and other costs) with 

landlords in part due to the consolidation in the commercial real estate market; 

•   our ability to obtain governmental and other third-party consents, permits and licenses needed to construct and  

operate our stores; 

•   the ability to build and remodel stores on schedule and at acceptable cost; 

•   the availability of employees to staff new stores and our ability to hire, train, motivate and retain store 
personnel; 

•   the effect of changes to laws and regulations, including minimum wage, over-time, and employee benefits laws     
on store expenses; 

•   the availability of adequate management and financial resources to manage an increased number of stores; 

•   our ability to adapt our distribution and other operational and management systems to an expanded network of 

stores;  

•   our ability to attract customers and generate sales sufficient to operate new stores profitably; and 

•   the  effect  of  changes  in  consumer  shopping  patterns,  including  an  accelerated  shift  to  online  shopping  at  the 
expense of in-store shopping, during the term of a lease. 

Additionally,  the  results  we  expect  to  achieve  during  each  fiscal  quarter  are  dependent  upon  opening  new  stores  on 
schedule. If we fall behind, we will lose expected sales and earnings between the planned opening date and the actual 
opening and  may further complicate  the logistics of opening stores, possibly resulting in additional delays,  seasonally 
inappropriate product assortments, and other undesirable conditions. 

Our results of operations are subject to seasonal and quarterly fluctuations, which could have a material adverse 
effect on the market price of our stock. 

Our business is seasonal,  with a significant portion of our net sales and operating income generated during the  fourth 
quarter, which includes the holiday shopping season. Because of this seasonality, we have limited ability to compensate 
for shortfalls in fourth quarter sales or earnings by changes in our operations or strategies in other quarters. A significant 
shortfall  in  results  for  the  fourth  quarter  of  any  year  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  annual  results  of 
operations  and  on  the  market  price  of  our  stock.  Our  quarterly  results  of  operations  also  may  fluctuate  significantly 
based on such factors as: 

•   the timing of new store openings and renewals; 

•   the amount of net sales contributed by new and existing stores; 

•   the timing of certain holidays and sales events; 

15 

 
 
•   changes in our merchandise mix; 

•   general economic, industry and weather conditions that affect consumer spending; and 

•   actions of competitors, including promotional activity. 

Changes in our effective income tax rate could adversely affect our net earnings. 

A  number  of  factors  influence  our  effective  income  tax  rate,  including  changes  in  tax  law,  including  the  possible 
disallowance  of  border  tax  deductions  for  imported  merchandise,  tax  treaties,  interpretation  of  existing  laws,  and  our 
ability to sustain our reporting positions on examination.  Changes in any of those factors could change our effective tax 
rate, which could adversely affect our net earnings and liquidity.  In addition, our operations outside of the United States 
may cause greater volatility in our effective tax rate. 

A failure to increase sales at our existing stores and in our e-commerce businesses may adversely affect our stock 
price and impact our results of operations. 

A number of factors have historically affected, and will continue to affect, our comparable sales results, including: 

•   consumer trends, such as less disposable income due to the impact of economic conditions and tax policies; 

•   the lack of new fashion trends to drive demand in certain of our businesses and the ability of those businesses to 
adjust to fashion changes on a timely basis; 

•   closing of department stores that anchor malls; 

•   competition; 

•   declining mall traffic due to changing customer preferences in the way they shop; 

•   timing of holidays including sales tax holidays and the timing of tax refunds; 

•   general regional and national economic conditions; 

•   inclement weather; 

•   changes in our merchandise mix; 

•   our ability to distribute merchandise efficiently to our stores; 

•   timing and type of sales events, promotional activities or other advertising; 

•   other external events beyond our control; 

•   our ability to adapt to changing customer preferences in the ways they digitally shop; 

•   new merchandise introductions; and 

•   our ability to execute our business strategy effectively. 

Our comparable sales have fluctuated in the past, and we believe such fluctuations may continue. The unpredictability of 
our  comparable  sales  may  cause  our  revenue  and  results  of  operations  to  vary  from  quarter  to  quarter,  and  an 
unanticipated change in revenues or operating income may cause our stock price to fluctuate significantly. 

16 

 
 
 
 
 
We  are  subject  to  regulatory  proceedings  and  litigation  and  to  regulatory  changes  that  could  have  an  adverse 
effect on our financial condition and results of operations. 

We  are  party  to  certain  lawsuits,  governmental  investigations,  and  regulatory  proceedings,  including  the  proceedings 
arising  out  of  alleged  environmental  contamination  relating  to  historical  operations  of  the  Company  and  various  suits 
involving  current  operations  as  disclosed  in  Item  3,  "Legal  Proceedings"  and  Note  13  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements.  If these or similar matters are resolved against us, our results of operations, our cash flows, or our financial 
condition could be adversely affected. The costs of defending such lawsuits and responding to such investigations and 
regulatory  proceedings  may  be  substantial  and  their  potential  to  distract  management  from  day-to-day  business  is 
significant.  Moreover,  with  retail  operations  in  50  states,  Puerto  Rico,  Canada,  the  United  Kingdom,  the  Republic  of 
Ireland and Germany, we are subject to federal, state, provincial, territorial, local and foreign regulations, which impose 
costs and risks on our business. Numerous states and  municipalities as  well as the federal government of the U.S. are 
proposing  or  implementing  changes  to  minimum  wage,  overtime,  employee  leave,  and  other  requirements  that  will 
increase costs. Changes in regulations could make compliance more difficult and costly, and violations could result in 
liability for damages or penalties. 

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

Our performance depends largely on the efforts and abilities of members of our management team. Our executives have 
substantial experience and expertise in our business and have made significant contributions to our growth and success. 
The  unexpected  future  loss  of  services  of  one  or  more  key  members  of  our  management  team  could  have  an  adverse 
effect  on  our  business.  In  addition,  future  performance  will  depend  upon  our  ability  to  attract,  retain  and  motivate 
qualified employees, including store personnel and field management. If we are unable to do so, our ability to meet our 
operating  goals  may  be  compromised.  Finally,  our  stores  are  decentralized,  are  managed  through  a  network  of 
geographically dispersed management personnel and historically experience a high degree of turnover. If we are for any 
reason unable to maintain appropriate controls on store operations due to turnover or other reasons, including the ability 
to  control  losses  resulting  from  inventory  and  cash  shrinkage,  our  sales  and  operating  margins  may  be  adversely 
affected. There can be no assurance that we will be able to attract and retain the personnel we need in the future. 

Goodwill  recorded  with  acquisitions  is  subject  to  impairment  which  could  reduce  the  Company's 
profitability. 

Deterioration in the Company’s market value, whether related to the Company’s operating performance or to disruptions 
in  the  equity  markets  or  deterioration  in  the  operating  performance  of  the  business  unit  with  which  goodwill  is 
associated, could require the Company to recognize the impairment of some or all of the $271.2 million of goodwill on 
its Consolidated Balance Sheets at January 28, 2017, resulting in the reduction of net assets and a corresponding non-
cash charge to earnings in the amount of the impairment. 

In connection  with acquisitions, the Company records goodwill on its  Consolidated Balance Sheets.  This asset is  not 
amortized but is subject to an impairment test at least annually,  which consists of either  a qualitative  assessment on a 
reporting  unit  level,  or  a  two-step  impairment  test  if  necessary,  that  is  based  on  projected  future  cash  flows  from  the 
acquired business discounted at a rate commensurate with the risk the Company considers to be inherent in its current 
business  model.   The  Company  performs  the  impairment  test  annually  at  the  beginning  of  its  fourth  quarter,  or  more 
frequently if events or circumstances indicate that the value of the asset might be impaired. 

Pension  funding  and  costs  are  dependent  upon  several  economic  assumptions  which  if  changed  may  cause  our 
future earnings and cash flow to fluctuate significantly. 

The impact of our pension plan on our U.S. generally accepted accounting principles earnings may be volatile in that the 
amount of expense we record for our pension plan may materially change from year to year because those calculations 
are sensitive to funding levels as well as changes in several key economic assumptions, including interest rates, rates of 

17 

 
 
 
 
 
 
return on plan assets, and other actuarial assumptions including participant mortality estimates. Changes in these factors 
also  affect  our  plan  funding,  cash  flow  and  shareholders’  equity.  In  addition,  the  funding  of  our  pension  plan  may  be 
subject to changes caused by legislative or regulatory actions. 

We will make contributions to fund the pension plan when considered necessary or advantageous to do so. The macro-
economic factors discussed above, including the return on assets and the minimum funding requirements established by 
government funding or taxing authorities, or established by other agreement, may influence future funding requirements. 
A  significant  decline  in  the  fair  value  of  the  assets  in  our  pension  plan,  or  other  adverse  changes  to  our  pension  plan 
could require us to make significant funding contributions and affect cash flows in future periods. 

ITEM 1B, UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS 

None. 

ITEM 2, PROPERTIES 

See Item 1, "Business — Properties". 

18 

 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 3, LEGAL PROCEEDINGS 

Environmental Matters 
New York State Environmental Matters 
In  August  1997,  the  New  York  State  Department  of  Environmental  Conservation  (“NYSDEC”)  and  the  Company 
entered into a consent order whereby the Company assumed responsibility for conducting a remedial investigation and 
feasibility study (“RIFS”) and implementing an interim remedial measure (“IRM”) with regard to the site of a knitting 
mill operated by a former subsidiary of the Company from 1965 to 1969.  The United States Environmental Protection 
Agency  (“EPA”),  which  assumed  primary  regulatory  responsibility  for  the  site  from  NYSDEC,  issued  a  Record  of 
Decision in September 2007.  The Record of Decision specified a remedy of a combination of groundwater extraction 
and treatment and in-situ chemical oxidation. 

In  September  2015,  the  EPA  adopted  an  amendment  to  the  Record  of  Decision  eliminating  the  separate  ground-water 
extraction and treatment systems and the  use of in-situ oxidation from the remedy adopted in the  Record of Decision.  
The  amendment  provides  for  the  continued  operation  and  maintenance  of  the  existing  wellhead  treatment  systems  on 
wells operated by the Village of Garden City, New York (the "Village").  It also requires the Company to perform certain 
ongoing monitoring, operation and maintenance activities and to reimburse EPA's future oversight cost, involving future 
costs to the Company estimated at $1.7 million to $2.0 million, and to reimburse EPA for approximately $1.25 million of 
interim oversight costs.  On August 15, 2016, the Court entered a Consent Judgment implementing the remedy provided 
for by the amendment. 

The Village additionally asserted that the Company is liable for the costs associated with enhanced treatment required by 
the  impact  of  the  groundwater  plume  from  the  site  on  two  public  water  supply  wells,  including  historical  total  costs 
ranging from approximately $1.8 million to in excess of $2.5 million, and future operation and maintenance costs which 
the Village estimated at $126,400 annually while the enhanced treatment continues.  On December 14, 2007, the Village 
filed  a  complaint  (the  "Village  Lawsuit")  against  the  Company  and  the  owner  of  the  property  under  the  Resource 
Conservation  and  Recovery  Act  (“RCRA”),  the  Safe  Drinking  Water  Act,  and  the  Comprehensive  Environmental 
Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) as well as  a number of state law theories in the U.S. District 
Court for the Eastern District of New York, seeking an injunction requiring the defendants to remediate contamination 
from the site and to establish their liability for future costs that may be incurred in connection with it. 

In June 2016 the Company and the Village reached an agreement providing for the Village to continue to operate and 
maintain the well head treatment systems in accordance with the Record of Decision and to release its claims against the 
Company asserted in the Village Lawsuit in exchange for a lump-sum payment of $10.0 million by the Company.  On 
August 25, 2016, the Village Lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.  The cost of the settlement with the Village and the 
estimated costs associated with the Company's compliance with the Consent Judgment were covered by the Company's 
existing provision for the site.  The settlement with the Village did not have, and the Company expects that the Consent 
Judgment will not have, a material effect on its financial condition or results of operations. 

In  April  2015,  the  Company  received  from  EPA  a  Notice  of  Potential  Liability  and  Demand  for  Costs  pursuant  to 
CERCLA  regarding  the  site  in  Gloversville,  New York  of  a  former  leather  tannery  operated  by  the  Company  and  by 
other, unrelated parties.  The Notice demanded payment of approximately $2.2 million of response costs claimed by EPA 
to have been incurred to conduct assessments and removal activities at the site. In February 2017, the Company and EPA 
entered  into  a  settlement  agreement  resolving  EPA's  claim  for  past  response  costs  in  exchange  for  a  payment  by  the 
Company of $1.5  million.  The  Company's environmental  insurance carrier has agreed to reimburse the Company  for 
75% of the settlement amount, subject to a $500,000 self-insured retention. The Company does not expect that the matter 
will have a material effect on its financial condition or results of operations. 

Whitehall Environmental Matters 
The  Company  has  performed  sampling  and  analysis  of  soil,  sediments,  surface  water,  groundwater  and  waste 
management areas at the Company's former Volunteer Leather Company facility in Whitehall, Michigan. 

19 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
In  October  2010,  the  Company  and  the  Michigan  Department  of  Natural  Resources  and  Environment  entered  into  a 
Consent Decree providing for implementation of a remedial Work Plan for the facility site designed to bring the site into 
compliance  with  applicable  regulatory  standards.    The  Work  Plan's  implementation  is  substantially  complete  and  the 
Company expects, based on its present understanding of the condition of the site, that its future obligations with respect 
to the site will be limited to periodic monitoring and that future costs related to the site should not have a material effect 
on its financial condition or results of operations. 

Accrual for Environmental Contingencies 
Related to all outstanding environmental contingencies, the Company had accrued $4.4 million as of January 28, 2017, 
$14.5  million  as  of  January  30,  2016  and  $14.1  million  as  of  January  31,  2015.    All  such  provisions  reflect  the 
Company's estimates of the most likely cost (undiscounted, including both current and noncurrent portions) of resolving 
the contingencies, based on facts and circumstances as of the time they were made.  The Company paid $10.0 million of 
the accrued total at January 30, 2016 in August 2016.  There is no assurance that relevant facts and circumstances will 
not change, necessitating future changes to the provisions.  Such contingent liabilities are included in the liability arising 
from  provision  for  discontinued  operations  on  the  accompanying  Condensed  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  because  it 
relates  to  former  facilities  operated  by  the  Company.    The  Company  has  made  pretax  accruals  for  certain  of  these 
contingencies,  including  approximately  $0.6  million  in  Fiscal  2017,    $0.8  million  in  Fiscal  2016  and  $2.8  million  in 
Fiscal 2015.  These charges are included in provision for discontinued operations, net in the Consolidated Statements of 
Operations and represent changes in estimates. 

Other Matters 
On February 22, 2017, a former employee of a subsidiary of the Company filed a putative class and collective action, 
Shumate v.  Genesco,  Inc.,  et al.,  in  the  U.S  district  Court  for  the  Southern  District  of  Ohio,  alleging  violations  of  the 
federal Fair Labor Standards Act and Ohio wages and hours leave including failure to pay minimum wages and overtime 
to the subsidiary's store managers and seeking back pay, damages, penalties, and declaratory and injunctive relief.  The 
Company disputes the material allegations in the complaint and intends to defend the matter. 

On April 30, 2015, an employee of a subsidiary of the Company filed an action, Stewart v. Hat World, Inc., et al., under 
the  California  Labor  Code  Private Attorneys  General Act  on  behalf  of  herself,  the  State  of  California,  and  other  non-
exempt,  hourly-paid employees of the  subsidiary in  California, seeking unspecified damages and penalties  for various 
alleged  violations  of  the  California  Labor  Code,  including  failure  to  pay  for  all  hours  worked,  minimum  wage  and 
overtime  violations,  failure  to  provide  required  meal  and  rest  periods,  failure  to  timely  pay  wages,  failure  to  provide 
complete and accurate wage statements, and failure to provide full reimbursement of business-related costs and expenses 
incurred in the course of employment.  The Company disputes the material allegations in the complaint and intends to 
defend the matter. 

On December 10, 2010, the Company announced that it had suffered a criminal intrusion into the portion of its computer 
network  that  processes  payments  for  transactions  in  certain  of  its  retail  stores.  Visa,  Inc.,  MasterCard  Worldwide  and 
American  Express  Travel  Related  Services  Company,  Inc.  asserted  claims    totaling  approximately  $15.6  million  in 
connection with the intrusion and the claims of two of the claimants have been collected by withholding payment card 
receivables  of  the  Company.    In  the  fourth  quarter  of  Fiscal  2013,  the  Company  recorded  a  $15.4  million  charge  to 
earnings in connection with the disputed liability.  On March 7, 2013, the Company filed an action in the U.S. District 
Court for the Middle District of Tennessee against Visa U.S.A. Inc., Visa Inc. and Visa International Service Association 
(collectively,  "Visa")  seeking  to  recover  $13.3  million  in  non-compliance  fines  and  issuer  reimbursement  assessments 
collected  from  the  Company  in  connection  with  the  intrusion.    In  May  2016,  the  Company  and  Visa  reached  an 
agreement  to  settle  the  litigation.    The  Company  recognized  a  pretax  gain  of  $9.0  million  in  connection  with  the 
settlement in the second quarter of Fiscal 2017. 

In  addition  to  the  matters  specifically  described  in  this  Item  3,  the  Company  is  a  party  to  other  legal  and  regulatory 
proceedings  and  claims  arising  in  the  ordinary  course  of  its  business.    While  management  does  not  believe  that  the 

20 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Company's  liability  with  respect  to  any  of  these  other  matters  is  likely  to  have  a  material  effect  on  its  financial 
statements, legal proceedings are subject to inherent uncertainties and unfavorable rulings could have a material adverse 
impact on the Company's financial statements. 

ITEM 4, MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES 

Not applicable. 

21 

 
 
 
 
ITEM 4A, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS OF THE REGISTRANT 
The  officers of the Company  are  generally elected at the  first  meeting of the Board of Directors following the annual 
meeting  of  shareholders  and  hold  office  until  their  successors  have  been  chosen  and  qualified  or  until  their  earlier 
resignation or removal. The name, age and office of each of the Company’s executive officers and certain information 
relating to the business experience of each are set forth below: 

Robert  J.  Dennis,  63,  Chairman,  President  and  Chief  Executive  Officer.  Mr. Dennis  joined  the  Company  in  2004  as 
chief executive officer of the Company’s acquired Hat World business. Mr. Dennis was named senior vice president of 
the Company in June 2004 and executive vice president and chief operating officer, with oversight responsibility for all 
the Company’s operating divisions, in October 2005. Mr. Dennis was named president of the Company in October 2006 
and chief executive officer in August 2008. Mr. Dennis was named chairman in February 2010, which became effective 
April 1,  2010.  Mr. Dennis  joined  Hat  World  in  2001  from  Asbury  Automotive,  where  he  was  employed  in  senior 
management roles beginning in 1998. Mr. Dennis  was  with McKinsey and Company, an international consulting firm, 
from 1984 to 1997, and became a partner in 1990. 

Mimi Eckel Vaughn, 50, Senior Vice President - Finance and Chief Financial Officer. Ms. Vaughn joined the Company 
in  September  2003  as  vice  president  of  strategy  and  business  development.  She  was  named  senior  vice  president, 
strategy and business development in October 2006, senior vice president of strategy and shared services in April 2009 
and  senior  vice  president  -  finance  and  chief  financial  officer  in  February  2015.  Prior  to  joining  the  Company, 
Ms. Vaughn was executive vice president of business development and marketing, and acting chief financial officer from 
2000  to  2001,  for  Link2Gov  Corporation  in  Nashville.  From  1993  to  1999,  she  was  a  consultant  at  McKinsey  and 
Company in Atlanta. 

David  E.  Baxter,  50,  Senior  Vice  President.  Mr. Baxter  joined  the  Company  in  June  2016  as  president  and  chief 
executive officer of the Lids Sports Group and a senior vice president of the Company.  From 2014 until he joined the 
Company  in  2016,  Mr.  Baxter  was  a  business  consultant  specializing  in  sports  licensing.  From  2006  to  2014,  he  was 
president, Sports Licensed Division, adidas/Reebok.  Mr. Baxter was named vice president, Sports Performance, adidas 
America in 2010. 

Jonathan D. Caplan, 63, Senior Vice President. Mr. Caplan rejoined the Company in 2002 as chief executive officer of 
the  branded  group  and  president  of  Johnston &  Murphy  and  was  named  senior  vice  president  of  the  Company  in 
November 2003. Mr. Caplan first joined the Company in June 1982 and served as president of Genesco’s Laredo-Code 
West division from December 1985 to May 1992. After that time, Mr. Caplan was president of Stride Rite’s Children’s 
Group and then its Ked’s Footwear division, from 1992 to 1996. He was vice president, new business development and 
strategy,  for  Service  Merchandise  Corporation  from  1997  to  1998.  Prior  to  rejoining  Genesco  in  October  2002, 
Mr. Caplan served as president and chief executive officer of Hi-Tec Sports North America beginning in 1998. 

James C. Estepa, 65, Senior Vice President. Mr. Estepa joined the Company in 1985 and in February 1996 was named 
vice  president  operations  of  Genesco  Retail,  which  included  the  Jarman  Shoe  Company,  Journeys,  Boot  Factory  and 
General Shoe Warehouse. Mr. Estepa  was  named senior vice president operations of Genesco Retail in June 1998. He 
was named president of Journeys in March 1999. Mr. Estepa was named senior vice president of the Company in April 
2000.  He  was  named  president  and  chief  executive  officer  of  the  Genesco  Retail  Group  in  2001,  assuming  additional 
responsibilities of overseeing the Company's former Underground Station segment. 

Roger G. Sisson, 53, Senior Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel. Mr. Sisson joined the Company in 1994 as 
assistant general counsel and was elected secretary  in February 1994. He was named general counsel in January 1996,  
vice president in November 2003, and senior vice president in October 2006. 

Parag D. Desai, 42, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Shared Services. Mr. Desai joined the Company in 2014 as 
senior  vice  president  of  strategy  and  shared  services.  Prior  to  joining  the  Company,  Mr. Desai  spent  14  years  with 

22 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
McKinsey and Company, including seven years as a partner. Previously, Mr. Desai also held business development and 
technology positions at Outpace Systems and Booz Allen & Hamilton. 

Paul  D.  Williams,  62,  Vice  President  and  Chief  Accounting  Officer.  Mr. Williams  joined  the  Company  in  1977,  was 
named director of corporate accounting and financial reporting in 1993 and chief accounting officer in April 1995. He 
was named vice president in October 2006. 

Matthew  N.  Johnson,  52,  Vice  President  and  Treasurer.  Mr. Johnson  joined  the  Company  in  1993  as  manager, 
corporate finance and was elected assistant treasurer in December 1993. He was elected treasurer in June 1996. He was 
named  vice  president  finance  in  October  2006  and  renamed  treasurer  in April  2011  after  a  period  of  service  as  chief 
financial officer of one of the Company's divisions. Prior to joining the Company, Mr. Johnson was a vice president in 
the corporate and institutional banking division of The First National Bank of Chicago. 

23 

 
 
 
PART II 

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

Market Information 

The  Company’s  common  stock  is  listed  on  the  New York  Stock  Exchange  (Symbol:  GCO).  The  following  table  sets 
forth  for  the  periods  indicated  the  high  and  low  sales  prices  of  the  common  stock  as  shown  in  the  New York  Stock 
Exchange Composite Transactions listed in the Wall Street Journal. 

Fiscal Year ended January 30, 2016 

       1st Quarter 
2nd Quarter 
3rd Quarter 
4th Quarter 

Fiscal Year ended January 28, 2017 

       1st Quarter 
2nd Quarter 
3rd Quarter 
4th Quarter 

$ 

$ 

High 

Low 

74.74     $ 
70.47    
65.78    
66.16    

65.59  
61.07  
54.03  
50.64  

High 

Low 

72.63     $ 
69.94    
74.21    
72.00    

60.81  
57.23  
47.66  
51.91  

There were approximately 2,400 common shareholders of record on March 10, 2017. 

The Company has not  paid cash dividends in respect of its Common Stock since 1973. The Company’s ability to pay 
cash dividends in respect of its common stock is subject to various restrictions. See Notes 6 and 8 to the Consolidated 
Financial  Statements  included  in  Item 8,  "Financial  Statements  and  Supplementary  Data"  and  Item  7,  “Management’s 
Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity and Capital Resources – Sources 
of Liquidity” for information regarding restrictions on dividends and redemptions of capital stock. 

Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities 

None. 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 

None. 

Equity Compensation Plan Information 

Refer to Part III, Item 12, "Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder 
Matters" included elsewhere in this report. 

24 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 6, SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 

Financial Summary 

In Thousands except per common share 
data, Financial Statistics and Other Data 
(End of Year) 

Results of Operations Data 
Net sales 

Depreciation and amortization 

Earnings from operations 

Earnings from continuing operations 
before income taxes 
Earnings from continuing operations 

Provision for discontinued 
operations, net 
Net earnings 

Per Common Share Data 
Earnings from continuing operations 

Basic 

Diluted 

Discontinued operations 

Basic 

Diluted 

Net earnings 

Basic 

Diluted 

2017 

2016 

2015 

2014 

2013 

Fiscal Year End 

$ 2,868,341  
75,768  
141,960  

  $  3,022,234  
79,011  
151,251  

  $  2,859,844  
74,326  
167,266  

  $  2,624,972  
67,135  
163,435  

  $  2,604,817  
63,697  
169,863  

151,414 
97,859  

151,533 
95,381  

156,989 
99,373  

158,860 
92,982  

164,832 
112,897  

(428 )   

(812 )   

$ 

97,431  

  $ 

94,569  

  $ 

(1,648 )   
97,725  

  $ 

(329 )   

92,653  

(462 ) 
  $  112,435  

$ 

  $ 

4.87  
4.85  

  $ 

4.17  
4.15  

  $ 

4.23  
4.19  

  $ 

3.99  
3.94  

4.78  
4.69  

(0.02 )   
(0.02 )   

(0.04 )   

(0.04 )   

(0.07 )   

(0.07 )   

(0.01 )   

(0.02 )   

4.85  
4.83  

4.13  
4.11  

4.16  
4.12  

3.98  
3.92  

(0.02 ) 

(0.01 ) 

4.76  
4.68  

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Data   
Total assets 

Long-term debt 

Non-redeemable preferred stock 

Common equity 

Capital expenditures 

Financial Statistics 
Earnings from operations as a 
percent of net sales 
Book value per share (common 
equity divided by common shares 
outstanding) 

Working capital (in thousands) 

Current ratio 

Percent long-term debt to total 
capitalization 

Other Data (End of Year) 
Number of retail outlets* 

Number of employees 

$ 1,448,906  
82,905  
1,060  
919,993  
93,970  

  $  1,541,190  
111,765  
1,077  
954,079  
100,652  

  $  1,582,890  
28,958  
1,274  
995,533  
103,111  

  $  1,438,987  
33,433  
1,305  
914,885  
98,456  

  $  1,325,976  
50,586  
3,924  
817,936  
71,737  

4.9 %  

5.0 %  

5.8 %  

6.2 %  

6.5 % 

$ 
46.31 
$  428,781  
2.4  

  $ 
43.70 
  $  476,469  
2.5  

  $ 
41.43 
  $  441,742  
2.1  

  $ 
38.25 
  $  451,297  
2.5  

  $ 
34.09 
  $  407,073  
2.5  

8.2 %  

10.5 %  

2.8 %  

3.5 %  

5.8 % 

2,794  
27,200  

2,852  
27,500  

2,824  
27,325  

2,568  
22,250  

2,459  
22,700  

*  Includes 36 Little Burgundy stores added in Fiscal 2016 that were acquired on November 3, 2015.  Also includes 
151,185, 190 and 26 Locker Room by Lids leased departments in Macy's stores in Fiscal 2017, 2016, 2015 and 
2014, respectively. 

25 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Reflected in earnings from continuing operations for Fiscal 2017 was a gain of $12.3 million from the sale of SureGrip 
Footwear and a gain of $2.4 million from the sale of Lids Team Sports, for Fiscal 2016 was a gain of $4.7 million from the sale 
of Lids Team Sports and for Fiscal 2015 was a charge of $7.1 million for an indemnification asset write-off. 

Also reflected in earnings from continuing operations for Fiscal 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014 and 2013 were asset impairment and 
other charges (gains) of ($0.8) million, $7.9 million, $2.3 million, $1.3 million and $17.0 million, respectively. See Note 3 to 
the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding these charges. 

Long-term debt includes current obligations. See Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information 
regarding the Company’s debt.* 

The Company has not paid dividends on its Common Stock since 1973. See Notes 6 and 8 to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements and Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Liquidity 
and Capital Resources – Sources of Liquidity” for a description of limitations on the Company’s ability to pay dividends. 

*In accordance with ASU 2015-03, "Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs", the Company has reclassified its 
deferred financing costs for term loans from other noncurrent assets to long-term debt on a retrospective basis.  In connection 
with the adoption of ASU 2015-03, deferred financing costs of $0.3 million, $0.2 million, $0.3 million and $0.1 million as of 
January 30, 2016, January 31, 2015, February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, respectively, were reclassified to long-term debt 
from noncurrent assets. 

26 

 
 
 
ITEM 7, MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF 
OPERATIONS 

Forward Looking Statements 
This  discussion  and  the  notes  to  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements,  as  well  as  Item 1, "Business",  include  certain 
forward-looking  statements,  which  include  statements  regarding  our  intent,  belief  or  expectations  and  all  statements 
other than those made solely with respect to historical fact. Actual results could differ materially from those reflected by 
the  forward-looking  statements  in  this  discussion  and  a  number  of  factors  may  adversely  affect  the  forward-looking 
statements and the Company’s future results, liquidity, capital resources or prospects. These include, but are not limited 
to, the  level and timing of promotional activity necessary to maintain inventories at appropriate levels, the timing and 
amount of non-cash asset impairments related to retail store fixed assets and intangible assets of acquired businesses, the 
effectiveness  of  our  omnichannel  initiatives,  costs  associated  with  changes  in  minimum  wage  and  overtime 
requirements, the level of chargebacks from credit card users for fraudulent purchases or other reasons, weakness in the 
consumer  economy  and  retail  industry,  competition  in  the  Company’s  markets,  fashion  trends  that  affect  the  sales  or 
product  margins  of  the  Company’s  retail  product  offerings,  weakness  in  shopping  mall  traffic  and  challenges  to  the 
viability of malls where the Company operates stores, related to planned closings of department stores or other factors, 
the imposition of tariffs on imported products or the disallowance of tax deductions on imported products, changes in 
buying  patterns  by  significant  wholesale  customers,  bankruptcies  or  deterioration  in  financial  condition  of  significant 
wholesale customers or the inability of wholesale customers or consumers to obtain credit, disruptions in product supply 
or  distribution,  unfavorable  trends  in  fuel  costs,  foreign  exchange  rates,  foreign  labor  and  material  costs,  and  other 
factors affecting the cost of products, the effects of the British decision to exit the European Union, including potential 
effects  on  consumer  demand,  currency  exchange  rates,  and  the  supply  chain,  the  Company’s  ability  to  continue  to 
complete and integrate acquisitions, expand its business and diversify its product base, changes in the timing of holidays 
or in the onset of seasonal weather affecting period-to-period sales comparisons, and the performance of athletic teams, 
the participants in major sporting events such as the Super Bowl and World Series, developments with respect to certain 
individual  athletes,  and  other  sports-related  events  or  changes  that  may  affect  period-to-period  comparisons  in  the 
Company's Lids Sports Group retail businesses. Additional factors that could affect the Company’s prospects and cause 
differences from expectations include the ability  to build, open, staff and support additional retail stores and to renew 
leases in existing stores and control occupancy costs, and to conduct required remodeling or refurbishment on schedule 
and at expected expense levels, deterioration in the performance of individual businesses or of the Company’s  market 
value relative to its book value, resulting in impairments of fixed assets or intangible assets or other adverse financial 
consequences,  unexpected  changes  to  the  market  for  the  Company’s  shares,  variations  from  expected  pension-related 
charges  caused  by  conditions  in  the  financial  markets,  disruptions  in  the  Company's  information  technology  systems 
either  by  security  breaches  and  incidents  or  by  potential  problems  associated  with  the  implementation  of  new  or 
upgraded  systems,  and  the  cost  and  outcome  of  litigation,  investigations  and  environmental  matters  involving  the 
Company. For a full discussion of risk factors, see Item 1A, "Risk Factors". 

Overview 

Description of Business 

The  Company’s  business  includes  the  sourcing  and  design,  marketing  and  distribution  of  footwear  and  accessories 
through  retail  stores,  including  Journeys®,  Journeys  Kidz®,  Shi  by  Journeys®,  Little  Burgundy®,  Underground  by 
Journeys®  and  Johnston &  Murphy®  in  the  U.S.,  Puerto  Rico  and  Canada  and  through  Schuh®  stores  in  the  United 
Kingdom,  the  Republic  of  Ireland  and  Germany,  and  through  e-commerce  websites  and  catalogs,  and  at  wholesale, 
primarily  under  the  Company’s  Johnston &  Murphy®  brand,  the  H.S.Trask®  brand,  the  licensed  Dockers®  brand,  and 
other brands that the Company licenses for men’s footwear. The Company’s wholesale footwear brands are distributed to 
more than 1,225 retail accounts in the United States, including a number of leading department, discount, and specialty 
stores. The Company’s business also includes Lids Sports, which operates (i) headwear and accessory stores under the 
Lids®  name  and  other  names  in  the  U.S.,  Puerto  Rico  and  Canada,  (ii) the  Lids  Locker  Room  and  Lids  Clubhouse 
businesses, consisting of sports-oriented fan shops featuring a broad array of licensed merchandise such as apparel, hats 
and accessories, sports decor and novelty products, operating under various trade names, (iii) licensed team merchandise 
departments  in Macy's department stores operated under the name   Locker  Room  by  Lids and on  macys.com under  a 

27 

 
license  agreement  with Macy's, and (iv) e-commerce operations.  Including both the  footwear businesses and the Lids 
Sports  business,  at  January  28,  2017,  the  Company  operated  2,794  retail  stores  and  leased  departments  in  the  U.S., 
Puerto Rico, Canada, the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Germany. 

During  Fiscal  2017,  the  Company  operated  five  reportable  business  segments  (not  including  corporate):  (i) Journeys 
Group,  comprised  of  Journeys,  Journeys  Kidz,  Shi  by  Journeys,  Little  Burgundy  and  Underground  by  Journeys  retail 
footwear  chains,  e-commerce  operations  and  catalog;  (ii) Schuh  Group,  comprised  of  the  Schuh  retail  footwear  chain 
and  e-commerce  operations;  (iii) Lids  Sports  Group,  comprised  as  described  in  the  preceding  paragraph  (An  athletic 
team  dealer  business  operating  as  Lids  Team  Sports  was  sold  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  Fiscal  2016.)  (iv) Johnston & 
Murphy Group, comprised of Johnston & Murphy retail operations, e-commerce operations and catalog and wholesale 
distribution  of  products  under  the  Johnston  &  Murphy  and  Trask  brands;  and  (v) Licensed  Brands,  comprised  of 
Dockers® Footwear, sourced and marketed under a license from Levi Strauss & Company; SureGrip® Footwear, which 
was sold in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2017; G.H. Bass Footwear operated under a license from G-III Apparel Group, 
Ltd.; and other brands. 

The Journeys retail footwear stores sell footwear and accessories primarily for 13 to 22 year old men and women. The 
stores  average  approximately  2,050  square  feet.  The  Journeys  Kidz  retail  footwear  stores  sell  footwear  primarily  for 
younger children, ages five to 12. These stores average approximately 1,500 square feet. Shi by Journeys retail footwear 
stores  sell  footwear  and  accessories  to  fashion-conscious  women  in  their  early  20’s  to  mid  30’s. These  stores  average 
approximately 2,150 square feet. The Journeys Group stores are primarily in malls and factory outlet centers throughout 
the  United  States,  Puerto  Rico  and  Canada.  The  Company's  Canadian  subsidiary  acquired  the  Little  Burgundy  retail 
footwear chain in Canada during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2016.  Little Burgundy is being operated under the Journeys 
Group.  Little Burgundy retail footwear stores sell footwear and accessories to fashion-oriented men and women in the 
18 to 34 age group ranging from students to young professionals.  These stores average approximately 1,900 square feet.  
With the 36 Little Burgundy stores, Journeys Group now operates 80 stores in Canada.  Journeys also sells footwear and 
accessories through direct-to-consumer catalog and e-commerce operations. 

The  Schuh  retail  footwear  stores  sell  a  broad  range  of  branded  casual  and  athletic  footwear  along  with  a  meaningful 
private label offering primarily for 15 to 30 year old men and women. The stores, which average approximately 4,875 
square feet, include both street-level and mall locations in the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Germany. 
During the second quarter of Fiscal 2017, the Schuh Group opened its third Schuh store in Germany.  The Schuh Group 
now operates three stores in Germany.  The Schuh Group also sells footwear through e-commerce operations. 

The  Lids  Sports  Group  includes  stores  and  kiosks,  primarily  under  the  Lids  banner,  that  sell  licensed  and  branded 
headwear  to  men  and  women  primarily  in  the  early-teens  to  mid-20’s  age  group.  The  Lids  store  locations  average 
approximately  875  square  feet  and  are  primarily  in  malls,  airports,  street-level  stores  and  factory  outlet  centers 
throughout the United States, Puerto Rico and Canada. The Lids Sports Group also operates Lids Locker Room and Lids 
Clubhouse stores under a number of trade names, selling licensed sports headwear, apparel and accessories to sports fans 
of all ages in locations averaging approximately 2,800 square feet in malls and other locations primarily in the United 
States. The  Lids Sports Group operates 147 stores in Canada.  The Lids Sports Group also operates Locker Room by 
Lids  leased  departments  in  Macy's  department  stores  selling  headwear,  apparel,  accessories  and  novelties  from  an 
assortment of college and professional teams specific to particular Macy's department stores' geographic locations.  As of 
January 28, 2017, the Company had 151 Locker Room by Lids leased departments averaging approximately 675 square 
feet. The Lids Sports Group also sells headwear and accessories through e-commerce operations. In addition, the Lids 
Sports Group operated Lids Team Sports, an athletic team dealer business that was sold in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 
2016. 

Johnston & Murphy retail shops sell a broad range of men’s footwear, apparel and accessories. Women’s footwear and 
accessories  are  sold  in  select  Johnston &  Murphy  retail  locations.  Johnston &  Murphy  shops  average  approximately 
1,575 square feet and are located primarily in better malls and in airports throughout the United States and in Canada. As 
of  January  28,  2017,  Johnston  &  Murphy  operated  seven  stores  in  Canada.    The  Company  also  has  license  and 
distribution agreements for wholesale and retail sales of Johnston & Murphy products in various non - U.S. jurisdictions.  
The Company also sells Johnston & Murphy footwear and accessories in factory stores, averaging approximately 2,400 

28 

 
square  feet,  located in factory outlet  malls, and through a  direct-to-consumer catalog and e-commerce operations.   In 
addition,  Johnston &  Murphy  shoes  are  distributed  through  the  Company’s  wholesale  operations  to  better  department 
and independent specialty stores.  Additionally, the Company sells the Trask brand, with men's and women's footwear 
and leather accessories distributed to better independent retailers and department stores. 

The Licensed Brands segment markets casual and dress casual footwear under the licensed Dockers® brand to men aged 
30 to 55 through many of the same national retail chains that carry Dockers slacks and sportswear and in department and 
specialty stores across the country. The Company entered into an exclusive license with Levi Strauss & Co. to market 
men’s footwear in the United States under the Dockers brand name in 1991. Levi Strauss & Co. and the Company have 
subsequently added additional territories, including Canada and Mexico and certain other Latin American countries. The 
Dockers  license  agreement  has  been  renewed  for  a  term  expiring  November  30,  2018.  The  Company  sold  SureGrip 
Footwear,  a  slip-resistant  occupational  footwear  business  operated  within  the  Licensed  Brands  segment  since  Fiscal 
2011,  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  Fiscal  2017. The  Company  also  sells  footwear  under  other  licenses  and  in  March  2015 
entered  into  a  License Agreement  to  source  and  distribute  certain  men's  and  women's  footwear  under  the  G.H.  Bass 
trademark and related marks. 

Strategy 

The  Company’s  long-term  strategy  has  been  to  seek  organic  growth  by:  1)  increasing  the  Company’s  store  base,  2) 
increasing  retail  square  footage,  3)  improving  comparable  sales,  both  in  stores  and  digital  commerce,  4)  increasing 
operating  margin  and  5)  enhancing  the  value  of  its  brands.   As  a  result  of  the  degree  of  penetration  of  many  of  our 
concepts  in  their  current  geographic  markets  and  the  increasing  trend  of  consumer  purchases  through  e-commerce 
channels,  the  Company  anticipates  opening  fewer  new  stores  in  the  future  as  well  as  closing  certain  stores,  perhaps 
reducing  the  overall  square  footage  from  current  levels,  and  has  enhanced  its  investments  in  technology  and 
infrastructure to support omnichannel retailing. 

To supplement its organic growth potential, the Company has made acquisitions, including the acquisition of the Schuh 
Group  in  June  2011,  Little  Burgundy  in  December  2015,  and  several  smaller  acquisitions  of  businesses  in  the  Lids 
Sports Group's markets, and expects to consider acquisition opportunities, either to augment its existing businesses or to 
enter  new  businesses  that  it  considers  compatible  with  its  existing  businesses,  core  expertise  and  strategic  profile. 
Acquisitions  involve  a  number  of  risks,  including,  among  others,  inaccurate  valuation  of  the  acquired  business,  the 
assumption  of  undisclosed  liabilities,  the  failure  to  integrate  the  acquired  business  appropriately,  and  distraction  of 
management  from  existing  businesses.  The  Company  seeks  to  mitigate  these  risks  by  applying  appropriate  financial 
metrics  in  its  valuation  analysis  and  developing  and  executing  plans  for  due  diligence  and  integration  that  are 
appropriate to each acquisition.  The Company also seeks appropriate opportunities to extend existing brands and retail 
concepts.  For example, the Schuh Group opened its third Schuh store in Germany in the second quarter of Fiscal 2017.  
The Company typically tests such extensions on a relatively small scale to determine their viability and to refine their 
strategies and operations before making significant, long-term commitments. 

More  generally, the Company attempts to develop strategies to  mitigate  the  risks  it views as  material, including  those 
discussed  under  the  caption  “Forward  Looking  Statements,”  above,  and  those  discussed  in  Item 1A,  "Risk  Factors". 
Among the most important of these factors are those related to consumer demand. Conditions in the economy can affect 
demand, resulting in changes in sales and, as prices are adjusted to drive sales and manage inventories, in gross margins. 
Because fashion trends influencing many of the Company’s target customers can change rapidly, the Company believes 
that its ability to react quickly to those changes has been important to its success. Even when the Company succeeds in 
aligning  its  merchandise  offerings  with  consumer  preferences,  those  preferences  may  affect  results  by,  for  example, 
driving  sales  of  products  with  lower  average  selling  prices  or  products  which  are  more  widely  available  in  the 
marketplace and thus  more subject to competitive  pressures than the Company's typical offering. Moreover, economic 
factors, such as persistent unemployment and any future economic contraction and changes in tax policies, may reduce 
the  consumer’s  disposable  income  or  his  or  her  willingness  to  purchase  discretionary  items,  and  thus  may  reduce 
demand  for  the  Company’s  merchandise,  regardless  of  the  Company’s  skill  in  detecting  and  responding  to  fashion 
trends. The Company believes its experience and discipline in merchandising and the buying power associated with its 

29 

 
relative size and importance in the industry segments in which it competes are important to its ability to mitigate risks 
associated with changing customer preferences and other changes in consumer demand. 

Summary of Results of Operations 

The  Company’s  net  sales  decreased  5.1%  during  Fiscal  2017  compared  to  Fiscal  2016. The  decrease  reflected  a  13% 
decrease in Lids Sports Group sales, reflecting the sale of the Lids Team Sports business in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 
2016,  an  8%  decrease  in  Schuh  Group  sales,  reflecting  primarily  the  depreciation  in  the  British  Pound,  and  a  3% 
decrease in Licensed Brands sales, partially offset by a 4% increase in Johnston & Murphy Group sales, while Journeys 
Group  sales  remained  flat  for  Fiscal  2017.  Gross  margin  increased  as  a  percentage  of  net  sales  from  47.8%  in  Fiscal 
2016 to 49.4% in Fiscal 2017, reflecting gross margin increases as a percentage of net sales in Schuh Group, Lids Sports 
Group  and  Johnston  &  Murphy  Group,  partially  offset  by  decreased  gross  margin  as  a  percentage  of  net  sales  in 
Journeys Group and Licensed Brands.  Selling and administrative expenses increased as a percentage of net sales from 
42.5%  in  Fiscal  2016  to  44.5%  in  Fiscal  2017,  reflecting  increased  expenses  as  a  percentage  of  net  sales  in  Journeys 
Group, Lids Sports Group, Licensed Brands and Corporate, partially offset by decreased expenses as a percentage of net 
sales in Schuh Group and Johnston & Murphy Group. Earnings from operations decreased as a percentage of net sales 
from 5.0% in Fiscal 2016 to 4.9% in Fiscal 2017, reflecting decreased earnings in Journeys Group and Licensed Brands, 
partially  offset  by  improved  earnings  from  operations  in  Schuh  Group,  Lids  Sports  Group  and  Johnston  &  Murphy 
Group. 

Significant Developments 

Sale of SureGrip Footwear 

On December 25, 2016, the Company completed the sale of all the stock of the Company's subsidiary, Keuka Footwear, 
Inc.,  that  operates  the  SureGrip  occupational,  slip-resistant  footwear  business,  operated  within  the  Licensed  Brands 
Group,  to  Shoes  for  Crews,  LLC.    The  Company  recognized  a  gain  on  the  sale,  in  Fiscal  2017,  estimated  at  $12.3 
million, net of transaction-related expenses before tax and subject to post-closing working capital adjustments. 

Pension Plan Partial Buyout 

In June 2016, the Company's board of directors authorized an offer to vested former employees and active employees 
over the age of 62 in the Company's defined benefits pension plan to buy out their future benefits under the plan for a 
lump sum cash payment.  The Company made the buyout offer in the third quarter of Fiscal 2017, and completed it in 
the  fourth  quarter  of  Fiscal  2017.  The  Company  incurred  a  one-time  charge  to  earnings  of  $2.5  million  in  the  fourth 
quarter of Fiscal 2017 in connection with the pension plan buyout.  The Company initiated the buyout offer in an effort 
to lower the Company's risk exposure to the pension plan by lowering the Plan's assets and liabilities. 

Sale of Lids Team Sports Business 

On  January  19,  2016,  the  Company  completed  the  sale  of  the  assets  of  the  Lids  Team  Sports  business,  which  has 
operated within its Lids Sports Group segment, to BSN Sports, LLC.  In Fiscal 2016, the Company recognized a gain on 
the  sale  estimated  at  $4.7  million,  net  of  transaction-related  expenses  before  tax.  In  Fiscal  2017,  the  Company 
recognized  an  additional  pretax  gain  of  $2.4  million  on  the  sale  of  Lids  Team  Sports  related  to  final  working  capital 
adjustments. The sale of Lids Team Sports is not a strategic shift that will have a major effect on operations and financial 
results,  and therefore this business has not been presented as a discontinued operation in the Company's Consolidated 
Financial Statements. 

30 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Indemnification Asset Write-off 
During the third quarter of Fiscal 2015, the  Company recorded a pretax charge of $7.1 million for the  write-off of an 
indemnification asset related to formerly uncertain tax positions taken by Schuh at the time of the Company's acquisition 
of Schuh, which were favorably resolved during the third quarter of Fiscal 2015. 

Change in EVA Incentive Plan 
Under the Company's EVA Incentive Plan, bonus awards in excess of a specified cap in any one year were retained and 
paid  over  three  subsequent  years,  subject  to  reduction  or  elimination  by  deteriorating  financial  performance  and 
historically  were subject to forfeiture  if the  participant voluntarily resigns  from employment  with the Company.  As a 
result,  the  bonus  awards  were  subject  to  service  conditions  that  resulted  in  recognition  of  expense  over  the  period  of 
service by the respective employee.  During the first quarter of Fiscal 2015,  the Company amended the plan to remove 
the future service requirement for the payment of the retained bonuses.  As a result, the bonus expense that would have 
been deferred under the previous plan terms is now recognized in the first year of service.  The Company recorded a $5.7 
million charge to earnings in the first quarter of Fiscal 2015 in connection with the amendment related to bonus amounts 
previously deferred to future years. 

Acquisitions 
During Fiscal 2016, the Company completed the acquisition of Little Burgundy, a small retail footwear chain in Canada 
for a total purchase price of $35.1 million.  The stores acquired are operated within the Journeys Group.  During Fiscal 
2015, the Company completed acquisitions of primarily small retail chains and one small wholesale business for a total 
purchase  price  of  $34.9  million.  The  stores  acquired  in  Fiscal  2015  are  operated  within  the  Lids  Sports  Group.    The 
wholesale business acquired in Fiscal 2015 was operated within Lids Team Sports, which was sold on January 19, 2016. 

Asset Impairment and Other Charges 
The  Company  recorded  a  pretax  gain  to  earnings  of  $0.8  million  in  Fiscal  2017,  including  a  gain  of  $8.9  million  for 
network  intrusion  expenses  as  a  result  of  a  litigation  settlement  and  a  gain  of  $0.8  million  for  other  legal  matters, 
partially offset by $6.4 million for retail store asset impairments and $2.5 million for pension settlement expense. 

The Company recorded a pretax charge to earnings of $7.9 million in Fiscal 2016, including $3.1 million for retail store 
asset impairments, $2.5 million for asset write-downs,  $2.2 million for network intrusion expenses and $0.1 million for 
other legal matters. 

The Company recorded a pretax charge to earnings of $2.3 million in Fiscal 2015, including $3.1 million for network 
intrusion expenses, $1.9 million for retail store asset impairments and $0.7 million for other legal matters, partially offset 
by a $3.4 million gain on a lease termination of a Lids store. 

Postretirement Benefit Liability Adjustments 
The return on pension plan assets was $12.5 million for Fiscal 2017, compared to an expected return of $5.6 million. The 
discount rate used to measure benefit obligations decreased from 4.30% to 3.95% in Fiscal 2017. As a result of the lump 
sums paid as part of the vested terminated pension plan buyout and higher than expected asset returns, partially offset by 
a  decrease  in  the  discount  rate,  the  pension  liability  reflected  in  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  decreased  to  $6.3 
million compared to $10.0 million at the end of Fiscal 2016. There was a decrease in the pension liability adjustment of 
$3.6 million (net of tax) in accumulated other comprehensive income in equity. Depending upon future interest rates and 
returns on plan assets and other factors, there can be no assurance that additional adjustments in future periods will not 
be required. 

Discontinued Operations 
In  Fiscal  2017,  Fiscal  2016  and  Fiscal  2015,  the  Company  recorded  an  additional  charge  to  earnings  of  $0.7  million 
($0.4 million net of tax), $1.3 million ($0.8 million net of tax) and $2.7 million ($1.6 million net of tax), respectively, 
reflected  in  discontinued  operations,  primarily  for  anticipated  costs  of  environmental  remedial  alternatives  related  to 

31 

 
 
 
 
 
former facilities operated by the Company.  For additional information, see Notes 3 and 13 to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements. 

Critical Accounting Policies 

Inventory Valuation 
As discussed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company values its inventories at the lower of cost 
or market. 

In  its  footwear  wholesale  operations  and  its  Schuh  Group  segment,  cost  is  determined  using  the  first-in,  first-out 
("FIFO") method. Market value is determined using a system of analysis which evaluates inventory at the stock number 
level based on factors such as inventory turn, average selling price, inventory level, and selling prices reflected in future 
orders for footwear wholesale. The Company provides reserves when the inventory has not been marked down to market 
value based on current selling prices or when the inventory is not turning and is not expected to turn at levels satisfactory 
to the Company. 

The  Lids  Sports  Group  segment  employs  the  moving  average  cost  method  for  valuing  inventories  and  applies  freight 
using an allocation method. The Company provides a valuation allowance for slow-moving inventory based on negative 
margins and estimated shrink based on historical experience and specific analysis, where appropriate. 

In its retail operations, other than the Schuh Group and Lids Sports Group segments, the Company employs the retail 
inventory  method,  applying  average  cost-to-retail  ratios  to  the  retail  value  of  inventories.  Under  the  retail  inventory 
method, valuing inventory at the lower of cost or market is achieved as markdowns are taken or accrued as a reduction 
of the retail value of inventories. 

Inherent  in  the  retail  inventory  method  are  subjective  judgments  and  estimates,  including  merchandise  mark-on, 
markups,  markdowns,  and  shrinkage.  These  judgments  and  estimates,  coupled  with  the  fact  that  the  retail  inventory 
method is an averaging process, could produce a range of cost figures. To reduce the risk of inaccuracy and to ensure 
consistent  presentation,  the  Company  employs  the  retail  inventory  method  in  multiple  subclasses  of  inventory  with 
similar  gross  margins,  and  analyzes  markdown  requirements  at  the  stock  number  level  based  on  factors  such  as 
inventory  turn,  average  selling  price,  and  inventory  age.  In  addition,  the  Company  accrues  markdowns  as  necessary. 
These additional markdown accruals reflect all of the above factors as well as current agreements to return products to 
vendors  and  vendor  agreements  to  provide  markdown  support.  In  addition  to  markdown  provisions,  the  Company 
maintains provisions for shrinkage and damaged goods based on historical rates. 

Inherent in the analysis of both wholesale and retail inventory valuation are subjective judgments about current market 
conditions,  fashion  trends,  and  overall  economic  conditions.  Failure  to  make  appropriate  conclusions  regarding  these 
factors  may  result  in  an  overstatement  or  understatement  of  inventory  value.  A  change  of  10%  from  the  recorded 
provisions for markdowns, shrinkage and damaged goods would have changed inventory by $1.6 million at January 28, 
2017. 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets 

As discussed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company periodically assesses the realizability of 
its  long-lived  assets,  other  than  goodwill,    and  evaluates  such  assets  for  impairment  whenever  events  or  changes  in 
circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Asset impairment is determined to 
exist  if  estimated  future  cash  flows,  undiscounted  and  without  interest  charges,  are  less  than  the  carrying  amount. 
Inherent  in  the  analysis  of  impairment  are  subjective  judgments  about  future  cash  flows.  Failure  to  make  appropriate 
conclusions  regarding  these  judgments  may  result  in  an  overstatement  or  understatement  of  the  value  of  long-lived 
assets. 

The goodwill impairment test involves performing a qualitative assessment, on a reporting unit level, based on current 
circumstances.  If the results of the qualitative assessment indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a 
reporting  unit  is  greater  than  its  carrying  amount,  a  two-step  impairment  test  will  not  be  performed.    However,  if  the 

32 

 
 
results of the qualitative assessment indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less 
than its carrying amount, then a two-step impairment test is performed.  Alternatively, the Company may elect to bypass 
the qualitative assessment and proceed directly to the two-step impairment test, on a reporting unit level. The first step is 
a  comparison  of  the  fair  value  and  carrying  value  of  the  business  unit  with  which  the  goodwill  is  associated.  The 
Company estimates fair value using the best information available, and computes the fair value derived by  an income 
approach  utilizing  discounted  cash  flow  projections.  The  income  approach  uses  a  projection  of  a  reporting  unit’s 
estimated  operating  results  and  cash  flows  that  is  discounted  using  a  weighted-average  cost  of  capital  that  reflects 
current market conditions. A key assumption in the Company’s fair value estimate is the weighted average cost of capital 
utilized for discounting its cash  flow projections in its income approach. The Company  believes the rate  it  used in its 
annual  test,  which  was  completed  at  the  beginning  of  the  fourth  quarter,  was  consistent  with  the  risks  inherent  in  its 
business  and  with  industry  discount  rates.  The  projection  uses  management’s  best  estimates  of  economic  and  market 
conditions  over  the  projected  period  including  growth  rates  in  sales,  costs,  estimates  of  future  expected  changes  in 
operating  margins  and  cash  expenditures.  Other  significant  estimates  and  assumptions  include  terminal  value  growth 
rates, future estimates of capital expenditures and changes in future working capital requirements. 

During the quarter ended January 28, 2017, the Company voluntarily changed the date of its annual goodwill impairment 
test and other intangible assets impairment test  from the  last day of the fiscal  year to the  first day of the  fourth  fiscal 
quarter.  This voluntary change is preferable under the circumstances as it aligns with the Company's five-year strategic 
planning cycle that is completed in early October.  This voluntary change in accounting principle was not made to delay, 
accelerate  or  avoid  an  impairment  charge.    This  change  is  not  applied  retrospectively  as  it  is  impracticable  to  do  so 
because retrospective application would require the application of significant estimates and assumptions with the use of 
hindsight.  Accordingly, the change will be applied prospectively. 

If the carrying value of the business unit is higher than its fair value, there is an indication that impairment may exist and 
the second step must be performed to measure the amount of impairment loss. The amount of impairment is determined 
by comparing the implied fair value of reporting unit goodwill to the carrying value of the goodwill in the same manner 
as if the reporting unit was being acquired in a business combination. Specifically, the Company would allocate the fair 
value  to  all  of  the  assets  and  liabilities  of  the  reporting  unit,  including  any  unrecognized  intangible  assets,  in  a 
hypothetical analysis that would calculate the implied fair value of goodwill. If the implied fair value of goodwill is less 
than the recorded goodwill, the Company would record an impairment charge for the difference. 

Environmental and Other Contingencies 

The  Company  is  subject  to  certain  loss  contingencies  related  to  environmental  proceedings  and  other  legal  matters, 
including  those  disclosed  in  Note  13  to  the  Company’s  Consolidated  Financial  Statements.  The  Company  has  made 
pretax  accruals  for  certain  of  these  contingencies,  including  approximately  $0.6  million  reflected  in  Fiscal  2017,  $0.8 
million reflected in Fiscal 2016 and $2.8 million reflected in Fiscal 2015. These charges are included in provision for 
discontinued  operations,  net  in  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations  because  they  relate  to  former  facilities 
operated  by  the  Company.    The  Company  monitors  these  matters  on  an  ongoing  basis  and,  on  a  quarterly  basis, 
management  reviews  the  Company’s  accruals  in  relation  to  each  of  them,  adjusting  provisions  as  management  deems 
necessary in view of changes in available information. Changes in estimates of liability are reported in the periods when 
they occur. Consequently, management believes that its accrued liability in relation to each proceeding is a best estimate 
of probable loss connected to the proceeding, or in cases in which no best estimate is possible, the minimum amount in 
the range of estimated losses, based upon its analysis of the facts and circumstances as of the close of the most recent 
fiscal  quarter.  However,  because  of  uncertainties  and  risks  inherent  in  litigation  generally  and  in  environmental 
proceedings in particular, there can be no assurance that future developments will not require additional provisions, that 
some or all liabilities will be adequate or that the amounts of any such additional provisions or any such inadequacy will 
not have a material adverse effect upon the Company’s financial condition or results of operations. 

Revenue Recognition 

Retail sales are recorded at the point of sale and are net of estimated returns  and exclude sales and value added taxes. 
Catalog and internet sales are recorded at time of delivery to the customer and are net of estimated returns and exclude 

33 

 
sales  and  value  added  taxes.  Wholesale  revenue  is  recorded  net  of  estimated  returns  and  allowances  for  markdowns, 
damages and miscellaneous claims when the related goods have been shipped and legal title has passed to the customer. 
Shipping  and  handling  costs  charged  to  customers  are  included  in  net  sales.  Estimated  returns  are  based  on  historical 
returns and claims. Actual amounts of markdowns have not differed materially from estimates. Actual returns and claims 
in any future period may differ from historical experience. 

Income Taxes 

As part of the process of preparing Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company is required to estimate its income 
taxes in each of the tax jurisdictions in which it operates. This process involves estimating actual current tax obligations 
together with assessing temporary differences resulting from differing treatment of certain items for tax and accounting 
purposes,  such  as  depreciation  of  property  and  equipment  and  valuation  of  inventories.  These  temporary  differences 
result in deferred tax assets and liabilities,  which are  included within the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company 
then assesses the likelihood that its deferred tax assets will be recovered from future taxable income. Actual results could 
differ  from  this  assessment  if  adequate  taxable  income  is  not  generated  in  future  periods. To  the  extent  the  Company 
believes that recovery of an asset is at risk, valuation allowances are established. To the extent valuation allowances are 
established  or  increased  in  a  period,  the  Company  includes  an  expense  within  the  tax  provision  in  the  Consolidated 
Statements of Operations. These deferred tax valuation allowances may be released in future years  when management 
considers that it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will be realized. In making such 
a  determination,  management  will  need  to  periodically  evaluate  whether  or  not  all  available  evidence,  such  as  future 
taxable income and reversal of temporary differences, tax planning strategies, and recent results of operations, provides 
sufficient positive evidence to offset any other potential negative evidence that may exist at such time. In the event the 
deferred tax valuation allowance is released, the Company would record an income tax benefit for the portion or all of 
the deferred tax valuation allowance released. At January 28, 2017, the Company had a deferred tax valuation allowance 
of $4.3 million. 

Income tax reserves for uncertain tax positions are determined using the methodology required by the Income Tax Topic 
of the Accounting Standards Codification (“Codification”). This methodology requires companies to assess each income 
tax position taken using a two step process. A determination is first made as to whether it is more likely than not that the 
position  will  be  sustained,  based  upon  the  technical  merits,  upon  examination  by  the  taxing  authorities.  If  the  tax 
position is expected to meet the more likely than not criteria, the benefit recorded for the tax position equals the largest 
amount that is greater than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement of the respective tax position. Uncertain 
tax positions require determinations and estimated liabilities to be made based on provisions of the tax law which may 
be subject to change or varying interpretation. If the Company’s determinations and estimates prove to be inaccurate, the 
resulting  adjustments  could  be  material  to  its  future  financial  results.    See  Note  9  to  the  Company’s  Consolidated 
Financial Statements for additional information regarding income taxes. 

Postretirement Benefits Plan Accounting 

Full-time employees who had at least 1,000 hours of service in calendar year 2004, except employees in the Lids Sports 
Group  and  Schuh  Group  segments,  are  covered  by  a  defined  benefit  pension  plan.  The  Company  froze  the  defined 
benefit  pension  plan  effective  January 1,  2005.  The  Company  also  provides  certain  former  employees  with  limited 
medical  and  life  insurance  benefits.  The  Company  funds  at  least  the  minimum  amount  required  by  the  Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act. 

As required by the Compensation – Retirement Benefits Topic of the Codification, the Company is required to recognize 
the overfunded or underfunded status of postretirement benefit plans as an asset or liability in their Consolidated Balance 
Sheets and to recognize changes in that funded status in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax, in the year in 
which the changes occur. 

The  Company  recognizes  pension  expense    on  an  accrual  basis  over  employees’  approximate  service  periods.  The 
calculation  of  pension  expense  and  the  corresponding  liability  requires  the  use  of  a  number  of  critical  assumptions, 
including the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and the assumed discount rate, as well as the recognition 

34 

 
of  actuarial  gains  and  losses.  Changes  in  these  assumptions  can  result  in  different  expense  and  liability  amounts,  and 
future actual experience can differ from these assumptions. 

Long Term Rate of Return Assumption – Pension expense increases as the expected rate of return on pension plan assets 
decreases. The Company  estimates that the pension plan assets  will  generate  a  long-term rate  of return of 6.05%.  To 
develop  this  assumption,  the  Company  considered  historical  asset  returns,  the  current  asset  allocation  and  future 
expectations of asset returns. The  expected long-term rate  of return on plan assets is based on a long-term investment 
policy of 50% U.S. equities, 13% international equities, 35% U.S. fixed income securities and 2% cash equivalents. For 
Fiscal 2017, if the expected rate of return had been decreased by 1%, net pension expense would have increased by $0.9 
million, and if the expected rate of return had been increased by 1%, net pension expense would have decreased by $0.9 
million. 

Discount  Rate  –  Pension  liability  and  future  pension  expense  increase  as  the  discount  rate  is  reduced.  The  Company 
discounted  future  pension  obligations  using  a  rate  of  3.95%,  4.30%  and  3.55%  for  Fiscal  2017,  2016  and  2015, 
respectively.  The  discount  rate  at  January  28,  2017  was  determined  based  on  a  yield  curve  of  high  quality  corporate 
bonds with cash flows matching the Company’s plans’ expected benefit payments. For Fiscal 2017, if the discount rate 
had been increased by 0.5%,  net pension expense  would  have decreased by $0.1  million, and  if the discount rate had 
been decreased by 0.5%, net pension expense would have increased by $0.2 million. In addition, if the discount rate had 
been  increased  by  0.5%,  the  projected  benefit  obligation  would  have  decreased  by  $4.5  million  and  the  accumulated 
benefit obligation would have decreased by $4.5 million. If the discount rate had been decreased by 0.5%, the projected 
benefit  obligation  would  have  been  increased  by  $4.8  million  and  the  accumulated  benefit  obligation  would  have 
increased by $4.8 million. 

Amortization of Gains and Losses – The Company utilizes a calculated value of assets, which is an averaging method 
that recognizes changes in the fair values of assets over a period of five years. At the end of Fiscal 2017, the Company 
had unrecognized actuarial losses of $15.4 million. Accounting principles generally accepted in the United States require 
that the Company recognize  a portion of these losses  when they exceed a calculated threshold. These losses  might be 
recognized as a component of pension expense in future years and would be amortized over the average future service of 
employees, which is currently approximately ten years. Future changes in plan asset returns, assumed discount rates and 
various other factors related to the pension plan will impact future pension expense and liabilities, including increasing 
or decreasing unrecognized actuarial gains and losses. 

The Company recognized expense for its defined benefit pension plans of $2.3 million, $3.9 million and $2.6 million in 
Fiscal  2017,  2016  and  2015, respectively.    Fiscal  2017  includes  a  settlement  charge  of  $2.5  million  as  a  result  of  the 
pension  plan  buyout.  The  Company’s  pension  expense  is  expected  to  increase  in  Fiscal  2018  by  approximately  $0.4 
million before considering the settlement charge due to a lower expected return on assets.  Additionally, the amortization 
period for gains and losses has increased due to the lump sum buyout which included active participants over age 62. 

Comparable Sales 

For purposes of this report, "comparable sales" are sales from stores open longer than one year, beginning in the fifty-
third  week  of  a  store’s  operation  (which  we  refer  to  in  this  report  as  "same  store  sales"),  and  sales  from  websites 
operated  longer  than  one  year  and  direct  mail  catalog  sales  (which  we  refer  to  in  this  report  as  "comparable  direct 
sales"). Temporarily closed stores are excluded from the comparable sales calculation  for every  full  week of the store 
closing. Expanded stores are excluded from the comparable sales calculation until the fifty-third week of operation in the 
expanded format.  Current year foreign exchange rates are applied to both current year and prior year comparable sales 
to achieve a consistent basis for comparison. 

Results of Operations—Fiscal 2017 Compared to Fiscal 2016 

The  Company’s  net  sales  for  Fiscal  2017  decreased  5.1%  to  $2.87  billion  from  $3.02  billion  in  Fiscal  2016.    The 
decrease in net sales was a result of decreased sales in Lids Sports Group, reflecting the sale of the Lids Team Sports 
business in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2016, and decreased sales in Schuh Group and Licensed Brands, partially offset 

35 

 
 
by increased sales in Johnston & Murphy Group, while Journeys Group sales remained flat for Fiscal 2017.  Net sales of 
the Company's businesses other than Lids Team Sports decreased less than 1% for Fiscal 2017.  Gross margin decreased 
1.8% to $1.42 billion in Fiscal 2017 from $1.44 billion in Fiscal 2016, but increased as a percentage of net sales from 
47.8% in Fiscal 2016 to 49.4% in Fiscal 2017, primarily reflecting increased gross margin as a percentage of net sales in 
the  Lids  Sports  Group,  Schuh  Group  and  Johnston  &  Murphy  Group,  partially  offset  by  decreased  gross  margin  as  a 
percentage  of  net  sales  in  Journeys  Group  and  Licensed  Brands.    Selling  and  administrative  expenses  in  Fiscal  2017 
decreased 0.6% from Fiscal 2016 but increased as a percentage of net sales from 42.5% to 44.5%, primarily reflecting 
expense increases in Journeys Group, Lids Sports Group, Licensed Brands and Corporate, partially offset by decreased 
expenses  in  Schuh  Group  and  Johnston  &  Murphy  Group.  The  Company  records  buying  and  merchandising  and 
occupancy  costs  in  selling  and  administrative  expense.  Because  the  Company  does  not  include  these  costs  in  cost  of 
sales, the Company’s gross margin may not be comparable to other retailers that include these costs in the calculation of 
gross  margin.  Explanations  of  the  changes  in  results  of  operations  are  provided  by  business  segment  in  discussions 
following these introductory paragraphs. 

Earnings  from  continuing  operations  before  income  taxes  (“pretax  earnings”)  for  Fiscal  2017  were  $151.4  million, 
compared to $151.5 million for Fiscal 2016. Pretax earnings for Fiscal 2017 included an asset impairment and other gain 
of $0.8 million, including an $8.9 million gain for network intrusion expenses as result of a litigation settlement and a 
$0.8  million  gain  for  other  legal  matters,  partially  offset  by  $6.4  million  for  retail  store  asset  impairments  and  $2.5 
million pension settlement expense.  Pretax earnings for Fiscal 2017 also included a gain of $12.3 million on the sale of 
SureGrip Footwear and a $2.4 million gain on the sale of Lids Team Sports.  Pretax earnings for Fiscal 2016 included 
asset impairment and other charges of $7.9 million, including $3.1 million for retail store asset impairments, $2.5 million 
for asset write-downs, $2.2 million for expenses related to the computer network intrusion announced in December 2010 
and $0.1 million for other legal matters. Pretax earnings for Fiscal 2016 also included a gain of $4.7 million on the sale 
of Lids Team Sports and $1.5 million in expense related to the deferred purchase price obligation related to the Schuh 
acquisition. 

Net  earnings  for  Fiscal  2017  were  $97.4  million  ($4.83  diluted  earnings  per  share)  compared  to  $94.6  million  ($4.11 
diluted earnings per share) for Fiscal 2016. Net earnings for Fiscal 2017 included a $0.4 million ($0.02 diluted loss per 
share) charge  to earnings (net of tax), primarily  for anticipated costs of environmental remedial alternatives related to 
former facilities operated by the Company.  Net earnings for Fiscal 2016 included a $0.8 million ($0.04 diluted loss per 
share) charge  to earnings (net of tax), primarily  for anticipated costs of environmental remedial alternatives related to 
former facilities operated by the Company. The Company recorded an effective income tax rate of 35.4% for Fiscal 2017 
compared  to  37.1%  for  Fiscal  2016  and  36.7%  for  Fiscal  2015.    The  effective  tax  rate  for  Fiscal  2017  was  lower 
compared  to  Fiscal  2016  due  to  the  release  of  tax  reserves.    The  effective  tax  rate  for  Fiscal  2016  benefited  from 
increased  foreign  earnings  and  lowering  of  foreign  tax  rates  combined  with  a  release  of  $1.3  million  in  valuation 
allowance on foreign net operating losses no longer required, while the effective tax rate for Fiscal 2015 benefited from 
a  $7.0  million  reversal  of  charges  previously  recorded  related  to  formerly  uncertain  tax  positions  that  were  taken  by 
Schuh at the time of the purchase by the Company which the Company resolved favorably during Fiscal 2015. See Note 
9 to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information. 

Journeys Group 

Net sales 
Earnings from operations 
Operating margin 

Fiscal Year Ended 

2017 

2016 

(dollars in thousands) 

% 
Change 

$  1,251,646  
85,875  
$ 

  $  1,251,637  
126,248  
  $ 

—  % 
(32.0 )% 

6.9 %  

10.1 %    

Net sales from Journeys Group were flat at $1.25 billion for Fiscal 2017 and 2016. Journeys Group's comparable sales 
were down 4% in Fiscal 2017 which includes a 5% decrease in same store sales and a 12% increase in comparable direct 

36 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
sales. Average Journeys stores operated (i.e. the sum of the number of stores open on the first day of the fiscal year and 
the last day of each fiscal month during the year divided by thirteen) increased 4% during Fiscal 2017. The comparable 
store sales decrease reflected an 8% decrease in footwear unit comparable sales while the average price per pair of shoes 
increased 3%. The store count for Journeys Group was 1,249 stores at the end of Fiscal 2017, including 230 Journeys 
Kidz stores, 39 Shi by Journeys stores, 95 Underground by Journeys stores, 44 Journeys stores in Canada and 36 Little 
Burgundy stores in Canada, compared to 1,222 stores at the end of Fiscal 2016, including 200 Journeys Kidz stores, 46 
Shi by Journeys stores, 98 Underground by Journeys stores, 39 Journeys stores in Canada and 36 Little Burgundy stores 
in Canada, acquired in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2016. 

Journeys Group earnings from operations for Fiscal 2017 decreased 32.0% to $85.9 million, compared to $126.2 million 
for Fiscal 2016. The decrease in earnings from operations was primarily due to  increased expenses as a percentage of 
net sales as Journeys Group could not leverage store-related expenses, primarily occupancy, advertising and credit card 
expenses, and to decreased gross margin as a percentage of net sales, reflecting increased markdowns. 

Schuh Group 

Fiscal Year Ended 

2017 

2016 

% 
Change 

Net sales 
Earnings from operations 
Operating margin 

$ 
$ 

(dollars in thousands) 
  $ 
  $ 

372,872  
20,530  

405,674  
19,124  

5.5 %  

4.7 %    

(8.1 )% 
7.4  % 

Net  sales  from  the  Schuh  Group  decreased  8.1%  to  $372.9  million  for  Fiscal  2017,  compared  to  $405.7  million  for 
Fiscal  2016.   The  sales  decrease  reflects  primarily  a  decrease  of  $49.3  million  in  sales  due  to  the  depreciation  of  the 
British  Pound  and  a  1%  decrease  in  comparable  sales  which  includes  a  2%  decrease  in  same  store  sales  and  a  6% 
increase in comparable direct sales, partially offset by a 10% increase in average stores operated.  Schuh Group operated 
128 stores at the end of Fiscal 2017 compared to 125 stores at the end of Fiscal 2016. 

Schuh Group earnings from  operations increased 7.4%  to $20.5 million in Fiscal 2017 compared to $19.1  million  for 
Fiscal  2016.    Earnings  for  Fiscal  2016  included  $1.5  million  in  compensation  expense  related  to  a  deferred  purchase 
price obligation in connection with the Schuh acquisition.  The increase in earnings from operations was primarily due to 
the  absence  of  the  deferred  purchase  price  expense,  which  contributed  40  basis  points  to  the  operating  margin 
improvement as a percentage of sales.  The remaining operating margin improvement was due to increased gross margin 
as a percentage of net sales,  reflecting less promotional activity, changes in sales  mix and improved  margin in certain 
product  categories.    The  operating  margin  improvement  from  gains  on  foreign  currency  was  offset  by  increased 
expenses,  primarily  occupancy,  depreciation  and  bonus  expense.    Schuh  Group's  earnings  from  operations  for  Fiscal 
2017 were negatively impacted by $4.1 million due to changes in foreign exchange rates. 

Lids Sports Group 

Fiscal Year Ended 

2017 

2016 

% 
Change 

Net sales 
Earnings from operations 
Operating margin 

$ 
$ 

(dollars in thousands) 
  $ 
  $ 

847,510  
41,563  

975,504  
17,040  

4.9 %  

1.7 %    

(13.1 )% 
143.9  % 

Net sales from the Lids Sports Group decreased 13.1% to $847.5 million for Fiscal 2017 from $975.5 million for Fiscal 
2016.  A 14% reduction in sales due to the sale  of the Lids Team Sports business in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2016 
accounted  for  all  of  the  decline  in    sales  for  the  segment.    Comparable  sales  increased  3%  for  Fiscal  2017,  which 

37 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
includes a 4% increase in same store sales and a 2% increase in comparable direct sales, while the average number of 
Lids Sports Group stores operated decreased 3%, excluding leased departments.  The comparable sales increase reflected 
a  4%  increase  in  the  average  price  per  hat,  while  comparable  store  hat  units  sold    decreased  1%.    Lids  Sports  Group 
operated  1,240  stores  at  the  end  of  Fiscal  2017,  including  112  Lids  stores  in  Canada,  207  Lids  Locker  Room  and 
Clubhouse stores, which include 35 Locker Room stores in Canada, and 151 Locker Room by Lids leased departments at 
Macy's, compared to 1,332 stores at the end of Fiscal 2016, including 113 Lids stores in Canada  and 228 Lids Locker 
Room and Clubhouse  stores, which include  38 Locker Room stores in Canada, and 185 Locker Room by  Lids leased 
departments at Macy's. 

Lids  Sports  Group  earnings  from  operations  for  Fiscal  2017  increased  143.9%  to  $41.6  million  compared  to  $17.0 
million for Fiscal 2016.  The increase was due to increased gross margin as a percentage of net sales, reflecting the sale 
of  the  lower  margin  Lids  Team  Sports  business  and  decreased  shipping  and  warehouse  expense  and  decreased 
promotional activity in the retail business. The improvement in gross margin more than offset increased expenses as a 
percentage of net sales, resulting from (i) the sale of Lids Team Sports, which had lower expenses, (ii) increased store-
related expenses, primarily occupancy and credit card expenses, and (iii) increased bonus expenses. 

Johnston & Murphy Group 

Fiscal Year Ended 

2017 

2016 

% 
Change 

Net sales 
Earnings from operations 
Operating margin 

$ 
$ 

(dollars in thousands) 
  $ 
  $ 

289,324  
19,682  

278,681  
17,761  

6.8 %  

6.4 %    

3.8 % 
10.8 % 

Johnston &  Murphy  Group  net  sales  increased  3.8%  to  $289.3  million  for  Fiscal  2017 from  $278.7  million  for  Fiscal 
2016. The increase reflected primarily a 2% increase in comparable sales  which includes a 1% increase in  same  store 
sales and an 8% increase in comparable direct sales, a 1% increase in average stores operated for Johnston & Murphy 
retail  operations  and  a  5%  increase  in  Johnston  &  Murphy  wholesale  sales.    Unit  sales  for  the  Johnston  &  Murphy 
wholesale business increased  6% in Fiscal 2017  while  the  average  price  per pair of shoes decreased 2%  for the same 
period.  Retail operations accounted for 71.4% of the Johnston & Murphy Group's sales in Fiscal 2017, down slightly 
from  71.7%  in  Fiscal  2016.    The  comparable  sales  increase  in  Fiscal  2017  reflects  a  2%  increase  in  footwear  unit 
comparable sales while the average price per pair of shoes for Johnston & Murphy retail operations decreased 3%.  The 
store count for Johnston & Murphy retail operations at the end of Fiscal 2017 included 177 Johnston & Murphy shops 
and  factory  stores,  including  seven  stores  in  Canada,  compared  to  173  Johnston &  Murphy  shops  and  factory  stores, 
including seven stores in Canada, at the end of Fiscal 2016. 

Johnston & Murphy earnings from operations for Fiscal 2017 increased 10.8% to $19.7 million from $17.8 million for 
Fiscal  2016,  primarily  due  to  increased  net  sales,  a  slight  increase  in  gross  margin  as  a  percentage  of  net  sales,  and 
decreased  expenses  as  a  percentage  of  net  sales,  reflecting  slightly  lower  store-related  expenses,  primarily  selling 
salaries and occupancy expenses and an increase as a percent of the total in wholesale which carries lower expenses than 
retail. 

Licensed Brands 

Net sales 
Earnings from operations 
Operating margin 

$ 
$ 

38 

Fiscal Year Ended 

2017 

2016 

% 
Change 

(dollars in thousands) 
  $ 
  $ 

106,372  
4,566  

109,826  
9,236  

4.3 %  

8.4 %    

(3.1 )% 
(50.6 )% 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
Licensed Brands’ net sales decreased 3.1% to $106.4 million for Fiscal 2017 from $109.8 million for Fiscal 2016. The 
sales decrease reflects decreased sales of Dockers and Chaps Footwear, partially offset by the addition of sales for G.H. 
Bass Footwear.  SureGrip Footwear, which was sold in the fourth quarter, had net sales of $15.6 million in Fiscal 2017.  
The  sales  decrease  in  Dockers  and  Chaps  Footwear  reflects  weakness  in  the  department  store  and  footwear  chain 
channels.  Unit  sales  for  Dockers  Footwear  decreased  6%  for  Fiscal  2017  and  the  average  price  per  pair  of  shoes 
decreased 8% for the same period. 

Licensed Brands’ earnings from operations for Fiscal 2017 decreased 50.6%, from $9.2 million for Fiscal 2016 to $4.6 
million, primarily due to increased expenses as a percentage of net sales, reflecting increased expenses associated with 
the start-up of the Bass Footwear licensed business and increased shipping and warehouse, freight and royalty expenses, 
and to decreased gross margin as a percentage of net sales, reflecting sales of products with lower initial margins. 

Corporate, Interest Expenses and Other Charges 

Corporate  and other expense for Fiscal 2017 was $30.3 million compared to $38.2 million for Fiscal 2016. Corporate 
expense  in  Fiscal  2017  included  a  $0.8  million  gain  in  asset  impairment  and  other  charges,  primarily  for  a  gain  on 
network  intrusion  expenses  as  a  result  of  a  litigation  settlement  and  a  gain  for  other  legal  matters,  partially  offset  by 
retail store asset impairments and pension settlement expenses.  Corporate expense in Fiscal 2016 included $7.9 million 
in asset impairment and other charges, primarily for retail store asset impairments, asset write-downs, network intrusion 
expenses and other legal matters. Excluding the gains and charges listed above, corporate and other expense increased 
primarily  due  to  increased  bonus  accruals  and  bank  fees,  partially  offset  by  foreign  exchange  gains,  life  insurance 
proceeds and decreased professional fees. 

Net interest expense increased 19.2% from $4.4 million in Fiscal 2016 to $5.2 million in Fiscal 2017 primarily due to 
increased revolver borrowings compared to the previous year as a result of the Little Burgundy acquisition in the fourth 
quarter of Fiscal 2016 and share repurchases. 

Results of Operations—Fiscal 2016 Compared to Fiscal 2015 

The Company’s net sales for Fiscal 2016 increased 5.7% to $3.02 billion from $2.86 billion in Fiscal 2015.  The increase 
in net sales was a result of increased sales in Journeys Group, Lids Sports Group and Johnston & Murphy Group, while 
Schuh Group and Licensed Brands sales remained flat for Fiscal 2016.  Gross margin increased 3.1% to $1.44 billion in 
Fiscal 2016 from $1.40 billion in Fiscal 2015, but decreased as a percentage of net sales from 49.0% in  Fiscal 2015 to 
47.8% in Fiscal 2016, primarily reflecting decreased gross margin as a percentage of net sales in the Lids Sports Group, 
Schuh Group and Johnston & Murphy Group, offset slightly by increased gross margin as a percentage of net sales in 
Journeys Group and Licensed Brands.  Selling and administrative expenses in Fiscal 2016 increased 4.3% from Fiscal 
2015 but decreased as a percentage of net sales from 43.0% to 42.5%, primarily reflecting expense decreases in Schuh 
Group, Lids Sports Group and Johnston & Murphy Group, partially offset by increased expenses in Journeys Group and 
Licensed  Brands. The  Company  records  buying  and  merchandising  and  occupancy  costs  in  selling  and  administrative 
expense. Because the Company does not include these costs  in cost of sales, the Company’s gross margin may not be 
comparable to other retailers that include these costs in the calculation of gross margin. Explanations of the changes in 
results of operations are provided by business segment in discussions following these introductory paragraphs. 

Earnings from pretax earnings for Fiscal 2016 were $151.5 million, compared to $157.0 million for Fiscal 2015. Pretax 
earnings for Fiscal 2016 included asset impairment and other charges of $7.9 million, including $3.1 million for retail 
store asset impairments, $2.5 million for asset write-downs, $2.2 million for expenses related to the computer network 
intrusion  announced  in  December  2010  and  $0.1  million  for  other  legal  matters.  Pretax  earnings  for  Fiscal  2016  also 
included  a  gain  of  $4.7  million  on  the  sale  of  Lids  Team  Sports  and  $1.5  million  in  expense  related  to  the  deferred 
purchase price  obligation related to the Schuh acquisition.   Pretax earnings  for Fiscal 2015 included asset impairment 
and other charges of $2.3 million, including $3.1 million for expenses related to the computer network intrusion, $1.9 
million for retail store asset impairments and $0.7 million for other legal matters, partially offset by a $3.4 million gain 
on a lease termination.  Pretax earnings for Fiscal 2015 also included an indemnification asset write-off of $7.1 million 

39 

 
 
 
related to formerly uncertain tax positions that were taken by Schuh at the time of the purchase by the Company, which 
were  favorably  resolved  during  the  year  and  $7.3  million  in  expense  related  to  the  deferred purchase  price  obligation 
related to the Schuh acquisition. 

Net  earnings  for  Fiscal  2016  were  $94.6  million  ($4.11  diluted  earnings  per  share)  compared  to  $97.7  million  ($4.12 
diluted earnings per share) for Fiscal 2015. Net earnings for Fiscal 2016 included a $0.8 million ($0.03 diluted loss per 
share) charge  to earnings (net of tax), primarily  for anticipated costs of environmental remedial alternatives related to 
former facilities operated by the Company.  Net earnings for Fiscal 2015 included a $1.6 million ($0.07 diluted loss per 
share) charge  to earnings (net of tax), primarily  for anticipated costs of environmental remedial alternatives related to 
former  facilities  operated  by  the  Company.  The  Company  recorded  an  effective  federal  income  tax  rate  of  37.1%  for 
Fiscal 2016 compared to 36.7% for Fiscal 2015.  The effective tax rate for Fiscal 2016  benefited from increased foreign 
earnings and lowering of foreign tax rates combined with a release of $1.3 million in valuation allowance on foreign net 
operating losses no longer required. The tax rate for Fiscal 2015 was lower primarily due to a $7.0 million reversal of 
charges  previously  recorded  related  to  formerly  uncertain  tax  positions  that  were  taken  by  Schuh  at  the  time  of  the 
purchase by the Company, which were favorably resolved during Fiscal 2015. See Note 9 to the Consolidated Financial 
Statements for additional information. 

Journeys Group 

Net sales 
Earnings from operations 
Operating margin 

Fiscal Year Ended 

2016 

2015 

% 
Change 

(dollars in thousands) 

$  1,251,637  
126,248  
$ 

  $  1,179,476  
114,784  
  $ 

10.1 %  

9.7 %    

6.1 % 
10.0 % 

Net sales from Journeys Group increased 6.1% to $1.25 billion for Fiscal 2016 from $1.18 billion for Fiscal 2015. The 
increase reflects primarily a 5% increase in comparable sales which includes a 5% increase in same store sales and an 
18%  increase  in  comparable  direct  sales,  and  a  1%  increase  in  average  Journeys  stores  operated  (i.e.  the  sum  of  the 
number of stores open on the first day of the fiscal year and the last day of each fiscal month during the year divided by 
thirteen). The comparable store sales increase reflected a 4% increase in average price per pair of shoes, while footwear 
unit  comparable  sales  remained  flat.  The  store  count  for  Journeys  Group  was  1,222  stores  at  the  end  of  Fiscal  2016, 
including 200 Journeys Kidz stores, 46 Shi by Journeys stores, 98 Underground by Journeys stores, 39 Journeys stores in 
Canada and 36 Little Burgundy stores in Canada, acquired in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2016, compared to 1,182 stores 
at the end of Fiscal 2015, including 189 Journeys Kidz stores, 49 Shi by Journeys stores, 110 Underground by Journeys 
stores and 35 Journeys stores in Canada. 

Journeys  Group  earnings  from  operations  for  Fiscal  2016  increased  10.0%  to  $126.2  million,  compared  to  $114.8 
million for Fiscal 2015. The increase in earnings from operations was primarily due to increased net sales and increased 
gross margin as a percentage of net sales, reflecting higher initial margins due to changes in sales mix. 

Schuh Group 

Net sales 
Earnings from operations 
Operating margin 

$ 
$ 

40 

Fiscal Year Ended 

2016 

2015 

% 
Change 

(dollars in thousands) 
  $ 
  $ 

405,674  
19,124  

406,947  
10,110  

4.7 %  

2.5 %    

(0.3 )% 
89.2  % 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
Net  sales  from  the  Schuh  Group  decreased  0.3%  to  $405.7  million  for  Fiscal  2016,  compared  to  $406.9  million  for 
Fiscal  2015.   The  sales  decrease  reflects  primarily  a  decrease  of  $33.0  million  in  sales  due  to  the  depreciation  of  the 
British Pound, offset by a 12% increase in average stores operated and a 3% increase in comparable sales which includes 
a  1%  increase  in  same  store  sales  and  a  13%  increase  in  comparable  direct  sales.    Schuh  Group  operated  125  stores, 
including ten Schuh Kids stores at the end of Fiscal 2016 compared to 108 stores, including six Schuh Kids stores at the 
end of Fiscal 2015. 

Schuh Group earnings from operations increased 89.2% to $19.1 million in Fiscal 2016 compared to $10.1 million for 
Fiscal 2015.   Earnings included $1.5 million for Fiscal 2016 and $7.3 million for Fiscal 2015 in compensation expense 
related to a deferred purchase price obligation in connection with the Schuh acquisition in Fiscal 2014.  Earnings also 
included $11.8 million for Fiscal 2015 related to accruals for a contingent bonus payment for Schuh employees provided 
for  in  the  Schuh  acquisition.   The  increase  in  earnings  from  operations  was  primarily  due  to  decreased  expenses  as  a 
percentage  of  net  sales,  reflecting  the  decreases  in  deferred  purchase  price  expense  and  contingent  bonus  expense 
referred to above.  The decrease in expense  more  than offset the decreased  gross  margin as a percentage of  net  sales, 
which reflected increased shipping and warehouse expense and increased promotional activity. 

Lids Sports Group 

Fiscal Year Ended 

2016 

2015 

% 
Change 

Net sales 
Earnings from operations 
Operating margin 

$ 
$ 

(dollars in thousands) 
  $ 
  $ 

975,504  
17,040  

902,661  
48,970  

1.7 %  

5.4 %    

8.1  % 
(65.2 )% 

Net sales from the Lids Sports Group increased 8.1% to $975.5 million  for Fiscal 2016 from $902.7 million for Fiscal 
2015. The increase primarily reflects a 6% increase in comparable sales, reflecting a 3% increase in same store sales and 
a  46%  increase  in  comparable  direct  sales  for  Fiscal  2016  and  a  2%  increase  in  average  Lids  Sports  Group  stores 
operated, excluding leased departments.  The comparable sales increase reflected a 14% increase in comparable store hat 
units  sold  while  the  average  price  per  hat  decreased  7%  reflecting  aggressive  promotional  activity  to  clear  excess 
inventory positions throughout the year.  Lids Sports Group operated 1,332 stores at the end of Fiscal 2016, including 
113  Lids  stores  in  Canada,  228  Lids  Locker  Room  and  Clubhouse  stores,  which  include  38  Locker  Room  stores  in 
Canada, and 185 Locker Room by Lids leased departments at Macy's, compared to 1,364 stores at the end of Fiscal 2015 
including 117 Lids stores in Canada and 242 Lids Locker Room and Clubhouse stores, which include 37 Locker Room 
stores in Canada, and 190 Locker Room by Lids leased departments at Macy's. 

Lids Sports Group earnings from operations for Fiscal 2016 decreased 65.2% to $17.0 million compared to $49.0 million 
for Fiscal 2015. The decrease in operating income was primarily due to decreased gross margin as a percentage of  net 
sales, reflecting promotional activity, changes in sales mix and increased shipping and warehouse expenses. 

Johnston & Murphy Group 

Net sales 
Earnings from operations 
Operating margin 

$ 
$ 

41 

Fiscal Year Ended 

2016 

2015 

% 
Change 

(dollars in thousands) 
  $ 
  $ 

278,681  
17,761  

259,675  
14,856  

6.4 %  

5.7 %    

7.3 % 
19.6 % 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
Johnston &  Murphy  Group  net  sales  increased  7.3%  to  $278.7  million  for  Fiscal  2016 from  $259.7  million  for  Fiscal 
2015. The increase reflected primarily a  6% increase  in comparable sales  which includes a 5% increase in same store 
sales and an 11% increase in comparable direct sales, a 1% increase in average stores operated for Johnston & Murphy 
retail  operations  and  an  8%  increase  in  Johnston  &  Murphy  wholesale  sales.    Unit  sales  for  the  Johnston  &  Murphy 
wholesale business increased 6% in Fiscal 2016 while the average price per pair of shoes was flat for the same period.  
Retail  operations  accounted  for  71.7%  of  the  Johnston  &  Murphy  Group's  sales  in  Fiscal  2016,  down  slightly  from 
72.0% in Fiscal 2015.  The comparable sales increase in Fiscal 2016 reflects a 4% increase in the average price per pair 
of shoes for Johnston & Murphy retail operations and a 1% increase in footwear unit comparable sales.  The store count 
for Johnston & Murphy retail operations at the end of Fiscal 2016 included 173 Johnston & Murphy shops and factory 
stores, including seven stores in Canada, compared to 170 Johnston & Murphy shops and factory stores, including seven 
stores in Canada, at the end of Fiscal 2015. 

Johnston & Murphy earnings from operations for Fiscal 2016 increased 19.6% to $17.8 million from $14.9 million for 
Fiscal 2015, primarily due to increased net sales and decreased expenses as a percentage of net sales, due primarily to 
decreased advertising expenses and occupancy costs. 

Licensed Brands 

Fiscal Year Ended 

2016 

2015 

% 
Change 

Net sales 
Earnings from operations 
Operating margin 

$ 
$ 

(dollars in thousands) 
  $ 
  $ 

109,826  
9,236  

110,115  
10,459  

8.4 %  

9.5 %    

(0.3 )% 
(11.7 )% 

Licensed Brands’ net sales decreased 0.3% to $109.8 million for Fiscal 2016 from $110.1 million for Fiscal 2015. The 
small sales decrease reflects decreased sales of Dockers Footwear, offset by increased sales of SureGrip Footwear and 
Chaps Footwear.  The sales decrease in Dockers Footwear reflects weakness in the department store channel. Unit sales 
for Dockers Footwear decreased 6% for Fiscal 2016, while the average price per pair of shoes increased 2% for the same 
period. 

Licensed Brands’ earnings from operations for Fiscal 2016 decreased 11.7%, from $10.5 million for Fiscal 2015 to $9.2 
million, primarily due to increased expenses as a percentage of net sales, reflecting start-up costs for the launch of the 
Bass footwear line and increased compensation and bad debt expenses. 

Corporate, Interest Expenses and Other Charges 

Corporate  and other expense for Fiscal 2016 was $38.2 million compared to $31.9 million for Fiscal 2015. Corporate 
expense  in  Fiscal  2016  included  $7.9  million  in  asset  impairment  and  other  charges,  primarily  for  retail  store  asset 
impairments, asset write-downs, network intrusion expenses and other legal matters. Corporate expense in Fiscal 2015 
included $2.3 million in asset impairment and other charges, primarily for network intrusion expenses, retail store asset 
impairments and other legal matters, partially offset by a gain on a lease termination. Excluding the charges listed above, 
corporate and other expense increased primarily due to increased compensation expense and professional fees, partially 
offset by decreased foreign exchange losses. 

Net interest expense increased 36.4% from $3.2 million in Fiscal 2015 to $4.4 million in Fiscal 2016 primarily due to 
increased  revolver  borrowings  compared  to  the  previous  year  as  a  result  of  the  share  repurchase  program,  Little 
Burgundy  acquisition  and  increased  borrowings  to  fund  the  Schuh  contingent  bonus  and  deferred  purchase  price 
payments. 

42 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
Liquidity and Capital Resources 

The following table sets forth certain financial data at the dates indicated. 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Working capital 
Long-term debt (includes current maturities) 

Working Capital 

Jan. 28, 2017 

Jan. 30, 2016 

Jan. 31, 2015 

(dollars in millions) 

$ 
$ 
$ 

48.3     $ 
428.8     $ 
82.9     $ 

133.3     $ 
476.5     $ 
111.8     $ 

112.9  
441.7  
29.0  

The  Company’s  business  is  seasonal,  with  the  Company’s  investment  in  inventory  and  accounts  receivable  normally 
reaching peaks in the spring and fall of each year. Historically, cash flow from operations has been generated principally 
in the fourth quarter of each fiscal year. 

Cash provided by operating activities was $161.5 million in Fiscal 2017 compared to $145.1 million in Fiscal 2016. The 
$16.4 million increase from operating activities from Fiscal 2016 reflects an increase in cash flow from changes in other 
accrued liabilities, accounts payable, accounts receivable and prepaids and other current assets of $54.6 million, $22.0 
million,  $8.0  million  and  $6.6  million,  respectively,  partially  offset  by  a  $73.2  million  decrease  in  cash  flow  from 
changes in inventory. 

The $54.6 million increase in cash flow from other accrued liabilities when comparing the change from Fiscal 2017 and 
2016  with  the  change  from  Fiscal  2016  and  2015  reflects  the  reduction  of  Schuh  acquisition  related  accruals  due  to 
payments  in  Fiscal  2016.   The  $22.0  million  increase  in  cash  flow  from  accounts  payable  reflects  changes  in  buying 
patterns  and  payment  terms  negotiated  with  individual  vendors  and  is  related  to  the  increase  in  inventory.  The  $8.0 
million increase in cash from accounts receivable reflects lower wholesale  sales in Fiscal 2017 compared to increased 
wholesale  sales  and  increased  receivables  related  to  the  sale  of  Lids  Team  Sports  in  Fiscal  2016.    The  $6.6  million 
increase in prepaids and other current assets primarily reflects increases in Fiscal 2016 for prepaid taxes and rent.  The 
$73.2  million  decrease  in  cash  flow  from  inventory  primarily  reflects  an  increase  in  Journeys  Group  and  Lids  Sports 
Group inventory. 

The $45.4 million increase in inventories at January 28, 2017 from January 30, 2016 levels primarily reflects increases 
in Journeys Group, Lids Sports Group and Johnston & Murphy Group. 

Accounts  receivable  at  January  28,  2017  decreased  $1.4  million  compared  to  January  30,  2016  primarily  due  to 
decreased sales in the Licensed Brands business. 

Cash provided by operating activities was $145.1 million in Fiscal 2016 compared to $189.8 million in Fiscal 2015. The 
$44.7 million decrease from operating activities from Fiscal 2015 reflects a decrease in cash flow from changes in other 
accrued liabilities and other assets and liabilities combined, accounts payable and prepaids and other current assets of 
$52.7 million, $25.1 million and $9.1 million, respectively, partially offset by a $58.8 million increase in cash flow from 
changes in inventory. 

The $52.7 million decrease in cash flow from other accrued liabilities and other assets and liabilities combined reflects 
the Schuh contingent bonus, deferred purchase price and other acquisition related payments and an increase in income 
tax payments this year versus last year. The $25.1 million decrease in cash flow from accounts payable reflects changes 
in  buying  patterns  and  payment  terms  negotiated  with  individual  vendors  and  is  related  to  the  reduction  in  inventory.  
The  $9.1  million  decrease  in  cash  flow  from  prepaids  and  other  current  assets  reflects  changes  in  prepaid  taxes  and 
increased prepaid rent from store growth. The $58.8 million increase in cash flow from inventory reflects a reduction in 
Lids Sports Group inventory, partially offset primarily by an increase in Journeys Group inventory. 

43 

 
 
 
 
 
 
The $27.8 million decrease in inventories at January 30, 2016 from January 31, 2015  levels reflects decreases in Lids 
Sports  Group,  partially  offset  by  increased  inventory  in  Journeys  Group,  Johnston  &  Murphy  Group  and  Licensed 
Brands. 

Accounts receivable at January 30, 2016 increased $6.7 million compared to January 31, 2015 due to increased footwear 
wholesale sales and the Company's processing of payroll for former Lids Team Sports employees during a transitional 
period following the sale  of the  Lids Team Sports business, for which the  Company  was due reimbursement  from the 
buyer of that business. 

Sources of Liquidity 

The Company has three principal sources of liquidity: cash from operations, cash and cash equivalents on hand and the 
credit facilities discussed below. The  Company believes that cash and cash equivalents  on hand, cash  from  operations 
and availability under its credit facilities  will be sufficient to cover its working capital, capital expenditures and stock 
repurchases for the foreseeable future. 

On  December  4,  2015,  the  Company  entered  into  the  First  Amendment  to  the  Third  Amended  and  Restated  Credit 
Agreement dated as of January 31, 2014 (the “Credit Facility”) by the among the company, certain subsidiaries of the 
Company  party  thereto,  as  other  Borrowers,with  the  lenders  party  thereto  and  Bank  of  America,  N.A.,  as  agent, 
providing for a revolving credit facility in the aggregate principal amount of $400.0 million, including a $70.0 million 
sublimit  for  the  issuance  of  letters  of  credit  and  a  domestic  swingline  subfacility  of  up  to  $40.0  million,  a  revolving 
credit  subfacility  for  the  benefit  of  GCO  Canada,  Inc.  in  an  aggregate  amount  not  to  exceed  $70.0  million,  which 
includes a $5.0  million sublimit  for the issuance of letters of credit, and revolving credit subfacility  for the benefit of 
Genesco (UK) Limited in an aggregate amount not to exceed $50.0 million, which includes a $10.0 million sublimit for 
the issuance of letters of credit and a swingline subfacility of up to $10.0 million. The facility has a five-year term from 
January 31, 2014. Any swingline loans and any letters of credit and borrowings under the Canadian facilities will reduce 
the availability under the Credit Facility on a dollar-for-dollar basis. 

The Company has the option, from time to time, to increase the availability  under the Credit Facility by an aggregate 
amount of up to $150.0 million subject to, among other things, the receipt of commitments for the increased amount. In 
connection  with  this  increased  facility,  as  amended,  the  Canadian  revolving  credit  facility  may  be  increased  up  to  no 
more than $85.0 million. 

Genesco (UK) Limited has a one-time option to increase the availability of its subfacility under the Credit Facility by an 
additional amount of up to $50.0 million. 

The aggregate amount of the loans made and letters of credit issued under the Credit Facility shall at no time exceed the 
lesser of the facility amount ($400.0 million or, if increased as described above, up to $550.0 million or $600.0 million, 
respectively)  or  the  "Borrowing  Base",  which  generally  is  based  on  90%  of  eligible  inventory  plus  85%  of  eligible 
wholesale  receivables  plus  90%  of  eligible  credit  card  and  debit  card  receivables  less  applicable  reserves  (the  "Loan 
Cap").  The  relevant  assets  of  Genesco  (UK)  Limited  will  be  included  in  the  Borrowing  Base  if  the  additional  $50.0 
million  sublimit  increase  is  exercised,  provided  that  amounts  borrowed  by  Genesco  (UK)  Limited  based  solely  on  its 
own borrowing base will be limited to $50.0 million and the total outstanding to Genesco (UK) Limited will not exceed 
30% of the Loan Cap. 

The  Credit  Facility  also  provides  that  a  first-in,  last-out  tranche  could  be  added  to  the  revolving  credit  facility  at  the 
option  of  the  Company  subject  to,  among  other  things,  the  receipt  of  commitments  for  such  tranche.    For  additional 
information on the Company’s Credit Facility, see Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8, 
"Financial Statements and Supplementary Data". 

In May 2015, Schuh Group Limited entered into a Form of Amended and Restated Facilities Agreement and Working 
Capital Facility Letter ("UK Credit Facilities") which replaced the former A, B and C term loans with a new Facility A of 
£17.5 million and a Facility B of £11.6 million (which was the former Facility C loan) as well as provided an additional 
revolving credit facility, Facility C, of £22.5 million and a working capital facility of £2.5 million.  The Facility A loan 
bears interest at LIBOR plus 1.8% per annum with quarterly payments through April 2017.  The Facility B loan bears 

44 

 
interest at LIBOR plus 2.5% per annum with quarterly payments through September 2019.  The Facility C bears interest 
at LIBOR plus 2.2% per annum and expires in September 2019. 

There  were  $19.3 million in  UK  term loans and $13.8 million in UK revolver loans outstanding at January 28, 2017.  
The UK Credit Facilities contain certain covenants at the Schuh level including a minimum interest coverage covenant 
of 4.50x and thereafter, a maximum leverage covenant initially set at 2.25x declining over time at various rates to 1.75x 
beginning  in April  2017  and  a  minimum  cash  flow  coverage  of  1.00x. The  Company  was  in  compliance  with  all  the 
covenants  at  January  28,  2017.    The  UK  Credit  Facilities  are  secured  by  a  pledge  of  all  the  assets  of  Schuh  and  its 
subsidiaries. 

The Company's revolving credit borrowings averaged $100.1 million during Fiscal 2017 and $49.6 million during Fiscal 
2016,  as  cash  on  hand,  cash  generated  from  operations  and  revolver  borrowings  primarily  funded  seasonal  working 
capital  requirements,  capital  expenditures  and  stock  repurchases  for  Fiscal  2017  and  Fiscal  2016.    The  borrowings 
outstanding  during  Fiscal  2017  reflect  funds  borrowed  for  the  acquisition  of  Little  Burgundy  in  the  fourth  quarter  of 
Fiscal  2016,  the  Schuh  deferred  purchase  price  payments  in  the  second  quarter  of  Fiscal  2016  and  stock  repurchases 
made throughout Fiscal 2017. 

There were $11.2 million of letters of credit outstanding and $49.9 million of revolver borrowings outstanding, including 
$20.1  million  (£16.0  million)  related  to  Genesco  (UK)  Limited  and  $29.8  million  (C$39.1  million)  related  to  GCO 
Canada,  under  the  Credit  Facility  at  January  28,  2017.  The  Company  is  not  required  to  comply  with  any  financial 
covenants  under  the  Credit  Facility  unless  Excess  Availability  (as  defined  in  the  Credit  Agreement)  is  less  than  the 
greater of $25.0 million or 10.0% of the Loan Cap. If and during such time as Excess Availability is less than the greater 
of $25.0 million or 10.0% of the Loan Cap, the Credit Facility requires the Company to meet a minimum fixed charge 
coverage ratio of (a) an amount equal to consolidated EBITDA less capital expenditures and taxes paid in cash, in each 
case for such period, to (b) fixed charges for such period, of not less than 1.0:1.0. Excess Availability was $298.2 million 
at January 28, 2017. Because Excess Availability exceeded $25.0 million or 10.0% of the Loan Cap, the Company was 
not required to comply with this financial covenant at January 28 2017. 

The  Credit  Facility  contains  customary  events  of  default,  including,  without  limitation,  payment  defaults,  breaches  of 
representations  and  warranties,  covenant  defaults,  cross-defaults  to  certain  other  material  indebtedness  in  excess  of 
specified  amounts  and  to  agreements  which  would  have  a  material  adverse  effect  if  breached,  certain  events  of 
bankruptcy and insolvency, certain ERISA events, judgments in excess of specified amounts and change in control. 

The Company’s Credit Facility prohibits the payment of dividends and other restricted payments unless as of the date of 
the making of any Restricted Payment (as defined in the Credit Facility) or consummation of any Acquisition (as defined 
in  the  Credit  Facility),  (a) no  Default  (as  defined  in  the  Credit  Facility)  or  Event  of  Default  (as  defined  in  the  Credit 
Facility)exists  or  would  arise  after  giving  effect  to  such  Restricted  Payment  or  Acquisition,  and  (b) either  (i) the 
Borrowers (as defined in the Credit Facility) have pro forma projected Excess Availability for the following six month 
period  equal  to  or  greater  than  25%  of  the  Loan  Cap,  after  giving  pro  forma  effect  to  such  Restricted  Payment  or 
Acquisition, or (ii) (A) the Borrowers have pro forma projected Excess Availability for the following six month period of 
less than 25% of the Loan Cap but equal to or greater than 15% of the Loan Cap, after giving pro forma effect to the 
Restricted  Payment  or Acquisition,  and  (B) the  Fixed  Charge  Coverage  Ratio  (as  defined  in  the  Credit  Facility),  on  a 
pro-forma basis for the twelve months preceding such Restricted Payment or Acquisition, will be equal to or greater than 
1.0:1.0  and  (c) after  giving  effect  to  such  Restricted  Payment  or Acquisition,  the  Company  and  the  other  Borrowers 
under  the  Credit  Facility  are  Solvent  (as  defined  in  the  Credit  Facility).  Notwithstanding  the  foregoing,  the  company 
may make cash dividends on preferred stock up to $500,000 in any fiscal year absent a continuing Event of Default. The 
Company’s management does not expect availability under the Credit Facility to fall below the requirements listed above 
during Fiscal 2018. 

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 

None. 

45 

 
 
 
Contractual Obligations 

The following tables set forth aggregate contractual obligations and commitments as of January 28, 2017. 

(in thousands) 

 Contractual Obligations 

Long-Term Debt Obligations 
Operating Lease Obligations 
Purchase Obligations(1) 
Long-Term Obligations – Schuh(2) 
Other Long-Term Liabilities 
Total Contractual Obligations(3) 

$ 

$ 

Payments Due by Period 

Total 

82,905     $ 

1,379,877    
646,603    
615    
1,077    
2,111,077     $ 

Less than 1 
year 

1 - 3 
years 

3 - 5 
years 

9,175     $ 

245,160    
646,603    
268    
177    
901,383     $ 

51,445     $ 
407,086    
—    
221    
353    
459,105     $ 

22,285     $ 
325,619    
—    
126    
353    
348,383     $ 

(in thousands) 

Amount of Commitment Expiration Per Period 

Commercial Commitments 

Total Amounts 
Committed 

Less than 1 
year 

1 - 3 
years 

3 - 5 
years 

More 
than 5 
years 

—  
402,012  
—  
—  
194  
402,206  

More 
than 5 
years 

Letters of Credit 
Total Commercial Commitments 

$ 
$ 

11,203     $ 
11,203     $ 

11,203     $ 
11,203     $ 

—     $ 
—     $ 

—     $ 
—     $ 

—  
—  

(1) Represents open purchase orders for inventory. 
(2)  Includes  interest  on  the  UK  term  loans.  For  additional  information,  see  Note  6  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements included in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data". 
(3) Excludes unrecognized tax benefits of $5.4 million due to their uncertain nature in timing of payments, if any. 

The total accrued benefit liability for pension and other postretirement benefit plans as of January 28, 2017, was $15.2 
million.  This amount is impacted by, among other items, pension expense, funding levels, plan amendments, changes in 
plan demographics and assumptions, and the investment return on plan assets.  Because the accrued liability does not 
represent expected liquidity needs, the Company did not include this amount in the contractual obligations table.  There 
is  no  requirement  for  the  Company  to  make  a  pension  plan  contribution.    See  Note  10  to  the  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements included in Item 8, "Financial Statements and Supplementary Data". 

Capital Expenditures 

Capital  expenditures  were  $94.0  million,  $100.7  million  and  $103.1  million  for  Fiscal  2017,  2016  and  2015, 
respectively. The $6.7 million decrease in Fiscal 2017 capital expenditures as compared to Fiscal 2016 is primarily due 
to  decreases  in  capital  expenditures  of  Lids  Sports  Group  and  Schuh  Group,  partially  offset  by  increased  capital 
expenditures in Journeys Group.  The $2.4 million decrease in Fiscal 2016 capital expenditures as compared to Fiscal 
2015 is primarily due to decreases in capital expenditures of Lids Sports Group partially offset by increased retail capital 
expenditures in Journeys Group. 

Total capital expenditures in Fiscal 2018 are expected to be approximately $135 million to $145 million. These include 
retail  capital  expenditures  of  approximately  $124  million  to  $134  million  to  open  approximately  60  Journeys  Group 
stores,  including  five  in  Canada,  35  Journeys  Kidz  stores  and  five  Little  Burgundy  stores,  ten  Schuh  stores,  nine 
Johnston & Murphy shops and factory stores, and 22 Lids Sports Group stores, including 20 Lids stores, with six stores 
in  Canada,  and  two  Clubhouse  stores,  and  to  complete  approximately  295  major  store  renovations.  In  addition,  retail 
capital expenditures include $33 million for the expansion of the Journeys Group's warehouse.  The planned amount of 
capital expenditures in Fiscal 2018 for wholesale operations and other purposes is approximately $11 million, including 
approximately $5 million for new systems. 

46 

 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Future Capital Needs 

The Company expects that cash on hand and cash provided by operations and borrowings under its Credit Facilities will 
be sufficient to support seasonal working capital, capital expenditure requirements and stock repurchases during Fiscal 
2018.  The  approximately  $3.3  million  of  costs  associated  with  discontinued  operations  that  are  expected  to  be  paid 
during  the  next  twelve  months  are  expected  to  be  funded  from  cash  on  hand,  cash  generated  from  operations  and 
borrowings under the Credit Facility. 

The Company had total available cash and cash equivalents of $48.3 million and $133.3 million as of January 28, 2017 
and January 30, 2016, respectively, of which approximately $22.9 million and $24.1 million was held by the Company's 
foreign subsidiaries as of January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016, respectively.  The Company's strategic plan does not 
require  the  repatriation  of  foreign  cash  in  order  to  fund  its  operations  in  the  U.S.,  and  it  is  the  Company's  current 
intention  to  indefinitely  reinvest  its  foreign  cash  and  cash  equivalents  outside  of  the  U.S.    If  the  Company  were  to 
repatriate foreign cash to the U.S., it would be required to accrue and pay U.S. taxes in accordance with applicable U.S. 
tax rules and regulations as a result of the repatriation. 

Common Stock Repurchases 
The  weighted  shares  outstanding  reflects  the  effect  of  the  Company's  Board-approved  share  repurchase  program. The 
Company repurchased 2,155,869 shares at a cost of $133.3 million during Fiscal 2017. The Company has repurchased 
275,300 shares in the first quarter of Fiscal 2018, through March 24, 2017, at a cost of $16.2 million.  The Company has 
$24.0  million  remaining  as  of  March  24,  2017  under  its  current  $100.0  million  share  repurchase  authorization.  The 
Company  repurchased  2,383,384  shares  at  a  cost  of  $144.9  million  during  Fiscal  2016.    The  Company  repurchased 
64,709 shares at a cost of $4.6 million during Fiscal 2015. 

Environmental and Other Contingencies 

The  Company  is  subject  to  certain  loss  contingencies  related  to  environmental  proceedings  and  other  legal  matters, 
including  those  disclosed  in  Item  3,  "Legal  Proceedings"  and  Note  13  to  the  Company’s  Consolidated  Financial 
Statements.  The  Company  has  made  pretax  accruals  for  certain  of  these  contingencies,  including  approximately  $0.6 
million reflected in Fiscal 2017, $0.8 million reflected in Fiscal 2016 and $2.8 million reflected in Fiscal 2015. These 
charges are included in provision for discontinued operations, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations because 
they relate to former facilities operated by the Company.  The Company monitors these matters on an ongoing basis and, 
on a quarterly basis, management reviews the Company’s accruals in relation to each of them, adjusting provisions as 
management deems necessary in view of changes in available information. Changes in estimates of liability are reported 
in  the  periods  when  they  occur.  Consequently,  management  believes  that  its  accrued  liability  in  relation  to  each 
proceeding is a best estimate of the probable loss connected to  the proceeding, or in cases in which no best estimate is 
possible, the minimum amount in the range of estimated losses, based upon its analysis of the facts and circumstances as 
of the close of the most recent fiscal quarter. However, because of uncertainties and risks inherent in litigation generally 
and  in  environmental  proceedings  in  particular,  there  can  be  no  assurance  that  future  developments  will  not  require 
additional  provisions,  that  some  or  all  liabilities  may  not  be  adequate  or  that  the  amounts  of  any  such  additional 
provisions  or  any  such  inadequacy  will  not  have  a  material  adverse  effect  upon  the  Company’s  financial  condition  or 
results of operations. 

Financial Market Risk 

The following discusses the Company’s exposure to financial market risk. 

Outstanding  Debt  of  the  Company  –  The  Company  has  $19.3  million  of  outstanding  U.K.  term  loans  at  a  weighted 
average interest rate of 2.64% as of January 28, 2017.  A 100 basis point increase in interest rates would increase annual 
interest expense by $0.2 million on the $19.3 million term loans.  The Company has $13.8 million of outstanding U.K. 
revolver borrowings at a weighted average interest rate of 2.60% as of January 28, 2017.  A 100 basis point increase in 
interest  rates  would  increase  annual  interest  expense  by  $0.1  million  on  the  $13.8  million  revolver  borrowings.    The 
Company has $49.9 million of outstanding U.S. revolver borrowings at a weighted average interest rate of 2.10% as of 

47 

 
January 28, 2017.  A 100 basis point increase in interest rates would increase annual interest expense by $0.5 million on 
the $49.9 million revolver borrowings. 

Cash  and  Cash  Equivalents  – The  Company’s  cash  and  cash  equivalent  balances  are  invested  in  financial  instruments 
with  original  maturities  of  three  months  or  less. The  Company  did  not  have  significant  exposure  to  changing  interest 
rates on invested cash at January 28, 2017. As a result, the Company considers the interest rate market risk implicit in 
these investments at January 28, 2017 to be low. 

Summary – Based on the Company’s overall market interest rate exposure at January 28, 2017, the Company believes 
that the effect, if any, of reasonably possible near-term changes in interest rates on the Company’s consolidated financial 
position, results of operations or cash flows for Fiscal 2017 would not be material. 

Accounts Receivable – The Company’s accounts receivable balance at January 28, 2017 is concentrated primarily in two 
of  its  footwear  wholesale  businesses,  which  sell  primarily  to  department  stores  and  independent  retailers  across  the 
United  States.    In  the    footwear  wholesale  businesses,  one  customer  each  accounted  for  15%,  13%  and  10%  of  the 
Company’s total trade receivables balance, while no other customer accounted for more than 7% of the Company’s total 
trade  receivables  balance  as  of  January  28,  2017.  The  Company  monitors  the  credit  quality  of  its  customers  and 
establishes  an  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  based  upon  factors  surrounding  credit  risk  of  specific  customers, 
historical  trends  and  other  information,  as  well  as  customer  specific  factors;  however,  credit  risk  is  affected  by 
conditions or occurrences within the economy and the retail industry, as well as company-specific information. 

Foreign Currency Exchange Risk – The Company is exposed to translation risk because certain of its foreign operations 
utilize  the  local  currency  as  their  functional  currency  and  those  financial  results  must  be  translated  into  United  States 
dollars.  As currency exchange rates fluctuate, translation of the  Company's  financial statements of  foreign businesses 
into  United  States  dollars  affects  the  comparability  of  financial  results  between  years.  Schuh  Group's  net  sales  and 
earnings from operations for Fiscal 2017 were negatively impacted by $49.3 million and $4.1 million, respectively, due 
to the decline in foreign exchange rates. 

New Accounting Principles 
In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-04, “Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350): Simplifying the Test 
for Goodwill Impairment.” ASU 2017-04 simplifies the measurement of goodwill by eliminating the second step from 
the  goodwill  impairment  test,  which  requires  the  comparison  of  the  implied  fair  value  of  goodwill  with  the  current 
carrying  amount  of  goodwill.  Instead,  under  the  amendments  in  this  guidance,  an  entity  shall  perform  a  goodwill 
impairment test by comparing the fair value of each reporting unit with its carrying amount and an impairment charge is 
to be recorded for the amount, if any, in which the carrying value exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. This guidance 
should  be  applied  prospectively  and  is  effective  for  public  business  entities  that  are  United  States  Securities  and 
Exchange  Commission  filers  for  fiscal  years  beginning  after  December  15,  2019,  with  early  adoption  permitted  for 
interim or annual goodwill impairment tests performed after January 1, 2017. 

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Compensation  - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): Improvements to 
Employee Share-Based Payment Accounting” (“ASU 2016-09”). The update addresses several aspects of the accounting 
for share-based compensation transactions including: (a) income tax consequences when awards vest or are settled, (b) 
classification of awards as either equity or liabilities, (c) a policy election to account for forfeitures as they occur rather 
than  on  an  estimated  basis  and  (d)  classification  of  excess  tax  impacts  on  the  statement  of  cash  flows.  The  updated 
guidance is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal years, 
with  early  adoption  permitted.    If  the  Company  had  adopted  the  standard  in  Fiscal  2017,  reported  earnings  per  share 
would  have  decreased  $0.03  per  share  for  Fiscal  2017. The  Company  will  adopt ASU  2016-09  in  the  first  quarter  of 
Fiscal 2018. 

In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, "Leases".  The standard's core principle is to increase transparency 
and  comparability  among  organizations  by  recognizing  lease  assets  and  liabilities  on  the  balance  sheet  and  disclosing 
key information.  The standard is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods 
within  those  fiscal  years,  which  would  be  the  beginning  of  our  Fiscal  2020  or  February  2019.    Early  adoption  is 

48 

 
 
 
permitted. The Company is currently assessing the impact the adoption of ASU 2016-02 will have on its Consolidated 
Financial  Statements  and  related  disclosures  and  is  expecting  a  material  impact  because  the  Company  is  party  to  a 
significant number of lease contracts. 

In November 2015, the FASB issued ASU  2015-17, "Balance Sheet Classification of  Deferred Taxes".  ASU 2015-17 
requires that all deferred tax assets and liabilities, along with any related valuation allowance, be classified as noncurrent 
on the balance sheet.  ASU 2015-17 is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after 
December  15,  2016  and  may  be  applied  either  prospectively  or  retrospectively.    Early  adoption  is  permitted.   As  of 
January  28,  2017,  the  Company  has  $21.2  million  of  current  deferred  tax  assets  that  will  be  reclassed  to  noncurrent 
deferred  tax  assets  on  its  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets.   The  Company  is  currently  assessing  which  transition  method 
will be adopted. 

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, "Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement of Inventory."  ASU 
2015-11  requires  an  entity  that  determines  the  cost  of  inventory  by  methods  other  than  last-in,  first-out  and  the  retail 
inventory method to measure inventory at the lower of cost and net realizable value.  ASU 2015-11 requires prospective 
application and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal 
years,  with  early  adoption  permitted.    The  Company  does  not  expect  that  the  adoption  of  this  guidance  will  have  a 
material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures. 

In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-03, "Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs".  In August 2015, 
the  FASB  issued ASU  2015-15,  "Presentation  and  Subsequent  measurement  of  Debt  Issuance  Costs Associated  with 
Line-of-Credit Arrangements".  ASU 2015-03 will require that debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a 
deduction from the carrying amount of the debt.  ASU 2015-15 allows an entity to present debt issuance costs associated 
with a revolving line of credit arrangement as an asset, regardless of whether a balance is outstanding.  The recognition 
and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by ASU 2015-03 or ASU 2015-15.  These ASU's are 
effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2015, including interim periods within that reporting 
period,  with  early  adoption  permitted.   ASU  2015-03  required  the  Company  to  reclassify  its  deferred  financing  costs 
associated with its long-term debt from other noncurrent assets to long-term debt on a retrospective basis.  The Company 
adopted  these  ASUs  in  the  first  quarter  of  Fiscal  2017.    The  $0.3  million  in  deferred  financing  costs  related  to  the 
Company's term loans were reclassified to long-term debt from noncurrent assets as of January 30, 2016. 

In May 2014, the FASB  issued ASU 2014-09, "Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)".  ASU 2014-09 
amends  the  guidance  for  revenue  recognition  to  replace  numerous,  industry-specific  requirements  and  merges  areas 
under this topic with those of the International Financial Reporting Standards.  The ASU implements a five-step process 
for customer contract revenue recognition that focuses on transfer of control, as opposed to transfer of risk and rewards.  
The amendment also requires enhanced disclosures regarding the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenues and 
cash flows from contracts with customers.  ASU 2014-09 was originally effective for fiscal years, and interim periods 
within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016, however, in August 2015, the FASB deferred this ASU for one 
year,  which  would  be  the  beginning  of  our  Fiscal  2019  or  February  2018.    The  amendment  is  to  be  applied  either 
retrospectively  to  each  prior  reporting  period  presented  or  with  the  cumulative  effect  recognized  at  the  date  of  initial 
adoption as an adjustment to the opening balance of retained earnings (or other appropriate components of equity or net 
assets  on  the  balance  sheet).    Based  on  an  evaluation  of  the  standard  as  a  whole,  the  Company  has  identified  catalog 
costs, customer incentives and principal versus agent considerations as the areas that will most likely be affected by the 
new  revenue  recognition  guidance.    The  Company  continues  to  evaluate  the  adoption  of  this  standard,  including  the 
transition method, and will provide updates in Fiscal 2018 related to the expected impact of adopting this standard. 

Inflation 

The Company does not believe inflation has had a material impact on sales or operating results during periods covered in 
this discussion. 

49 

 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 7A, QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 

The Company incorporates by reference the information regarding market risk appearing under the heading “Financial Market 
Risk” in Item 7, "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations." 

50 

 
 
ITEM 8, FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA 

INDEX TO FINANCIAL STATEMENTS 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

Consolidated Balance Sheets, January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016 

Consolidated Statements of Operations, each of the three fiscal years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015 

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, each of the three fiscal years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, each of the three fiscal years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015 

Consolidated Statements of Equity, each of the three fiscal years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

Page 

52 

53 

54 

56 

57 

58 

59 

60 

51 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 
On Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

The Board of Directors and Shareholders 
Genesco Inc. 

We have audited Genesco Inc. and Subsidiaries' internal control over financial reporting as of January 28, 2017, based on 
criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the 
Treadway Commission (2013 Framework) (the COSO criteria). Genesco Inc. and Subsidiaries' 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 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 its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. 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,  Genesco  Inc.  and  Subsidiaries  maintained,  in  all  material  respects,  effective  internal  control  over  financial 
reporting as of January 28, 2017, based on the COSO criteria. 

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), 
the consolidated balance sheets of Genesco Inc. and Subsidiaries as of January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016,  and the related 
consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, cash flows, and equity for each of the three fiscal years in the 
period ended January 28, 2017, and our report dated March 29, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.  Our audits also 
included the financial statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15. 

Nashville, Tennessee 

March 29, 2017 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP 

52 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

The Board of Directors and Shareholders 
Genesco Inc. 

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Genesco Inc. and Subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of 
January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, cash 
flows and equity for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended January 28, 2017. Our audits also included the financial 
statement schedule listed in the Index at Item 15. These financial statements and schedule are the responsibility of the 
Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and 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, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the consolidated financial 
position of Genesco Inc. and Subsidiaries at January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016, and the consolidated results of their 
operations and their cash flows for each of the three fiscal years in the period ended January 28, 2017, in conformity with U.S. 
generally accepted accounting principles. Also, in our opinion, the related financial statement schedule, when considered in 
relation to the basic financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly in all material respects the information set forth 
therein. 

We also have 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 28, 2017, based on criteria established in Internal Control 
– Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 
Framework), and our report dated March 29, 2017 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon. 

Nashville, Tennessee 

March 29, 2017 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP 

53 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Genesco Inc. 
and Subsidiaries 
Consolidated Balance Sheets 
In Thousands, except share amounts 

Assets 

Current Assets: 
Cash and cash equivalents 
Accounts receivable, net of allowances of  $3,073 at January 28, 

2017 and $2,960 at January 30, 2016 

Inventories 
Deferred income taxes 
Prepaids and other current assets 
Total current assets 

Property and equipment: 

Land 
Buildings and building equipment 
Computer hardware, software and equipment 
Furniture and fixtures 
Construction in progress 
Improvements to leased property 
Property and equipment, at cost 
Accumulated depreciation 
Property and equipment, net 

Deferred income taxes 
Goodwill 
Trademarks, net of accumulated amortization of $5,574 at 

January 28, 2017 and $5,039 at January 30, 2016 

Other intangibles, net of accumulated amortization of $16,200 at 

January 28, 2017 and $15,947 at January 30, 2016 

Other noncurrent assets 

Total Assets 

As of Fiscal Year End 

January 28, 
2017 

January 30, 
2016 

$ 

48,301    $ 

133,288  

43,525    
563,677    
21,194    
61,470    
738,167    

7,773    
52,673    
179,926    
211,833    
33,660    
366,186    
852,051    
(521,440 )  
330,611    
85    
271,222    

47,265  
529,758  
28,965  
60,810  
800,086  

8,038  
51,768  
183,985  
209,337  
16,190  
359,591  
828,909  
(505,581 ) 
323,328  
959  
281,385  

84,327    

86,740  

2,392    
22,102    
1,448,906    $ 

3,569  
45,123  
1,541,190  

$ 

54 

 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Genesco Inc. 
and Subsidiaries 
Consolidated Balance Sheets 
In Thousands, except share amounts 

Liabilities and Equity 

Current Liabilities: 
Accounts payable 
Accrued employee compensation 
Accrued other taxes 
Accrued income taxes 
Current portion – long-term debt 
Other accrued liabilities 
Provision for discontinued operations 

Total current liabilities 
Long-term debt 
Pension liability 
Deferred rent and other long-term liabilities 
Provision for discontinued operations 

Total liabilities 
Commitments and contingent liabilities 
Equity 

Non-redeemable preferred stock 
Common equity: 

Common stock, $1 par value: 

Authorized: 80,000,000 shares 
Issued/Outstanding: 

January 28, 2017 –  20,354,272/19,865,808 

January 30, 2016 –  22,322,799/21,834,335 

Additional paid-in capital 
Retained earnings 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss 
Treasury shares, at cost (488,464 shares) 

Total Genesco equity 
Noncontrolling interest – non-redeemable 
Total equity 
Total Liabilities and Equity 

As of Fiscal Year End 

January 28, 
2017 

January 30, 
2016 

$ 

170,751    $ 
31,128    
23,101    
7,568    
9,175    
64,333    
3,330    
309,386    
73,730    
6,265    
135,291    
1,713    
526,385    

154,241  
23,666  
24,508  
16,349  
14,182  
79,282  
11,389  
323,617  
97,583  
9,957  
149,020  
4,230  
584,407  

1,060    

1,077  

20,354    
237,677    
731,111    
(51,292 )  
(17,857 )  
921,053    
1,468    
922,521    
1,448,906    $ 

22,323  
224,004  
768,222  
(42,613 ) 

(17,857 ) 
955,156  
1,627  
956,783  
1,541,190  

$ 

The accompanying Notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements. 

55 

 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
  
 
   
 
   
 
  
 
   
 
   
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
Genesco Inc. 
and Subsidiaries 
Consolidated Statements of Operations 
In Thousands, except per share amounts 

Net sales 
Cost of sales 
Selling and administrative expenses 
Asset impairments and other, net 
Earnings from operations 
Gain on sale of SureGrip Footwear 
Gain on sale of Lids Team Sports 
Indemnification asset write-off 
Interest expense, net: 
Interest expense 
Interest income 

Total interest expense, net 
Earnings from continuing operations before income taxes   
Income tax expense 
Earnings from continuing operations 
Provision for discontinued operations, net 
Net Earnings 

Basic earnings per common share: 

Continuing operations 
Discontinued operations 

     Net earnings 
Diluted earnings per common share: 

Continuing operations 
Discontinued operations 

    Net earnings 

2017 

 $  2,868,341   $ 
1,450,815  
1,276,368  
(802 ) 
141,960  
(12,297 ) 
(2,404 ) 
—  

5,294  
(47 ) 
5,247  
151,414  
53,555  
97,859  
(428 ) 
97,431   $ 

4.87   $ 
(0.02 ) 
4.85   $ 

4.85   $ 
(0.02 ) 
4.83   $ 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 

Fiscal Year 

2016 
3,022,234   $ 
1,578,768  
1,284,322  
7,893  
151,251  
—  
(4,685 ) 
—  

4,414  
(11 ) 
4,403  
151,533  
56,152  
95,381  
(812 ) 
94,569   $ 

4.17   $ 
(0.04 ) 
4.13   $ 

4.15   $ 
(0.04 ) 
4.11   $ 

2015 
2,859,844  
1,459,433  
1,230,864  
2,281  
167,266  
—  
—  
7,050  

3,337  
(110 ) 
3,227  
156,989  
57,616  
99,373  
(1,648 ) 
97,725  

4.23  
(0.07 ) 
4.16  

4.19  
(0.07 ) 
4.12  

The accompanying Notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements. 

56 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
Genesco Inc. 
and Subsidiaries 
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income 
In Thousands, except as noted 

Fiscal Year 

Net earnings 
Other comprehensive income (loss): 

Pension liability adjustment net of tax of $2.4 million, 
  $6.3 million and $4.0 million for 2017, 2016 and 
  2015, respectively 
Postretirement liability adjustment net of tax of $0.4 
  million for all periods 
Foreign currency translation adjustments 

Total other comprehensive loss 

Comprehensive Income 

2017 

2016 
$  97,431   $  94,569   $  97,725  

2015 

3,618  

9,756  

(6,343 ) 

(674 ) 
(11,623 ) 

666  
(12,459 ) 

(644 ) 
(16,822 ) 

(8,679 ) 

(23,809 ) 
$  88,752   $  92,532   $  73,916  

(2,037 ) 

                     The accompanying Notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements. 

57 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Genesco Inc. 
and Subsidiaries 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 
In Thousands 

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES: 
Net earnings 

Adjustments to reconcile net earnings to net cash 

provided by operating activities: 

Depreciation and amortization 

Amortization of deferred note expense and debt discount 

Deferred income taxes 

Provision for accounts receivable 

Indemnification asset write-off 

Impairment of long-lived assets 

Restricted stock expense 

Provision for discontinued operations 

Gain on sale of Lids Team Sports 

Gain on sale of SureGrip Footwear 

Loss on pension buyout 

Tax benefit of stock options and restricted stock 

Other 

Effect on cash from changes in working capital and other 

assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions/dispositions: 

  Accounts receivable 

  Inventories 

  Prepaids and other current assets 

  Accounts payable 

  Other accrued liabilities 
  Other assets and liabilities 

Net cash provided by operating activities 
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES: 
  Capital expenditures 

  Acquisitions, net of cash acquired 

  Proceeds from asset sales and sale of businesses 

Net cash used in investing activities 
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES: 
  Payments of long-term debt 

  Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt 

  Borrowings under revolving credit facility 

  Payments on revolving credit facility 

  Tax benefit of stock options and restricted stock 

  Shares repurchased 

  Change in overdraft balances 
  Additions to deferred note cost 

  Exercise of stock options 

  Other 

Net cash used in financing activities 

Effect of foreign exchange rate fluctuations on cash 
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period 

Cash and cash equivalents at end of period 

Net cash paid for: 

Interest 

Income taxes 

Fiscal Year 

2017 

2016 

2015 

$ 

97,431   $ 

94,569   $ 

97,725  

75,768  
839  
5,394  
442  
—  
6,409  
13,481  
701  
(2,404 ) 

(12,297 ) 
2,456  
(313 ) 
1,599  

1,362  
(45,396 ) 

(2,258 ) 
24,527  
(16,302 ) 
10,062  
161,501  

(93,970 ) 

(22 ) 
23,053  

(70,939 ) 

(6,591 ) 
—  
340,920  
(357,685 ) 
313  
(140,499 ) 

(8,349 ) 
—  
1,018  
(3,594 ) 

(174,467 ) 

(1,082 ) 
(84,987 ) 
133,288  
48,301   $ 

4,263   $ 
52,384  

79,011  
820  
(2,125 ) 
637  
—  
3,125  
13,758  
1,333  
(4,685 ) 
—  
—  
(150 ) 
3,708  

(6,669 ) 
27,827  
(8,879 ) 
2,505  
(70,890 ) 
11,223  
145,118  

(100,652 ) 

(35,063 ) 
59,915  

(75,800 ) 

(24,920 ) 
27,417  
401,276  
(311,067 ) 
150  
(137,648 ) 

(600 ) 
(655 ) 
1,442  
(2,950 ) 

(47,555 ) 

(1,342 ) 
20,421  
112,867  
133,288   $ 

3,408   $ 
58,940  

74,326  
692  
5,212  
390  
7,050  
1,890  
13,392  
2,711  
—  
—  
—  
(3,061 ) 
894  

(1,325 ) 

(30,955 ) 
179  
27,646  
52,694  
(59,696 ) 
189,764  

(103,111 ) 

(34,918 ) 
336  

(137,693 ) 

(31,583 ) 
26,253  
280,950  
(280,950 ) 
3,061  
(4,635 ) 
3,489  
—  
2,009  
(43 ) 

(1,449 ) 
2,798  
53,420  
59,447  
112,867  

2,632  
42,816  

$ 

$ 

The accompanying Notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements. 

58 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Genesco Inc. 
and Subsidiaries 
Consolidated Statements of Equity 

 Non-
Redeemable 
Preferred 
Stock   
1,305    $ 
—    
—    
—    

$ 

Common 
Stock   
24,408    $ 
—    
—    
69    

Additional 
Paid-In 
Capital   
190,568    $ 
—    
—    
1,749    

Retained 
Earnings   
734,533    $ 
97,725    
—    
—    

Accumulated 
Other 
Comprehensive 
Loss   

Non 
Controlling 
Interest 
Non-
Redeemable   

Treasury 
Shares   

(16,767 )   $ 
—    
(23,809 )   
—    

(17,857 )   $ 
—    
—    
—    

— 

— 
—    
— 

—    
—    
—    
—    
(40,576 )   
—    
(2,037 )   
—    

— 

— 
—    

— 

—    
—    
—    
—    
(42,613 )   
—    
(8,679 )   
—    

— 
—    

— 

— 

— 
—    
— 

—    
—    
—    
—    
(17,857 )   
—    
—    
—    

— 

— 
—    

— 

—    
—    
—    
—    
(17,857 )   
—    
—    
—    

— 
—    

— 

Total 
Equity 
918,123  
97,725  
(23,809 ) 
1,818  

191 

13,392 
—  

(7,125 ) 

3,061  
(4,635 ) 
(1 ) 
37  
998,777  
94,569  
(2,037 ) 
1,308  

1,933    $ 
—    
—    
—    

— 

— 
—    
— 

—    
—    
—    
37    
1,970    
—    
—    
—    

— 

134 

— 
—    

— 

13,758 
—  

(4,408 ) 

—    
—    
—    
(343 )   
1,627    
—    
—    
—    

— 
—    

— 

(90 ) 
(144,885 ) 
—  
(343 ) 
956,783  
97,431  
(8,679 ) 
1,018  

13,481 
—  

(3,435 ) 

— 

— 
—    
— 

—    
—    
(31 )   
—    
1,274    
—    
—    
—    

— 

— 
—    

— 

—    
—    
(197 )   
—    
1,077    

—    
—    

— 
—    

— 

3 

188 

— 

— 
202    
(88 )   

—    
(65 )   
(14 )   
—    
24,515    
—    
—    
35    

13,392 

(202 )   

88 

3,061    
—    
44    
—    
208,888    
—    
—    
1,273    

— 
—    
(7,125 )   

—    
(4,570 )   
—    
—    
820,563    
94,569    
—    
—    

3 

131 

— 

— 
239    
(66 )   

—    
(2,383 )   
(20 )   
—    
22,323    
—    
—    
27    

— 
236    

(56 )   

13,758 

(239 )   

66 

(90 )   
—    
217    
—    
224,004    
—    
—    
991    

13,481 

(236 )   

— 
—    
(4,408 )   

—    
(142,502 )   
—    
—    
768,222    
97,431    
—    
—    

— 
—    

56 

(3,435 )   

In Thousands 

Balance February 1, 2014 
Net earnings 
Other comprehensive loss 
Exercise of stock options 
Issue shares – Employee Stock 
Purchase Plan 

Employee and non-employee 
restricted stock 
Restricted stock issuance 
Restricted shares withheld for 
taxes 
Tax benefit of stock options and 
  restricted stock exercised 
Shares repurchased 
Other 
Noncontrolling interest – gain 

Balance January 31, 2015 
Net earnings 
Other comprehensive loss 
Exercise of stock options 
Issue shares – Employee Stock 
Purchase Plan 
Employee and non-employee 
restricted stock 

Restricted stock issuance 
Restricted shares withheld for 
taxes 

Tax benefit of stock options and 
  restricted stock exercised 
Shares repurchased 
Other 
Noncontrolling interest – loss 

Balance January 30, 2016 
Net earnings 
Other comprehensive loss 
Exercise of stock options 
Employee and non-employee 
restricted stock 
Restricted stock issuance 
Restricted shares withheld for 
taxes 

Tax benefit of stock options and 
  restricted stock exercised 
Shares repurchased 
Other 
Noncontrolling interest – loss 

—    
—    
(17 )   
—    
1,060    $ 

—    
(2,156 )   
(20 )   
—    
20,354    $ 

(657 )   
—    
38    
—    
237,677    $ 

—    
(131,107 )   
—    
—    
731,111    $ 

—    
—    
—    
—   
(51,292 )   $ 

—    
—    
—    
—    
(17,857 )   $ 

—    
—    
—    
(159 )   
1,468    $ 

(657 ) 
(133,263 ) 
1  
(159 ) 
922,521  

Balance January 28, 2017 

$ 

The accompanying Notes are an integral part of these Consolidated Financial Statements.

59 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 

journeys.com, 

journeyskidz.com, 

journeys.ca,  shibyjourneys.com, 

Nature of Operations 
Genesco  Inc.  and  its  subsidiaries  (collectively  the  "Company")  business  includes  the  sourcing  and 
design,  marketing  and  distribution  of  footwear  and  accessories  through  retail  stores  in  the  U.S., 
Puerto  Rico  and  Canada  primarily  under  the  Journeys,  Journeys  Kidz,  Shi  by  Journeys,  Little 
Burgundy, Underground by Journeys and Johnston & Murphy banners and under the Schuh banner 
in  the  United  Kingdom,  the  Republic  of  Ireland  and  Germany;  through  e-commerce  websites 
including 
  schuh.co.uk, 
littleburgundyshoes.com,  johnstonmurphy.com  and  trask.com  and  catalogs,  and  at  wholesale, 
primarily  under  the  Company's  Johnston  &  Murphy  brand,  the  Trask  brand,  the  licensed  Dockers 
brand  and  other  brands  that  the  Company  licenses  for  footwear.  The  Company's  business  also 
includes Lids Sports Group, which operates headwear and accessory stores in the U.S. and Canada 
primarily under the Lids banner; the Lids Locker Room and Lids Clubhouse businesses, consisting 
of  sports-oriented  fan  shops  featuring  a  broad  array  of  licensed  merchandise  such  as  apparel,  hats 
and  accessories,  sports  decor  and  novelty  products,  operating  under  various  trade  names;  licensed 
team  merchandise  departments  in  Macy's  department  stores  operated  under  the  name  of  Locker 
Room by Lids and on macys.com, under a license agreement with Macy's; and certain e-commerce 
operations including lids.com, lids.ca, lidslockerroom.com, lidsclubhouse.com and neweracap.com. 
Including both the footwear businesses and the Lids Sports Group business, at January 28, 2017, the 
Company operated 2,794 retail stores and leased departments in the U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada, the 
United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Germany. 

During  Fiscal  2017,  the  Company  operated  five  reportable  business  segments  (not  including 
corporate):  (i) Journeys  Group,  comprised  of  the  Journeys,  Journeys  Kidz,  Shi  by  Journeys,  Little 
Burgundy and Underground by Journeys retail footwear chains, e-commerce operations and catalog; 
(ii) Schuh  Group,  comprised  of  the  Schuh  retail  footwear  chain  and  e-commerce  operations; 
(iii) Lids Sports Group, comprised as described in the preceding paragraph (An athletic team dealer 
business  operating  as  Lids  Team  Sports  was  sold  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  Fiscal  2016.); 
(iv) Johnston & Murphy Group, comprised of Johnston & Murphy retail operations, e-commerce and 
catalog operations and wholesale distribution of products under the Johnston & Murphy® and H.S. 
Trask®  brands;  and  (v) Licensed  Brands,  comprised  of  Dockers®  Footwear,  sourced  and  marketed 
under a license  from  Levi  Strauss & Company;  SureGrip®  Footwear, which was  sold  in  the fourth 
quarter  of  Fiscal  2017;  G.H.  Bass  Footwear  operated  under  a  license  from  G-III Apparel  Group, 
Ltd.; and other brands. 

Principles of Consolidation 
All  subsidiaries  are  consolidated  in  the  consolidated  financial  statements.    All  significant 
intercompany transactions and accounts have been eliminated. 

60 

 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

Fiscal Year 

The Company’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday closest to January 31. As a result, Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 
2015 were 52-week years with 364 days. Fiscal 2017 ended on January 28, 2017, Fiscal 2016 ended on 
January 30, 2016 and Fiscal 2015 ended on January 31, 2015.   

Use of Estimates 
The  preparation  of  financial  statements  in  conformity  with  U.S.  generally  accepted  accounting 
principles requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts 
of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial 
statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period.  Actual 
results could differ from those estimates. 

Significant areas requiring management estimates or judgments include the following key financial 
areas: 

Inventory Valuation 
The Company values its inventories at the lower of cost or market. 

In  its  footwear  wholesale  operations  and  its  Schuh  Group  segment,  cost  is  determined  using  the 
FIFO  method. Market value is determined using a system of analysis which evaluates inventory at 
the  stock  number  level  based  on  factors  such  as  inventory  turn,  average  selling  price,  inventory 
level, and selling prices reflected in future orders for footwear wholesale.  The Company provides 
reserves when the inventory has not been marked down to market value based on current selling 
prices or when the inventory is not turning and is not expected to turn at levels satisfactory to the 
Company. 

The Lids Sports Group segment employs the moving average cost method for valuing inventories 
and applies freight using an allocation method.  The Company provides a valuation allowance for 
slow-moving  inventory  based  on  negative  margins  and  estimated  shrink  based  on  historical 
experience and specific analysis, where appropriate. 

In its retail operations, other than the Schuh Group and Lids Sports Group segments, the Company 
employs  the  retail  inventory  method,  applying  average  cost-to-retail  ratios  to  the  retail  value  of 
inventories. Under the retail inventory method, valuing inventory at the lower of cost or market is 
achieved as markdowns are taken or accrued as a reduction of the retail value of inventories. 

61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

Inherent  in  the  retail  inventory  method  are  subjective  judgments  and  estimates,  including 
merchandise  mark-on,  markups,  markdowns,  and  shrinkage.    These  judgments  and  estimates, 
coupled  with  the  fact  that  the  retail  inventory  method  is  an  averaging  process,  could  produce  a 
range of cost figures.  To reduce the risk of inaccuracy and to ensure consistent presentation, the 
Company  employs  the  retail  inventory  method  in  multiple  subclasses  of  inventory  with  similar 
gross  margins,  and  analyzes  markdown  requirements  at  the  stock  number  level  based  on  factors 
such as inventory turn, average selling price, and inventory age.  In addition, the Company accrues 
markdowns as necessary.  These additional markdown accruals reflect all of the above factors as 
well  as  current  agreements  to  return  products  to  vendors  and  vendor  agreements  to  provide 
markdown  support.    In  addition  to  markdown  provisions,  the  Company  maintains  provisions  for 
shrinkage and damaged goods based on historical rates. 

Inherent in the analysis of both wholesale and retail inventory valuation are subjective judgments 
about current market conditions, fashion trends, and overall economic conditions.  Failure to make 
appropriate conclusions regarding these factors may result in an overstatement or understatement 
of inventory value. 

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets 
The Company periodically assesses the realizability of its long-lived assets, other than goodwill, 
and  evaluates  such  assets  for  impairment  whenever  events  or  changes  in  circumstances  indicate 
that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable.  Asset impairment is determined to 
exist  if  estimated  future  cash  flows,  undiscounted  and  without  interest  charges,  are  less  than  the 
carrying  amount.    Inherent  in  the  analysis  of  impairment  are  subjective  judgments  about  future 
cash flows.  Failure to make appropriate conclusions regarding these judgments may result in an 
overstatement or understatement of the value of long-lived assets.  See also Notes 3 and 5. 

The  goodwill  impairment  test  involves  performing  a  qualitative  assessment,  on  a  reporting  unit 
level, based on current circumstances.  If the results of the qualitative assessment indicate that it is 
more  likely  than  not  that  the  fair  value  of  a  reporting  unit  is  greater  than  its  carrying  amount,  a 
two-step  impairment  test  will  not  be  performed.    However,  if  the  results  of  the  qualitative 
assessment indicate that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than 
its  carrying  amount,  then  a  two-step  impairment  test  is  performed.   Alternatively,  the  Company 
may  elect  to  bypass  the  qualitative  assessment  and  proceed  directly  to  the  two-step  impairment 
test, on a reporting unit level. The first step is a comparison of the fair value and carrying value of 
the business unit with which the goodwill is associated. The Company estimates fair value using 
the  best  information  available,  and  computes  the  fair  value  derived  by  an  income  approach 
utilizing discounted cash flow projections.   

62 

 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

The income approach uses a projection of a reporting unit’s estimated operating results and cash 
flows  that  is  discounted  using  a  weighted-average  cost  of  capital  that  reflects  current  market 
conditions.  A key assumption in the Company’s fair value estimate is the weighted average cost of 
capital  utilized  for  discounting  its  cash  flow  projections  in  its  income  approach.   The  Company 
believes the rate it used in its latest annual test, which was completed at the beginning of the fourth 
quarter, was consistent with the risks inherent in its business and with industry discount rates.  The 
projection uses management’s best estimates of economic and market conditions over the projected 
period  including  growth  rates  in  sales,  costs,  estimates  of  future  expected  changes  in  operating 
margins  and  cash  expenditures.    Other  significant  estimates  and  assumptions  include  terminal 
value growth rates, future estimates of capital expenditures and changes in future working capital 
requirements. 

During  the  quarter  ended  January  28,  2017,  the  Company  voluntarily  changed  the  date  of  its 
annual  goodwill impairment test and other intangible assets impairment test from  the last  day of 
the  fiscal  year  to  the  first  day  of  the  fourth  fiscal  quarter.    This  voluntary  change  is  preferable 
under the circumstances as it aligns with the Company's five-year strategic planning cycle that is 
completed in early October.  This voluntary change in accounting principle was not made to delay, 
accelerate  or  avoid  an  impairment  charge.    This  change  is  not  applied  retrospectively  as  it  is 
impracticable  to  do  so  because  retrospective  application  would  require  the  application  of 
significant estimates and assumptions with the use of hindsight.  Accordingly, the change will be 
applied prospectively. 

If the carrying value of  the reporting unit is  higher than its fair value, there is  an indication that 
impairment  may  exist  and  the  second  step  must  be  performed  to  measure  the  amount  of 
impairment loss.  The amount of impairment is determined by comparing the implied fair value of 
reporting unit goodwill to the carrying value of the goodwill in the same manner as if the reporting 
unit was being acquired in a business combination.  Specifically, the Company would allocate the 
fair value of the reporting unit to all of the assets and liabilities of the reporting unit, including any 
unrecognized  intangible  assets,  in  a  hypothetical  analysis  that  would  calculate  the  implied  fair 
value  of  goodwill.  If  the  implied  fair  value  of  goodwill  is  less  than  the  recorded  goodwill,  the 
Company would record an impairment charge for the difference. 

Environmental and Other Contingencies 
The  Company  is  subject  to  certain  loss  contingencies  related  to  environmental  proceedings  and 
other  legal  matters.    The  Company  has  made  pretax  accruals  for  certain  of  these  contingencies, 
including approximately $0.6 million in Fiscal 2017, $0.8 million in Fiscal 2016 and $2.8 million 
in Fiscal 2015.   

63 

 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

These  charges  are  included  in  provision  for  discontinued  operations,  net  in  the  Consolidated 
Statements of Operations because they relate to former facilities operated by the Company.  The 
Company  monitors  these  matters  on  an  ongoing  basis  and,  on  a  quarterly  basis,  management 
reviews the Company’s accruals, adjusting provisions as management deems necessary in view of 
changes  in  available  information.    Changes  in  estimates  of  liability  are  reported  in  the  periods 
when they occur.  Consequently, management believes that its accrued liability in relation to each 
proceeding is a best estimate of probable loss connected to the proceeding, or in cases in which no 
best  estimate  is  possible,  the  minimum  amount  in  the  range  of  estimated  losses,  based  upon  its 
analysis of the facts and circumstances as of the close of the most recent fiscal quarter.  However, 
because of uncertainties and risks inherent in litigation generally and in environmental proceedings 
in  particular,  there  can  be  no  assurance  that  future  developments  will  not  require  additional 
provisions, that some or all liabilities will be adequate or that the amounts of any such additional 
provisions  or  any  such  inadequacy  will  not  have  a  material  adverse  effect  upon  the  Company’s 
financial condition, cash flows, or results of operations.  See also Notes 3 and 13. 

Revenue Recognition 
Retail sales are recorded at the point of sale and are net of estimated returns and exclude sales and 
value  added  taxes.    Catalog  and  internet  sales  are  recorded  at  estimated  time  of  delivery  to  the 
customer  and  are  net  of  estimated  returns  and  exclude  sales  and  value  added  taxes.    Wholesale 
revenue  is  recorded  net  of  estimated  returns  and  allowances  for  markdowns,  damages  and 
miscellaneous claims when the related goods have been shipped and legal title has passed to the 
customer.  Shipping and handling costs charged to customers are included in net sales.  Estimated 
returns are based on historical returns and claims.  Actual amounts of markdowns have not differed 
materially  from  estimates.    Actual  returns  and  claims  in  any  future  period  may  differ  from 
historical experience. 

Income Taxes 
As  part  of  the  process  of  preparing  the  Consolidated  Financial  Statements,  the  Company  is 
required  to  estimate  its  income  taxes  in  each  of  the  tax  jurisdictions  in  which  it  operates.    This 
process  involves  estimating  actual  current  tax  obligations  together  with  assessing  temporary 
differences  resulting  from  differing  treatment  of  certain  items  for  tax  and  accounting  purposes, 
such  as  depreciation  of  property  and  equipment  and  valuation  of  inventories.    These  temporary 
differences result in deferred tax assets and liabilities, which are included within the Consolidated 
Balance  Sheets.    The  Company  then  assesses  the  likelihood  that  its  deferred  tax  assets  will  be 
recovered from future taxable income or other sources.   

64 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

Actual  results  could  differ  from  this  assessment  if  adequate  taxable  income  is  not  generated  in 
future periods.  To the extent the Company believes that recovery of an asset is at risk, valuation 
allowances  are  established.   To  the  extent  valuation  allowances  are  established  or  increased  in  a 
period, the Company includes an expense within the tax provision in the Consolidated Statements 
of  Operations.    These  deferred  tax  valuation  allowances  may  be  released  in  future  years  when 
management considers that  it is more likely than not  that some portion or all of the deferred tax 
assets  will  be  realized.  In  making  such  a  determination,  management  will  need  to  periodically 
evaluate  whether  or  not  all  available  evidence,  such  as  future  taxable  income  and  reversal  of 
temporary differences, tax planning strategies, and recent results of operations, provides sufficient 
positive  evidence  to  offset  any  potential  negative  evidence  that  may  exist  at  such  time.    In  the 
event the deferred tax valuation allowance is released, the Company would record an income tax 
benefit for the portion or all of the deferred tax valuation allowance released.  At January 28, 2017, 
the Company had a deferred tax valuation allowance of $4.3 million.   

Income tax reserves for uncertain tax positions are determined using the methodology required by 
the  Income  Tax  Topic  of  the  Accounting  Standards  Codification  ("Codification").    This 
methodology  requires  companies  to  assess  each  income  tax  position  taken  using  a  two  step 
process. A determination is first made as to whether it is more likely than not that the position will 
be sustained, based upon the technical  merits,  upon examination by the  taxing authorities.  If the 
tax position is expected to meet the more likely than not criteria, the benefit recorded for the tax 
position  equals  the  largest  amount  that  is  greater  than  50%  likely  to  be  realized  upon  ultimate 
settlement  of  the  respective  tax  position.  Uncertain  tax  positions  require  determinations  and 
estimated liabilities to be made based on provisions of the tax law which may be subject to change 
or  varying  interpretation.  If  the  Company’s  determinations  and  estimates  prove  to  be  inaccurate, 
the resulting adjustments could be material to its future financial results. 

Postretirement Benefits Plan Accounting 
Full-time  employees  who  had  at  least  1000  hours  of  service  in  calendar  year  2004,  except 
employees in the Lids Sports Group and Schuh Group segments, are covered by a defined benefit 
pension plan.  The Company froze the defined benefit pension plan effective January 1, 2005.  The 
Company also provides certain former employees with limited medical and life insurance benefits.  
The Company funds at least the minimum amount required by the Employee Retirement Income 
Security Act. 

65 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

As required by the Compensation – Retirement Benefits Topic of the Codification, the Company is 
required to  recognize the overfunded or underfunded status  of postretirement benefit plans as an 
asset  or  liability,  respectively,  in  their  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  and  to  recognize  changes  in 
that  funded  status  in  accumulated  other  comprehensive  loss,  net  of  tax,  in  the  year  in  which  the 
changes occur. 

The  Company  recognizes  pension  expense  on  an  accrual  basis  over  employees’  approximate 
service  periods.   The  calculation  of  pension  expense  and  the  corresponding  liability  requires  the 
use  of  a  number  of  critical  assumptions,  including  the  expected  long-term  rate  of  return  on  plan 
assets  and  the  assumed  discount  rate,  as  well  as  the  recognition  of  actuarial  gains  and  losses.  
Changes  in  these  assumptions  can  result  in  different  expense  and  liability  amounts,  and  future 
actual experience can differ from these assumptions. 

The Company utilizes a calculated value of assets, which is an averaging method that recognizes 
changes  in  the  fair  values  of  assets  over  a  period  of  five  years. Accounting  principles  generally 
accepted in the United States require that the Company recognize a portion of these losses when 
they exceed a calculated threshold. These losses might be recognized as a component of pension 
expense  in  future  years  and  would  be  amortized  over  the  average  future  service  of  employees, 
which is currently approximately 10 years. 

Cash and Cash Equivalents 

The Company had total available cash and cash equivalents of $48.3 million and $133.3 million as 
of January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016, respectively, of which approximately $22.9 million and 
$24.1 million  was held by the Company's foreign subsidiaries as of January 28, 2017 and January 
30,  2016,  respectively.    The  Company's  strategic  plan  does  not  require  the  repatriation  of  foreign 
cash  in  order  to  fund  its  operations  in  the  U.S.,  and  it  is  the  Company's  current  intention  to 
indefinitely reinvest its foreign cash and cash equivalents outside of the U.S.  If the Company were 
to repatriate foreign cash to the U.S., it would be required to accrue and pay U.S. taxes in accordance 
with  applicable  U.S.  tax  rules  and  regulations  as  a  result  of  the  repatriation.   There  were  no  cash 
equivalents included in cash and cash equivalents at January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016. Cash 
equivalents  are  highly-liquid  financial  instruments  having  an  original  maturity  of  three  months  or 
less.   

At  January  28,  2017,  substantially  all  of  the  Company’s  domestic  cash  was  invested  in  deposit 
accounts at FDIC-insured banks. The majority of payments due from banks for domestic customer 
credit card transactions process within 24 - 48 hours and are accordingly classified as cash and cash 
equivalents in the Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

66 

 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

At January  28, 2017 and January 30, 2016,  outstanding checks  drawn on zero-balance accounts at 
certain domestic banks exceeded book cash balances at those banks by approximately $36.7 million 
and $45.0 million, respectively. These amounts are included in accounts payable in the Consolidated 
Balance Sheets. 

Concentration of Credit Risk and Allowances on Accounts Receivable 
The  Company’s  footwear  wholesale  businesses  sell  primarily  to  independent  retailers  and 
department  stores  across  the  United  States.    Receivables  arising  from  these  sales  are  not 
collateralized.  Customer credit risk is affected by conditions or occurrences within the economy and 
the retail industry as well as by customer specific factors.  In the footwear wholesale businesses, one 
customer each accounted for 15%, 13% and 10% of the Company’s total trade receivables balance, 
while  no  other  customer  accounted  for  more  than  7%  of  the  Company’s  total  trade  receivables 
balance as of January 28, 2017. 

The  Company  establishes  an  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts  based  upon  factors  surrounding  the 
credit risk of specific customers, historical trends and other information, as well as customer specific 
factors.  The Company also establishes allowances for sales returns, customer deductions and co-op 
advertising based on specific circumstances, historical trends and projected probable outcomes. 

Property and Equipment 
Property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated or amortized over the estimated useful 
life  of  related  assets.  Depreciation  and  amortization  expense  are  computed  principally  by  the 
straight-line method over the following estimated useful lives: 

Buildings and building equipment 

Computer hardware, software and equipment 

Furniture and fixtures 

20-45 years 

3-10 years 

10 years 

 Depreciation  expense  related  to  property  and  equipment  was  approximately  $74.9  million,  $76.2 
million and $71.0 million for Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.  

Leases 
Leasehold  improvements  and  properties  under  capital  leases  are  amortized  on  the  straight-line 
method over the shorter of their useful lives or their related lease terms and the charge to earnings is 
included in selling and administrative expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Operations. 

67 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

Certain  leases  include  rent  increases  during  the  initial  lease  term.    For  these  leases,  the  Company 
recognizes  the  related  rental  expense  on  a  straight-line  basis  over  the  term  of  the  lease  (which 
includes  any  rent  holidays  and  the  pre-opening  period  of  construction,  renovation,  fixturing  and 
merchandise placement) and records the difference between the amounts charged to operations and 
amounts paid as deferred rent. 

The Company occasionally receives reimbursements from landlords to be used towards construction 
of the store the Company intends to lease.  Leasehold improvements are recorded at their gross costs 
including items reimbursed by landlords.  The reimbursements are amortized as a reduction of rent 
expense over the initial lease term. 

The  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  include  asset  retirement  obligations  related  to  leases  of  $10.3 
million and $10.6 million as of January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016, respectively. 

Acquisitions 
Acquisitions are accounted for using the Business Combinations Topic of the Codification.  The total 
purchase price is allocated to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed based on their estimated fair 
values at acquisition. 

Goodwill and Other Intangibles 
Under  the  provisions  of  the  Intangibles  –  Goodwill  and  Other Topic  of  the  Codification,  goodwill 
and  intangible  assets  with  indefinite  lives  are  not  amortized,  but  are  tested  at  least  annually  for 
impairment.    The  Company  will  update  the  tests  between  annual  tests  if  events  or  circumstances 
occur  that  would  more  likely  than  not  reduce  the  fair  value  of  the  business  unit  with  which  the 
goodwill is associated below its carrying amount.  It is also required that intangible assets with finite 
lives  be  amortized  over  their  respective  lives  to  their  estimated  residual  values,  and  reviewed  for 
impairment in accordance with the Property, Plant and Equipment Topic of the Codification. 

Intangible  assets  of  the  Company  with  indefinite  lives  are  primarily  goodwill  and  identifiable 
trademarks acquired in connection with the acquisition of Little Burgundy in December 2015, Schuh 
Group Ltd. in June 2011, Hat World Corporation in April 2004 and various other small acquisitions.  
The  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  include  goodwill  of  $181.6  million  for  the  Lids  Sports  Group, 
$79.8  million  for  the  Schuh  Group  and  $9.8  million  for  Journeys  Group  at  January  28,  2017,  and 
$180.9  million  for  the  Lids  Sports  Group,  $90.3  million  for  the  Schuh  Group,  $9.4  million  for 
Journeys Group and $0.8 million for Licensed Brands at January 30, 2016.   The Company tests for 
impairment  of  intangible  assets  with  an  indefinite  life,  relying  on  a  number  of  factors  including 
operating results, business plans, projected future cash flows and observable market data.   

68 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

The impairment test for identifiable assets not subject to amortization consists of a comparison of the 
fair value of the intangible asset with its carrying amount.  

In connection with acquisitions, the Company records goodwill on its Consolidated Balance Sheets.  
This asset is not amortized but is subject to an impairment test at least annually, based on projected 
future  cash  flows  from  the  acquired  business  discounted  at  a  rate  commensurate  with  the  risk  the 
Company  considers  to  be  inherent  in  its  current  business  model.    The  Company  performs  the 
impairment  test  annually  at  the  beginning  of  its  fourth  quarter,  or  more  frequently  if  events  or 
circumstances  indicate  that  the  value  of  the  asset  might  be  impaired.    During  the  quarter  ended 
January 28, 2017, the Company voluntarily changed the date of its annual goodwill impairment test 
and other intangible assets impairment test from the last day of the fiscal year to the first day of the 
fourth fiscal quarter.  This voluntary change is preferable under the circumstances as it aligns with 
the Company's five-year strategic planning cycle that is completed in early October. 

Identifiable  intangible  assets  of  the  Company  with  finite  lives  are  trademarks,  customer  lists,  in-
place leases, non-compete agreements and a vendor contract.  They are subject to amortization based 
upon their estimated useful lives.  Finite-lived intangible assets are evaluated for impairment using a 
process similar to that used to evaluate other definite-lived long-lived assets, a comparison of the fair 
value  of  the  intangible  asset  with  its  carrying  amount.   An  impairment  loss  is  recognized  for  the 
amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value of the asset. 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments 

The carrying amounts and fair values of the Company’s financial instruments at January 28, 2017 and 
January 30, 2016 are: 

In thousands 

U.S. Revolver Borrowings 
UK Term Loans 
UK Revolver Borrowings 

January 28, 2017 

January 30, 2016 

Carrying 
Amount 

Fair 
Value 

Carrying 
Amount 

Fair 
Value 

$ 

49,879     $ 
19,230    
13,796    

50,396     $ 
19,541    
13,956    

58,344     $ 
28,603    
24,818    

58,480  
28,901  
24,630  

Debt  fair  values  were  determined  using  a  discounted  cash  flow  analysis  based  on  current  market 
interest rates for similar types of financial instruments and would be classified in Level 2 as defined 
in Note 5. 

69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

Carrying  amounts  reported  on  the  Consolidated  Balance  Sheets  for  cash,  cash  equivalents, 
receivables  and  accounts  payable  approximate  fair  value  due  to  the  short-term  maturity  of  these 
instruments. 

Cost of Sales 
For  the  Company’s  retail  operations,  the  cost  of  sales  includes  actual  product  cost,  the  cost  of 
transportation to the Company’s warehouses from suppliers and the cost of transportation from the 
Company’s warehouses to the stores.  Additionally, the cost of its distribution facilities allocated to 
its retail operations is included in cost of sales. 

For the Company’s wholesale operations, the cost of sales includes the actual product cost and the 
cost of transportation to the Company’s warehouses from suppliers. 

Selling and Administrative Expenses 
Selling and administrative expenses include all operating costs of the Company excluding (i) those 
related  to  the  transportation  of  products  from  the  supplier  to  the  warehouse,  (ii)  for  its  retail 
operations, those related to the transportation of products from the warehouse to the store and (iii) 
costs  of  its  distribution  facilities  which  are  allocated  to  its  retail  operations.  Wholesale  and 
unallocated  retail  costs  of  distribution  are  included  in  selling  and  administrative  expenses  in  the 
amounts of $6.2 million, $9.6 million and $9.1 million for Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. 

EVA Incentive Plan 
Under the Company's EVA Incentive Plan, bonus awards in excess of a specified cap in any one year 
are  retained  and  paid  over  three  subsequent  years,  subject  to  reduction  or  elimination  by 
deteriorating  financial  performance  and  historically  were  subject  to  forfeiture  if  the  participant 
voluntarily resigns from employment with the Company.  As a result, the bonus awards were subject 
to  service  conditions  that  resulted  in  recognition  of  expense  over  the  period  of  service  by  the 
respective  employee.    During  the  first  quarter  of  Fiscal  2015,  the  Company  amended  the  plan  to 
remove  the  future  service  requirement  for  the  payment  of  the  retained  bonuses.   As  a  result,  the 
bonus expense that would have been deferred under the previous plan terms is now recognized in the 
first year of service.  The Company recorded a $5.7 million charge to earnings in the first quarter of 
Fiscal  2015  in  connection  with  the  amendment  related  to  bonus  amounts  previously  deferred  to 
future years. 

70 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

Gift Cards 
The  Company  has  a  gift  card  program  that  began  in  calendar  1999  for  its  Lids  Sports  Group 
operations and calendar 2000 for its footwear operations.  The gift cards issued to date do not expire.  
As such, the Company recognizes income when: (i) the gift card is redeemed by the customer; or (ii) 
the likelihood of the gift card being redeemed by the customer for the purchase of goods in the future 
is remote and there are no related escheat laws (referred to as “breakage”).  The gift card breakage 
rate is based upon historical redemption patterns and income is recognized for unredeemed gift cards 
in proportion to those historical redemption patterns. 

Gift card breakage is recognized in revenues each period.  Gift card breakage recognized as revenue 
was $1.4 million, $1.2 million and $1.0 million for Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.  The 
Consolidated Balance Sheets  include an  accrued liability for  gift  cards of $17.7 million  and $16.9 
million at January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016, respectively. 

Buying, Merchandising and Occupancy Costs 
The  Company  records  buying,  merchandising  and  occupancy  costs  in  selling  and  administrative 
expense.  Because the Company does not include these costs in cost of sales, the Company’s gross 
margin may not be comparable to other retailers that include these costs in the calculation of gross 
margin.  Retail occupancy costs recorded in selling and administrative expense were $450.9 million, 
$432.9 million and $413.6 million for Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. 

Shipping and Handling Costs 
Shipping and handling costs related to inventory purchased from suppliers are included in the cost of 
inventory and are charged to cost of sales in the period that the inventory is sold.  All other shipping 
and  handling  costs  are  charged  to  cost  of  sales  in  the  period  incurred  except  for  wholesale  and 
unallocated retail costs of distribution, which are included in selling and administrative expenses on 
the Consolidated Statements of Operations. 

Preopening Costs 
Costs associated with the opening of new stores are expensed as incurred, and are included in selling 
and administrative expenses on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. 

Store Closings and Exit Costs 
From  time  to  time,  the  Company  makes  strategic  decisions  to  close  stores  or  exit  locations  or 
activities.    Under  the  provisions  of  the  Property,  Plant,  and  Equipment  Topic  of  the  Codification, 
which  the  Company  adopted  in  the  first  quarter  of  Fiscal  2015,  the  definition  of  a  discontinued 
operation was amended.   

71 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

A  discontinued  operation  may  include  a  component  of  an  entity  or  a  group  of  components  of  an 
entity that represent a strategic shift that has or will have a major effect on an entity's operation or 
financial  results.    If  stores  or  operating  activities  to  be  closed  or  exited  constitute  a  component  or 
group of components that represent a strategic shift in the Company's operations, these closures will 
be  considered  discontinued  operations.    The  results  of  operations  of  discontinued  operations  are 
presented  retroactively,  net  of  tax,  as  a  separate  component  on  the  Consolidated  Statements  of 
Operations.  In each of the years presented, no store closings have met the discontinued operations 
criteria. 

Assets  related  to  planned  store  closures  or  other  exit  activities  are  reflected  as  assets  held  for  sale 
and recorded at the lower of carrying value or fair value less costs to sell when the required criteria, 
as  defined  by  the  Property,  Plant  and  Equipment  Topic  of  the  Codification,  are  satisfied.  
Depreciation ceases on the date that the held for sale criteria are met. 

Assets  related  to  planned  store  closures  or  other  exit  activities  that  do  not  meet  the  criteria  to  be 
classified as held  for sale are  evaluated for impairment  in  accordance with the Company’s normal 
impairment  policy,  but  with  consideration  given  to  revised  estimates  of  future  cash  flows.    In  any 
event, the remaining depreciable useful lives are evaluated and adjusted as necessary. 

Exit  costs  related  to  anticipated  lease  termination  costs,  severance  benefits  and  other  expected 
charges  are  accrued  for  and  recognized  in  accordance  with  the  Exit  or  Disposal  Cost  Obligations 
Topic of the Codification. 

Advertising Costs 
Advertising costs are predominantly  expensed as  incurred.    Advertising costs were $76.7 million,  
$73.7  million  and  $67.0  million  for  Fiscal  2017,  2016  and  2015,  respectively.  Direct  response 
advertising costs for catalogs are capitalized in accordance with the Other Assets and Deferred Costs 
Topic  for  Capitalized  Advertising  Costs  of  the  Codification.    Such  costs  are  amortized  over  the 
estimated  future  period  as  revenues  are  realized  from  such  advertising,  not  to  exceed  six  months.  
The Consolidated Balance Sheets include prepaid assets for direct response advertising costs of $1.2 
million at January 28, 2017 and $2.0 million at January 30, 2016. 

72 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

Consideration to Resellers 
In  its  wholesale  businesses,  the  Company  does  not  have  any  written  buy-down  programs  with 
retailers, but the Company has provided certain retailers with markdown allowances for obsolete and 
slow moving products that are in the retailer’s inventory.  The Company estimates these allowances 
and provides for them as reductions to revenues at the time revenues are recorded.  Markdowns are 
negotiated with retailers and changes are made to the estimates as agreements are reached.  Actual 
amounts for markdowns have not differed materially from estimates. 

Cooperative Advertising 
Cooperative  advertising  funds  are  made  available  to  most  of  the  Company’s  wholesale  footwear 
customers.    In  order  for  retailers  to  receive  reimbursement  under  such  programs,  the  retailer  must 
meet  specified  advertising  guidelines  and  provide  appropriate  documentation  of  expenses  to  be 
reimbursed.   The  Company’s  cooperative  advertising  agreements  require  that  wholesale  customers 
present documentation or other evidence of specific advertisements or display materials used for the 
Company’s products by submitting the actual print advertisements presented in catalogs, newspaper 
inserts or other advertising circulars, or by permitting physical inspection of displays. Additionally, 
the  Company’s  cooperative  advertising  agreements  require  that  the  amount  of  reimbursement 
requested for such advertising or materials be supported by invoices or other evidence of the actual 
costs  incurred  by  the  retailer.    The  Company  accounts  for  these  cooperative  advertising  costs  as 
selling  and  administrative  expenses,  in  accordance  with  the  Revenue  Recognition  Topic  for 
Customer Payments and Incentives of the Codification. 

Cooperative advertising costs recognized in selling and administrative expenses were $3.6 million, 
$3.4  million  and  $3.3  million  for  Fiscal  2017,  2016  and  2015,  respectively.    During  Fiscal  2017, 
2016 and 2015, the Company’s cooperative advertising reimbursements paid did not exceed the fair 
value of the benefits received under those agreements. 

Vendor Allowances 
From  time  to  time,  the  Company  negotiates  allowances  from  its  vendors  for  markdowns  taken  or 
expected  to  be  taken.   These  markdowns  are  typically  negotiated  on  specific  merchandise  and  for 
specific  amounts.    These  specific  allowances  are  recognized  as  a  reduction  in  cost  of  sales  in  the 
period in which the markdowns are taken.  Markdown allowances not attached to specific inventory 
on hand or already sold are applied to concurrent or future purchases from each respective vendor. 

The  Company  receives  support  from  some  of  its  vendors  in  the  form  of  reimbursements  for 
cooperative advertising and catalog costs for the launch and promotion of certain products.   

73 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

The reimbursements are agreed upon with vendors and represent specific, incremental, identifiable 
costs incurred by the Company in selling the vendor’s specific products.  Such costs and the related 
reimbursements  are  accumulated  and  monitored  on  an  individual  vendor  basis,  pursuant  to  the 
respective  cooperative  advertising  agreements  with  vendors.    Such  cooperative  advertising 
reimbursements  are  recorded  as  a  reduction  of  selling  and  administrative  expenses  in  the  same 
period  in  which  the  associated  expense  is  incurred.    If  the  amount  of  cash  consideration  received 
exceeds the costs being reimbursed, such excess amount would be recorded as a reduction of cost of 
sales. 

Vendor  reimbursements  of  cooperative  advertising  costs  recognized  as  a  reduction  of  selling  and 
administrative expenses were $8.5 million, $6.4 million and $4.1 million for Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 
2015,  respectively.    During  Fiscal  2017,  2016  and  2015,  the  Company’s  cooperative  advertising 
reimbursements received were not in excess of the costs incurred. 

Earnings Per Common Share 
Basic earnings per share excludes dilution and is computed by dividing income available to common 
shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period.  Diluted 
earnings per share reflects the potential dilution that could occur if securities to issue common stock 
were exercised or converted to common stock (see Note 11). 

Foreign Currency Translation 
The functional currency of the Company's foreign operations is the applicable local currency.  The 
translation  of  the  applicable  foreign  currency  into  U.S.  dollars  is  performed  for  balance  sheet 
accounts  using  current  exchange  rates  in  effect  at  the  balance  sheet  date.    Income  and  expense 
accounts are translated at monthly average exchange rates.  The unearned gains and losses resulting 
from such translation are included as a separate component of accumulated other comprehensive loss 
within shareholders' equity.  Gains and losses from certain foreign currency transactions are reported 
as an item of income and resulted in a net (gain) loss of $(1.2) million, $2.7 million and $2.4 million 
for Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. 

Share-Based Compensation 
The  Company  has  share-based  compensation  covering  certain  members  of  management  and  non-
employee  directors.    The  Company  recognizes  compensation  expense  for  share-based  payments 
based on the fair value of the awards as required by the Compensation - Stock Compensation Topic 
of the Codification.  The Company has not granted any stock options since the first quarter of Fiscal 
2008. 

74 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

The  fair  value  of  employee  restricted  stock  is  determined  based  on  the  closing  price  of  the 
Company's  stock  on  the  date  of  grant.    The  benefits  of  tax  deductions  in  excess  of  recognized 
compensation expense are reported as a financing cash flow (see Note 12). 

Other Comprehensive Income 
The Comprehensive Income Topic of the Codification requires, among other things, the Company’s 
pension  liability  adjustment,  postretirement  liability  adjustment  and  foreign  currency  translation 
adjustments  to  be  included  in  other  comprehensive  income  net  of  tax.    Accumulated  other 
comprehensive  loss  at  January  28,  2017  consisted  of  $9.4  million  of  cumulative  pension  liability 
adjustment, net of tax, a cumulative post retirement liability adjustment of $1.6 million, net of tax, 
and a cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment of $40.3 million. 

The  following  table  summarizes  the  components  of  accumulated  other  comprehensive  loss  for  the 
year ended January 28, 2017: 

(In thousands) 
Balance January 30, 2016 

Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications: 

  Foreign currency translation adjustment 

  Gain on intra-entity foreign currency transactions 

    (long-term investment nature) 

  Net actuarial gain 

Amounts reclassified from AOCI: 

  Amortization of net actuarial loss (1) 

Income tax expense 

Foreign 
Currency 
Translation 

Unrecognized 
Pension/ 
Postretirement 
Benefit Costs 

Total 
Accumulated 
Other 
Comprehensive 
Income (Loss) 

 $ 

(28,706 ) $ 

(13,907 ) $ 

(42,613 ) 

(13,412 ) 

1,789  
—  

—  
—  

—  

—  
3,949  

935  
1,940  
2,944  

(13,412 ) 

1,789  
3,949  

935  
1,940  

(8,679 ) 

Current period other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax   

(11,623 ) 

Balance January 28, 2017 

 $ 

(40,329 ) $ 

(10,963 ) $ 

(51,292 ) 

(1) Amount is included in net periodic benefit cost, which is recorded in selling and administrative expense on 
the Consolidated Statements of Operations. 

75 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

Business Segments 
The  Segment  Reporting  Topic  of  the  Codification  requires  that  companies  disclose  “operating 
segments”  based  on  the  way  management  disaggregates  the  Company’s  operations  for  making 
internal operating decisions (see Note 14). 

New Accounting Principles 
In  January  2017,  the  FASB  issued ASU  2017-04,  “Intangibles  -  Goodwill  and  Other  (Topic  350): 
Simplifying  the  Test  for  Goodwill  Impairment.”  ASU  2017-04  simplifies  the  measurement  of 
goodwill  by  eliminating  the  second  step  from  the  goodwill  impairment  test,  which  requires  the 
comparison  of  the  implied  fair  value  of  goodwill  with  the  current  carrying  amount  of  goodwill. 
Instead, under the amendments in this guidance, an entity shall perform a goodwill impairment test 
by  comparing  the  fair  value  of  each  reporting  unit  with  its  carrying  amount  and  an  impairment 
charge  is  to  be  recorded  for  the  amount,  if  any,  in  which  the  carrying  value  exceeds  the  reporting 
unit’s fair value. This guidance should be applied prospectively and is effective for public business 
entities that are United States Securities and Exchange Commission filers for fiscal years beginning 
after December 15, 2019, with early adoption permitted for interim or annual goodwill impairment 
tests performed after January 1, 2017. 

In March 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-09, “Compensation - Stock Compensation (Topic 718): 
Improvements  to  Employee  Share-Based  Payment  Accounting”  (“ASU  2016-09”).  The  update 
addresses several aspects of the accounting for share-based compensation transactions including: (a) 
income  tax  consequences  when  awards  vest  or  are  settled,  (b)  classification  of  awards  as  either 
equity or liabilities, (c)  a policy election to  account  for forfeitures as they  occur rather than on an 
estimated  basis  and  (d)  classification  of  excess  tax  impacts  on  the  statement  of  cash  flows.  The 
updated  guidance  is  effective  for  fiscal  years  beginning  after  December  15,  2016,  and  interim 
periods  within  those  fiscal  years,  with  early  adoption  permitted.    If  the  Company  had  adopted  the 
standard in Fiscal 2017, reported earnings per share would have decreased $0.03 per share for Fiscal 
2017. The Company will adopt ASU 2016-09 in the first quarter of Fiscal 2018.  

In  February  2016,  the  FASB  issued ASU  2016-02,  "Leases".    The  standard's  core  principle  is  to 
increase  transparency  and  comparability  among  organizations  by  recognizing  lease  assets  and 
liabilities on the balance sheet and disclosing key information.  The standard is effective for fiscal 
years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years, which 
would  be  the  beginning  of  our  Fiscal  2020  or  February  2019.    Early  adoption  is  permitted.  The 
Company  is  currently  assessing  the  impact  the  adoption  of  ASU  2016-02  will  have  on  its 
Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  related  disclosures  and  is  expecting  a  material  impact 
because the Company is party to a significant number of lease contracts. 

76 

 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

In  November  2015,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2015-17,  "Balance  Sheet  Classification  of  Deferred 
Taxes".   ASU  2015-17  requires  that  all  deferred  tax  assets  and  liabilities,  along  with  any  related 
valuation allowance, be classified as noncurrent on the balance sheet.  ASU 2015-17 is effective for 
fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016 and may be 
applied either prospectively or retrospectively.  Early adoption is permitted.  As of January 28, 2017, 
the  Company  has  $21.2  million  of  current  deferred  tax  assets  that  will  be  reclassed  to  noncurrent 
deferred tax assets on its Consolidated Balance Sheets.  The Company is currently assessing which 
transition method will be adopted. 

In July 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-11, "Inventory (Topic 330): Simplifying the Measurement 
of  Inventory."   ASU  2015-11  requires  an  entity  that  determines  the  cost  of  inventory  by  methods 
other than last-in, first-out and the retail inventory method to measure inventory at the lower of cost 
and  net  realizable  value.   ASU  2015-11  requires  prospective  application  and  is  effective  for  fiscal 
years beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods within those fiscal  years, with early 
adoption  permitted.   The  Company  does  not  expect  that  the  adoption  of  this  guidance  will  have  a 
material impact on its Consolidated Financial Statements and related disclosures. 

In  April  2015,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2015-03,  "Simplifying  the  Presentation  of  Debt  Issuance 
Costs".  In August 2015, the FASB issued ASU 2015-15, "Presentation and Subsequent measurement 
of Debt  Issuance Costs Associated with  Line-of-Credit Arrangements".  ASU 2015-03 will require 
that debt issuance costs be presented in the balance sheet as a deduction from the carrying amount of 
the debt.  ASU 2015-15 allows an entity to present debt issuance costs associated with a revolving 
line  of  credit  arrangement  as  an  asset,  regardless  of  whether  a  balance  is  outstanding.    The 
recognition and measurement guidance for debt issuance costs are not affected by ASU 2015-03 or 
ASU 2015-15.  These ASU's are effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 
2015,  including  interim  periods  within  that  reporting  period,  with  early  adoption  permitted.   ASU 
2015-03 required the Company to reclassify its deferred financing costs associated with its long-term 
debt from other noncurrent assets to long-term debt on a retrospective basis.  The Company adopted 
these ASUs in the first quarter of Fiscal 2017.  The $0.3 million in deferred financing costs related to 
the Company's term loans were reclassified to long-term debt from noncurrent assets as of January 
30, 2016. 

In  May  2014,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2014-09,  "Revenue  from  Contracts  with  Customers  (Topic 
606)".  ASU 2014-09 amends the guidance for revenue recognition  to  replace numerous, industry-
specific  requirements  and  merges  areas  under  this  topic  with  those  of  the  International  Financial 
Reporting  Standards.    The  ASU  implements  a  five-step  process  for  customer  contract  revenue 
recognition that focuses on transfer of control, as opposed to transfer of risk and rewards.   

77 

 
 
 
 
 
Note 1 
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, Continued 

The  amendment  also  requires  enhanced  disclosures  regarding  the  nature,  amount,  timing  and 
uncertainty of revenues and cash flows from contracts with customers.  ASU 2014-09 was originally 
effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those years, beginning after December 15, 2016, 
however, in August 2015, the FASB deferred this ASU for one year, which would be the beginning 
of our Fiscal 2019 or February 2018.  The amendment is to be applied either retrospectively to each 
prior  reporting  period  presented  or  with  the  cumulative  effect  recognized  at  the  date  of  initial 
adoption  as  an  adjustment  to  the  opening  balance  of  retained  earnings  (or  other  appropriate 
components of equity or net assets on the balance sheet).  Based on an evaluation of the standard as a 
whole,  the  Company  has  identified  catalog  costs,  customer  incentives  and  principal  versus  agent 
considerations  as  the  areas  that  will  most  likely  be  affected  by  the  new  revenue  recognition 
guidance.  The Company continues to evaluate the adoption of this standard, including the transition 
method,  and  will  provide  updates  in  Fiscal  2018  related  to  the  expected  impact  of  adopting  this 
standard. 

78 

 
 
 
 
Note 2 
Acquisitions, Intangible Assets and Sale of Businesses 

Acquisitions 

During  Fiscal  2016,  the  Company  completed  the  acquisition  of  Little  Burgundy,  a  small  retail 
footwear  chain  in  Canada  for  a  total  purchase  price  of  $35.1  million.    The  stores  acquired  are 
operated  within  the  Journeys  Group.  During  Fiscal  2015,  the  Company  completed  acquisitions  of 
primarily  small  retail  chains  and  one  small  wholesale  business  for  a  total  purchase  price  of  $34.9 
million.  The  stores  acquired  in  Fiscal  2015  are  operated  within  the  Lids  Sports  Group.    The 
wholesale business acquired in Fiscal 2015 was operated within Lids Team Sports, which was sold 
on January 19, 2016. 

Other Intangible Assets 
Other intangibles by major classes were as follows: 

Leases 

Customer Lists 

Other* 

Total 

In thousands 

Gross other intangibles 
Accumulated amortization 

Net Other Intangibles 

Jan. 28, 
2017 

Jan. 30, 
2016 

$  14,625   $  14,841   $ 
(12,637 ) 
2,204   $ 

(12,938 ) 
1,687   $ 

$ 

Jan. 28, 
2017 
1,958   $ 
(1,956 ) 
2   $ 

Jan. 30, 
2016 
2,622   $ 
(2,264 ) 
358   $ 

Jan. 28, 
2017 
2,009   $ 
(1,306 ) 
703   $ 

Jan. 30, 
Jan. 30, 
Jan. 28, 
2016 
2016 
2017 
2,053   $  18,592   $  19,516  
(15,947 ) 
(1,046 ) 
(16,200 ) 
3,569  
2,392   $ 
1,007   $ 

*Includes non-compete agreements, vendor contract and backlog. 

The  amortization  of  intangibles,  including  trademarks,  was  $0.9  million,  $2.9  million  and  $3.3 
million  for  Fiscal  2017,  2016  and  2015,  respectively.    The  amortization  of  intangibles,  including 
trademarks, will be $0.2 million  and $0.1 million for  Fiscal  2018 and 2019, respectively,  and less 
than $0.1 million for Fiscal 2020, 2021 and 2022. 

Sale of Businesses 

On  December  25,  2016,  the  Company  completed  the  sale  of  all  the  stock  of  the  Company's 
subsidiary,  Keuka  Footwear,  Inc.,  that  operates  the  SureGrip  occupational,  slip-resistant  footwear 
business,  operated  within  the  Licensed  Brands  Group,  to  Shoes  for  Crews,  LLC.    The  Company 
recognized a gain on the sale, in Fiscal 2017, estimated at $(12.3) million, net of transaction-related 
expenses before tax and subject to post-closing working capital adjustments.  

On  January  19,  2016,  the  Company  completed  the  sale  of  the  assets  of  the  Lids  Team  Sports 
business,  which  has  operated  within  its  Lids  Sports  Group  segment,  to  BSN  Sports,  LLC.    The 
Company  recognized  a  gain  on  the  sale,  in  Fiscal  2016,  estimated  at  $(4.7)  million,  net  of 
transaction-related expenses before tax.   

79 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 2 
Acquisitions, Intangible Assets and Sale of Businesses, continued 

In  Fiscal  2017, the Company recognized an additional pretax gain  of $(2.4) million on the sale of 
Lids Team Sports related to final working capital adjustments.   

The  sales  of  SureGrip  Footwear  and  Lids  Team  Sports  were  not  strategic  shifts  that  will  have  a 
major effect on operations and financial results, and therefore the businesses were not presented as 
discontinued operations in the Company's Consolidated Financial Statements. 

80 

 
 
Note 3 
Asset Impairments and Other Charges and Discontinued Operations 

Asset Impairments and Other Charges 

In  accordance  with  Company  policy,  assets  are  determined  to  be  impaired  when  the  revised 
estimated  future  cash  flows  are  insufficient  to  recover  the  carrying  costs.  Impairment  charges 
represent the excess of the carrying value over the estimated fair value of those assets. 

Asset  impairment  charges  are  reflected  as  a  reduction  of  the  net  carrying  value  of  property  and 
equipment, and in asset impairment and other, net in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of 
Operations. 

The Company recorded a pretax gain to earnings of $(0.8) million in Fiscal 2017, including a gain of 
$(8.9)  million  for  network  intrusion  expenses  as  a  result  of  a  litigation  settlement  and  a  gain  of 
$(0.7)  million  for  other  legal  matters,  partially  offset  by  $6.4  million  for  retail  store  asset 
impairments and $2.5 million for pension settlement expense. 

The Company recorded  a pretax charge to  earnings of $7.9 million  in  Fiscal  2016, including $3.1 
million  for  retail  store  asset  impairments,  $2.5  million  for  asset  write-downs,    $2.2  million  for 
network intrusion expenses and $0.1 million for other legal matters.   

The Company recorded  a pretax charge to  earnings of $2.3 million  in  Fiscal  2015, including $3.1 
million  for  network  intrusion  expenses,  $1.9  million  for  retail  store  asset  impairments  and  $0.7 
million for other legal matters, partially offset by a $(3.4) million gain on a lease termination of a 
Lids store. 

Discontinued Operations 

In Fiscal 2017, Fiscal 2016 and Fiscal 2015, the Company recorded an additional charge to earnings 
of $0.7 million ($0.4 million net of tax), $1.3 million ($0.8 million net of tax) and $2.7 million ($1.6 
million net of tax), respectively, reflected in discontinued operations, primarily for anticipated costs 
of  environmental  remedial  alternatives  related  to  former  facilities  operated  by  the  Company  (see 
Note 13). 

81 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 3 
Asset Impairments and Other Charges and Discontinued Operations, Continued 

Accrued Provision for Discontinued Operations 

In thousands 

Balance February 1, 2014 
Additional provision Fiscal 2015 
Charges and adjustments, net 
Balance January 31, 2015 
Additional provision Fiscal 2016 
Charges and adjustments, net 
Balance January 30, 2016 
Additional provision Fiscal 2017 
Charges and adjustments, net 
Balance January 28, 2017* 
Current provision for discontinued operations 
Total Noncurrent Provision for Discontinued Operations 

Facility 
Shutdown 
Costs 
11,375  
2,711  
673  
14,759  
1,333  
(473 ) 
15,619  
701  
(11,277 ) 
5,043  
3,330  
1,713  

$ 

$ 

*Includes a $4.4 million environmental provision, including $3.3 million in current provision for 
discontinued operations. 

Note 4 
Inventories 

In thousands 

Raw materials 
Wholesale finished goods 
Retail merchandise 
Total Inventories 

January 28, 
2017  
389    $ 
61,575    
501,713    

$ 

January 30, 
2016 
469  
58,773  
470,516  

$ 

563,677 

 $ 

529,758 

82 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 5 
Fair Value 

The  Fair  Value  Measurements  and  Disclosures  Topic  of  the  Codification  defines  fair  value, 
establishes a framework for measuring fair value in accordance with generally accepted accounting 
principles and expands disclosures about fair value measurements. This Topic defines fair value as 
the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in 
the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between 
market participants on the measurement date. It also establishes a fair value hierarchy which requires 
an  entity  to  maximize  the  use  of  observable  inputs  and  minimize  the  use  of  unobservable  inputs 
when  measuring  fair  value.  The  standard  describes  three  levels  of  inputs  that  may  be  used  to 
measure fair value: 

Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. 

Level  2  -  Observable  inputs  other  than  Level  1  prices  such  as  quoted  prices  for  similar  assets  or 
liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be 
corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. 

Level  3  -  Unobservable  inputs  that  are  supported  by  little  or  no  market  activity  and  that  are 
significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. 

A financial asset or liability’s classification within the hierarchy is determined based on the lowest 
level input that is significant to the fair value measurement. 

The  following  table  presents  the  Company’s  assets  and  liabilities  measured  at  fair  value  on  a 
nonrecurring basis as of January 28, 2017 aggregated by the level in the fair value hierarchy within 
which those measurements fall (in thousands): 

Measured as of April 30, 2016 
Measured as of July 30, 2016 

Measured as of October 29, 2016 

Measured as of January 28, 2017 

Total Asset Impairment Fiscal 2017 

Long-Lived 
Assets 
Held and Used  
$ 

694     $ 
618    
480    
206    

Level 1  

Level 2  

Level 3  

—     $ 
—    
—    
—    

—     $ 
—    
—    
—    

Impairment 
Charges 
3,436  
1,017  
579  
1,377  
6,409  

694     $ 
618    
480    
206    

  $ 

In  accordance  with  the  Property,  Plant  and  Equipment  Topic  of  the  Codification,  the  Company 
recorded $6.4 million of impairment charges as a result of the fair value measurement of its long-
lived  assets  held  and  used  and  tested  on  a  nonrecurring  basis  during  the  twelve  months  ended 
January  28,  2017.  These  charges  are  reflected  in  asset  impairments  and  other,  net  on  the 
Consolidated Statements of Operations. 

83 

 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
 
Note 5 
Fair Value, continued 

The  Company  used  a  discounted  cash  flow  model  to  estimate  the  fair  value  of  these  long-lived 
assets.    Discount  rate  and  growth  rate  assumptions  are  derived  from  current  economic  conditions, 
expectations  of  management  and  projected  trends  of  current  operating  results.  As  a  result,  the 
Company has determined that the majority of the inputs used to value its long-lived assets held and 
used are unobservable inputs that fall within Level 3 of the fair value hierarchy. 

Note 6 
Long-Term Debt 

In thousands 

U.S. Revolver borrowings 
UK term loans 
UK revolver borrowings 
Deferred note expense on term loans 
Total long-term debt 
Current portion 
Total Noncurrent Portion of Long-Term Debt 

January 28, 
2017 

January 30, 
2016 

$ 

$ 

49,879     $ 
19,345    
13,796    
(115 )  
82,905    
9,175    
73,730     $ 

58,344  
28,896  
24,818  
(293 ) 
111,765  
14,182  
97,583  

Long-term debt maturing during each of the next five years ending in January each year is $9.2 
million, $51.4 million, $22.4 million, $0.0 million and $0.0 million, respectively. 

The  Company  had  $49.9  million  of  revolver  borrowings  outstanding  under  the  Credit  Facility  at 
January  28,  2017,  which  includes  $20.1  million  (£16.0  million)  related  to  Genesco  (UK)  Limited 
and $29.8 million (C$39.1 million) related to GCO Canada, and had $19.3 million (£15.4 million) in 
term  loans  outstanding  and  $13.8  million  (£11.0  million)  in  revolver  loans  outstanding  under  the 
U.K. Credit Facilities (described below) at January 28, 2017. The Company had outstanding letters 
of  credit  of  $11.2  million  under  the  Credit  Facility  at  January  28,  2017.  These  letters  of  credit 
support product purchases and lease and insurance indemnifications. 

U. S. Credit Facility: 

On December 4, 2015, the Company entered into the First Amendment to the Third Amended and 
Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of January 31, 2014 (the “Credit Facility”) by and among the 
Company,  certain  subsidiaries of the Company party thereto,  as other borrowers, the lenders party 
thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as agent (the "Agent"). The Credit Facility provides revolving 
credit in the aggregate principal amount of $400.0 million and replaces the previous $375.0 million 
revolving credit facility. The Credit Facility expires January 31, 2019. 

84 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 6 
Long-Term Debt, continued 

Deferred financing costs incurred of $3.1 million related to the Credit Facility were capitalized and 
are  being  amortized  over  five  years.  These  costs  are  included  in  other  non-current  assets  on  the 
Consolidated Balance Sheets.  

The material terms of the Credit Facility are as follows: 

Availability 
The Credit Facility is a revolving credit facility in the aggregate principal amount of $400.0 million, 
including  a  $70.0  million  sublimit  for  the  issuance  of  letters  of  credit  and  a  domestic  swingline 
subfacility of up to $40.0 million, a revolving credit subfacility for the benefit of GCO Canada, Inc. 
in an aggregate amount not to exceed $70.0 million, which includes a $5.0 million sublimit for the 
issuance of letters of credit, and revolving credit subfacility for the benefit of Genesco (UK) Limited 
in an aggregate amount not to exceed $50.0 million, which includes a $10.0 million sublimit for the 
issuance of letters of credit and a swingline subfacility of up to $10.0 million.  Any swingline loans 
and  any  letters  of  credit  and  borrowings  under  the  Canadian  and  UK  facilities  will  reduce  the 
availability under the Credit Facility on a dollar-for-dollar basis. 

The Company has the option, from time to time, to increase the availability under the Credit Facility 
by  an  aggregate  amount  of  up  to  $150.0  million  subject  to,  among  other  things,  the  receipt  of 
commitments  for  the  increased  amount.  In  connection  with  this  increased  facility,  the  Canadian 
revolving credit facility may be increased up to no more than $85.0 million.  

Genesco (UK) Limited has a one-time option to increase the availability of its subfacility under the 
Credit Facility by an additional amount of up to $50.0 million.  

The aggregate amount of the loans made and letters of credit issued under the Credit Facility shall at 
no time exceed the lesser of the facility amount ($400.0 million or, if increased as described above, 
up to  $550.0 million  or $600.0 million,  respectively) or the "Borrowing  Base", which generally is 
based on 90% of eligible inventory plus 85% of eligible wholesale receivables plus 90% of eligible 
credit card and debit card receivables less applicable reserves (the "Loan Cap"). The relevant assets 
of  Genesco  (UK)  Limited  will  be  included  in  the  Borrowing  Base  if  the  additional  $50.0  million 
sublimit  increase  is  exercised,  provided  that  amounts  borrowed  by  Genesco  (UK)  Limited  based 
solely  on  its  own  borrowing  base  will  be  limited  to  $50.0  million  and  the  total  outstanding  to 
Genesco (UK) Limited will not exceed 30% of the Loan Cap.  

The  Credit  Facility  also  provides  that  a  first-in,  last-out  tranche  could  be  added  to  the  revolving 
credit  facility  at  the  option  of  the  Company  subject  to,  among  other  things,  the  receipt  of 
commitments for such tranche. 

85 

 
 
 
 
 
Note 6 
Long-Term Debt, Continued 

Collateral 
The loans and other obligations under the Credit Facility are secured by a perfected first priority lien 
and security interest in all tangible and intangible assets and excludes real estate and leaseholds of 
the Company and certain subsidiaries of the Company, including a pledge of 65% of the Company's 
interest in Genesco (UK) Limited.   

The  assets  of  Genesco  (UK)  Limited  will  not  be  pledged  as  collateral  unless  the  additional  $50.0 
million sublimit increase is exercised and once pledged, will only serve to secure the obligations of 
GCO Canada, Inc. and Genesco (UK) Limited and their respective subsidiaries. 

Interest and Fees 
The  Company’s  borrowings  under  the  Credit  Facility  bear  interest  at  varying  rates  that,  at  the 
Company’s option, can be based on: 

Domestic Facility: 
(a) adjusted LIBOR plus the applicable margin (as defined and based on average Excess Availability 
during the prior quarter), or (b) the domestic Base Rate (defined as the higher of (i) the Bank of 
America prime rate, (ii) the federal funds rate plus 0.50% or (iii) LIBOR for an interest period of 
thirty days plus 1.0%) plus the applicable margin. 

Canadian Sub-Facility: 
(a)  For  loans  made  in  Canadian  dollars,  the  bankers’  acceptances  (“BA”)  rate  plus  the  applicable 
margin, or (b) the Canadian Prime Rate (defined as the highest of the (i) Bank of America Canadian 
Prime Rate, (ii) the Bank of America (Canada Branch) overnight rate plus 0.50%, and (iii) the BA 
rate for a one month interest period plus 1.0%) plus the applicable margin. 

(a)  For loans made in  U.S. dollars,  LIBOR plus  the applicable margin,  or (b) the U.S.  Index Rate 
(defined  as  the  highest  of  the  (i) Bank  of America  (Canada  branch)  U.S.  dollar  base  rate,  (ii) the 
Federal Funds rate plus 0.50%, and (iii) LIBOR for an interest period of thirty days plus 1.0%) plus 
the applicable margin. 

UK Sub-Facility: 
(a) adjusted LIBOR plus the applicable margin, plus any mandating cost, if applicable 

Swingline Loans: 
Domestic swingline loans - domestic Base Rate plus the applicable margin. 
UK swingline loans - UK Base Rate (being the "base rate" of the local Bank of America branch in 
the jurisdiction of the currency chosen) plus the applicable margin. 

86 

 
 
 
 
 
Note 6 
Long-Term Debt, Continued 

The initial applicable margin for Base Rate loans and U.S. Index rate loans and Canadian Prime Rate 
loans was 0.50% and the initial  applicable margin  for  LIBOR loans, BA equivalent  loans and UK 
swingline loans was 1.50%.  

Thereafter,  the  applicable  margin  is  subject  to  adjustment  based  on  “Excess Availability”  for  the 
prior quarter. The term “Excess Availability” means, as of any given date, the excess (if any) of the 
Loan Cap (being the lesser of the total commitments and the Borrowing Base) over the outstanding 
credit extensions under the Credit Facility. 

Interest on the Company’s borrowings is payable monthly in  arrears for domestic Base Rate loans 
(including  domestic  swingline  loans),  U.S.  Index  rate  loans,  Canadian  Prime  Rate  loans  and  UK 
swingline  loans  and  at  the  end  of  each  interest  rate  period  (but  not  less  often  than  quarterly)  for 
LIBOR loans and BA equivalent loans. 

The Company is also required to pay a commitment fee on the actual daily unused portions of the 
Credit Facility at a rate of 0.25% per annum.  

Currency 
Loans to  GCO Canada,  Inc. may be made in  U.S. dollars or Canadian dollars.   Loans to  Genesco 
(UK) Limited may be made in U.S. dollars, Euros, Pounds Sterling or any other freely transferable 
currencies approved by the Agent and applicable lenders. 

Certain Covenants 
The Company is not required to comply with any financial covenants unless Excess Availability is 
less than the greater of $25.0 million or 10.0% of the Loan Cap. If and during such time as Excess 
Availability is less than the greater of $25.0 million or 10.0% of the Loan Cap,  the Credit Facility 
requires  the  Company  to  meet  a  minimum  fixed  charge  coverage  ratio  of  (a) an  amount  equal  to 
consolidated EBITDA less capital expenditures and taxes paid in cash, in each case for such period, 
to (b) fixed charges for such period, of not less than 1.0:1.0. Excess Availability was $298.2 million 
at January 28, 2017. Because Excess Availability exceeded $25.0 million or 10.0% of the Loan Cap, 
the Company was not required to comply with this financial covenant at January 28, 2017. 

The Credit Facility also permits the Company to incur up to $500.0 million of senior debt provided 
that certain terms and conditions are met. 

87 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 6 
Long-Term Debt, Continued 

In  addition,  the  Credit  Facility  contains  certain  covenants  that,  among  other  things,  restrict 
additional indebtedness, liens and encumbrances, loans and investments, acquisitions, dividends and 
other restricted payments, transactions with affiliates, asset dispositions, mergers and consolidations, 
prepayments or material amendments of other indebtedness and other matters customarily restricted 
in such agreements. 

Cash Dominion 
The  Credit  Facility  also  contains  cash  dominion  provisions  that  apply  in  the  event  that  the 
Company’s Excess Availability is less than the greater of $30.0 million or 12.5% of the Loan Cap or 
there is an event of default under the Credit Facility. 

Events of Default 
The  Credit  Facility  contains  customary  events  of  default,  including,  without  limitation,  payment 
defaults,  breaches  of  representations  and  warranties,  covenant  defaults,  cross-defaults  to  certain 
other material indebtedness in excess of specified amounts and to agreements which would have a 
material  adverse  effect  if  breached,  certain  events  of  bankruptcy  and  insolvency,  certain  ERISA 
events, judgments in excess of specified amounts and change in control. 

Certain of the lenders under the Credit Facility or their affiliates have provided and may in the future 
provide  certain  commercial  banking,  financial  advisory,  and  investment  banking  services  in  the 
ordinary course of business for the Company, its subsidiaries and certain of its affiliates, for which 
they receive customary fees and commissions. 

U.K. Credit Facility 
In  May  2015,  Schuh  Group  Limited  entered  into  a  Form  of  Amended  and  Restated  Facilities 
Agreement and Working Capital Facility Letter ("UK Credit Facilities") which replaced the former 
A,  B  and  C  term  loans  with  a  new  Facility A  of  £17.5  million  and  a  Facility  B  of  £11.6  million 
(which  was  the  former  Facility  C  loan)  as  well  as  provided  an  additional  revolving  credit  facility, 
Facility C, of £22.5 million and a working capital facility of £2.5 million.  The Facility A loan bears 
interest at LIBOR plus 1.8%per annum with quarterly payments through April 2017.  The Facility B 
loan  bears  interest  at  LIBOR  plus  2.5%  per  annum  with  quarterly  payments  through  September 
2019.  The Facility C bears interest at LIBOR plus 2.2%per annum and expires in September 2019. 

88 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 6 
Long-Term Debt, Continued 

The UK Credit Facilities contain certain covenants at the Schuh level including a minimum interest 
coverage  covenant  of  4.50x  and  thereafter,  a  maximum  leverage  covenant  initially  set  at  2.25x 
declining  over  time  at  various  rates  to  1.75x  beginning  in April  2017  and  a  minimum  cash  flow 
coverage  of  1.00x.  The  Company  was  in  compliance  with  all  the  covenants  at  January  28,  2017.  
The UK Credit Facilities are secured by a pledge of all the assets of Schuh and its subsidiaries. 

Note 7 
Commitments Under Long-Term Leases 

Operating Leases 
The Company leases its office space and all of its retail store locations, certain distribution centers 
and transportation equipment under various noncancelable operating leases. The leases have varying 
terms and expire at various dates through 2030. The store leases in the United States, Puerto Rico 
and Canada typically have initial terms of approximately 10  years. The stores leases in the United 
Kingdom,  the Republic of  Ireland and Germany  typically have initial  terms  of between 10 and 20 
years. Generally, most of the leases require the Company to pay taxes, insurance, maintenance costs 
and contingent rentals based on sales. Approximately 4% of the Company’s leases contain renewal 
options. 

Rental expense under operating leases of continuing operations was: 

In thousands 
Minimum rentals 
Contingent rentals 
Sublease rentals 
Total Rental Expense 

2017 

2016 

2015 

$ 

$ 

264,129     $ 
9,957    
(1,863 )  
272,223     $ 

255,083     $ 
11,044    
(825 )  
265,302     $ 

250,077  
9,217  
(852 ) 
258,442  

89 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 7 
Commitments Under Long-Term Leases, Continued 

Minimum rental commitments payable in future years are: 

Fiscal Years 
2018 
2019 
2020 
2021 
2022 
Later years 

                                                                                                                                                  In thousands 
245,159  
215,230  
191,857  
172,763  
152,855  
402,013  
1,379,877  

$ 

$ 

Total 
Minimum 
Rental 
For  leases  that  contain  predetermined  fixed  escalations  of  the  minimum  rentals,  the  related  rental 
Commitme
expense is recognized on a straight-line basis and the cumulative expense recognized on the straight-
nts 
line  basis  in  excess  of  the  cumulative  payments  is  included  in  deferred  rent  and  other  long-term 
liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. The Company occasionally receives reimbursements 
from landlords to be used towards construction of the store the Company intends to lease. 

Leasehold improvements are recorded at their gross costs including items reimbursed by landlords. 
The reimbursements are recorded as deferred rent and amortized as a reduction of rent expense over 
the  initial  lease  term.  Tenant  allowances  of  $25.4  million  for  both  Fiscal  2017  and  2016,  and 
deferred rent of $51.9 million and $48.0 million for Fiscal 2017 and 2016, respectively, are included 
in deferred rent and other long-term liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

90 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 8 
Equity 

Non-Redeemable Preferred Stock 

Class 

Employees’ Subordinated 
Convertible Preferred 

Shares 
Authorized 

Number of Shares 

Amounts in Thousands 

2017 

2016 

2015 

2017 

2016 

2015 

5,000,000   

37,646  

38,196  

44,836 

1,129 

1,146 

1,345 

Stated Value of Issued 
Shares 
Employees’ Preferred 
Stock Purchase Accounts 

Total Non-Redeemable 
Preferred Stock 

Subordinated Serial Preferred Stock: 

1,129 

1,146 

1,345 

(69 )  

(69 )  

(71 )  

 $  1,060 

  $  1,077 

  $  1,274 

The Company's charter permits the Board of Directors to issue Subordinated Serial Preferred Stock 
(3,000,000  shares,  in  aggregate,  are  authorized)  in  as  many  series,  each  with  as  many  shares  and 
such  rights  and  preferences  as  the  board  may  designate.   The  Company  has  shares  authorized  for 
$2.30 Series 1, $4.75 Series 3, $4.75 Series 4, Series 6 and $1.50 Subordinated Cumulative Preferred 
stocks  in  amounts  of  64,368  shares,  40,449  shares,  53,764  shares,  800,000  shares  and  5,000,000 
shares, respectively.  All of these preferred stocks were mandatorily redeemed by the Company in 
Fiscal 2014.  As a result, there are no outstanding shares for any preferred issues of stock other than 
Employees' Subordinated Convertible Preferred stock shown in the table above.   

Preferred Stock Transactions 

In thousands 

Balance February 2, 2014 
Other stock conversions 

Balance January 31, 2015 
Other stock conversions 

Balance January 30, 2016 
Other stock conversions 

Balance January 28, 2017 

Non-Redeemable 
Employees’ 
Preferred Stock 

Employees’ 
Preferred 
Stock 
Purchase 
Accounts 

Total 
Non-Redeemable 
Preferred Stock 

  $ 

  $ 

1,382     $ 
(37 )  
1,345    
(199 )  
1,146    
(17 )  
1,129     $ 

91 

(77 )   $ 
6    
(71 )  
2    
(69 )  
—    
(69 )   $ 

1,305  
(31 ) 
1,274  
(197 ) 
1,077  
(17 ) 
1,060  

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 8 
Equity, Continued 

Employees’ Subordinated Convertible Preferred Stock: 
Stated and liquidation values are 88 times the average quarterly per share dividend paid on common 
stock for the previous eight quarters (if any), but in no event less than $30 per share.  Each share of 
this  issue  of  preferred  stock  is  convertible  into  one  share  of  common  stock  and  has  one  vote  per 
share. 

Common Stock: 
Common stock-$1 par value. Authorized: 80,000,000 shares; issued: January 28, 2017 – 20,354,272 
shares; January 30, 2016 –22,322,799 shares. There were 488,464 shares held in treasury at January 
28, 2017 and January 30, 2016. Each outstanding share is entitled to one vote. At January 28, 2017, 
common  shares  were  reserved  as  follows:  37,646  shares  for  conversion  of  preferred  stock  and 
2,556,824 shares for the 2009 Amended and Restated Stock Incentive Plan.  

For the year ended January 31, 2017, 26,696 shares of common stock were issued for the exercise of 
stock options at  an average weighted exercise price of $38.13,  for a total of $1.0 million; 236,364 
shares of common stock were issued as restricted shares as part of the Amended and Restated 2009 
Genesco  Inc.  Equity  Incentive  Plan  (the  "2009  Plan");  23,252  shares  were  issued  to  directors  in 
exchange for their services; 55,563 shares were withheld for taxes on restricted stock vested in Fiscal 
2017; 43,998 shares of restricted stock were forfeited in Fiscal 2017; and 591 shares were issued in 
miscellaneous conversions of Employees’ Subordinated Convertible Preferred Stock. In addition, the 
Company repurchased and retired 2,155,869 shares of common stock at an average weighted market 
price of $61.81 for a total of $133.3 million. 

For the year ended January 30, 2016, 35,542 shares of common stock were issued for the exercise of 
stock options at  an average weighted exercise price of $36.81, for a total of $1.3 million; 219,404 
shares of common stock were issued as  restricted shares  as part of the 2009 Plan; 2,470 shares of 
common  stock  were  issued  for  the  purchase  of  shares  under  the  Employee  Stock  Purchase  Plan 
("ESPP") at an average weighted market price of $54.22, for a total of $0.1 million; 19,769 shares 
were  issued  to  directors  in  exchange  for  their  services;  65,783  shares  were  withheld  for  taxes  on 
restricted stock vested in Fiscal 2016; 27,221 shares of restricted stock were forfeited in Fiscal 2016; 
and 6,640 shares were issued in miscellaneous conversions of Employees’ Subordinated Convertible 
Preferred  Stock.    In  addition,  the  Company  repurchased  and  retired  2,383,384  shares  of  common 
stock at an average weighted market price of $60.79 for a total of $144.9 million. 

92 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 8 
Equity, Continued 

For the year ended January 31, 2015, 68,616 shares of common stock were issued for the exercise of 
stock options at  an average weighted exercise price of $26.49, for a total of $1.8 million; 185,416 
shares of common stock were issued as  restricted shares  as part of the 2009 Plan; 2,688 shares of 
common stock were issued for the purchase of shares under the ESPP at an average weighted market 
price of $71.01, for a total of $0.2 million; 16,396 shares were issued to  directors in  exchange for 
their  services;  88,003  shares  were  withheld  for  taxes  on  restricted  stock  vested  in  Fiscal  2015; 
13,999  shares  of  restricted  stock  were  forfeited  in  Fiscal  2015;  and  1,233  shares  were  issued  in 
miscellaneous conversions of  Employees’ Subordinated Convertible Preferred Stock.    In addition, 
the Company repurchased and retired 64,709 shares of common stock at an average weighted market 
price of $71.63 for a total of $4.6 million. 

Restrictions on Dividends and Redemptions of Capital Stock: 

The  Company’s  charter  provides  that  no  dividends  may  be  paid  and  no  shares  of  capital  stock 
acquired  for  value  if  there  are  dividend  or  redemption  arrearages  on  any  senior  or  equally  ranked 
stock. Exchanges of subordinated serial  preferred stock for  common stock or other stock junior  to 
such exchanged stock are permitted. 

The  Company’s  Credit  Facility  prohibits  the  payment  of  dividends  and  other  restricted  payments 
unless as of the date of the making of any Restricted Payment (as defined in the Credit Facility) or 
consummation of any Acquisition (as defined in the Credit Facility) , (a) no Default  (as defined in 
the Credit Facility)or Event of Default (as defined in the Credit Facility) exists or would arise after 
giving effect to such Restricted Payment or Acquisition, and (b) either (i) the Borrowers (as defined 
in  the  Credit  Facility)have  pro  forma  projected  Excess  Availability  for  the  following  six  month 
period equal to or greater than 25% of the Loan Cap, after giving pro forma effect to such Restricted 
Payment or Acquisition, or (ii) (A) the Borrowers have pro forma projected Excess Availability for 
the following six month period of less than 25% of the Loan Cap but equal to or greater than 15% of 
the  Loan  Cap,  after  giving  pro  forma  effect  to  the  Restricted  Payment  or Acquisition,  and  (B) the 
Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (as defined in the Credit Facility), on a pro forma basis for the twelve 
months preceding such Restricted Payment or Acquisition, will be equal to or greater than 1.0:1.0, 
and  (c) after  giving  effect  to  such  Restricted  Payment  or Acquisition,  the  Company  and  the  other 
Borrowers under the Credit Facility are Solvent (as defined in the Credit Facility). Notwithstanding 
the foregoing, the Company may make cash dividends on preferred stock up to $0.5 million in any 
fiscal  year  absent  a  continuing  Event  of  Default.    The  Company’s  management  does  not  expect 
availability under the Credit Facility to fall below the requirements listed above during Fiscal 2017. 
The  Company’s  UK  Credit  Facility  prohibits  the  payment  of  any  dividends  by  Schuh  or  its 
subsidiaries to the Company. 

93 

 
 
 
 
Note 8 
Equity, Continued 

Changes in the Shares of the Company’s Capital Stock 

Issued at February 1, 2014 
Exercise of options 
Issue restricted stock 
Issue shares—Employee Stock Purchase Plan 
Shares repurchased 
Other 
Issued at January 31, 2015 
Exercise of options 
Issue restricted stock 
Issue shares—Employee Stock Purchase Plan 
Shares repurchased 
Other 
Issued at January 30, 2016 
Exercise of options 
Issue restricted stock 
Shares repurchased 
Other 
Issued at January 28, 2017 
Less shares repurchased and held in treasury 
Outstanding at January 28, 2017 

Common 
Stock 
24,407,724    
68,616    
185,416    
2,688    
(64,709 )  
(84,373 )  
24,515,362    
35,542    
219,404    
2,470    
(2,383,384 )  
(66,595 )  
22,322,799    
26,696    
236,364    
(2,155,869 )  
(75,718 )  
20,354,272    
488,464    
19,865,808    

Employees’ 
Preferred 
Stock 

46,069  
—  
—  
—  
—  
(1,233 ) 
44,836  
—  
—  
—  
—  
(6,640 ) 
38,196  
—  
—  
—  
(550 ) 
37,646  
—  
37,646  

94 

 
 
 
 
 
Note 9 
Income Taxes 

The  components  of  earnings  from  continuing  operations  before  income  taxes  is  comprised  of  the 
following: 

In thousands 

United States 

Foreign 

$ 

Total Earnings from Continuing Operations before Income Taxes  $ 

2017 
129,819     $ 
21,595    
151,414     $ 

2016 
136,178     $ 
15,355    
151,533     $ 

2015 
150,682  
6,307  
156,989  

Income tax expense from continuing operations is comprised of the following: 

In thousands 

Current 

U.S. federal 
International 
State 

Total Current Income Tax Expense 
Deferred 

U.S. federal 
International 
State 

Total Deferred Income Tax Expense (Benefit) 
Total Income Tax Expense – Continuing Operations 

2017 

2016 

2015 

$ 

$ 

36,998     $ 
5,245    
5,918    
48,161    

2,980    
1,182    
1,232    
5,394    
53,555     $ 

46,515     $ 
3,542    
8,220    
58,277    

(1,249 )  
868    
(1,744 )  

(2,125 )  
56,152     $ 

43,146  
292  
8,966  
52,404  

4,422  
636  
154  
5,212  
57,616  

Discontinued operations were recorded net of income tax expense (benefit) of approximately $(0.3) 
million, $(0.5) million and $(1.1) million in Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively. 

As a result of the exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock during Fiscal 2017, 2016 
and  2015,  the  Company  realized  an  additional  income  tax  benefit  of  approximately  $0.3  million, 
$0.2  million  and  $3.1  million,  respectively.  These  tax  benefits  are  reflected  as  an  adjustment  to 
additional paid-in capital. 

95 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
Note 9 
Income Taxes, Continued 

 Deferred tax assets and liabilities are comprised of the following: 

In thousands 

Identified intangibles 
Prepaids 
Convertible bonds 
Tax over book depreciation 

Total deferred tax liabilities 
Options 
Deferred rent 
Pensions 
Expense accruals 
Uniform capitalization costs 
Book over tax depreciation 
Provisions for discontinued operations and restructurings 
Inventory valuation 
Tax net operating loss and credit carryforwards 
Allowances for bad debts and notes 
Deferred compensation and restricted stock 
Other 

Gross deferred tax assets 
Deferred tax asset valuation allowance 

Deferred tax asset net of valuation allowance 
Net Deferred Tax Assets 

January 28, 
2017 

January 30, 
2016 

$ 

$ 

(31,079 )   $ 
(3,274 )  
(1,196 )  
(3,014 )  
(38,563 )  
—    
5,488    
3,396    
10,413    
16,361    
—    
2,179    
3,728    
2,450    
491    
7,147    
4,458    
56,111    
(4,305 )  
51,806    
13,243     $ 

(29,763 ) 
(3,390 ) 
(1,799 ) 
—  
(34,952 ) 
101  
5,119  
4,409  
9,577  
14,644  
9,778  
6,111  
3,954  
2,493  
378  
6,706  
3,825  
67,095  
(3,352 ) 
63,743  
28,791  

The deferred tax balances have been classified in the Consolidated Balance Sheets as follows: 

Net current asset 
Net non-current asset 
Net non-current liability 

Net Deferred Tax Assets 

2017 

2016 

21,194     $ 
85    
(8,036 )  
13,243     $ 

28,965  
959  
(1,133 ) 
28,791  

$ 

$ 

96 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 9 
Income Taxes, Continued 

Reconciliation of the United States federal statutory rate to the Company’s effective tax rate from 
continuing operations is as follows: 

U. S. federal statutory rate of tax 
State taxes (net of federal tax benefit) 
Foreign rate differential 
Change in valuation allowance 
Permanent items 
Uncertain federal, state and foreign tax positions 
Other 

Effective Tax Rate 

2017 

2016 

2015 

35.00 %  
3.46  
(2.93 )   
0.88  
1.11  
(0.90 )   
(1.25 )   
35.37 %  

35.00 %  
2.82  
(2.60 )   
(0.58 )   
2.19  
1.23  
(1.00 )   

37.06 %  

35.00 % 
3.80  
(1.56 ) 
0.57  
2.13  
(3.06 ) 
(0.18 ) 

36.70 % 

The provision for income taxes resulted in an effective tax rate for continuing operations of 35.37% 
for  Fiscal  2017,  compared  with  an  effective  tax  rate  of  37.06%  for  Fiscal  2016.  The  tax  rate  for 
Fiscal 2017 was lower primarily due to the release of tax reserves. 

As  of  January  28,  2017,  January  30,  2016  and  January  31,  2015,  the  Company  had  a  federal  net 
operating  loss  carryforward,  which  was  assumed  in  one  of  the  prior  year  acquisitions,  of  $0.0 
million, $1.0 million and $1.2 million, respectively, which expire in fiscal years 2025 through 2030.  
The  reduction  of  the  federal  net  operating  loss  carryforward  for  Fiscal  2017  resulted  from  the 
SureGrip Footwear sale on December 25, 2016. 

As  of  January  28,  2017,  January  30,  2016  and  January  31,  2015,  the  Company  had  state  net 
operating  loss  carryforwards  of  $0.4  million,  $0.5  million  and  $0.0  million,  respectively,  which 
expire in fiscal years 2020 through 2037. 

As of January 28, 2017, January 30, 2016 and January 31, 2015, the Company had state tax credits 
of $0.4 million, $0.6 million and $0.4 million, respectively. These credits expire in fiscal years 2018 
through 2024. 

As  of  January  28,  2017,  January  30,  2016  and  January  31,  2015,  the  Company  had  foreign  net 
operating loss carryforwards of $7.3 million, $7.4 million and $6.8 million, respectively, which have 
no expiration. 

As  of  January  28,  2017,  the  Company  has  provided  a  valuation  allowance  of  approximately  $4.3 
million on deferred tax assets associated primarily with foreign fixed assets for which management 
has determined it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets will not be realized.  

97 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 9 
Income Taxes, Continued 

The $0.9 million net increase in the valuation allowance during Fiscal 2017 from the $3.4 million 
provided  for  as  of  January  30,  2016  relates  to  increases  of  $0.8  million  in  foreign  net  operating 
losses and increases of $0.1 million in fixed asset-related deferred tax assets that will likely never be 
realized. Management believes that it is more likely than not that the remaining deferred tax assets 
will be fully realized. 

As  of  January  28,  2017,  the  Company  has  not  provided  for  withholding  or  United  States  federal 
income  taxes  on  approximately  $64.4  million  of accumulated  undistributed  earnings  of  its  foreign 
subsidiaries  as  they  are  considered  by  management  to  be  indefinitely  reinvested.  If  these 
undistributed earnings were not considered to be indefinitely reinvested, the related U.S. tax liability 
may be reduced by foreign income taxes paid on those earnings. The determination of the amount of 
unrecognized  deferred  tax  liability  related  to  these  temporary  differences  is  not  practicable  at  this 
time as this could be significantly impacted by the source location and amount of the distribution, 
the underlying tax rate already paid on the earnings, foreign withholding taxes and the opportunity 
to use foreign tax credits. 

The methodology in the Income Tax Topic of the Codification prescribes that a company should use 
a more-likely-than-not recognition threshold based on the technical merits of the tax position taken. 
Tax positions that meet the more-likely-than-not recognition threshold should be measured in order 
to determine the tax benefit to be recognized in the financial statements. 

The following is a tabular reconciliation of the total amounts of unrecognized tax benefits for Fiscal 
2017, 2016 and 2015. 

In thousands 

2017 

2016 

2015 

Unrecognized Tax Benefit – Beginning of Period 
Gross Increases (Decreases) – Tax Positions in a Prior Period 
Gross Increases (Decreases) – Tax Positions in a Current Period 
Settlements 
Lapse of Statutes of Limitations 

Unrecognized Tax Benefit – End of Period 

$ 

$ 

14,639     $ 
(7,585 )  
491    
(742 )  
(1,181 )  
5,622     $ 

3,997     $ 
9,328    
1,403    
—    
(89 )  
14,639     $ 

10,960  
231  
(287 ) 
—  
(6,907 ) 
3,997  

The amount of unrecognized tax benefits as of January 28, 2017, January 30, 2016 and January 31, 
2015 which would impact the annual effective rate if recognized were $2.5 million, $3.9 million and 
$2.7  million,  respectively.    The  amount  of  unrecognized  tax  benefits  may  change  during  the  next 
twelve  months  but  the  Company  does  not  believe  the  change,  if  any,  will  be  material  to  the 
Company's consolidated financial position or results of operations. 

98 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 9 
Income Taxes, Continued 

The  Company  recognizes  interest  expense  and  penalties  related  to  the  above  unrecognized  tax 
benefits  within  income  tax  expense  on  the  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations.  Related  to  the 
uncertain  tax  benefits  noted  above,  the  Company  recorded  interest  and  penalties  of  approximately 
$0.8 million benefit and $0.0 million benefit, respectively, during Fiscal 2017, $0.6 million expense 
and  $0.0  million  benefit,  respectively,  during  Fiscal  2016  and  $(0.1)  million  and  $0.0  million 
benefit,  respectively,  during  Fiscal  2015.  The  Company  recognized  a  liability  for  accrued  interest 
and penalties of $0.6 million and $0.1 million, respectively, as of January 28, 2017, $1.5 million and 
$0.1 million, respectively, as of January 30, 2016 and $0.8 million and $0.1 million, respectively, as 
of  January  31,  2015.    The  long-term  portion  of  the  unrecognized  tax  benefits  and  related  accrued 
interest  and  penalties  are  included  in  deferred  rent  and  other  long-term  liabilities  on  the 
Consolidated Balance Sheets. 

Income tax reserves are determined using the methodology required by the Income Tax Topic of the 
Codification. 

The  Company  and  its  subsidiaries  file  income  tax  returns  in  federal  and  in  many  state  and  local 
jurisdictions  as  well  as  foreign  jurisdictions.  With  few  exceptions,  the  Company's  state  and  local 
income  tax  returns  for  fiscal  years  ended  February  1,  2014  and  beyond  remain  subject  to 
examination.    In  addition,  the  Company  has  subsidiaries  in  various  foreign  jurisdictions  that  have 
statutes  of limitation  generally ranging from  two to  six  years.  The Company's US  federal  income 
tax return for the fiscal years ended January 31, 2015 and beyond remain subject to examination.   

Note 10 
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans 

Defined Benefit Pension Plans 
The  Company  previously  sponsored  a  non-contributory,  defined  benefit  pension  plan.  As  of 
January 1,  1996,  the  Company  amended  the  plan  to  change  the  pension  benefit  formula  to  a  cash 
balance  formula  from  the  then  existing  benefit  calculation  based  upon  years  of  service  and  final 
average  pay.  The  benefits  accrued  under  the  old  formula  were  frozen  as  of  December 31,  1995. 
Upon retirement, the participant will receive this accrued benefit payable as an annuity. In addition, 
the  participant  will  receive  as  a  lump  sum  (or  annuity  if  desired)  the  amount  credited  to  the 
participant’s cash balance account under the new formula. Effective January 1, 2005, the Company 
froze the defined benefit cash balance plan which prevents any new entrants into the plan as of that 
date as well as affects the amounts credited to the participants’ accounts as discussed below. 

99 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 10 
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Continued 

Under the cash balance formula, beginning January 1, 1996, the Company credits each participants’ 
account  annually  with  an  amount  equal  to  4%  of  the  participant’s  compensation  plus  4%  of  the 
participant’s  compensation  in  excess  of  the  Social  Security  taxable  wage  base.  Beginning 
December 31,  1996  and  annually  thereafter,  the  account  balance  of  each  active  participant  was 
credited with 7% interest calculated on the sum of the balance as of the beginning of the plan year 
and 50% of the amounts credited to the account, other than interest, for the plan year. The account 
balance of each participant who was inactive would be credited with interest at the lesser of 7% or 
the 30 year Treasury rate. Under the frozen plan, each participants’ cash balance plan account will be 
credited  annually  only  with  interest  at  the  30  year  Treasury  rate,  not  to  exceed  7%,  until  the 
participant retires. The amount credited each  year will be based on the rate at the end of the prior 
year. 

In June 2016, the Company's board of directors authorized an offer to vested former employees and 
active employees over the age of 62 in the Company's defined benefits pension plan to buy out their 
future benefits under the plan for a lump sum cash payment.  The Company made the buyout offer in 
the third quarter of Fiscal 2017, and completed it in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2017.  The Company 
incurred  a  one-time  charge  to  earnings  of  $2.5  million  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  Fiscal  2017  in 
connection with the pension plan buyout.  

Other Postretirement Benefit Plans 
The Company provides health care benefits for early retirees and life insurance benefits for certain 
retirees not covered by collective bargaining agreements. Under the health care plan, early retirees 
are eligible for benefits until age 65. Employees who meet certain requirements are eligible for life 
insurance benefits upon retirement. The Company accrues such benefits during the period in which 
the employee renders service. 

Obligations and Funded Status 
The  measurement  date  of  the  assets  and  liabilities  for  the  defined  benefit  pension  plan  and 
postretirement  medical  and  life  insurance  plans  is  the  month-end  date  that  is  closest  to  the 
Company's fiscal year end. 

100 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 10 
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Continued 

Change in Benefit Obligation 

In thousands 
Benefit obligation at beginning of year 
Service cost 
Interest cost 
Plan participants’ contributions 
Plan settlements 
Curtailment gain 
Benefits paid 
Actuarial (gain) loss 

Benefit Obligation at End of Year 

Change in Plan Assets 

In thousands 
Fair value of plan assets at beginning of year 
Actual gain (loss) on plan assets 
Plan settlements 
Employer contributions 
Plan participants’ contributions 
Benefits paid 

Fair Value of Plan Assets at End of Year 
Funded Status at End of Year 

Pension Benefits 

Other Benefits 

2017 

100,290     $ 
550    
4,118    
—    
(13,862 )  
—    
(8,308 )  
4,159    
86,947     $ 

2016 

125,764     $ 
450    
4,263    
—    
—    
—    
(8,841 )  
(21,346 )  
100,290     $ 

2017 

6,826     $ 
704    
286    
158    
—    
—    
(257 )  
1,226    
8,943     $ 

2016 

6,886  
821  
245  
124  
—  
(755 ) 
(341 ) 
(154 ) 
6,826  

Pension Benefits 

Other Benefits 

2017 

90,333     $ 
12,531    
(13,874 )  
—    
—    
(8,308 )  
80,682     $ 
(6,265 )   $ 

2016 

103,580     $ 
(4,406 )  
—    
—    
—    
(8,841 )  
90,333    
(9,957 )   $ 

2017 

—     $ 
—    
—    
99    
158    
(257 )  
—    
(8,943 )   $ 

2016 

—  
—  
—  
217  
124  
(341 ) 
—  
(6,826 ) 

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 
$ 

101 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 10 
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Continued 

Amounts recognized in the Consolidated Balance Sheets consist of: 

In thousands 
Current liabilities 
Noncurrent liabilities 

Net Amount Recognized 

Pension Benefits 

2017 

—     $ 

(6,265 )  
(6,265 )   $ 

$ 

$ 

2016 

—     $ 

(9,957 )  
(9,957 )   $ 

Other Benefits 

2017 

2016 

(343 )   $ 

(8,600 )  
(8,943 )   $ 

(274 ) 
(6,552 ) 

(6,826 ) 

Amounts recognized in accumulated other comprehensive income consist of: 

In thousands 
Net loss 
Total Recognized in Accumulated Other 
Comprehensive Loss 

Pension Benefits 

Other Benefits 

2017 

15,430     $ 

2016 

21,415     $ 

2017 

2,518     $ 

2016 

1,417  

15,430 

  $ 

21,415 

  $ 

2,518 

  $ 

1,417 

$ 

$ 

Amounts for projected and accumulated benefit obligation and fair value of plan assets are as follows: 

In thousands 

Projected benefit obligation 
Accumulated benefit obligation 
Fair value of plan assets 

Components of Net Periodic Benefit Cost 

Net Periodic Benefit Cost 

In thousands 
Service cost 
Interest cost 
Expected return on plan assets 
Settlement loss recognized 
Amortization: 

Prior service cost 
Losses 

Net amortization 
Net Periodic Benefit Cost 

$ 

$ 
$ 

January 28, 
2017 

$ 

86,947     $ 
86,947    
80,682    

January 30, 
2016 

100,290  
100,290  
90,333  

2017 

Pension Benefits 
2016 

550     $ 

450     $ 

4,118    
(5,641 )  
2,456    

4,263    
(5,785 )  
—    

2015 

450     $ 

4,664    
(6,069 )  
—    

Other Benefits 
2016 

2017 

704     $ 
286    
—    
—    

821     $ 
245    
—    
—    

2015 

526  
226  
—  
—  

—    
810    
810     $ 
2,293     $ 

—    
4,948    
4,948     $ 
3,876     $ 

—    
3,546    
3,546     $ 
2,591     $ 

—    
125    
125     $ 
1,115     $ 

—    
189    
189     $ 
1,255     $ 

—  
102  
102  
854  

102 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
Note 10 
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Continued 

Reconciliation of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income 

In thousands 
Net (gain) loss 
Amortization of net actuarial loss 

$ 

Total Recognized in Other Comprehensive Income 
$ 
Total Recognized in Net Periodic Benefit Cost and Other Comprehensive Income  $ 

2017 

(2,729 )   $ 
(3,256 )  
(5,985 )   $ 
(3,692 )   $ 

2017 

1,226  
(125 ) 
1,101  
2,216  

Pension Benefits    Other Benefits 

The  estimated  net  loss  and  prior  service  cost  for  the  defined  benefit  pension  plans  that  will  be 
amortized  from  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  into  net  periodic  benefit  cost  over  the 
next fiscal year are $0.9 million and $0.0 million, respectively. The estimated net loss for the other 
postretirement benefit plans that will be amortized from accumulated other comprehensive income 
into net periodic benefit cost over the next fiscal year is $0.2 million.  

Weighted-average assumptions used to determine benefit obligations 

Discount rate 
Rate of compensation increase 

Pension Benefits 
2016 
2017 
3.95 %  
NA  

4.30 %  
NA  

Other Benefits 

2017 
3.98 %  
—  

2016 

4.04 % 
—  

For  Fiscal  2017  and  2016,  the  discount  rate  was  based  on  a  yield  curve  of  high  quality  corporate 
bonds with cash flows matching the Company’s planned expected benefit payments. 

The  decrease  in  the  discount  rate  for  Fiscal  2017  increased  the  accumulated  benefit  obligation  by 
$3.2  million  and  increased  the  projected  benefit  obligation  by  $3.2  million.  The  increase  in  the 
discount  rate  for  Fiscal  2016  decreased  the  accumulated  benefit  obligation  by  $7.5  million  and 
decreased the projected benefit obligation by $7.5 million. 

Weighted-average assumptions used to determine net periodic benefit costs 

Discount rate 
Expected long-term rate of return on plan 
assets 
Rate of compensation increase 

Pension Benefits 
2016 

2017 

2015 

2017 

Other Benefits 
2016 

2015 

4.30 %  

3.55 %  

4.40 %  

4.04 %  

3.31 %  

4.40 % 

6.35 %  

6.35 %  

6.75 %  

NA  

NA  

NA  

— 
—  

— 
—  

— 
—  

103 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 10 
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Continued 

To  develop  the  expected  long-term  rate  of  return  on  assets  assumption,  the  Company  considered 
historical  asset  returns,  the  current  asset  allocation  and  future  expectations.  Considering  this 
information, the Company selected a 6.35% long-term rate of return on assets assumption. 

Assumed health care cost trend rates 

Health care cost trend rate assumed for next year 
Rate to which the cost trend rate is assumed to decline (the ultimate trend rate) 
Year that the rate reaches the ultimate trend rate 

2017 

2016 

8.0 %  
5 %  
2027  

7.5 % 
5 % 
2021 

The effect on disclosed information of one percentage point change in the assumed health care cost 
trend rate for each future year is shown below. 

In thousands 

Aggregated service and interest cost 
Accumulated postretirement benefit obligation 

Plan Assets 

1% Increase 
in Rates 

1% Decrease 
in Rates 

$ 
$ 

142     $ 
1,427     $ 

237  
1,169  

The Company’s pension plan weighted average asset allocations as of January 28, 2017 and January 
30, 2016, by asset category are as follows: 

Asset Category 
Equity securities 
Debt securities 
Total 

Plan Assets 

January 28, 
2017 

January 30, 
2016 

65 %  
35 %  
100 %  

64 % 
36 % 
100 % 

The  investment  strategy  of  the  trust  is  to  ensure  over  the  long-term  an  asset  pool,  that  when 
combined with Company contributions, will support benefit obligations to participants, retirees and 
beneficiaries.  Investment  management  responsibilities  of  plan  assets  are  delegated  to  outside 
investment  advisers  and  overseen  by  an  Investment  Committee  comprised  of  members  of  the 
Company’s senior management that are appointed by the Board of Directors. The Company has an 
investment policy that provides direction on the implementation of this strategy. 

104 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
Note 10 
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Continued 

The  investment  policy  establishes  a  target  allocation  for  each  asset  class  and  investment  manager. 
The  actual  asset  allocation  versus  the  established  target  is  reviewed  at  least  quarterly  and  is 
maintained within a +/- 5% range of the target asset allocation. Target allocations are 50% domestic 
equity, 13% international equity, 35% fixed income and 2% cash investments. 

All investments are made solely in the interest of the participants and beneficiaries for the exclusive 
purposes  of  providing  benefits  to  such  participants  and  their  beneficiaries  and  defraying  the 
expenses related to  administering the trust  as determined by the  Investment  Committee. All  assets 
shall be properly diversified to reduce the potential of a single security or single sector of securities 
having a disproportionate impact on the portfolio. 

The Committee utilizes an outside investment consultant and investment managers to implement its 
various investment strategies. Performance of the managers is reviewed quarterly and the investment 
objectives are consistently evaluated. 

At January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016, there were no Company related assets in the plan. 
Generally, quoted market prices are used to value pension plan assets. Equities, some fixed income 
securities,  publicly  traded  investment  funds  and  U.S.  government  obligations  are  valued  at  the 
closing price reported on the active market on which the individual security is traded. 

105 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 10 
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Continued 

The following tables present the pension plan assets by level within the fair value hierarchy as of 
January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016. 

January 28, 2017 (In thousands) 
Equity Securities: 

International securities 
U.S. securities 
Fixed Income Securities 
Other: 

Cash Equivalents 
Other (includes receivables and payables) 

Total Pension Plan Assets 

January 30, 2016 (In thousands) 
Equity Securities: 

International securities 
U.S. securities 
Fixed Income Securities 
Other: 

Cash Equivalents 
Other (includes receivables and payables) 

Total Pension Plan Assets 

Cash Flows 

Level 1 

Level 2 

Level 3 

Total 

10,367     $ 
42,041    
27,987    

426    
(139 )  
80,682     $ 

—     $ 
—    
—    

—    
—    
—     $ 

—     $ 
—    
—    

—    
—    
—     $ 

10,367  
42,041  
27,987  

426  
(139 ) 
80,682  

Level 1 

Level 2 

Level 3 

Total 

11,464     $ 
46,012    
32,573    

291    
(7 )  
90,333     $ 

—     $ 
—    
—    

—    
—    
—     $ 

—     $ 
—    
—    

—    
—    
—     $ 

11,464  
46,012  
32,573  

291  
(7 ) 
90,333  

$ 

$ 

$ 

$ 

Return of Assets 
There was no return of assets from the plan to the Company in Fiscal 2017 and no plan assets are 
projected to be returned to the Company in Fiscal 2018. 

Contributions 

There was no Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended ("ERISA") cash 
requirement for the plan in 2016 and none is projected to be required in 2017. It is the Company’s policy 
to contribute enough cash to maintain at least an 80% funding level. 

106 

 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
 
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
Note 10 
Defined Benefit Pension Plans and Other Postretirement Benefit Plans, Continued 

Estimated Future Benefit Payments 

Expected benefit payments from the trust, including future service and pay, are as follows: 

Estimated future payments 

2017 
2018 
2019 
2020 
2021 
2022 – 2026 

Section 401(k) Savings Plan 

Pension 
Benefits 
($ in millions)   
7.3     $ 
$ 
7.2    
7.0    
6.8    
6.6    
30.0    

Other 
Benefits 
($ in millions) 
0.3  
0.4  
0.4  
0.4  
0.5  
2.4  

The Company has a Section 401(k) Savings Plan available to employees who have completed one 
full year of service and are age 21 or older. 

Since  January 1, 2005, the Company has matched 100% of each  employee’s contribution  of up to 
3%  of  salary  and  50%  of  the  next  2%  of  salary.  In  addition,  for  those  employees  hired  before 
December 31, 2004, who were eligible for the Company’s cash balance retirement plan before it was 
frozen,  the  Company  annually  makes  an  additional  contribution  of  2  1/2 %  of  salary  to  each 
employee’s account. In calendar 2005 and future years, participants are immediately vested in their 
contributions  and  the  Company’s  matching  contribution  plus  actual  earnings  thereon.  The 
contribution expense to the Company for the matching program was approximately $5.5 million for 
Fiscal 2017, $6.0 million for Fiscal 2016 and $5.5 million for Fiscal 2015. 

107 

 
 
 
Note 11 
Earnings Per Share 

For the Year Ended 
January 28, 2017 

For the Year Ended 
January 30, 2016 

For the Year Ended 
January 31, 2015 

(In thousands, except 
per share amounts) 

Income 
(Numerator)   

Shares 

(Denominator)    Per-Share 

Amount 

$ 

97,859 

Income 
(Numerator) 

 $ 

95,381 

Shares 

(Denominator)    Per-Share 

Amount 

Income 
(Numerator) 

Shares 
(Denominator) 

  Per-Share 
Amount 

 $ 

99,373 

Earnings from continuing 
operations 
Basic EPS from continuing 
operations 
Income from continuing 
operations available to 
common shareholders 

Effect of Dilutive Securities 
from continuing operations   
Options and restricted 
stock 

Employees’ 
preferred 
stock(1) 

Diluted EPS from 
continuing operations 
Income from continuing 
operations available to 
common shareholders plus 
assumed conversions 

97,859 

20,076 

  $ 

4.87 

95,381 

22,880 

  $ 

4.17 

99,373 

23,507 

  $ 

4.23 

58 

38 

76 

44 

155 

46 

$ 

97,859 

20,172 

  $ 

4.85 

  $ 

95,381 

23,000 

  $ 

4.15 

  $ 

99,373 

23,708 

  $ 

4.19 

(1)  The  Company’s  Employees’  Subordinated  Convertible  Preferred  Stock  is  convertible  one  for  one  to  the  Company’s 

common stock. Because there are no dividends paid on this stock, these shares are assumed to be converted. 

There were no outstanding options to purchase shares of common stock at the end of Fiscal 2017.  
All outstanding options to purchase shares of common stock at the end of Fiscal 2016 and 2015 were 
included  in  the  computation  of  diluted  earnings  per  share  because  the  impact  of  doing  so  was 
dilutive. 

The  weighted  shares  outstanding  reflects  the  effect  of  the  Company's  Board-approved  share 
repurchase program. The Company repurchased 2,155,869 shares at a cost of $133.3 million during 
Fiscal  2017.  The  Company  has  repurchased  275,300  shares  in  the  first  quarter  of  Fiscal  2018, 
through March 24, 2017, at a cost of $16.2 million.  The Company has $24.0 million remaining as of 
March  24,  2017  under  its  current  $100.0  million  share  repurchase  authorization.  The  Company 
repurchased  2,383,384  shares  at  a  cost  of  $144.9  million  during  Fiscal  2016.    The  Company 
repurchased 64,709 shares at a cost of $4.6 million during Fiscal 2015.  

108 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
   
    
   
    
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
   
   
 
 
   
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
   
   
 
 
   
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 12 
Share-Based Compensation Plans 

The Company’s stock-based compensation plans, as of January 28, 2017, are described below. The 
Company recognizes compensation expense for share-based payments based on the fair value of the 
awards as required by the Compensation – Stock Compensation Topic of the Codification. 

Stock Incentive Plans 
The Company has two stock incentive plans. Under the 2009 Plan, effective as of June 22, 2011, the 
Company may grant options, restricted shares, performance awards and other stock-based awards to 
its  employees,  consultants  and  directors  for  up  to  2.6  million  shares  of  common  stock.  Under  the 
2005  Equity  Incentive  Plan  (the  “2005  Plan”),  effective  as  of  June 23,  2005,  the  Company  was 
permitted  to  grant  options,  restricted  shares  and  other  stock-based  awards  to  its  employees  and 
consultants as well as directors for up to 2.5 million shares of common stock. There will be no future 
awards under the 2005 Plan. Under both plans, the exercise price of each option equals the market 
price  of  the  Company’s  stock  on  the  date  of  grant,  and  an  option’s  maximum  term  is  10  years. 
Options granted under both plans primarily vest 25% per year over four years. 

For  Fiscal  2017,  2016  and  2015,  the  Company  did  not  recognize  any  stock  option  related  share-
based compensation for its stock incentive plans as all such amounts were fully recognized in earlier 
periods. The Company did not capitalize any share-based compensation cost. 

The  Compensation—Stock  Compensation  Topic  of  the  Codification  requires  that  the  cash  flows 
resulting  from  tax  benefits  for  tax  deductions  in  excess  of  the  compensation  cost  recognized  for 
those options (excess tax benefit) be classified as financing cash flows. Accordingly, the Company 
classified excess tax benefits of $0.3 million, $0.2 million and $3.1 million as financing cash inflows 
rather than as operating cash inflows on its Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for Fiscal 2017, 
2016 and 2015, respectively. 

The Company did not grant any stock options in Fiscal 2017, 2016 or 2015. 

109 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 12 
Share-Based Compensation Plans, Continued 

A summary of stock option activity and changes for Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 is presented below: 

Options 

Weighted-Average 
Exercise Price 

Weighted-Average 
Remaining 
Contractual Term 

Aggregate Intrinsic 
Value (in 
thousands)(1) 

Outstanding, February 1, 2014 
Granted 
Exercised 
Forfeited 

Outstanding, January 31, 2015 
Granted 
Exercised 
Forfeited 

Outstanding, January 30, 2016 
Granted 
Exercised 
Forfeited 
Outstanding, January 28, 2017 

Exercisable, January 28, 2017 

130,854     $ 

—    
(68,616 )  
—    
62,238     $ 
—    
(35,542 )  
—    
26,696     $ 
—    
(26,696 )  
—    
—     $ 
—     $ 

31.67      
—      
26.49      
—      
37.38      
—      
36.81      
—      
38.13      
—      
38.13      
—      
—    
—    

—     $ 
—     $ 

—  
—  

(1) Based upon the difference between the closing market price of the Company’s common stock on the last trading day 
of the year and the grant price of in-the-money options. 

The  total  intrinsic  value,  which  represents  the  difference  between  the  underlying  stock’s  market 
price and the option’s exercise price, of options exercised during Fiscal  2017, 2016 and 2015 was 
$0.7 million, $0.9 million and $3.4 million, respectively. 

As of January 28, 2017, the Company does not have any nonvested options under its stock incentive 
plans. 

As  of  January  28,  2017,  there  was  no  unrecognized  compensation  costs  related  to  stock  options 
under  the  2009  Plan.  Cash  received  from  option  exercises  under  all  share-based  payment 
arrangements  for  Fiscal  2017,  2016  and  2015  was  $1.0  million,  $1.3  million  and  $1.8  million, 
respectively. 

110 

 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 12 
Share-Based Compensation Plans, Continued 

Restricted Stock Incentive Plans 

Director Restricted Stock 
The  2009  Plan  permits  grants  to  non-employee  directors  on  such  terms  as  the  Board  of  Directors 
may approve.  Restricted stock awards were made to independent directors on the date of the annual 
meeting of shareholders in each of Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015. The shares  granted in each award 
vested on the first anniversary of the grant date, subject to the director's continued service through 
that date. The Board of Directors also  approved a grant of 760 additional shares in  Fiscal 2017 to 
two  newly  elected  directors  on  the  annual  meeting  date  in  Fiscal  2017  on  the  same  terms  as  the 
Fiscal  2017  grant  to  all  independent  directors.  In  all  cases,  the  director  is  restricted  from  selling, 
transferring,  pledging  or  assigning  the  shares  for  three  years  from  the  grant  date  unless  he  or  she 
earlier leaves the board.   The  Fiscal  2017, 2016  and 2015  grants  were valued at  $97,500 for each 
year, per director based on the average closing price of the stock for the first five trading days of the 
month in which they were granted and vested on the first anniversary of the grant date.  For Fiscal 
2017,  2016  and  2015,  the  Company  issued  13,734  shares,  12,978  shares  and  11,592  shares, 
respectively, of director restricted stock. 

In addition, the 2009 Plan permits an outside director to elect irrevocably to receive all or a specified 
portion  of  his  annual  retainers  for  board  membership  and  any  committee  chairmanship  for  the 
following fiscal year in a number of shares of restricted stock (the "Retainer Stock").  Shares of the 
Retainer Stock are granted as of the first business day of the fiscal year as to which the election is 
effective, subject to forfeiture to the extent not earned upon the outside director's ceasing to serve as 
a director or committee chairman during such fiscal year.  Once the shares are earned, the director is 
restricted  from  selling,  transferring,  pledging  or  assigning  the  shares  for  an  additional  three  years.  
For Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, the Company issued 8,758 shares, 6,791 shares and 4,804 shares, 
respectively, of Retainer Stock. 

For  Fiscal  2017,  2016  and  2015,  the  Company  recognized  $1.4  million,  $1.4  million  and  $1.1 
million,  respectively,  of  director  restricted  stock  related  share-based  compensation  in  selling  and 
administrative expenses in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Operations. 

Employee Restricted Stock 
Under  the  2009  Plan,  the  Company  issued  236,364  shares,  219,404  shares  and  185,416  shares  of 
employee  restricted  stock  in  Fiscal  2017,  2016  and  2015,  respectively.    Shares  of  employee 
restricted stock issued in Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015 primarily vest 25% per year over four years, 
provided that on such date the grantee has remained continuously employed by the Company since 
the date of grant.  In addition, the Company issued 2,523 restricted stock units to certain employees 
at no cost that vest over three years.  

111 

 
 
 
 
Note 12 
Share-Based Compensation Plans, Continued 

The fair value of employee restricted stock is charged against income as compensation cost over the 
vesting  period.  Compensation  cost  recognized  in  selling  and  administrative  expenses  in  the 
accompanying  Consolidated  Statements  of  Operations  for  these  shares  was  $12.1  million,  $12.4 
million and $12.3 million for Fiscal 2017, 2016 and 2015, respectively.  

A summary of the status of the Company’s nonvested shares of its employee restricted stock as of 
January 28, 2017 is presented below: 

Nonvested Restricted Shares 

Nonvested at February 1, 2014 
Granted 
Vested 
Withheld for federal taxes 
Forfeited 

Nonvested at January 31, 2015 
Granted 
Vested 
Withheld for federal taxes 
Forfeited 

Nonvested at January 30, 2016 
Granted 
Vested 
Withheld for federal taxes 
Forfeited 

Nonvested at January 28, 2017 

Shares 
581,274     $ 
185,416    
(177,694 )  
(88,003 )  
(13,999 )  
486,994    
219,404    
(141,795 )  
(65,783 )  
(27,221 )  
471,599    
236,364    
(125,347 )  
(55,563 )  
(43,051 )  
484,002     $ 

Weighted-Average 
Grant-Date 
Fair Value 

52.21  
80.85  
44.77  
45.27  
65.71  
66.70  
66.43  
60.08  
60.62  
69.31  
69.26  
65.99  
67.23  
67.52  
70.60  
68.27  

As of January 28, 2017, there was $25.7 million of total unrecognized compensation costs related to 
nonvested share-based compensation arrangements for restricted stock discussed above. That cost is 
expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of 1.79 years. 

Employee Stock Purchase Plan 
The Company  ended the ESPP in  Fiscal  2016.  The shares issued under the ESPP for Fiscal  2016 
were the last shares issued under the ESPP.  Under the ESPP, the Company was authorized to issue 
up to 1.0 million shares of common stock to qualifying full-time employees whose total annual base 
salary was less than $90,000.  Under the ESPP, the Company sold 2,470 shares and 2,688 shares to 
employees in Fiscal 2016 and 2015, respectively. 

112 

 
 
 
 
 
Note 13 
Legal Proceedings 

Environmental Matters 
New York State Environmental Matters 
In August 1997, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (“NYSDEC”) and 
the  Company  entered  into  a  consent  order  whereby  the  Company  assumed  responsibility  for 
conducting  a  remedial  investigation  and  feasibility  study  (“RIFS”)  and  implementing  an  interim 
remedial measure (“IRM”) with regard to the site of a knitting mill operated by a former subsidiary 
of the Company from 1965 to 1969.  The United States Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”), 
which  assumed  primary  regulatory  responsibility  for  the  site  from  NYSDEC,  issued  a  Record  of 
Decision  in  September  2007.    The  Record  of  Decision  specified  a  remedy  of  a  combination  of 
groundwater extraction and treatment and in-situ chemical oxidation. 

In  September  2015,  the  EPA  adopted  an  amendment  to  the  Record  of  Decision  eliminating  the 
separate  ground-water  extraction  and  treatment  systems  and  the  use  of  in-situ  oxidation  from  the 
remedy  adopted  in  the  Record  of  Decision.   The  amendment  provides  for  the  continued  operation 
and  maintenance  of  the  existing  wellhead  treatment  systems  on  wells  operated  by  the  Village  of 
Garden  City,  New York  (the  "Village").    It  also  requires  the  Company  to  perform  certain  ongoing 
monitoring,  operation  and  maintenance  activities  and  to  reimburse  EPA's  future  oversight  cost, 
involving future costs to the Company estimated at  $1.7 million to $2.0 million, and to reimburse 
EPA  for  approximately    $1.25  million  of  interim  oversight  costs.    On August  15,  2016,  the  Court 
entered a Consent Judgment implementing the remedy provided for by the amendment. 

The Village additionally asserted that the Company is liable for the costs associated with enhanced 
treatment required by the impact of the groundwater plume from the site on two public water supply 
wells, including historical total costs ranging from approximately $1.8 million to in excess of $2.5 
million,  and  future  operation  and  maintenance  costs  which  the  Village  estimated  at  $126,400 
annually  while  the  enhanced  treatment  continues.    On  December  14,  2007,  the  Village  filed  a 
complaint  (the  "Village  Lawsuit")  against  the  Company  and  the  owner  of  the  property  under  the 
Resource  Conservation  and  Recovery  Act  (“RCRA”),  the  Safe  Drinking  Water  Act,  and  the 
Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (“CERCLA”) as well as 
a  number  of  state  law  theories  in  the  U.S.  District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District  of  New  York, 
seeking  an  injunction  requiring  the  defendants  to  remediate  contamination  from  the  site  and  to 
establish their liability for future costs that may be incurred in connection with it.  

In  June  2016  the  Company  and  the  Village  reached  an  agreement  providing  for  the  Village  to 
continue to operate and maintain the well head treatment systems in accordance with the Record of 
Decision and to release its claims against the Company asserted in the Village Lawsuit in exchange 
for a lump-sum payment of $10.0 million by the Company.   

113 

 
 
 
 
 
Note 13 
Legal Proceedings, Continued 

On August 25, 2016, the Village Lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice.  The cost of the settlement 
with the Village and the estimated costs associated with the Company's compliance with the Consent 
Judgment were covered by the Company's existing provision for the site.  The settlement  with the 
Village did not have, and the Company expects that the Consent Judgment will not have, a material 
effect on its financial condition or results of operations. 

In April  2015,  the  Company  received  from  EPA  a  Notice  of  Potential  Liability  and  Demand  for 
Costs pursuant to CERCLA regarding the site in Gloversville, New York of a former leather tannery 
operated  by  the  Company  and  by  other,  unrelated  parties.    The  Notice  demanded  payment  of 
approximately  $2.2  million  of  response  costs  claimed  by  EPA  to  have  been  incurred  to  conduct 
assessments and removal activities at the site. In February 2017, the Company and EPA entered into 
a settlement agreement resolving EPA's claim for past response costs in exchange for a payment by 
the  Company  of  $1.5  million.    The  Company's  environmental  insurance  carrier  has  agreed  to 
reimburse  the  Company  for  75%  of  the  settlement  amount,  subject  to  a  $500,000  self-insured 
retention. The Company does not expect that the matter will have a material effect on its financial 
condition or results of operations. 

Whitehall Environmental Matters 
The Company has performed sampling and analysis of soil, sediments, surface water, groundwater 
and  waste  management  areas  at  the  Company's  former  Volunteer  Leather  Company  facility  in 
Whitehall, Michigan. 

In  October  2010,  the  Company  and  the  Michigan  Department  of  Natural  Resources  and 
Environment entered into a Consent Decree providing for implementation of a remedial Work Plan 
for the facility site designed to bring the site into compliance with applicable regulatory standards.  
The Work  Plan's  implementation  is  substantially  complete  and  the  Company  expects,  based  on  its 
present understanding of the condition of the site, that its future obligations with respect to the site 
will  be  limited  to  periodic  monitoring  and  that  future  costs  related  to  the  site  should  not  have  a 
material effect on its financial condition or results of operations. 

Accrual for Environmental Contingencies 
Related to all outstanding environmental contingencies, the Company had accrued $4.4 million as of 
January 28, 2017, $14.5 million as of January 30, 2016 and $14.1 million as of January 31, 2015.  
All such provisions reflect the Company's estimates of the most likely cost (undiscounted, including 
both  current  and  noncurrent  portions)  of  resolving  the  contingencies,  based  on  facts  and 
circumstances as of the time they were made.  The Company paid $10.0 million of the accrued total 
at January 30, 2016 in August 2016.   

114 

 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 13 
Legal Proceedings, Continued 

There  is  no  assurance  that  relevant  facts  and  circumstances  will  not  change,  necessitating  future 
changes  to  the  provisions.    Such  contingent  liabilities  are  included  in  the  liability  arising  from 
provision for discontinued operations on the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets 
because  it  relates  to  former  facilities  operated  by  the  Company.    The  Company  has  made  pretax 
accruals  for  certain  of  these  contingencies,  including  approximately  $0.6  million  in  Fiscal  2017,  
$0.8 million in Fiscal 2016 and $2.8 million in Fiscal 2015.  These charges are included in provision 
for discontinued operations, net in the Consolidated Statements of Operations and represent changes 
in estimates. 

Other Matters 
On February 22, 2017, a former employee of a subsidiary of the Company filed a putative class and 
collective action, Shumate v. Genesco, Inc., et al., in the U.S district Court for the Southern District 
of Ohio, alleging violations of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act and Ohio wages and hours leave 
including  failure  to  pay  minimum  wages  and  overtime  to  the  subsidiary's  store  managers  and 
seeking back pay, damages, penalties, and declaratory and injunctive relief.  The Company disputes 
the material allegations in the complaint and intends to defend the matter. 

On April  30,  2015,  an  employee  of  a  subsidiary  of  the  Company  filed  an  action,  Stewart  v.  Hat 
World,  Inc.,  et  al.,  under  the  California  Labor  Code  Private  Attorneys  General  Act  on  behalf  of 
herself,  the  State  of  California,  and  other  non-exempt,  hourly-paid  employees  of  the  subsidiary  in 
California,  seeking  unspecified  damages  and  penalties  for  various  alleged  violations  of  the 
California Labor Code, including failure to pay for all hours worked, minimum wage and overtime 
violations, failure to provide required meal and rest periods, failure to timely pay wages, failure to 
provide  complete  and  accurate  wage  statements,  and  failure  to  provide  full  reimbursement  of 
business-related costs and expenses incurred in the course of employment.  The Company disputes 
the material allegations in the complaint and intends to defend the matter. 

On December 10, 2010,  the Company  announced that it had suffered a  criminal  intrusion into the 
portion  of  its  computer  network  that  processes  payments  for  transactions  in  certain  of  its  retail 
stores. Visa, Inc., MasterCard Worldwide and American Express Travel Related Services Company, 
Inc.  asserted  claims  totaling  approximately  $15.6  million  in  connection  with  the  intrusion  and  the 
claims of two of the claimants have been collected by withholding payment card receivables of the 
Company.    In  the  fourth  quarter  of  Fiscal  2013,  the  Company  recorded  a  $15.4  million  charge  to 
earnings in connection with the disputed liability.  

115 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 13 
Legal Proceedings, Continued 

On March 7, 2013, the Company filed an action in the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of 
Tennessee  against  Visa  U.S.A.  Inc.,  Visa  Inc.  and  Visa  International  Service  Association 
(collectively,  "Visa")  seeking  to  recover  $13.3  million  in  non-compliance  fines  and  issuer 
reimbursement assessments collected from the Company in connection with the intrusion.  In May 
2016, the Company and Visa reached an agreement to settle the litigation.  The Company recognized 
a pretax gain of $9.0 million in connection with the settlement in the second quarter of Fiscal 2017. 

In addition to the matters specifically described in this Note, the Company is a party to other legal 
and  regulatory  proceedings  and  claims  arising  in  the  ordinary  course  of  its  business.    While 
management does not believe that the Company's liability with respect to any of these other matters 
is likely to have a material effect on its financial statements, legal proceedings are subject to inherent 
uncertainties  and  unfavorable  rulings  could  have  a  material  adverse  impact  on  the  Company's 
financial statements. 

116 

 
 
 
 
Note 14 
Business Segment Information 

During  Fiscal  2017,  the  Company  operated  five  reportable  business  segments  (not  including 
corporate):  (i)  Journeys  Group,  comprised  of  the  Journeys,  Journeys  Kidz,  Shi  by  Journeys,  Little 
Burgundy and Underground by Journeys retail footwear chains, e-commerce operations and catalog; 
(ii)  Schuh  Group,  comprised  of  the  Schuh  retail  footwear  chain  and  e-commerce  operations;  (iii) 
Lids Sports Group, comprised primarily of the Lids retail headwear stores, the Lids  Locker Room 
and  Lids  Clubhouse  fan  shops  (operated  under  various  trade  names),  licensed  team  merchandise 
departments in Macy's department stores operated under the name of Locker Room by Lids under a 
license agreement with Macy's, and certain e-commerce operations (an athletic team dealer business 
operating  as  Lids  Team  Sports  was  sold  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  Fiscal  2016);  (iv)  Johnston  & 
Murphy Group, comprised of Johnston & Murphy retail operations, e-commerce operations, catalog 
and wholesale distribution of products under the Johnston & Murphy® and H.S. Trask® brands; and 
(v) Licensed Brands, comprised of Dockers® Footwear, sourced and marketed under a license from 
Levi Strauss & Company; SureGrip® Footwear which was sold in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2017; 
G. H. Bass Footwear operated under a license from G-III Apparel Group, Ltd.; and other brands. 

The  accounting  policies  of  the  segments  are  the  same  as  those  described  in  the  summary  of 
significant accounting policies. 

The  Company's  reportable  segments  are  based  on  management's  organization  of  the  segments  in 
order to  make operating decisions and assess performance along types of products  sold.   Journeys 
Group, Schuh Group and Lids Sports Group sell primarily branded products from other companies 
while  Johnston  &  Murphy  Group  and  Licensed  Brands  sell  primarily  the  Company's  owned  and 
licensed brands. 

Corporate  assets  include  cash,  domestic  prepaid  rent  expense,  prepaid  income  taxes,  deferred 
income  taxes,  deferred  note  expense  on  revolver  debt  and  corporate  fixed  assets.  The  Company 
charges  allocated  retail  costs  of  distribution  to  each  segment.    The  Company  does  not  allocate 
certain  costs  to  each  segment  in  order  to  make  decisions  and  assess  performance.    These  costs 
include  corporate  overhead,  interest  expense,  interest  income,  asset  impairment  charges  and  other, 
including major litigation and major lease terminations. 

117 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 14 
Business Segment Information, Continued 

Fiscal 2017 

In thousands 

Sales 
Intercompany sales 

Net sales to external customers 

Segment operating income (loss) 

Asset Impairments and other* 

Earnings (loss) from operations 

Gain on sale of SureGrip Footwear 

Gain on sale of Lids Team Sports 

Interest expense 

Interest income 

Earnings (loss) from continuing 
operations before income taxes 

Total assets** 
Depreciation and amortization 

Capital expenditures 

Journeys 
Group 

Schuh 
Group 
$ 1,251,646     $  372,872     $  847,510     $ 

Lids 
Sports 
Group 

Johnston 
& Murphy 
Group 
289,324     $  107,210     $ 

Licensed 
Brands 

—    

—    

—    

—    

(838 )  

$ 1,251,646     $  372,872     $  847,510     $ 
41,563     $ 
—    

85,875     $  20,530     $ 

—    

—    

$ 

289,324     $  106,372     $ 
4,566     $ 
19,682     $ 
—    
—    

Corporate 
& Other 

617     $ 
—    
617     $ 
(31,058 )   $ 
802    

85,875 
—    
—    
—    
—    

20,530 
—    
—    
—    
—    

41,563 
—    
—    
—    
—    

19,682 
—    
—    
—    
—    

4,566 
—    
—    
—    
—    

(30,256 )  
12,297    
2,404    
(5,294 )  
47    

Consolidated 
2,869,179  

(838 ) 
2,868,341  
141,158  
802  

141,960 
12,297  
2,404  

(5,294 ) 
47  

$ 

85,875 

  $  20,530 

  $ 

41,563 

  $ 

19,682 

  $ 

4,566 

  $ 

(20,802 )   $ 

151,414 

$  404,773     $  214,886     $  519,912     $ 
26,533    
14,003    
21,123    
11,236    

24,235    
50,259    

126,559     $ 
5,987    
9,221    

40,357     $ 
995    
760    

142,419     $ 
4,015    
1,371    

1,448,906  
75,768  
93,970  

 *Asset Impairments and other includes an $(8.9) million gain for network intrusion expenses as a result of a litigation settlement and a $(0.7) million 
gain for other legal matters, partially offset by a $6.4 million charge for asset impairments, of which $5.1 million is in the Lids Sports Group, $0.8 
million is in the Schuh Group and $0.5 million is in the Journeys Group and a $2.5 million charge for pension settlement expenses. 

**Total  assets  for  the  Lids  Sports  Group,  Schuh  Group  and  Journeys  Group  include  $181.6  million,  $79.8  million  and  $9.8  million  of  goodwill, 
respectively.    Goodwill  for  Lids  Sports  Group  and  Journeys  Group  increased  $0.7  million  and  $0.4  million,  respectively,  due  to  foreign  currency 
translation adjustments. Goodwill for Schuh Group decreased by $10.5 million due to foreign currency translation adjustments.  Goodwill for Licensed 
Brands decreased $0.8 million due to the sale of SureGrip Footwear in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2017.  Of the Company's $330.6 million of long-
lived assets, $54.3 million and $21.0 million relate to long-lived assets in the United Kingdom and Canada, respectively. 

118 

 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 14 
Business Segment Information, Continued 

Fiscal 2016 

In thousands 

Sales 
Intercompany sales 

Net sales to external customers 

Segment operating income (loss) 

Asset Impairments and other* 

Earnings (loss) from operations 

Gain on sale of Lids Team Sports 

Interest expense 

Interest income 

Earnings (loss) from continuing 
operations before income taxes 

Total assets** 

Depreciation and amortization 

Capital expenditures 

Journeys 
Group 

Schuh 
Group 

Lids 
Sports 
Group 

Johnston 
& 
Murphy 
Group 

Licensed 
Brands 

Corporate 
& Other 

$ 1,251,637    $  405,674    $  976,372    $  278,681    $ 
—    
$ 1,251,637    $  405,674    $  975,504    $  278,681    $ 

(868 )   

—    

—    

$  126,248 

 $ 
—    
126,248    
—    
—    
—    

19,124 

 $ 
—    
19,124    
—    
—    
—    

17,040 

 $ 
—    
17,040    
—    
—    
—    

17,761 

 $ 
—    
17,761    
—    
—    
—    

110,655    $ 
(829 )   
109,826    $ 

9,236 

 $ 
—    
9,236    
—    
—    
—    

Consolidated 
3,023,931  
(1,697 ) 
3,022,234  

912    $ 
—    
912    $ 

(30,265 )   $ 

159,144 

(7,893 )   

(38,158 )   
4,685    
(4,414 )   
11    

(7,893 ) 
151,251  
4,685  
(4,414 ) 
11  

 $ 

 $ 

19,124 

17,040 

 $ 
 $ 
$  126,248 
$  349,021    $  241,924    $  517,284    $  118,913    $ 
5,677    
7,796    

30,196    
37,396    

14,814    
19,065    

22,504    
33,251    

17,761 

 $ 
9,236 
50,718    $ 
911    
774    

(37,876 )   $ 
263,330    $ 
4,909    
2,370   

151,533 
1,541,190  
79,011  
100,652  

 *Asset Impairments and other includes a $3.1 million charge for asset impairments, of which $2.7 million is in the Lids Sports Group and $0.4 million  
is in the Schuh Group, a $2.5 million charge for asset write-downs, a $2.2 million charge for network intrusion expenses and a $0.1 million charge for 
other legal matters.  

**Total assets for the Lids Sports Group, Schuh Group, Journeys Group and Licensed Brands include $180.9 million, $90.3 million, $9.4 million and 
$0.8 million  of  goodwill,  respectively.    Goodwill  for  Lids  Sports  Group decreased  $19.2  million  due  to  the  sale  of  Lids Team  Sports  in the  fourth 
quarter of Fiscal 2016.  Goodwill for  Schuh Group  decreased by $5.7 million due to foreign currency translation adjustment.  Goodwill for Journeys 
Group increased $9.4 million due to the acquisition of Little Burgundy in the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2016.  Of the Company's $323.3 million of long-
lived assets, $64.7 million and $18.3 million relate to long-lived assets in the United Kingdom and Canada, respectively. 

119 

 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 14 
Business Segment Information, Continued 

Fiscal 2015 

In thousands 

Sales 
Intercompany sales 

Net sales to external customers 

Segment operating income (loss) 
Asset Impairments and other* 

Earnings (loss) from operations 
Indemnification asset write-off 

Interest expense 

Interest income 

Earnings (loss) from continuing 
operations before income taxes 

Total assets** 
Depreciation and amortization 

Capital expenditures 

Journeys 
Group 

$  1,179,476  
—  
$  1,179,476  
114,784  
$ 
—  
114,784  
—  
—  
—  

$  114,784 
$  292,536  
20,785  
26,180  

Schuh 
Group 

Lids 
Sports 
Group 

 $  406,947     $  903,451  

—    

(790 )   

 $ 

 $  406,947     $  902,661  
48,970  
—  
48,970  
—  
—  
—  

10,110     $ 
—  
10,110    
—  
—  
—  

  Johnston 
& 
Murphy 
Group 
 $  259,675  
—  
 $  259,675  
14,856  
—  
14,856  
—  
—  
—  

 $ 

Licensed 
Brands 
 $  110,896  

(781 )   

 $ 

 $  110,115  
10,459  
—  
10,459  
—  
—  
—  

Corporate 
& Other 
970  
—  
970  

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 

 $ 

Consolidated 
2,861,415  
(1,571 ) 
2,859,844  
169,547  
(2,281 ) 
167,266  
(7,050 ) 
(3,337 ) 
110  

(29,632 )   $ 
(2,281 )   

(31,913 )   
(7,050 )   

(3,337 )   
110  

10,110 

48,970 
 $ 
  $ 
 $  246,570     $  660,833  
29,711  
43,013  

14,114    
21,382    

 $ 

 $ 

14,856 
 $ 
 $  109,791  
4,935  
8,196  

10,459 
47,066  
725  
979  

(42,190 )   $ 

 $ 
 $  226,094  
4,056  
3,361    

 $ 

156,989 
1,582,890  
74,326  
103,111  

*Asset Impairments and other includes a $1.9 million charge for asset impairments, of which $1.7 million is in the Lids Sports Group and $0.2 million 
is in the Johnston & Murphy Group, a $3.1 million charge for network intrusion expenses and a $0.7 million charge for other legal matters, partially 
offset by a gain of $(3.4) million on a lease termination of a Lids store.  

**Total  assets  for  the  Lids  Sports  Group,  Schuh  Group  and  Licensed  Brands  include  $200.1  million,  $96.0  million  and  $0.8  million  of  goodwill, 
respectively.  Goodwill for the Lids Sports Group includes $17.7 million of additions in Fiscal 2015 resulting from several small acquisitions and the 
Schuh  Group  goodwill  decreased  by  $8.9  million  due  to  foreign  currency  translation  adjustment.      Of  the  Company's  $305.8  million  of  long-lived 
assets, $63.9 million and $14.6 million relate to long-lived assets in the United Kingdom and Canada, respectively. 

120 

 
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Note 15 
Quarterly Financial Information (Unaudited) 

(In thousands, 

1st Quarter 

2nd Quarter 

3rd Quarter 

4th Quarter 

Fiscal Year 

except per share 
amounts) 

Net sales 

Gross margin 

Earnings from 
continuing 
operations before 
income taxes 
Earnings from 
continuing 
operations 
Net earnings 

Diluted earnings 
per common 
share: 

Continuing 
operations 

Net earnings 

2017 

2016 

2017 

2016 

 $  648,793     $  660,597    
326,333    
  329,697    

$  625,557     $  655,525    
320,091    

314,737    

2017 
$  710,822    
355,635    

2016 
$  773,898    
373,886    

2017 
$  883,169    
417,457    

2016 
$  932,214    
423,156    

2017 

2016 

$  2,868,341    $ 3,022,234  
1,417,526    1,443,466  

16,760 

(1) 

15,609 

(3) 

21,199 

(5) 

11,568 

(7) 

38,860 

(9) 

50,720 

(11) 

74,595 

(13) 

73,636 

(15) 

151,414 

151,533 

10,564 

  (2) 

10,410 

9,945 

  (4) 

9,878 

14,504 

  (6) 

14,578 

7,593 

  (8) 

7,520 

25,948 

32,855 

46,843 

44,988 

97,859 

95,381 

  (10) 

25,895 

  (12) 

32,507 

  (14) 

46,548 

  (16) 

44,664 

97,431 

94,569 

0.50 

0.42 

0.50 

0.42 

0.72 

0.72 

0.32 

0.32 

1.30 

1.30 

1.43 

1.42 

2.40 

2.39 

2.07 

2.06 

4.85 

4.15 

4.83 

4.11 

(1) 
(2) 
(3) 
(4) 
(5) 

(6) 
(7) 
(8) 
(9) 
(10) 
(11) 
(12) 
(13) 

(14) 
(15) 

(16) 

Includes a net asset impairment and other charge of $3.5 million (see Note 3).  
Includes a loss of $0.2 million, net of tax, from discontinued operations (see Note 3).               
Includes a net asset impairment and other charge of $2.6 million (see Note 3).                      
Includes a loss of $0.1 million, net of tax, from discontinued operations (see Note 3).               
Includes a net asset impairment and other credit of $(7.9) million (see Note 3) and a gain of $(2.5) million on the 
sale of Lids Team Sports (see Note 2). 
Includes a gain of $(0.1) million, net of tax, from discontinued operations (see Note 3).  
Includes a net asset impairment and other charge of $1.2 million (see Note 3). 
Includes a loss of $0.1 million, net of tax, from discontinued operations (see Note 3).    
Includes a net asset impairment and other charge of $0.6 million (see Note 3). 
Includes a loss of $0.0 million, net of tax, from discontinued operations (see Note 3). 
Includes a net asset impairment and other charge of $0.2 million (see Note 3). 
Includes a loss of $0.3 million, net of tax, from discontinued operations (see Note 3). 
Includes a net asset impairment and other charge of $3.0 million (see Note 3) and a loss of $0.1 million on the sale 
of Lids Team Sports and a gain of $(12.3) million on the sale of SureGrip Footwear (see Note 2). 
Includes a loss of $0.3 million, net of tax, from discontinued operations (see Note 3). 
Includes a net asset impairment and other charge of $3.9 million (see Note 3) and a gain of $(4.7) million on the sale 
of Lids Team Sports (see Note 2). 
Includes a loss of $0.3 million, net of tax, from discontinued operations (see Note 3). 

121 

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

None. 

ITEM 9A, CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES 

Evaluation of disclosure controls and procedures. 

We have established disclosure controls and procedures to ensure that material information relating to the Company, including 
its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to the officers who certify the Company's financial reports and to other members 
of senior management and Board of Directors. 

Based on their evaluation as of January 28, 2017, the principal executive officer and principal financial officer of the Company 
have concluded that the Company's disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the 
Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), were effective to ensure that the information required to be 
disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Exchange Act is (i) recorded, processed, summarized 
and reported, within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms, and (ii)  accumulated and communicated to the 
Company's  management,  including  the  principal  executive  and  principal  financial  officers,  or  persons  performing  similar 
functions, as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. 

Management’s annual report on internal control over financial reporting. 

Management of the Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting 
as  defined  in  Rule  13a-15(f)  under  the  Exchange Act.  The  Company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  is  a  process 
designed  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. 

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Therefore, 
even  those  systems  determined  to  be  effective  can  provide  only  reasonable  assurance  with  respect  to  financial  statement 
preparation and presentation. 

Management assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of January 28, 2017.  In 
making this assessment, management used the criteria set forth in Internal Control – Integrated Framework (2013) drafted by 
the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of  the Treadway Commission (COSO).  Based on this assessment,  management 
believes  that,  as  of  January  28,  2017,  the  Company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  was  effective  based  on  those 
criteria. 

Ernst & Young LLP, the independent registered public accounting firm who also audited the Company’s Consolidated Financial 
Statements, has issued an attestation report on the Company’s effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting which is 
included herein. 

Changes in internal control over financial reporting. 

There were no changes in the Company's internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the Company's last fiscal 
quarter that have materially affected or are reasonable likely to materially affect the Company's internal control over financial 
reporting. 

ITEM 9B, OTHER INFORMATION 

Not applicable. 

122 

 
 
 
 
PART III 

ITEM 10, DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 

Certain information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the sections entitled  “Election of Directors,” 
“Corporate Governance” and “Section 16(a) Beneficial Ownership Reporting Compliance” in the Company’s definitive proxy 
statement  for  its  annual  meeting  of  shareholders  to  be  held  June 22,  2017,  to  be  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission.  Pursuant  to  General  Instruction  G(3),  certain  information  concerning  the  executive  officers  of  the  Company 
appears under Item 4A,  “Executive Officers of the  Registrant” in this report following Item 4, "Mine Safety Disclosures" of 
Part I. 

The  Company  has  a  code  of  ethics  (the  “Code  of  Ethics”)  that  applies  to  all  of  its  directors,  officers  (including  its  chief 
executive  officer,  chief  financial  officer  and  chief  accounting  officer)  and  employees.  The  Company  has  made  the  Code  of 
Ethics available and intends to post any legally required amendments to, or waivers of, such Code of Ethics on its website at 
http://www.genesco.com. Our website address is provided as an inactive textual reference only. The information provided on 
our website is not a part of this report, and therefore is not incorporated herein by reference. 

ITEM 11, EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 

The  information  required  by  this  item  is  incorporated  herein  by  reference  to  the  sections  entitled  “Director  Compensation,” 
“Compensation Committee Report” and “Executive Compensation” in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for its annual 
meeting of shareholders to be held June 22, 2017, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

ITEM 12, SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED 
STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 

Certain  information  required  by  this  item  is  incorporated  herein  by  reference  to  the  section  entitled  “Security  Ownership  of 
Officers,  Directors  and  Principal  Shareholders”  in  the  Company’s  definitive  proxy  statement  for  its  annual  meeting  of 
shareholders to be held June 22, 2017, to be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. 

The following table provides certain information as of January 28, 2017 with respect to our equity compensation plans: 

EQUITY COMPENSATION PLAN INFORMATION* 

Plan Category 

Equity compensation plans approved by security holders 
Equity compensation plans not approved by security holders 

Total 

(a) 
Number of 
securities 
to be issued 
upon exercise of 
outstanding options, 
warrants and rights(1)   
2,523     $ 
—    
2,523     $ 

(b) 
Weighted-average 
exercise price of 
outstanding 
options, warrants 
and rights 

(c) 
Number of securities 
remaining available for 
future issuance under  equity 
compensation plans 
(excluding securities 
reflected in column (a)) (2) 

—    
—    
—    

2,556,824  
—  
2,556,824  

(1)  Restricted stock units issued to certain employees at no cost. 
(2)  Such shares may be issued as restricted shares or other forms of stock-based compensation pursuant to our stock incentive 

plans. 

* 

For additional information concerning our equity compensation plans, see the discussion in Note 1 in the Notes to 
Consolidated Financial Statements—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies–Share-Based Compensation and Note 
12 Share-Based Compensation Plans. 

123 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
ITEM 13, CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE 
The information required by this item is incorporated herein by reference to the section entitled “Election of Directors” in the 
Company’s  definitive  proxy  statement  for  its  annual  meeting  of  shareholders  to  be  held  June 22,  2017,  to  be  filed  with  the 
Securities and Exchange Commission. 

ITEM 14, PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES 
The  information  required  by  this  item  is  incorporated  herein  by  reference  to  the  section  entitled  “Audit  Matters”  in  the 
Company’s  definitive  proxy  statement  for  its  annual  meeting  of  shareholders  to  be  held  June 22,  2017,  to  be  filed  with  the 
Securities and Exchange Commission. 

124 

 
 
PART IV 

ITEM 15, EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES 

Financial Statements 

The following consolidated financial statements of Genesco Inc. and Subsidiaries are filed as part of this report under Item 8, 
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm on Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

Consolidated Balance Sheets, January 28, 2017 and January 30, 2016 

Consolidated Statements of Operations, each of the three fiscal years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015 

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, each of the three fiscal years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, each of the three fiscal years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015 

Consolidated Statements of Equity, each of the three fiscal years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015 

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

Financial Statement Schedules 

Schedule 2 — Valuation and Qualifying Accounts, each of the three fiscal years ended 2017, 2016 and 2015 

All other schedules are omitted because the required information is either not applicable or is presented in the financial 
statements or related notes. These schedules begin on page 131. 

Exhibits 

(2) 

(3) 

(4) 

a. 

b. 

c. 

d. 

a. 

b. 

a. 

Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated as of February 5, 2004, by and among Genesco Inc., 
HWC Merger Sub, Inc. and Hat World Corporation. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (2)a 
to the current report on Form 8-K filed April 9, 2004 (File No. 1-3083). 
Stock Purchase Agreement, dated December 9, 2006, by and among Hat World, Inc., Hat 
Shack, Inc. and all the shareholders of Hat Shack, Inc. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 
10.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed December 12, 2006 (File No. 1-3083). 
Sale and Purchase Agreement, dated as of June 23, 2011, by and among Genesco Inc., Schuh 
Group Limited, Genesco (UK) Limited and the persons listed on Schedule 1 thereto. (Pursuant 
to Item 601(b)(2) of Regulation S-K, the schedules and exhibits from this agreement are 
omitted, but will be provided supplementally to the Commission upon request.) Incorporated 
by reference to Exhibit 2.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed June 28, 2011 (File No. 1-
3083). 
£25 million Loan Note Instrument of Genesco (UK) Limited dated June 23, 2011. 
Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 2.2 to the current report on Form 8-K filed June 28, 2011 
(File No. 1-3083). 
Amended and Restated Bylaws of Genesco Inc. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to 
the current report on Form 8-K filed November 12, 2015 (File No. 1-3083). 
Restated Charter of Genesco Inc., as amended. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 1 to the 
Genesco Inc. Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A filed with the SEC on May 1, 2003 (File 
No.1-3083). 
Form of Certificate for the Common Stock. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3 to the 
Genesco Inc. Registration Statement on Form 8-A/A filed with the SEC on May 1, 2003 (File 
No.1-3083). 

125 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(10) 

a. 

b. 

c. 

d. 

e. 

f. 

g. 

h. 

i. 

j. 

k. 

l. 

m. 

n. 

o. 

p. 

q. 

First Amendment to Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of December 4, 
2015, by and among Genesco Inc., certain subsidiaries of the Genesco Inc. party thereto, as 
Other Domestic Borrowers, GCO Canada Inc., Genesco (UK) Limited, the lenders party 
thereto and Bank of America, N.A., as Agent.  Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the 
current report on Form 8-K filed December 7, 2015 (File No. 1-3083). 
Amendment and Restatement Agreement dated November 1, 2013 between Schuh Group 
Limited as Parent and others as Borrowers and Guarantors, Lloyds Bank PLC as Arranger, 
Agent and Security Trustee. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10) b. to the Company's 
Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 2014 (File No. 1-3083). 

Form of Split-Dollar Insurance Agreement with Executive Officers. Incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit (10)a to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 
February 1, 1997 (File No.1-3083). 

Genesco Inc. 2005 Equity Incentive Plan Amended and Restated as of October 24, 2007. 
Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)d to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
the fiscal year ended February 2, 2008 (File No.1-3083). 

Genesco Inc. Second Amended and Restated 2009 Equity Incentive Plan. Incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the Company’s current report on Form 8-K, filed June 28, 2016 
(File No. 1-3083) 
Amended and Restated EVA Incentive Compensation Plan. Incorporated by reference to 
Exhibit (10)a to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended May 3, 
2014 (File No. 1-3083). 
Form of Incentive Stock Option Agreement. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)c to the 
Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 29, 2005 (File 
No.1-3083). 
Form of Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)d 
to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 29, 2005 
(File No.1-3083). 
Form of Restricted Share Award Agreement for Executive Officers. Incorporated by reference 
to Exhibit (10)e to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended 
October 29, 2005 (File No.1-3083). 
Form of Restricted Share Award Agreement for Officers and Employees. Incorporated by 
reference to Exhibit (10)f to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter 
ended October 29, 2005 (File No.1-3083). 
Form of Restricted Share Award Agreement. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)a to the 
Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended August 1, 2009 (File No. 1-
3083). 

Form of Indemnification Agreement For Directors. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)m 
to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 31, 1993 
(File No.1-3083). 

Form of Non-Executive Director Indemnification Agreement. Incorporated by reference to 
Exhibit (10.1) to the current report on Form 8-K filed November 3, 2008 (File No. 1-3083). 
Form of Officer Indemnification Agreement. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10.2) to the 
Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended November 1, 2008 (File 
No.1-3083). 
Form of Employment Protection Agreement between the Company and certain executive 
officers dated as of February 26, 1997. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)p to the 
Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 1, 1997 (File 
No.1-3083). 

First Amendment to Form of Employment Protection Agreement. Incorporated by reference to 
Exhibit (10)s to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 
January 30, 2010 (File No.1-3083). 
Transition Agreement dated as of February 23, 2016 between the Company and Kenneth 
Kocher.  Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)q to the Company's Annual Report on Form 
10-K for the fiscal year ended January 30, 2016 (File No. 1-3083). 

126 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
r. 

s. 

t. 

u. 

v. 

Trademark License Agreement, dated August 9, 2000, between Levi Strauss & Co. and 
Genesco Inc. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10.1) to the Company’s Quarterly Report 
on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 30, 2004 (File No.1-3083).* 
Amendment No. 1 (Renewal) to Trademark License Agreement, dated October 18, 2004, 
between Levi Strauss & Co. and Genesco Inc. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10.2) to 
the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 30, 2004 (File 
No.1-3083).* 

Amendment No. 2 (Renewal) to Trademark License Agreement, dated November 1, 2006, 
between Levi Strauss & Co. and Genesco. Inc. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10.1) to 
the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended October 28, 2006 (File 
No.1-3083).* 
Amendment No. 4 (Renewal) to Trademark License Agreement, dated May 15, 2009, between 
Levi Strauss & Co. and Genesco Inc. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)b to the 
Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended August 1, 2009 (File No.1-
3083).* 
Amendment No. 5 (Renewal) to Trademark License Agreement, dated July 23, 2012, between 
Levi Strauss & Co. and Genesco Inc. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10.1) to the 
Company’s Current Report on Form 8-K filed July 25, 2012 (File No. 1-3083).* 

w.  Genesco Inc. Deferred Income Plan dated as of July 1, 2000. Incorporated by reference to 

Exhibit (10)p to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended 
January 29, 2005. Amended and Restated Deferred Income Plan dated August 22, 2007. 
Incorporated by reference to Exhibit (10)r to the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for 
the fiscal year ended February 2, 2008 (File No.1-3083). 
The Schuh Group Limited 2015 Management Bonus Scheme. Incorporated by reference to 
Exhibit (10)a to the Company’s Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended July 30, 
2011 (File No.1-3083). 

Basic Form of Exchange Agreement (Restricted Stock). Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 
10.1 to the current report on Form 8-K filed April 29, 2009 (File No. 1-3083). 
Basic Form of Exchange Agreement (Unrestricted Stock). Incorporated by reference to 
Exhibit 10.2 to the current report on Form 8-K filed April 29, 2009 (File No. 1-3083). 

x. 

y. 

z. 

aa.  Form of Conversion Agreement. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the current 

report on Form 8-K filed November 2, 2009 (File No. 1-3083). 

bb.  Form of Conversion Agreement. Incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 to the current 

report on Form 8-K filed November 6, 2009 (File No. 1-3083). 
Subsidiaries of the Company 
Consent of Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm included on 
page 129. 
Power of Attorney 

Certification of the Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley 
Act of 2002. 
Certification of the Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 
of 2002. 
Certification of the Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted 
Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 

Certification of the Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as Adopted 
Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. 

(21) 
(23) 

(24) 

(31.1) 

(31.2) 

(32.1) 

(32.2) 

101.INS 

101.SCH 

101.CAL   

101.DEF 

101.LAB   

101.PRE 

XBRL Instance Document 

XBRL Schema Document 

XBRL Calculation Linkbase Document 

XBRL Definition Linkbase Document 

XBRL Label Linkbase Document 

XBRL Presentation Linkbase Document 

Exhibits (10)c through (10)k, (10)o through (10)q and (10)w through (10)x are Management Contracts or Compensatory Plans 
or Arrangements required to be filed as Exhibits to this Form 10-K. 

127 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
*  Certain information has been omitted and filed separately with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Confidential 

treatment has been granted with respect to the omitted portion. 

A copy of any of the above described exhibits will be furnished to the shareholders upon written request, addressed to Director, 
Corporate Relations, Genesco Inc., Genesco Park, Room 498, P.O. Box 731, Nashville, Tennessee 37202-0731, accompanied 
by a check in the amount of $15.00 payable to Genesco Inc. 

ITEM 16, FORM 10-K SUMMARY 

None. 

128 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the following Registration Statements: 

(1) Registration statement (Form S-8 No. 333-08463) of Genesco Inc., 

(2) Registration statement (Form S-8 No. 333-104908) of Genesco Inc., 

(3) Registration statement (Form S-8 No. 333-40249) of Genesco Inc., 

(4) Registration statement (Form S-8 No. 333-128201) of Genesco Inc., 

(5) Registration statement (Form S-8 No. 333-160339) of Genesco Inc., and 

(6) Registration statement (Form S-8 No. 333-180463) of Genesco Inc. 

of our reports dated March 29, 2017, with respect to the consolidated financial statements and schedule of Genesco Inc. and 
Subsidiaries and the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of Genesco Inc. and Subsidiaries included in  this 
Annual Report (Form 10-K) of Genesco Inc. for the year ended January 28, 2017. 

Nashville, Tennessee 

March 29, 2017 

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP 

129 

 
 
 
 
 
 
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 

GENESCO INC. 

By: 

  /s/Mimi Eckel Vaughn 

  Mimi Eckel Vaughn 
  Senior Vice President – Finance and 
  Chief Financial Officer 

Date: March 29, 2017 

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 indicated on the 29th day of March, 2017. 

/s/Robert J. Dennis 

Robert J. Dennis 

/s/Mimi Eckel Vaughn 

Mimi Eckel Vaughn 

/s/Paul D. Williams 

Paul D. Williams 

Directors: 

Joanna Barsh* 

Leonard L. Berry * 

James W. Bradford* 

Matthew C. Diamond * 

Marty G. Dickens * 

*By 

/s/Roger G. Sisson 

Roger G. Sisson 
Attorney-In-Fact 

Chairman, President, Chief Executive Officer 

and a Director 
(Principal Executive Officer) 
Senior Vice President – Finance and 

Chief Financial Officer 
(Principal Financial Officer) 

Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer 

(Principal Accounting Officer) 

Thurgood Marshall, Jr. * 

Kathleen Mason * 

Kevin P. McDermott* 

David M. Tehle* 

130 

 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Genesco Inc. 
and Subsidiaries 
Valuation and Qualifying Accounts 

Schedule 2 

Year Ended January 28, 2017 

In Thousands 

Reserves deducted from assets in the balance sheet: 
Accounts Receivable Allowances 

Markdown Reserves (1) 

Year Ended January 30, 2016 

In Thousands 

Reserves deducted from assets in the balance sheet: 
Accounts Receivable Allowances 

Markdown Reserves (1) 

Year Ended January 31, 2015 

Beginning 
Balance 

Charged 
to Profit 
and Loss 

  Reductions 

Ending 
Balance 

$ 

$ 

2,960     $ 
11,632     $ 

442     $ 
3,322     $ 

(329 )   $ 

(2,088 )   $ 

3,073  
12,866  

Beginning 
Balance 

Charged 
to Profit 
and Loss 

  Reductions 

Ending 
Balance 

$ 

$ 

4,191     $ 
10,246     $ 

637     $ 
6,560     $ 

(1,868 )   $ 

(5,174 )   $ 

2,960  
11,632  

In Thousands 

Reserves deducted from assets in the balance sheet: 
Accounts Receivable Allowances 

Markdown Reserves (1) 

Beginning 
Balance 

Charged 
to Profit 
and Loss 

  Reductions 

Ending 
Balance 

$ 

$ 

4,420     $ 
5,369     $ 

390     $ 
6,000     $ 

(619 )   $ 

(1,123 )   $ 

4,191  
10,246  

(1) Reflects adjustment of merchandise inventories to realizable value.  Charged to Profit and Loss column represents increases 
to  the  reserve  and  the  Reductions  column  represents  decreases  to  the  reserve  based  on  quarterly  assessments  of  the  reserve, 
except  for  Fiscal  2016,  which  also  reflects  $4.7  million  write-off  of  Lids  Team  Sports  markdown  reserve  due  to  its  sale  in 
January 2016. 

131 

 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
BOARD OF DIRECTORS  

Joanna Barsh  
Director Emeritus; Independent Consultant  
McKinsey & Company  
New York, New York  
Member of the compensation and nominating and governance committees 

Leonard L. Berry  
University Distinguished Professor of Marketing, Presidential Professor for Teaching Excellence, Regents Professor  
Texas A&M University  
College Station, Texas  
Member of the compensation and nominating and governance committees  

James W. Bradford  
Retired Dean, Owen Graduate School of Management  
Vanderbilt University  
Nashville, Tennessee  
Chairman of the nominating and governance committee, member of the compensation committee  

Robert J. Dennis  
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer  
Genesco Inc.  
Nashville, Tennessee  

Matthew C. Diamond  
Chief Executive Officer  
Defy Media, LLC  
New York, New York  
Chairman of the compensation committee 

Marty G. Dickens  
Retired President  
AT&T -Tennessee  
Nashville, Tennessee  
Member of the audit and the nominating and governance committees  

Thurgood Marshall, Jr.  
Partner  
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP 
Washington, D.C.  

Kathleen Mason  
Former President and Chief Executive Officer  
Tuesday Morning Corporation  
Dallas, Texas  
Member of the audit and compensation committees 

Kevin P. McDermott 
Former Partner, KPMG LLP 
Nashville, Tennessee 
Chairman of the audit committee 

David M. Tehle 
Retired Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 
Dollar General Corporation 
Nashville, Tennessee 
Member of the audit committee 

132 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
CORPORATE OFFICERS  

Robert J. Dennis  
Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer  
13 years with Genesco  

Mimi E. Vaughn  
Senior Vice President – Chief Financial Officer  
13 years with Genesco  

James C. Estepa  
Senior Vice President - The Journeys Group  
32 years with Genesco  

Jonathan D. Caplan  
Senior Vice President - Genesco Branded Group 
24 years with Genesco  

David E. Baxter 
Senior Vice President – The Lids Sports Group 
1 year with Genesco 

Parag Desai 
Senior Vice President – Strategy and Shared Services 
3 years with Genesco  

Roger G. Sisson  
Senior Vice President - Corporate Secretary and General Counsel  
23 years with Genesco  

Matthew N. Johnson  
Vice President and Treasurer  
24 years with Genesco  

Paul D. Williams  
Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer  
40 years with Genesco  

Photo credits:  All rights reserved. Permission is required for any other reproduction or distribution. Schuh storefront, lifestyle 
and product shots provided by Genesco operating divisions. 

133 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
GE NE SCO  I NC.  |  G ENE S CO PA R K |  P.O.  B OX  731  |  N AS HV ILLE,  T N  37202 -073 1