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Indigo Books & Music
Annual Report 2013

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FY2013 Annual Report · Indigo Books & Music
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A N N UA L   R E P O RT

F O R  T H E   5 2 -W E E K   P E R I O D   E N D E D   M A RC H   3 0,  2 013

“You can’t“
use up creativity. 
The more 
you use, the more 
“you have.” 

– Maya Angelou 

 
 
The Indigo Mission

To provide our customers with the most inspiring 

retail and digital environments in the world for books 

and life-enriching products and experiences.

Indigo operates under the following banners: 
Indigo Books & Music, Chapters, the World’s Biggest Bookstore, Coles, SmithBooks, 
Indigospirit, The Book Company, and indigo.ca.
The Company employs approximately 6,500 people across the country.

!ndigo Enrich Your Life, Chapters, !ndigo, Coles and indigo.ca are trade marks of Indigo Books & Music Inc.

 
 
Table of Contents

2. Report of the CEO

3. Management’s Responsibility for Financial Reporting

4. Management’s Discussion and Analysis

24. Independent Auditors’ Report

25. Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes

58. Corporate Governance Policies

59. Executive Management and Board of Directors

60. Five Year Summary of Financial Information

61. Investor Information

62. Transforming Lives One Book at a Time

Report of the CEO

Dear Shareholder,
2012/13 was a challenging but meaningful year for our Company as we continue our journey to transform Indigo. 

We are in the early stages of a journey which will take us from our position as Canada’s leading bookseller to
our vision of being the world’s first CREATIVES department store – an omni-channel, multi-category retailer
with books, writers, artists, and designers at the heart of our enterprise. Our new experience will include a  series
of shops where our customers will find, in addition to books, wonderfully affordable products for home, for his
and her gifting, and for kids, much of which is being designed in our own studio and therefore unique to us.

In moving toward this new vision, literally every aspect of our business is undergoing change.

This past year we focused intensely on advancing our design and merchant capabilities, our digital capability, as
well as our supply chain. Still to come – major redesign in our stores – and continual change and advances in all
our digital formats.

It is satisfying to know that we did see some early gains in margin expansion and in the growth of our lifestyle
categories. More important, as I write this note, we are seeing these early advances begin to gain real traction
in terms of top line growth and continued margin advances.

But, to paraphrase the wonderful poet Robert Frost – we have miles to go before we sleep. With our core book
business under pressure, it will take us at least two more years to achieve the levels of growth necessary in our
new business to make up and then surpass the decline in books. We are energized and firmly committed to  taking
our brand – so valued by Canadians – and reinventing it for the 21st century.

It is worth noting that while meeting the demands of this transformation, Indigo was named as the top Canadian
retail employer brand by Randstad Canada and continued to rank very highly on rankings of top brands in Canada. 

We also continued our commitment to childhood literacy through our Indigo Love of Reading Foundation.
Once again the Foundation committed another $1.5 million to high need schools across the country. Together, the
Foundation and the Adopt a School program have put $13.5 million into more than 1,300 elementary schools
across Canada. The response from our principals, our teachers and our students is truly inspiring with literacy
rates growing in leaps and bounds in schools where reading levels have historically been problematic.

I want to take this opportunity to thank all our employees for their on-going and passionate dedication to our
customers and to each other. I also want to thank our shareholders who are with us as we embrace the future.

2

Report  of  the  CEO

Heather Reisman
Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Management’s Responsibility for
Financial Reporting

Management of Indigo Books & Music Inc. (“Indigo”) is responsible for the preparation and integrity of the consolidated  fin an  cial
statements as well as the information contained in this report. The following consolidated financial statements of Indigo have been
prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards, which involve management’s best judgments and
estimates based on available information.

Indigo’s accounting procedures and related systems of internal control are designed to provide reasonable assurance that its
assets are safeguarded and its financial records are reliable. In recognizing that the Company is responsible for both the integrity
and objectivity of the consolidated financial statements, management is satisfied that the consolidated financial statements
have been prepared according to and within reasonable limits of materiality and that the financial information throughout this
report is consistent with these consolidated financial statements.

Ernst & Young LLP, Chartered Accountants, Licensed Public Accountants, serve as Indigo’s auditors. Ernst & Young’s report
on the accompanying consolidated financial statements follows. Their report outlines the extent of their examination as well
as an opinion on the consolidated financial statements. The Board of Directors of Indigo, along with the management team,
have reviewed and approved the consolidated financial statements and information contained within this report.

Heather Reisman
Chair and Chief Executive Officer

Kay Brekken
Chief Financial Officer

Annual  Report  2013        3

Management’s Discussion and Analysis

The following Management’s Discussion and Analysis (“MD&A”) is prepared as at May 28, 2013 and is based primarily on the
consolidated financial statements of Indigo Books & Music Inc. (the “Company” or “Indigo”) for the 52-week periods ended
March 30, 2013 and March 31, 2012. The Company’s consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes are reported
in Canadian dollars and have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”) as issued
by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) using the accounting policies described therein.

This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes contained
in  the  attached Annual  Report. The Annual  Report  and  additional  information  about  the  Company,  including  the Annual
Information Form, can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Overview
Indigo is Canada’s largest book, gift and specialty toy retailer, operating stores in all 10 provinces and one territory in Canada
and offering online sales through its indigo.ca website. As at March 30, 2013, the Company operated 97 superstores under the
banners Chapters, Indigo and theWorld’s Biggest Bookstore and 134 small format stores, under the banners Coles, Indigo, Indigospirit,
SmithBooks, and The Book Company. During fiscal 2013, the Company did not open any stores and closed nine small format stores.
The Company also has a 50% interest in Calendar Club of Canada Limited Partnership (“Calendar Club”), which operates
seasonal kiosks and year-round stores in shopping malls across Canada.

On November 8, 2011, Indigo entered into an agreement with Rakuten, Inc. (“Rakuten”) for Rakuten to acquire all the
outstanding shares of the Company’s subsidiary Kobo Inc. (“Kobo”) on a fully diluted basis for an aggregate purchase price of
US$315.0 million. The Company continued  to  eliminate  all intercompany transactions until the sale was closed. The sale
transaction was unanimously approved by the Board of Directors on November 8, 2011 and closed on January 11, 2012.
Indigo received net cash proceeds of US$146.1 million from the Kobo sale and recorded a pre-tax accounting gain of $164.5
million as part of discontinued operations.

Indigo operates a separate registered charity under the name Indigo Love of Reading Foundation (the “Foundation”). The
Foundation provides new books and learning material to high-needs elementary schools across the country through donations
from Indigo, its customers, suppliers, and employees.

The weighted average number of common shares outstanding for fiscal 2013 was 25,270,087 as compared to 25,201,127
last year. As at May 28, 2013, the number of outstanding common shares was 25,297,389 with a book value of $203.8 million.
The number of common shares reserved for issuance under the employee stock option plan is 2,179,739 as at May 28, 2013.
As at March 30, 2013, there were 1,627,000 stock options outstanding of which 722,500 were exercisable.

General Development of the Business
It has been 16 years since Indigo launched its first superstore with a commitment to enriching Canadians’ lives through books
and complementary products. Much has changed since then in both the book industry and the larger retail landscape that
serves our customers. The online channel has expanded dramatically, offering consumers an increased number of titles at a
lower cost than a traditional physical bookstore along with a broad range of general merchandise. In addition, the digital and
mobile channels have provided consumers with a completely new reading platform with instant accessibility, huge selection,
and lower costs.

Indigo continues to be proactive in an industry that is undergoing dramatic change and is well underway to establishing
itself as the world’s first CREATIVES department store, a digital and physical place inspired by and filled with books, ideas,
beautifully designed products, and the creative people who make it all happen. As such, we remain committed to our

4

Management ’s  Discussion  and  Analysis

 transformational  agenda  and  continue  to  invest  in  our  brand  and  the  customer  experience  which  will  position  Indigo  for
 sustained growth. More specifically, our priorities remain focused on advancing the core retail business through adapting our
physical stores, improving productivity, driving employee engagement, and expanding our online and digital presence.

The key strategies over the last three years and going forward are outlined below.

Adapting Our Physical Stores
To ensure that the offerings in our physical stores are rich and compelling, the Company continues to adjust and expand its
product  mix,  underlining  Indigo’s  commitment  to  becoming  the  premier  year-round  gifting  destination  in  Canada. The
Company’s main growth categories are paper, toys, and gift products such as home and fashion accessories. This has been
achieved through a reduction in the floor space allotted to books, given the erosion of physical book sales, as well as our  ability
to carry fewer on-hand quantities of books as a result of a more timely and efficient replenishment process.

Indigo continues to adapt and improve its physical stores to support these growth categories. The Company continues to
expand its assortment of toys and games and now has dedicated toy sections within 95 of its superstores, with the remaining
superstores showcasing expanded toy offerings. Additionally, during fiscal 2013, Indigo transformed 25 of its superstores with
new fixtures and increased square footage to showcase its home and fashion accessory categories.

The Company also remains committed to expanding its proprietary product development capability, which primarily
includes  home,  paper  merchandise,  and  fashion  accessories. This  initiative  is  part  of  the  Company’s  focus  on  providing
 customers with increasingly meaningful and life-enriching merchandise while improving operating margins. To support this
initiative, Indigo opened a new design office in New York in fiscal 2011 and a full line of proprietary merchandise developed
by this team began appearing in stores in fiscal 2012.

Lastly, in fiscal 2012, the Company made changes to the irewards program, its fee-based loyalty program, and launched
the plum rewards program, a free points-based loyalty program. Previously, discounts were only offered on books; however,
with the program changes, discounts and points are now offered on virtually all products in the stores. The plum rewards
 program has grown to 5.8 million members since its launch. The success of these programs creates a rich understanding of
our customers as well as direct marketing and communication opportunities with our best customers.

Driving Productivity Improvement
While a key focus of the Company’s business is to evolve to meet the emerging needs of customers, the Company is also
focused on driving productivity improvements. The challenge for the Company is to continually look for innovative ways to
drive costs down while improving what we deliver to customers. In particular, over the last three years the Company has
focused  on  two  major  supply  chain  productivity  initiatives  designed  to  further  reduce  costs,  deliver  improved  operating
 margins, and improve service to customers.

In fiscal 2010, the first phase of a project was approved to open a new distribution facility to serve as the fulfillment centre
for the Company’s online business and to deploy a new warehouse management system. The facility opened in September 2010
and currently supports an increased assortment of books and general merchandise products for online  customers.

In April 2012, the Company completed the second phase of the project, to upgrade the existing retail distribution facility
to more efficiently support the retail stores. The project scope included replacing the warehouse management system and
upgrading  the  material  handling  equipment. The  completion  of  this  project  allows  the  Company  to  handle  the  increased
demands of the new growth categories while also sending more overall product through its distribution centres, thus improving
overall margins.

In fiscal 2013, the Company kicked off an initiative to implement an integrated planning system to improve the mer-
chandise and financial planning for all its categories which will simplify and eliminate manual work associated with managing
all growth categories. This initiative is scheduled to be completed in fiscal 2014.

Annual  Report  2013        5

Going forward, the Company continues to target processes for re-engineering, cost rationalization, and improving customer
value. During the latter half of fiscal 2012, the Company launched the Galileo project to identify productivity opportunities
and  initiatives. To  date,  under  the  umbrella  of  Galileo,  the  Company  has  implemented  over  150  initiatives  that  improved
profit ability while also enhancing employee and customer engagement. These initiatives support the continued investments
in the transformation of the overall business.

Employee Engagement
Indigo’s strategic efforts continue to focus on employee engagement. Employees participate in regular employee engagement
surveys  to  track  the  Company’s  progress  in  this  area,  and  the  fiscal  2013  survey  showed  an  overall  increase  in  employee
engagement.

The Company realizes that sustaining high levels of employee engagement is an ongoing responsibility and, accordingly,
expects to continue to commit resources to specific initiatives designed to make Indigo one of the best places to work. Efforts
to  boost  employee  satisfaction  include  the  improvement  of  core  work  process  design  and  the  implementation  of  systems
upgrades. Improvements to communication, training and development, and performance management are also ongoing.

The Galileo productivity initiative discussed above also drives employee engagement. As part of the Galileo initiative, the
Company launched an internal social media platform to capture employee innovation by providing employees with the oppor-
tunity to submit ideas about how to improve the employee and customer experience. Employees have the ability to view, vote,
and comment on ideas submitted by other employees. Galileo and the social media platform have been embraced by employ-
ees, and all Galileo successes are recognized and celebrated internally.

In May 2013, the Company’s employee engagement focus was recognized outside of the Company with Indigo being
named the top Canadian retail employer brand by Randstad Canada. The award is based on the polling of job seekers in search
of employment opportunities in Canada’s leading organizations.

Looking forward, our efforts to build and maintain high levels of employee engagement will continue to be a top priority.

Online Development and Redesign
Reshaping Indigo’s physical store offerings means the online store must also continue to adapt and change. As such, the redesign
of the website included a focus on the new growth categories of paper, toys, and gift products such as home and fashion acces-
sories. The latest redesign, completed at the end of fiscal 2013, includes much richer visual presentations of these new cate-
gories, a simplified checkout experience, a much enhanced mobile experience, a comprehensive gift finder, and an innovative
drag  and  drop  capability  to  ease  online  shopping.  Social  media  integration  including  Facebook,  Pinterest,  and Twitter  all
remain a priority as well.

To further improve the online customer experience, Indigo launched “buy online, ship to store” in fiscal 2013, an initiative
that allows customers to buy products online and have the items shipped to one of our stores for free. This provides customers
with additional flexibility to decide where and when purchases are picked up and reduces Indigo’s shipping costs.  

Results of Operations
The following three tables summarize selected financial and operational information for the Company for the periods indicated.
The classification of financial information presented below is specific to Indigo and may not be comparable to that of other
retailers. The selected financial information is derived from the audited consolidated financial statements for the 52-week
periods ended March 30, 2013, March 31, 2012, and April 2, 2011.

Results from continuing operations exclude Kobo results, which are reported separately as discontinued operations.

6

Management ’s  Discussion  and  Analysis

Key elements of the consolidated statements of earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss) for the periods indi-

cated are shown in the following table:

(millions of Canadian dollars)

Revenues
Cost of sales
Cost of operations
Selling, administrative and other expenses
EBITDA1

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

892.5
(500.7)
(282.1)
(79.7)
30.0

%
Revenues

100.0
56.1
31.6
8.9
3.4

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

934.0
(544.9)
(284.1)
(78.6)
26.4

%
Revenues

100.0
58.3
30.4
8.4
2.8

1  Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and impairment. Also see “Non-IFRS Financial Measures”.

Selected financial information of the Company for the last three fiscal years is shown in the following table:

(thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share data)

Revenues

Superstores
Small format stores
Online (including store kiosks)
Other

Earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss) 

for the period from continuing operations

Net earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss) 

for the period

Total assets 
Long-term debt (including current portion) 
Working capital 

Basic earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations
Basic earnings (loss) per share
Diluted earnings (loss) per share

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

625,428
137,242
91,907
37,881
892,458

52-week
period ended

March 31, 

2012

52-week

period ended  
April 2, 
2011

656,530
145,247
91,279
40,934
933,990

667,582
149,418
90,617
48,832
956,449

4,288

(27,827)

14,392

4,288
570,246
1,478
224,895

$0.17
$0.17
$0.17

66,189
592,536
2,201
224,126

$(1.10)
$3.68
$3.64

(19,384)
511,007
3,285
101,615

$0.58
$(0.23)
$(0.23)

Annual  Report  2013        7

Selected operating information of the Company for the last three fiscal years is shown in the following table:

Comparable Store Sales 1

Superstores
Small format stores

Stores Opened
Superstores
Small format stores

Stores Closed

Superstores
Small format stores

Number of Stores Open at Year-End

Superstores
Small format stores

Selling Square Footage at Year-End (in thousands)

Superstores
Small format stores

1  See “Non-IFRS Financial Measures”.

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

52-week
period ended

March 31, 

2012

52-week

period ended  
April 2, 
2011

(4.6%)
(2.4%)

(1.9%)
(0.8%)

(0.3%)
(3.2%)

–
–
–

–
9
9

97
134
231

2,235
379
2,614

–
–
–

–
7
7

97
143
240

2,235
400
2,635

1
–
1

–
1
1

97
150
247

2,235
413
2,648

Revenue from Continuing Operations Decreased
Total consolidated revenues for the 52-week period ended March 30, 2013 decreased $41.5 million or 4.4% to $892.5 mil-
lion from $934.0 million for the 52-week period ended March 31, 2012. The decrease was driven by declining book and
eReader sales, reduced loyalty card sales, and the Company operating nine fewer stores than last year. The decrease was par-
tially offset by double-digit growth in gift, paper, and toy sales, lower sales discounts, and an increase in revenue from the
Kobo revenue-sharing agreement.

Comparable store sales for the fiscal year decreased 4.6% in superstores and 2.4% in small format stores. The decrease
was mainly driven by the reasons mentioned above. Comparable store sales are defined as sales generated by stores that have
been open for more than 12 months on a 52-week basis. It is a key performance indicator for the Company as this measure
excludes  sales  fluctuations  due  to  store  closings,  permanent  relocation,  and  chain  expansion. As  at  March  30,  2013,  the
Company operated nine fewer small format stores compared to March 31, 2012.

Online sales increased by $0.6 million or 0.7% to $91.9 million for the 52-week period ended March 30, 2013 com-
pared to $91.3 million last year. Although in-store physical book sales have declined, online book sales have seen less erosion
as more customers move to purchase books online instead of in-store. Additionally, sales of gift, paper, and toy products con-
tinue to grow. During fiscal 2013, the Company also redesigned and relaunched its website to drive higher sales.

Revenues from other sources include revenues generated through irewards card sales, gift card breakage, plum points
revenue, Calendar Club, and revenue-sharing with Kobo. Revenues from other sources decreased $3.0 million or 7.3% to
$38.0 million for the 52-week period ended March 30, 2013 compared to $41.0 million last year primarily as a result of
lower irewards membership income. irewards card sales have decreased as expected, as members moved to the free plum

8

Management ’s  Discussion  and  Analysis

rewards program. This decrease has been partially offset by higher revenues earned from the Kobo revenue-sharing agreement
as more people choose to read digitally.

Revenues by channel are highlighted below:

(millions of Canadian dollars)

Superstores
Small format stores
Online (including store kiosks)
Other

52-week 
period ended
March 30,
2013

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

625.4
137.2
91.9
38.0
892.5

656.5
145.2
91.3
41.0
934.0

% increase
(decrease)

(4.7)
(5.5)
0.7
(7.3)
(4.4)

A reconciliation between total revenues and comparable store sales is provided below:

(millions of Canadian dollars)

Total revenues
Adjustments for stores not in 

both fiscal periods
Comparable store sales

Superstores

Small format stores

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

625.4

(9.1)
616.3

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

656.5

(10.2)
646.3

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

137.2

(3.4)
133.8

Comparable
store sales
% increase
(decrease)

(4.6)
(2.4)
N/A
N/A
(4.3)

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

145.2

(8.1)
137.1

Cost of Sales (as a Percent of Revenues) from Continuing Operations Improved Significantly 
Compared to Last Year
Cost of sales includes the landed cost of goods sold, online shipping costs, inventory shrink and damage reserve, less all vendor
support programs. For the 52-week period ending March 30, 2013, cost of sales as a percent of total revenues decreased by
2.2% to 56.1%, compared to 58.3% last year. The improvement as a percent of revenues was driven by three main factors:
(i) a shift in sales mix from low margin eReaders to higher margin gift products; (ii) lower sales discounts and fewer mark-
downs as the result of better than expected summer and winter clearance product sales; and (iii) shipping more products
through the Company’s distribution centres as the Company received better margin from vendors for products that were
shipped through its distribution centres. The improvement was partially offset by lower vendor support due to lower book sales.
In dollar terms, cost of sales decreased $44.2 million to $500.7 million, compared to $544.9 million last year. The decrease
was primarily due to lower sales volumes and the improvement in cost of sales as a percent of revenue.

Cost of Operations from Continuing Operations Decreased
Cost of operations includes all store, online, distribution centre and Calendar Club costs. Cost of operations decreased $2.0 mil-
lion  to  $282.1  million  this  year,  compared  to  $284.1  million  last  year. As  a  percent  of  total  revenues,  cost  of  operations
increased by 1.2% to 31.6% this year, compared to 30.4% last year. The percentage increase was primarily due to higher
 distribution centre and online costs. The Company reconfigured its retail distribution centre and implemented a new warehouse
management software application earlier this year, which resulted in one-time period costs. The reconfiguration allowed the
retail distribution centre to handle higher volumes; increased volumes resulted in higher freight and labour costs. The increase
in online costs was due to higher volumes, along with labour and supplies related to the free gift wrapping service offered to
online customers, and increased marketing spend to drive sales. These increases were partially offset by lower costs at stores
due to the benefits realized under the Company’s Galileo productivity initiative.

Annual  Report  2013        9

Selling, Administrative and Other Expenses from Continuing Operations Increased Compared to Last Year
Selling, administrative and other expenses include all marketing and head office costs. These expenses increased $1.1 million
to  $79.7  million,  compared  to  $78.6  million  last  year. The  increase  was  primarily  driven  by  higher  marketing  costs. The
Company made a strategic decision to drive customer recognition of Indigo as Canada’s preferred destination for gift giving
through a significant investment in marketing initiatives. The increase was partially offset by lower head office costs as the
result of benefits realized under the Company’s Galileo productivity initiative and because there were no Kobo-related com-
pensation expenses paid in the current year. Last year, compensation was paid to one Kobo Director, one Indigo Director
(who also served on Kobo’s board) and employees as a result of the sale of Kobo. As a percent of total revenues, selling, admin-
istrative and other expenses increased by 0.5% to 8.9%, compared to 8.4% last year.

EBITDA from Continuing Operations Increased Versus Last Year
EBITDA, defined as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, and impairment increased $3.6 million to
$30.0 million for the 52-week period ended March 30, 2013, compared to $26.4 million for the 52-week period ended
March 31, 2012. EBITDA as a percent of revenues increased 0.6% to 3.4% this year from 2.8% last year. The increase was
driven by the reduction of expenses related to cost of sales, as discussed above. Improvements in the Company’s cost of sales
resulted in higher margin and EBITDA.

Depreciation and Amortization from Continuing Operations Increased Compared to Last Year
Depreciation and amortization for the 52-week period ended March 30, 2013 increased by $1.4 million to $28.1 million
compared to $26.7 million last year. Capital expenditures in fiscal 2013 totalled $19.6 million and included $7.1 million for
store construction, renovations and equipment, $9.6 million for intangible assets (primarily application software and internal
development costs), and $2.9 million for technology equipment. Of the $2.9 million expenditure in technology equipment,
$0.5 million was financed through finance leases.

Impairment of Capital Assets
The Company assesses at each reporting date whether there is any indication that capital assets may be impaired. During 
fiscal 2013, the Company identified impairment and reversal indicators for certain cash-generating units (“CGUs”) and groups
of CGUs. For capital assets which can be reasonably and consistently allocated to individual stores, the store level is used as the
CGU. As a result of identifying impairment and reversal indicators, the Company performed testing which resulted in the recog-
nition and reversal of impairment losses. Recoverable amounts for CGUs being tested are based on value in use, which is calcu-
lated from discounted cash flow projections over the remaining lease terms, plus any renewal options where renewal is likely.
During fiscal 2013, the Company recognized $1.3 million in capital asset impairments and $1.0 million in impairment
reversals. All of the impairment losses and reversals relate to Indigo’s continuing operations and are spread across a number
of CGUs at the store level. Impairment losses arose due to stores performing at lower-than-expected profitability and impair-
ment reversals arose due to improved store performance and the likelihood of lease term renewals. Last year, the Company
recognized $4.8 million in capital asset impairments and $0.8 million in impairment reversals for the same reasons; there
were no impairment losses or reversals related to Kobo.

Impairment of Goodwill
The Company has no remaining goodwill balance in fiscal 2013.

Last year, the Company had two operating segments: Indigo and Kobo. As a result of identifying impairment indicators, the
Company performed a goodwill impairment test which resulted in a $25.4 million impairment charge for the Indigo segment.
Unlike other asset impairments, goodwill impairment charges cannot be reversed once they are recorded.

10

Management ’s  Discussion  and  Analysis

The goodwill impairment test consisted of comparing the carrying value of assets within each CGU or group of CGUs
to the recoverable amount of the CGU or group of CGUs. The group of CGUs used by the Company for impairment testing
was at the operating segment level. The recoverable amount of the Indigo segment was measured by discounting the future
cash expected to be generated. The discounted cash flow model was based on actual operating results, detailed sales and cost
forecasts, and long-term growth rates which are consistent with inflation and general retail industry averages.

Last  year,  the  Company  also  performed  an  impairment  test  on  the  Kobo  segment  prior  to  its  sale. The  recoverable
amount of the Kobo segment was based on the market capitalization of Kobo. There was no impairment identified for the
goodwill allocated to the Kobo segment.

Net Interest Income from Continuing Operations Increased
The Company recognized net interest income of $2.5 million this year compared to $0.3 million last year. As a result of the
sale  of  Kobo  in  the  last  quarter  of  fiscal  2012,  the  Company  had  a  higher  cash  position  in  fiscal  2013  than  last  year. The
Company also had lower interest expense in fiscal 2013 as there were no notes payable during the year, compared to last year’s
interest accretion on the notes payable. The Company nets interest income against interest expense.

Income Tax Recovery from Continuing Operations Decreased from Last Year
The Company recognized income tax recovery of $0.1 million this year compared to income tax recovery of $1.5 million last
year. Last year, the Company had a net loss from continuing operations which resulted in a recovery of income tax. This year
the Company recognized a net recovery of income tax despite generating positive net earnings from continuing operations. 
The Ontario government deferred a previously-approved future reduction in corporate income tax rates which resulted in:
(i) an increase to the substantively enacted future tax rate; (ii) a higher deferred tax asset; and (iii) net recovery of income
tax. This rate change also drove the improvement in the Company’s effective tax rate. The Company’s effective tax rate was
(2.3)% in fiscal 2013 compared to 5.1% last year.

Net Earnings from Continuing Operations Increased from Last Year
The Company recognized net earnings from continuing operations attributable to shareholders of the Company of $4.3 million
for the 52-week period ended March 30, 2013 ($0.17 net earnings per common share), compared to a net loss of $27.8 million
($1.10 net loss per common share) last year. The increase was primarily the result of a reduction in non-cash impairment
charges to goodwill and capital assets to $0.3 million in fiscal 2013 compared to $29.4 million last year.

Net Earnings from Kobo Discontinued Operations
The Company did not record any net earnings from discontinued operations or non-controlling interest in fiscal 2013. Last
year, the Company recognized net earnings from discontinued operations attributable to shareholders of the Company of
$120.5 million for the 52-week period ended March 31, 2012 ($4.78 net earnings per common share). The net earnings
resulted from the sale of Kobo, as the Company’s $164.5 million gain on selling its shares of Kobo, offset by a $16.3 million
income tax expense, was recorded as part of discontinued operations. From April 3, 2011 to January 10, 2012, the Company
also recorded $26.5 million of non-controlling interest for the portion of Kobo losses attributable to the minority shareholders.
As a result of the sale, the Company disposed of the $1.2 million of goodwill allocated to the Kobo operating segment and
recorded Kobo’s results in its consolidated financial statements as discontinued operations.

Annual  Report  2013        11

Seasonality and Fourth Quarter Results
Indigo’s business is highly seasonal and follows quarterly sales and profit (loss) fluctuation patterns, which are similar to those
of other retailers that are highly dependent on the December holiday sales season. A disproportionate amount of revenues and
profits are earned in the third quarter. As a result, quarterly performance is not necessarily indicative of the Company’s per-
formance for the rest of the year. The following table sets out revenues, net earnings (loss) attributable to shareholders of the
Company, basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share for the preceding eight fiscal quarters.

(thousands of Canadian dollars,
except per share data)

Revenues
Net earnings (loss) attributable to

shareholders of Indigo

From continuing operations
From discontinued operations

Total net earnings (loss)

Basic earnings (loss) per share
Diluted earnings (loss) per share

Q4
Fiscal
2013

Q3
Fiscal
2013

Q2
Fiscal
2013

Q1
Fiscal
2013

Q4
Fiscal
2012

Q3
Fiscal
2012

Q2
Fiscal
2012

Q1
Fiscal
2012

Fiscal quarters

184,814

335,572

185,589

186,483

195,879

352,858

197,248

188,005

(8,247)
–
(8,247)

$(0.33)
$(0.33)

22,035
–
22,035

$0.87
$0.86

(4,013)
–
(4,013)

$(0.16)
$(0.16)

(5,487)
–

(10,726)
142,253
(5,487) 131,527

23,711
(9,349)
14,362

(28,849)
(6,271)
(35,120)

(11,963)
(6,142)
(18,105)

$(0.22)
$(0.22)

$5.21
$5.16

$0.57
$0.56

$(1.39)
$(1.39)

$(0.72)
$(0.72)

The Company saw a decline in consolidated revenues in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 against the blockbuster Hunger
Games Trilogy fourth quarter last year, and for the same reasons as those discussed above for the full fiscal year. Revenues
decreased by $11.1 million, or 5.7%, to $184.8 million compared to $195.9 million in the same quarter last year. Online
sales remained flat at $21.3 million in the fourth quarter for both fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012. Comparable store sales decreased
5.8% in superstores and decreased 5.2% in small format stores.

Net loss from continuing operations in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013 improved by $2.5 million, or 23.4%, to a loss
of $8.2 million compared to a loss of $10.7 million in the same quarter last year. Although fourth quarter sales decreased
compared  to  the  same  period  last  year,  the  Company  saw  improvements  in  cost  of  sales,  resulting  in  net  margin  dollars
remaining flat year-over-year. The reduction in fourth quarter net losses for the current year were driven by lower operating
and selling and administrative expenses due to the Company’s ongoing focus on its Galileo productivity improvement initiative
and by lower bonus expenses in fiscal 2013 as there was no Special Achievement Bonus Program in the current year. This
expense reduction was partially offset by lower fourth quarter income tax recovery for the current year as the Company had
a lower net loss compared to last year. Net earnings from discontinued operations were nil in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2013
compared to net earnings of $142.3 million in the same quarter last year. The decrease was driven by last year’s gain from the
sale of Kobo, as discussed above.

Overview of Consolidated Balance Sheets
Total Assets
As at March 30, 2013, total assets decreased $22.3 million to $570.2 million, compared to $592.5 million as at March 31, 2012.
The decrease was primarily due to decreases in inventories and property, plant and equipment. The Company’s inventory 
balance decreased by $12.8 million as fewer inventories were held by Indigo due to lower expected sales. Property, plant and
equipment decreased by $8.1 million as the Company had fewer capital asset additions. Last year, the Company was engaged
in a large-scale project to upgrade its retail distribution facility, which resulted in higher capital asset purchases. This project
was completed at the beginning of fiscal 2013.

12

Management ’s  Discussion  and  Analysis

Total Liabilities
As at March 30, 2013, total liabilities decreased $17.0 million to $219.9 million, compared to $236.9 million as at March 31,
2012. The decrease was primarily the result of lower current and long-term accounts payable and accrued liabilities, partially
offset by increases in unredeemed gift card liability and deferred revenue. The $24.7 million decrease in current and long-term
accounts payable and accrued liabilities is consistent with the reduction in inventories. The increase of $4.5 million in unredeemed
gift card liability was the result of higher gift card sales in the current year. Deferred revenue increased by $2.5 million due
to an increase in plum point transactions as revenue attributed to plum points earned by members is recorded as deferred
revenue, then recognized into income as points are redeemed. Membership in the plum program has increased by 1.6 million
members, from 4.2 million members last year, to 5.8 million members at the end of fiscal 2013.

Total Equity
Total equity at March 30, 2013 decreased $5.3 million to $350.3 million, compared to $355.6 million as at March 31, 2012.
The decrease in total equity was primarily due to net earnings from continuing operations of $4.3 million offset by $11.1 mil-
lion of dividend payments. Share capital increased by $0.4 million due to the exercise of stock options and the redemption of
Directors’ deferred share units. Contributed surplus increased $1.1 million due to the expensing of employee stock options and
Directors’ deferred share units.

Working Capital and Leverage
The Company reported working capital of $224.9 million as at March 30, 2013, compared to $224.1 million as at March 31,
2012. Working capital remained nearly flat from last year as assets and liabilities decreased by a similar amount. The $13.6 mil-
lion decrease in current assets was driven by a reduction in inventories, while the $14.4 million decrease in current liabilities
was driven by a corresponding decrease in accounts payable and accrued liabilities.

The Company’s leverage position (defined as Total Liabilities to Total Equity) decreased to 0.6:1 at the end of the current
year compared to 0.7:1 as at March 31, 2012. The decreased leverage position was the result of a greater decrease in total
liabilities than in total equities.

Overview of Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Cash and cash equivalents increased $4.1 million during fiscal 2013 compared to an increase of $123.9 million last year. The
increase in fiscal 2013 was driven by cash flows from operating activities of $32.3 million, along with the effect of foreign
currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents of $0.4 million, partially offset by cash flows used in investing
activities of $16.5 million and financing activities of $12.1 million.

Cash Flows from Operating Activities
The Company generated cash flows of $32.3 million from operating activities in fiscal 2013 compared to cash flows used by
operating activities of $12.5 million last year. The Company used $56.9 million in Kobo discontinued operations last year.
Excluding the cash flows used by Kobo, cash flows from operating activities of continuing operations were $32.3 million this
year compared to $44.4 million last year, a decrease of $12.1 million. The Company generated $1.4 million of cash from
working capital this year compared to generating $16.9 million of cash from working capital last year and had net earnings
of $4.3 million this year compared to a net loss of $27.8 million last year. The Company also had capital asset and goodwill
impairments of $0.3 million in the current year, compared to $29.4 million last year.

Cash Flows from Investing Activities
The Company used cash flows of $16.5 million for investing activities in fiscal 2013 compared to $76.3 million generated 
by investing activities last year. Last year, the Company used $8.9 million in Kobo discontinued operations and generated 
$148.9 million in the Kobo sale. Also, last year Kobo had a closing cash balance of $33.0 million, which was disposed of as

Annual  Report  2013        13

part of the Kobo sale. Excluding the cash flows related to Kobo, cash flows used for investing activities of continuing opera-
tions was $16.5 million this year compared to $30.7 million used last year, a decrease of $14.2 million. The decrease was due
to a reduction in spending on capital projects and no tax loss acquisitions in the current year. Last year, the Company used
$10.6 million to acquire non-capital tax losses. The Company also received $2.7 million of interest in the current year compared
to $0.5 million last year.

Total cash spent on capital projects in fiscal 2013 was $19.1 million compared to $29.6 million spent last year, as out-

lined below:

(millions of Canadian dollars)

Store construction, renovations and equipment
Intangible assets (primarily application software 

and internal development costs)

Technology equipment
Capital expenditures of discontinued operations

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

52-week 
period ended 
March 31, 

2012

7.1

9.6
2.4
–
19.1

10.1

8.6
2.0
8.9
29.6

Cash Flows from Financing Activities
The Company used cash flows of $12.1 million for financing activities in fiscal 2013 compared to generating $59.7 million
of cash flows last year. The Company generated $74.8 million from Kobo discontinued operations last year. Also, last year
Indigo purchased $3.0 million of Kobo shares. Excluding the cash flows related to Kobo, cash flows used by financing activities
of continuing operations remained flat at $12.1 million this year and last year. The primary use of cash in both periods was
$11.1 million of dividend payments.

Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company has a highly seasonal business which generates the majority of its revenues and cash flows during the December
holiday season. Indigo has minimal accounts receivable and it purchases products, including books, on trade terms with the
right to return a significant portion of book products. Indigo’s main sources of capital are cash flows generated from operations,
long-term debt, cash and cash equivalents, and an operating line of credit.

The Company’s contractual obligations due over the next five years are summarized below:

(millions of Canadian dollars)

Less than 1 year

1-3 years

4-5 years

After 5 years

Total

Finance lease obligations
Operating leases
Total obligations

0.8
55.8
56.6

0.7
71.9
72.6

–
40.6
40.6

–
14.3
14.3

1.5
182.6
184.1

Based on the Company’s liquidity position and cash flow forecast, management expects its current cash position, cash flow
generated from operations, and cash from the Company’s operating line of credit to be sufficient to meet its working capital
needs, debt service requirements and dividend payments for fiscal 2014. In addition, Indigo has the ability to reduce capital
spending to fund debt requirements if necessary; however, a long-term decline in capital expenditures may negatively impact
revenues and profit growth. Future declaration of quarterly dividends and the establishment of future record and payment
dates are subject to the final determination of the Company’s Board of Directors. Dividends may be reduced or eliminated if
required to maintain appropriate capital resources.

There can be no assurance that operating levels will not deteriorate over the ensuing fiscal year, which could result in the
Company  being  unable  to  meet  its  current  working  capital  and  debt  service  requirements.  In  addition,  other  factors  not

14

Management ’s  Discussion  and  Analysis

presently known to management could materially and adversely affect Indigo’s future cash flows. In such events, the Company
would be required to obtain additional capital as is necessary to satisfy its working capital and debt service requirements from
other sources. Alternative sources of capital could result in increased dilution to shareholders and may be on terms that are
not favourable to the Company.

Accounting Policies
Critical Accounting Judgments and Estimates
The discussion and analysis of Indigo’s operations and financial condition are based upon the consolidated financial statements,
which have been prepared in accordance with IFRS. The preparation of the consolidated financial statements requires the
Company to use judgment and estimation to assess the effects of several variables that are inherently uncertain. These judgments
and estimates can affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses. The Company bases its judgments and
estimates on historical experience and other assumptions which management believes to be reasonable under the circum-
stances. The Company also evaluates its judgments and estimates on an ongoing basis. Methods for determining all material
judgments and estimates are consistent with those used in prior periods. The critical accounting judgments and estimates and
significant accounting policies of the Company are described in notes 3 and 4 of the consolidated financial statements.
The following items in the consolidated financial statements involve significant judgment or estimation.

Use of judgment
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires the Company to make judgments,
apart from those involving estimation, in applying accounting policies that affect the recognition and measurement of assets,
liabilities, revenues, and expenses. Actual results may differ from the judgments made by the Company. Information about
judgments that have the most significant effect on recognition and measurement of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses
are discussed below. Information about significant estimates is discussed in the following section.

Impairment
An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset or a cash-generating unit (“CGU”)
exceeds its recoverable amount. The Company uses judgment when identifying CGUs and when assessing for indicators 
of impairment.

Intangible assets
Initial capitalization of intangible asset costs is based on the Company’s judgment that technological and economic feasibility
are confirmed and the project will generate future economic benefits by way of estimated future discounted cash flows that
are being generated.

Leases
The Company uses judgment in determining whether a lease qualifies as a finance lease arrangement that transfers substantially
all the risks and rewards incidental to ownership.

Deferred tax assets
The recognition of deferred tax assets is based on the Company’s judgment. The assessment of the probability of future taxable
income in which deferred tax assets can be utilized is based on the Company’s latest approved forecast, which is adjusted for
significant non-taxable income and expenses and for specific limits to the use of any unused tax loss or credit. If a positive fore-
cast of taxable income indicates the probable use of a deferred tax asset, especially when it can be utilized without a time limit,
that deferred tax asset is usually recognized in full. The recognition of deferred tax assets that are subject to certain legal or
economic limits or uncertainties are assessed individually by the Company based on the specific facts and circumstances.

Annual  Report  2013        15

Use of estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires the Company to make estimates and
assumptions in applying accounting policies that affect the recognition and measurement of assets, liabilities, revenues, and
expenses. Actual results may differ from the estimates made by the Company, and actual results will seldom equal estimates.
Information  about  estimates  that  have  the  most  significant  effect  on  the  recognition  and  measurement  of  assets,  liabilities,
 revenues, and expenses are discussed below.

Revenues
The Company recognizes revenue from unredeemed gift cards (“gift card breakage”) if the likelihood of gift card redemption
by the customer is considered to be remote. The Company estimates its average gift card breakage rate based on historical
redemption rates. The resulting revenue is recognized over the estimated period of redemption based on historical redemption
patterns commencing when the gift cards are sold.

The Indigo plum rewards program (“Plum”) allows customers to earn points on their purchases. The fair value of Plum
points is calculated by multiplying the number of points issued by the estimated cost per point. The estimated cost per point
is based on many factors, including the expected future redemption patterns and associated costs. On an ongoing basis, the
Company  monitors  trends  in  redemption  patterns  (redemption  at  each  reward  level),  historical  redemption  rates  (points
redeemed as a percentage of points issued) and net cost per point redeemed, adjusting the estimated cost per point based upon
expected future activity. Points revenue is included with total revenues in the Company’s consolidated statements of earnings
(loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss).

Inventories
The future realization of the carrying amount of inventory is affected by future sales demand, inventory levels, and product
quality. The Company reduces inventory for estimated shrinkage that has occurred between physical inventory counts and
records reserves for slow-moving or damaged products and for products that have been permanently marked down based on
these assumptions. The Company reviews the reserves regularly and assesses whether they are appropriate based on actual
experience. In addition, the Company records a vendor settlement accrual to cover any disputes between the Company and
its vendors. The Company estimates this reserve based on historical experience of settlements with its vendors.

Share-based payments
The cost of equity-settled or cash-settled transactions with counterparties is based on the Company’s estimate of the fair value
of share-based instruments and the number of equity instruments that will eventually vest. The Company’s estimated fair
value of the share-based instruments is calculated using the following variables: risk-free interest rate; expected volatility;
expected time until exercise; and expected dividend yield. Risk-free interest rate is based on Government of Canada bond
yields, while all other variables are estimated based on the Company’s historical experience with its share-based payments.

Impairment
To determine the recoverable amount of an impaired asset, the Company estimates expected future cash flows at the CGU level
and determines a suitable discount rate in order to calculate the present value of those cash flows. In the process of measuring
expected future cash flows, the Company makes assumptions about future sales, gross margin rates, expenses, capital expen-
ditures, and working capital investments which are based upon past and expected performance. Determining the applicable
discount rate involves estimating appropriate adjustments to market risk and to Company-specific risk factors.

Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets (collectively, “capital assets”)
Capital assets are depreciated over their useful lives, taking into account residual values where appropriate. Assessments of
useful lives and residual values are performed annually and take into consideration factors such as: technological innovation;

16

Management ’s  Discussion  and  Analysis

maintenance programs; and relevant market information. In assessing residual values, the Company considers the remaining
life of the asset, its projected disposal value, and future market conditions.

Accounting Standards Implemented in Fiscal 2013
Income Taxes (“IAS 12”)
An amendment to IAS 12 introduced an exception to the general measurement requirements of IAS 12 in respect of invest-
ment properties measured at fair value. The amendment was effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2012.
The amendment had no impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements as it has no investment properties.

Financial Instruments: Disclosures (“IFRS 7”)
Amendments to IFRS 7 increased the disclosure requirements for transactions involving transfers of financial assets. These
amendments are effective for annual periods beginning on or after July 1, 2011. The amendments had no impact on the
Company’s disclosures as it has no transfers of financial assets.

New Accounting Pronouncements
Presentation of Financial Statements (“IAS 1”)
The IASB has issued amendments to IAS 1 which will require companies to group together items within other comprehensive
earnings which may be reclassified to net earnings. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning on or after
July 1, 2012 and must be applied retrospectively. The Company will apply these amendments beginning in the first quarter
of fiscal 2014. The Company does not expect implementation of these amendments to have an impact on its consolidated
financial statements.

Financial Instruments: Disclosures (“IFRS 7”)
The IASB has issued amendments to IFRS 7 regarding the offsetting of financial instruments. These amendments must be
applied retrospectively and are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013 and interim periods within
those annual periods. The Company will apply these amendments beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. The Company
does not expect implementation of these amendments to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Financial Instruments: Presentation (“IAS 32”)
The IASB has issued amendments to IAS 32 that clarify its requirements for offsetting financial instruments. These amendments
must be applied retrospectively and are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2014. The Company will
apply these amendments beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. The Company does not expect implementation of these
amendments to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Financial Instruments (“IFRS 9”)
The IASB has issued a new standard, IFRS 9, which will ultimately replace IAS 39, “Financial Instruments: Recognition and
Measurement” (“IAS 39”). The replacement of IAS 39 is a multi-phase project with the objective of improving and simplifying
the reporting for financial instruments. Issuance of IFRS 9 is part of the first phase of the IAS 39 replacement project. IFRS 9
uses a single approach to determine whether a financial asset or liability is measured at amortized cost or fair value, replacing
the multiple rules in IAS 39. For financial assets, the approach in IFRS 9 is based on how an entity manages its financial instru-
ments in the context of its business model and the contractual cash flow characteristics of the financial assets. The new standard
also requires a single impairment method to be used, replacing the multiple impairment methods in IAS 39. For financial
 liabilities measured at fair value, fair value changes due to changes in the Company’s credit risk are presented in other com-
prehensive earnings instead of net earnings unless this would create an accounting mismatch. IFRS 9 is effective for annual

Annual  Report  2013        17

periods beginning on or after January 1, 2015 and must be applied retrospectively. The Company is assessing the impact of
the new standard on its consolidated financial statements.

Other Standards
On May 12, 2011, the IASB issued four new standards along with amendments to two standards, all of which are effective
for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. Early adoption is permitted, but the new standards and amend-
ments must all be adopted concurrently, with the exception of IFRS 12, “Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities,” which may
be early adopted on its own. All of the new standards and amendments must be applied retrospectively. The Company will
adopt these new standards and amendments in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. The following is a list and description of these
new standards and amendments:
•  Consolidated  Financial  Statements  (“IFRS  10”)  replaces  portions  of  IAS  27,  “Consolidated  and  Separate  Financial
Statements” and supersedes SIC-12, “Consolidation – Special Purpose Entities,” and establishes standards for the presenta-
tion and preparation of consolidated financial statements when an entity controls one or more entities. IFRS 10 establishes
a single control model that requires an entity to consolidate an investee when it has power, exposure to variability in returns
and has the ability to use its power over the investee to affect its returns, regardless of whether voting rights are present.
Kobo was the only entity which would have been consolidated by the Company under this standard and the sale of Kobo
closed on January 11, 2012. As such, adoption of IFRS 10 will have no impact on the consolidated financial statements;
•  Joint Arrangements (“IFRS 11”) replaces IAS 31, “Interests in Joint Ventures” (“IAS 31”) and SIC-13, “Jointly-controlled
Entities – Non-monetary Contributions by Venturers,” and requires that a party in a joint arrangement assess its rights and
obligations to determine the type of joint arrangement and account for those rights and obligations accordingly. IFRS 11
removes the option to account for jointly-controlled entities using proportionate consolidation. Instead, jointly-controlled
entities that meet the definition of a joint venture must be accounted for using the equity method. Currently, the Company
accounts for its interest in Calendar Club under IAS 31 using proportionate consolidation. However, the Company has con-
cluded that its interest in Calendar Club will not meet the definition of a joint arrangement under IFRS 11 and will need
to be accounted for under “Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures” (“IAS 28”) as a significant investment using the
equity method beginning in fiscal 2014. As part of the transition to IAS 28, beginning in fiscal 2014 the Company will retro -
spectively restate its comparative financial statements to reclassify proportionately consolidated Calendar Club operating
results into a single equity investment line. These restatements will have no impact to the Company’s total net earnings (loss).
•  Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities (“IFRS 12”) includes all of the disclosures that were previously in IAS 27, “Separate
Financial Statements,” IAS 31 and IAS 28, “Investments in Associates.” These disclosures relate to an entity’s interests in sub-
sidiaries, joint arrangements, associates, and structured entities. Under IFRS 12, an entity is required to disclose the judgments
made to determine whether it controls another entity. This new standard is expected to increase disclosures related to
Calendar Club;

•  Fair Value Measurement (“IFRS 13”) provides guidance to improve consistency and comparability in fair value measurements
and related disclosures through a fair value hierarchy. This standard applies when another IFRS standard requires or permits
fair value measurements or disclosures. IFRS 13 does not apply for share-based payment transactions, leasing transactions
and measurements that are similar to, but are not, fair value. The Company has no financial or non-financial items which
are measured at fair value. As such, this standard is not expected to have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial
statements;

•  Separate Financial Statements (“IAS 27”) has been amended to remove all requirements relating to consolidated financial
statements. Prior to this amendment, the Company applied IAS 27 to the preparation of its consolidated financial state-
ments. However, as Indigo does not prepare separate financial statements, the amended IAS 27 will not be applicable to the
Company; and

18

Management ’s  Discussion  and  Analysis

•  Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures (“IAS 28”) has been amended for conforming changes based on the issuance of
IFRS 10 and IFRS 11. The amendments to IAS 28 relate to accounting for associates and joint ventures held for sale, and to
changes in interests held in associates and joint ventures. The Company will account for its equity investment in Calendar
Club under IAS 28 beginning in fiscal 2014.

Risks and Uncertainties
Competition
The retail book selling business is highly competitive and continues to experience fundamental changes. Specialty bookstores,
independents, other book superstores, regional multi-store operators, supermarkets, drug stores, warehouse clubs, mail order
clubs, Internet booksellers, mass merchandisers, and other retailers continue to sell and even expand physical book offerings,
often at substantially discounted prices. The Canadian retail landscape is also changing as a growing number of international
retailers launch Canadian operations. This increased competition may negatively impact the Company’s revenues and margins.
The  digital  book  industry  is  also  highly  competitive  and  is  undergoing  rapid  growth. The  number  of  retailers  selling
eBooks has increased, as have the number of retailers selling eReaders. The technology continues to change, with eReader
technology gaining popularity on tablets and mobile devices and new eReading devices being released with expanded capabil-
ities. As the digital book industry continues to expand and change, increased eBook sales continue to negatively impact physical
book sales. As eBooks are priced lower than physical books, consumers may reduce their future purchases of physical books
in favour of eBooks, which could reduce the Company’s revenues.

Aggressive merchandising or discounting by competitors in the retail, online, or digital sectors could reduce the Company’s

revenues, market share, and operating margins.

Company Transformation
As customers shift spending toward eBooks, the Company continues to adjust its merchandise mix to grow general merchan-
dise categories to offset the erosion of physical book sales and margins. The general merchandise retail landscape contains a
significant amount of competition from established retailers and there can be no assurances that the Company will be able to
gain market share. Furthermore, the Company’s expansion into new markets and general merchandise could place a significant
strain  on  Indigo’s  management,  operations,  technical  performance,  financial  resources,  and  internal  financial  control  and
reporting functions. The Company will continue to change and modify this strategy and there can be no assurances that the
Company’s strategy will be successful.

Relationships with Suppliers
The Company relies heavily on suppliers to provide book and general merchandise at appropriate margins and in accordance
with agreed-upon terms and timelines. Failure to maintain favorable terms and relationships with suppliers, the absence of key
suppliers, or delays in our ability to acquire books or merchandise on time may affect our ability to compete in the market-
place.This is especially true as the Company continues to source a greater portion of its products from overseas, and events
causing disruptions of imports, changes in restrictions, or currency fluctuations could negatively impact revenues and margins
of the Company.

Inventory Management
The Company must manage its inventory levels to successfully operate the business. Inability to respond to changing customer
preferences may result in excess inventory which must be sold at lower prices, or an inventory shortage. Additionally, as a
result  of  purchasing  more  general  merchandise,  the  Company  has  an  increasing  amount  of  non-returnable  inventory. The
Company monitors the impact of customer trends on inventory turnover and obsolescence, but inappropriate inventory levels
could negatively impact the Company’s revenues and financial performance.

Annual  Report  2013        19

Product Quality and Product Safety
The Company sells products produced by third party manufacturers. Some of these products may expose the Company to
potential  liabilities  and  costs  associated  with  defective  products,  product  handling,  and  product  safety. These  risks  could
expose the Company to product liability claims, damage the Company’s reputation, and lead to product recalls. The Company
has policies and controls in place to manage these risks, including providing third party manufacturers with product safety
guidance and maintaining liability insurance.

As part of its growth in general merchandise, the Company sells food products and is subject to risks associated with food
safety. A significant outbreak of food-borne illness or other public health concerns related to food products could result in harm
to the Company’s customers, negative publicity, and product liability claims. The Company has processes in place to identify
risks, communicate to employees and consumers, and ensure that potentially harmful products are not available for sale. The
Company also applies quality management procedures to ensure it meets all food safety and regulatory requirements.

Although the Company has policies and procedures in place to manage these risks, liabilities and costs related to  product

quality and product safety may have a negative impact on the Company’s revenues and financial performance.

Leases
The average unexpired lease term of Indigo’s superstores and small format stores is approximately 2.9 years and 2.5 years,
respectively. The Company attempts to renew these leases as they come due on favourable terms and conditions, but is sus-
ceptible to volatility in the market for supercentre and shopping mall space. Unforeseen increases in occupancy costs, or costs
incurred as a result of unanticipated store closing and relocation could unfavourably impact the Company’s performance.

Technology and Online
Information management and technology are key components to the ongoing competitiveness and daily operation of our busi-
ness. If our investment in technology fails to support our growth initiatives or to keep pace with technological changes, our
competitiveness may be compromised. The Company has also increased its investment in developing improvements to the
digital customer experience but there can be no assurances that the Company will be able to recoup its investment costs.
Furthermore, if systems are damaged or cease to function properly, capital investment may be required and the Company may
suffer business interruptions in the interim. Such systems and controls are pervasive throughout our business and failures in
the maintenance or development of them could have a significant adverse effect on our business.

Dependence on Key Personnel
Indigo’s continued success will depend to a significant extent upon its management group, who have developed specialized
skills and an in-depth knowledge of the business. The loss of the services of key personnel, particularly Ms. Reisman, could
have a material adverse effect on Indigo. To mitigate the risk of personnel loss, the Company has implemented a number of
employee engagement and retention strategies.

Economic Environment
Traditionally, retail businesses are highly susceptible to market conditions in the economy. A decline in consumer spending, espe-
cially over the December holiday season, could have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition. Other variables,
such as unanticipated increases in merchandise costs, increases in labour costs, increases in shipping rates or interruptions in ship-
ping service, higher interest rates or unemployment rates, could also unfavourably impact the Company’s financial performance.

External Events
Weather conditions, as well as events such as political or social unrest, natural disasters, disease outbreaks, or acts of terrorism,
could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial performance. Moreover, if such events were to occur at peak
times in the Company’s annual business cycle, the impact of these events on operating performance could be significantly

20

Management ’s  Discussion  and  Analysis

greater than they would otherwise have been. The Company has procedures in place to reduce the impact of business inter-
ruptions, crises, and potential disasters, but there can be no assurance that these procedures can fully eliminate the negative
impact of such events.

Regulatory Environment
The distribution and sale of products, along with communications to customers, are regulated by a number of laws and
 regulations. Changes to statutes, laws, regulations or regulatory policies, or changes in their interpretation, implementation
or enforcement, could adversely affect the Company’s operations and performance. The Company may also incur significant
costs in the course of complying with any changes to applicable regulations. Failure to comply with applicable regulations
could result in judgment, sanctions or financial penalties that could adversely impact the Company’s reputation and financial
performance. The Company believes that it has taken reasonable measures designed to ensure compliance with applicable
 regulations, but there is no assurance that the Company will always be deemed to be in compliance.

Additionally, the distribution and sale of books is a regulated industry in which foreign ownership is generally not per-
mitted under the Investment Canada Act. As well, the sourcing and importation of books is governed by the Book Importation
Regulations to the Copyright Act (Canada). There is no assurance that the existing regulatory framework will not change in the
future or that it will be effective in preventing foreign-owned retailers from competing in Canada. An increased number of
competitors could have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial performance.

Credit, Foreign Exchange, and Interest Rate Risks
The Company’s maximum exposure to credit risk at reporting date is equal to the carrying value of accounts receivable.
Accounts receivable primarily consists of receivables from retail customers who pay by credit card, recoveries of credits from
suppliers for returned or damaged products, and receivables from other companies for sales of products, gift cards and other
services. Credit card payments have minimal credit risk and the limited number of corporate receivables is closely monitored.
The Company’s foreign exchange risk from continuing operations is largely limited to currency fluctuations between the
Canadian and U.S. dollar. Decreases in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar could negatively impact net
earnings since the purchase price of some of the Company’s products are negotiated with vendors in U.S. dollars, while the
retail price to our customers is set in Canadian dollars.

The  Company’s  interest  rate  risk  is  limited  to  the  fluctuation  of  floating  rates  on  its  revolving  line  of  credit.  Since  the
Company does not intend to draw on its revolving line of credit in the current year, it does not consider its exposure to interest
rate risk to be material. The Company does not use any interest rate swaps to fix the floating interest rate on its line of credit.

Legal Proceedings
In the normal course of business, Indigo becomes involved in various claims and litigation. While the final outcome of such claims
and litigation pending as at March 30, 2013 cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes that any such amount
would not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position.

Trademark and Brand Protection
The Company has developed, and continues to develop, a line of proprietary products as well as various digital innovations.
Infringement on the intellectual property developed by Indigo could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial position.
In order to protect the competitive advantage provided by these products and innovations, the Company has processes in place
to patent and defend its intellectual property.

Annual  Report  2013        21

Workplace Health and Safety
The failure of the Company to adhere to appropriate health and safety procedures and to ensure compliance with applicable
laws and regulations could result in employee injuries, productivity loss, and liabilities to Indigo. To reduce the risk of work-
place incidents, the Company has health and safety programs in place and has established policies and procedures aimed at
ensuring compliance with applicable legislative requirements.

Compliance with Privacy Laws
In Canada, the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (“PIPEDA”) was passed into law by the federal gov-
ernment effective as of January 1, 2001. Currently, this law applies to all organizations that collect, use, or disclose personal
information in the course of commercial activities, except to the extent that provincial privacy legislation has been enacted
and  declared  substantially  similar  to  the  federal  legislation. To  date,  certain  provinces  have  enacted “substantially  similar”
 private sector privacy legislation. The federal privacy legislation also regulates the inter-provincial collection, use and disclo-
sure of personal information. Applicable Canadian privacy laws create certain obligations on organizations that handle personal
information, including obligations relating to obtaining appropriate consent, limitations on use and disclosure of personal
information and ensuring appropriate security safeguards are in place. In the course of its business, the Company maintains
records containing sensitive information identifying or relating to individual customers and employees. Although the Company
has implemented systems to comply with applicable privacy laws in connection with the collection, use and disclosure of such
personal information, if a significant failure of such systems was to occur, the Company’s business and reputation could be
adversely affected.

Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Management is responsible for establishing and maintaining a system of disclosure controls and procedures to provide rea-
sonable assurance that all material information relating to the Company is gathered and reported on a timely basis to senior
management, including the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), so that appropriate decisions
can be made by them regarding public disclosure.

As required by National Instrument 52-109, “Certification of Disclosure in Issuers’ Annual and Interim Filings,” the CEO
and CFO have evaluated, or caused to be evaluated under their supervision, the effectiveness of such disclosure controls and
procedures. Based on that evaluation, they have concluded that the design and operation of the system of disclosure controls
and procedures were effective as at March 30, 2013.

Internal Controls over Financial Reporting
Management is also responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal controls over financial reporting to provide
reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of consolidated financial statements
for external purposes in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards.

All internal control systems, no matter how well designed, have inherent limitations. Therefore, even those systems deter-
mined to be effective can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to consolidated financial statement preparation and
presentation. Additionally, management is necessarily required to use judgment in evaluating controls and procedures.

As required by National Instrument 52-109, “Certification of Disclosure in Issuers’ Annual and Interim Filings,” the CEO
and CFO have evaluated, or caused to be evaluated under their supervision, the effectiveness of such internal controls over finan-
cial reporting using the framework established in the Internal Control – Integrated Framework (“COSO Framework”) published
by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission. Based on that evaluation, they have concluded
that the design and operation of the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting were effective as at March 30, 2013.

22

Management ’s  Discussion  and  Analysis

Changes in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting
Management has also evaluated whether there were changes in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting that
occurred during the period beginning on December 30, 2012 and ended on March 30, 2013 that have materially affected, or
are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting. The Company has deter-
mined that no material changes in internal controls over financial reporting have occurred in this period.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
The above discussion includes forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included
in this discussion that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects or anticipates will or may occur
in the future are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on certain assumptions and analysis made by the
Company in light of its experience, analysis and its perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected future
developments as well as other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. However, whether actual results and
developments will conform to the expectations and predictions of the Company is subject to a number of risks and uncertain-
ties, including the general economic, market or business conditions; competitive actions by other companies; changes in laws
or regulations; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company. Consequently, all of the forward-
looking statements made in this discussion are qualified by these cautionary statements and there can be no assurance that
results or developments anticipated by the Company will be realized or, even if substantially realized, that they will have the
expected consequences to, or effects on, the Company.

Non-IFRS Financial Measures
The Company prepares its consolidated financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards
(“IFRS”). In order to provide additional insight into the business, the Company has also provided non-IFRS data, including
comparable store sales and EBITDA, in the discussion and analysis section above. These measures are specific to Indigo and have
no standardized meaning prescribed by IFRS. Therefore, these measures may not be comparable to similar measures presented
by other companies.

Comparable stores sales and EBITDA are key indicators used by the Company to measure performance against internal
targets and prior period results. Both measures are commonly used by financial analysts and investors to compare Indigo to
other retailers. Comparable store sales are defined as sales generated by stores that have been open for more than 12 months
on a 52-week basis. It is a key performance indicator for the Company as this measure excludes sales fluctuations due to store
closings,  permanent  relocation,  and  chain  expansion.  EBITDA  is  defined  as  earnings  before  interest,  taxes,  impairment,
depreciation, and amortization. The method of calculating EBITDA is consistent with that used in prior periods.

A reconciliation between comparable store sales and revenues (the most comparable IFRS measure) was included earlier
in this report. A reconciliation between EBITDA and earnings (loss) before income taxes (the most comparable IFRS measure)
is provided below:

(millions of Canadian dollars)

EBITDA
Depreciation of property, plant and equipment
Amortization of intangible assets
Net impairment of capital assets
Impairment of goodwill
Interest on long-term debt and financing charges
Interest income on cash and cash equivalents
Earnings (loss) before income taxes

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

30.0
(17.8)
(10.2)
(0.3)
–
(0.1)
2.6
4.2

26.4
(18.4)
(8.2)
(4.0)
(25.4)
(0.2)
0.5
(29.3)

Annual  Report  2013        23

Independent Auditors’ Report

To the Shareholders of Indigo Books & Music Inc.

We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  financial  statements  of  Indigo  Books  & Music  Inc.,  which  comprise  the
 consolidated balance sheets as at March 30, 2013 and March 31, 2012, and the consolidated statements of earnings and com-
prehensive earnings, changes in equity and cash flows for the 52 week periods then ended March 30, 2013 and March 31, 2012
and a summary of significant accounting policies and other explanatory information.

Management’s responsibility for the consolidated financial statements
Management is responsible for the preparation and fair presentation of these consolidated financial statements in accordance with
International Financial Reporting Standards, and for such internal control as management determines is necessary to enable
the preparation of consolidated financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error.

Auditors’ responsibility
Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits. We conducted our
audits in accordance with Canadian generally accepted auditing standards. Those standards require that we comply with eth-
ical requirements and plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the consolidated financial
statements are free from material misstatement.

An audit involves performing procedures to obtain audit evidence about the amounts and disclosures in the consolidated
financial  statements. The  procedures  selected  depend  on  the  auditors’  judgment,  including  the  assessment  of  the  risks  of
 material misstatement of the consolidated financial statements, whether due to fraud or error. In making those risk assessments,
the auditors consider internal control relevant to the entity’s preparation and fair presentation of the consolidated financial
statements in order to design audit procedures that are appropriate in the circumstances, but not for the purpose of expressing
an  opinion  on  the  effectiveness  of  the  entity’s  internal  control. An  audit  also  includes  evaluating  the  appropriateness  of
accounting policies used and the reasonableness of accounting estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall
presentation of the consolidated financial statements.

We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained in our audits is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our

audit opinion.

Opinion
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of Indigo
Books & Music Inc. as at March 30, 2013 and March 31, 2012 and its financial performance and its cash flows for the 52-week
periods then ended March 30, 2013 and March 31, 2012 in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards.

Toronto, Canada
May 28, 2013

Chartered Accountants
Licensed Public Accountants

24

Independent  Auditors’  Report

Consolidated Balance Sheets

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

ASSETS
Current
Cash and cash equivalents (note 6)
Accounts receivable
Inventories (note 7)
Prepaid expenses
Total current assets

Property, plant and equipment (note 8)
Intangible assets (note 9)
Deferred tax assets (note 10)
Total assets

LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Current
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities (note 20)
Unredeemed gift card liability (note 20)
Provisions (note 11)
Deferred revenue
Income taxes payable
Current portion of long-term debt (notes 12 and 18)
Total current liabilities

Long-term accrued liabilities (note 20)
Long-term provisions (note 11)
Long-term debt (notes 12 and 18)
Total liabilities
Equity
Share capital (note 13)
Contributed surplus (note 14)
Retained earnings
Total equity
Total liabilities and equity

See accompanying notes

On behalf of the Board:

Heather Reisman
Director

Michael Kirby
Director

As at
March 30,
2013

As at
March 31,
2012

211,701
7,180
216,916
4,235
440,032
59,319
22,164
48,731
570,246

151,283
47,169
2,168
13,733
11
773
215,137
4,004
78
705
219,924

203,805
8,128
138,389
350,322
570,246

207,601
12,627
229,706
3,695
453,629
67,464
22,810
48,633
592,536

174,201
42,711
232
11,234
65
1,060
229,503
5,800
460
1,141
236,904

203,373
7,039
145,220
355,632
592,536

Annual  Report  2013        25

Consolidated Statements of Earnings (Loss) 
and Comprehensive Earnings (Loss)

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

892,458
(500,681)
391,777
(390,080)
1,697
(116)
2,609
4,190

–
98

4,288

–
4,288

4,288
–

$0.17
$0.17

–
–

$0.17
$0.17

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

933,990 
(544,924) 
389,066 
(418,701) 
(29,635) 
(153) 
460

(29,328) 

(71) 
1,572 

(27,827) 

94,016
66,189

92,664
(26,475)

$(1.10) 
$(1.10) 

$4.78
$4.73

$3.68
$3.64

(thousands of Canadian dollars, except per share data)

Revenues
Cost of sales
Gross profit
Operating, selling and administrative expenses (notes 8, 9 and 15)
Operating earnings (loss)
Interest on long-term debt and financing charges
Interest income on cash and cash equivalents
Earnings (loss) before income taxes
Income tax recovery (expense) (note 10)

Current
Deferred

Earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss) for the period 

from continuing operations

Earnings and comprehensive earnings for the period 
from discontinued operations (net of tax) (note 23)

Net earnings and comprehensive earnings for the period

Net earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss) attributable to:
Shareholders of Indigo
Non-controlling interest (note 23)

Net earnings (loss) per common share from continuing operations
Basic
Diluted

Net earnings per common share from discontinued operations (note 23)
Basic
Diluted

Net earnings per common share (note 16)
Basic
Diluted 

See accompanying notes

26

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity 

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Balance, April 2, 2011
Earnings (loss) for the 

52-week period ended
March 31, 2012

Exercise of options (notes 13 and 14)
Directors’ deferred share units 

converted (note 13)

Stock-based 

compensation (note 14)

Directors’ compensation (note 14)
Dividends paid (note 13)
Acquisition of non-capital

tax losses (note 22)

Issuance of equity securities 

by subsidiary to 
non-controlling interest
Sale of subsidiary (note 23)
Balance, March 31, 2012

Balance, March 31, 2012
Earnings for the 52-week period

ended March 30, 2013

Exercise of options (notes 13 and 14)
Directors’ deferred share units

converted (note 13)

Stock-based 

compensation (note 14)

Directors’ compensation (note 14)
Dividends paid (note 13)
Balance, March 30, 2013

See accompanying notes

Share
Capital

Contributed
Surplus

Retained
Earnings

Total

Non-controlling
Interest

Total
Equity

202,220

6,066

48,629

256,915

10,448

267,363

–
749

404

–
–
–

–

–
(164)

(404)

1,041
500
–

92,664
–

92,664
585

(26,475)
–

66,189
585

–

–

–

–

–
–
(11,090)

1,041
500
(11,090)

9,224
–
–

10,265
500
(11,090)

–

15,017

15,017

–

15,017

–
–
203,373

–
–
7,039

–
–
145,220

–
–
355,632

21,345
(14,542)
–

203,373

7,039

145,220

355,632

–
417

15

–
–
–
203,805

–
(85)

(15)

743
446
–
8,128

4,288
–

4,288
332

–

–

–
–
(11,119)
138,389

743
446
(11,119)
350,322

–

–
–

–

–
–
–
–

21,345
(14,542)
355,632

355,632

4,288
332

–

743
446
(11,119)
350,322

Annual  Report  2013        27

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES
Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations for the period
Add (deduct) items not affecting cash

Depreciation of property, plant and equipment (note 8)
Amortization of intangible assets (note 9)
Net impairment of capital assets (note 8)
Impairment of goodwill (note 24)
Loss on disposal of capital assets
Stock-based compensation (note 14)
Directors’ compensation (note 14)
Deferred tax assets (note 10)
Other

Net change in non-cash working capital balances related to

continuing operations (note 17)

Interest on long-term debt and financing charges
Interest income on cash and cash equivalents
Income taxes received (paid)
Operating cash flows of discontinued operations (note 23)
Cash flows from (used in) operating activities

CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES
Acquisition of non-capital tax losses (note 22)
Purchase of property, plant and equipment (note 8)
Addition of intangible assets (note 9)
Interest received
Cash disposal resulting from sale of subsidiary (note 23)
Proceeds from sale of subsidiary (note 23)
Investing cash flows of discontinued operations (note 23)
Cash flows from (used in) investing activities

CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES
Repayment of long-term debt
Interest paid
Proceeds from share issuances (note 13)
Dividends paid
Purchase of shares in subsidiary (note 23)
Financing cash flows of discontinued operations (note 23)
Cash flows from (used in) financing activities

Effect of foreign currency exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents during the period
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period

See accompanying notes

28

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012
(restated – note 23)

4,288

(27,827)

17,838
10,245
250
–
65
743
446
(98)
(443)

1,408
116
(2,609)
32
–
32,281

–
(9,521)
(9,621)
2,676
–
–
–
(16,466)

(1,200)
(160)
332
(11,119)
–
–
(12,147)

432

4,100
207,601
211,701

18,416
8,243
3,956
25,416
124
1,041
500
(1,572)
(205)

16,925
153
(460)
(325)
(56,878)
(12,493)

(10,559)
(12,141)
(8,553)
526
(33,033)
148,941
(8,884)
76,297

(1,367)
(245)
585
(11,090)
(3,009)
74,819
59,693

443

123,940
83,661
207,601

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

March 30, 2013

1. CORPORATE INFORMATION
Indigo Books & Music Inc. (the “Company” or “Indigo”) is a corporation domiciled and incorporated under the laws of the
Province of Ontario in Canada. The Company’s registered office is located at 468 King Street West, Toronto, Ontario, M5V 1L8,
Canada. The  consolidated  financial  statements  of  the  Company  comprise  the  Company,  its  former  subsidiary,  Kobo  Inc.
(“Kobo”) and its joint venture interest in Calendar Club of Canada Limited Partnership (“Calendar Club”). Kobo was a sub-
sidiary of the Company until January 10, 2012 and, subsequently, the Company closed on the sale of its full interest in Kobo
on January 11, 2012. The Company is the ultimate parent of the consolidated organization.

2. NATURE OF OPERATIONS
Indigo is Canada’s largest book, gift and specialty toy retailer and was formed as a result of an amalgamation of Chapters Inc.
and Indigo Books & Music, Inc. under the laws of the Province of Ontario, pursuant to a Certificate of Amalgamation dated
August 16, 2001. The Company operates a chain of retail bookstores across all 10 provinces and one territory in Canada,
including 97 superstores (2011 – 97) under the Chapters, Indigo and the World’s Biggest Bookstore names, as well as 134 small
format stores (2012 – 143) under the banners Coles, Indigo, Indigospirit, SmithBooks, and The Book Company. The Company  operates
indigo.ca, an e-commerce retail destination which sells books, gifts, toys, and paper products. The Company also operates seasonal
kiosks and year-round stores in shopping malls across Canada through Calendar Club.

The Company’s operations are focused on the merchandising of products and services in Canada. As such, the Company

presents one operating segment in its consolidated financial statements.

Indigo also has a separate registered charity under the name Indigo Love of Reading Foundation (the “Foundation”). The
Foundation provides new books and learning material to high-needs elementary schools across the country through donations
from Indigo, its customers, suppliers, and employees.

3. BASIS OF PREPARATION
Statement of compliance
These consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards
(“IFRS”) as issued by the International Accounting Standards Board (“IASB”) and using the accounting policies described herein.

These consolidated financial statements were approved by the Company’s Board of Directors on May 28, 2013.

Use of judgment
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires the Company to make judgments,
apart from those involving estimation, in applying accounting policies that affect the recognition and measurement of assets,
liabilities, revenues, and expenses. Actual results may differ from the judgments made by the Company. Information about
judgments that have the most significant effect on recognition and measurement of assets, liabilities, revenues, and expenses
are discussed below. Information about significant estimates is discussed in the following section.

Impairment
An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of an asset or a cash-generating unit (“CGU”)
exceeds its recoverable amount. The Company uses judgment when identifying CGUs and when assessing for indicators 
of impairment.

Annual  Report  2013        29

Intangible assets
Initial capitalization of intangible asset costs is based on the Company’s judgment that technological and economical feasibility
are confirmed and the project will generate future economic benefits by way of estimated future discounted cash flows that
are being generated.

Leases
The Company uses judgment in determining whether a lease qualifies as a finance lease arrangement that transfers substantially
all the risks and rewards incidental to ownership.

Deferred tax assets
The recognition of deferred tax assets is based on the Company’s judgment. The assessment of the probability of future taxable
income in which deferred tax assets can be utilized is based on the Company’s latest approved forecast, which is adjusted for
significant non-taxable income and expenses and for specific limits to the use of any unused tax loss or credit. If a positive
forecast of taxable income indicates the probable use of a deferred tax asset, especially when it can be utilized without a time
limit, that deferred tax asset is usually recognized in full. The recognition of deferred tax assets that are subject to certain legal
or economic limits or uncertainties are assessed individually by the Company based on the specific facts and circumstances.

Use of estimates
The preparation of the consolidated financial statements in conformity with IFRS requires the Company to make estimates
and assumptions in applying accounting policies that affect the recognition and measurement of assets, liabilities, revenues, and
expenses. Actual results may differ from the estimates made by the Company, and actual results will seldom equal estimates.
Information about estimates that have the most significant effect on the recognition and measurement of assets, liabilities,
 revenues, and expenses are discussed below.

Revenues
The Company recognizes revenue from unredeemed gift cards (“gift card breakage”) if the likelihood of gift card redemption
by the customer is considered to be remote. The Company estimates its average gift card breakage rate based on historical
redemption rates. The resulting revenue is recognized over the estimated period of redemption based on historical redemption
patterns commencing when the gift cards are sold.

The Indigo plum rewards program (“Plum”) allows customers to earn points on their purchases. The fair value of Plum
points is calculated by multiplying the number of points issued by the estimated cost per point. The estimated cost per point
is based on many factors, including the expected future redemption patterns and associated costs. On an ongoing basis, the
Company  monitors  trends  in  redemption  patterns  (redemption  at  each  reward  level),  historical  redemption  rates  (points
redeemed as a percentage of points issued) and net cost per point redeemed, adjusting the estimated cost per point based
upon expected future activity. Points revenue is included with total revenues in the Company’s consolidated statements of
earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss).

Inventories
The future realization of the carrying amount of inventory is affected by future sales demand, inventory levels, and product
quality. The Company reduces inventory for estimated shrinkage that has occurred between physical inventory counts and
records reserves for slow-moving or damaged products and for products that have been permanently marked down based on
these assumptions. The Company reviews the reserves regularly and assesses whether they are appropriate based on actual
experience. In addition, the Company records a vendor settlement accrual to cover any disputes between the Company and
its vendors. The Company estimates this reserve based on historical experience of settlements with its vendors.

30

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

Share-based payments
The cost of equity-settled or cash-settled transactions with counterparties is based on the Company’s estimate of the fair value
of share-based instruments and the number of equity instruments that will eventually vest. The Company’s estimated fair
value of the share-based instruments is calculated using the following variables: risk-free interest rate; expected volatility;
expected time until exercise; and expected dividend yield. Risk-free interest rate is based on Government of Canada bond
yields, while all other variables are estimated based on the Company’s historical experience with its share-based payments.

Impairment
To determine the recoverable amount of an impaired asset, the Company estimates expected future cash flows at the CGU level
and determines a suitable discount rate in order to calculate the present value of those cash flows. In the process of measuring
expected future cash flows, the Company makes assumptions about future sales, gross margin rates, expenses, capital expen-
ditures, and working capital investments which are based upon past and expected performance. Determining the applicable
discount rate involves estimating appropriate adjustments to market risk and to Company-specific risk factors.

Property, plant and equipment and intangible assets (collectively, “capital assets”)
Capital assets are depreciated over their useful lives, taking into account residual values where appropriate. Assessments of
useful lives and residual values are performed annually and take into consideration factors such as: technological innovation;
maintenance programs; and relevant market information. In assessing residual values, the Company considers the remaining
life of the asset, its projected disposal value, and future market conditions.

4. SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The accounting policies set out below have been applied consistently to all periods presented in these consolidated financial
statements.

Basis of measurement
The Company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared on the historical cost basis of accounting, except as disclosed
in the accounting policies set out below.

Basis of consolidation
The consolidated financial statements comprise the financial statements of the Company and entities controlled by the Company.
Control is achieved when the Company has the power to govern the financial and operating policies of an entity so as to obtain
benefits from its activities. When the Company does not own all of the equity in a subsidiary, the non-controlling interest is
disclosed as a separate line item in the consolidated balance sheets and the earnings accruing to non-controlling interest holders
is disclosed as a separate line item in the consolidated statements of earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss).

The financial statements of the subsidiary are prepared for the same reporting period as the parent company, using con-
sistent  accounting  policies.  Subsidiaries  are  fully  consolidated  from  the  date  of  acquisition,  being  the  date  on  which  the
Company obtains control, and continue to be consolidated until the date that such control ceases. All intercompany balances
and transactions and any unrealized gains and losses arising from intercompany transactions are eliminated in preparing these
consolidated financial statements.

Investment in joint venture
The Company has an interest in a joint venture which is a jointly controlled entity, whereby the venturers have a contractual
arrangement that establishes joint control over the economic activities of the entity. The Company recognizes its interest in
the joint venture using the proportionate consolidation method. The Company combines its proportionate share of the assets,
liabilities, income, and expenses of the joint venture with similar items, line by line, in its consolidated financial statements.

Annual  Report  2013        31

The financial statements of the joint venture are prepared for the same reporting period and follow the same accounting
 policies as the Company.

Adjustments are made in the consolidated financial statements to eliminate the Company’s share of intercompany balances
and  transactions  and  any  unrealized  income  and  expenses  arising  from  transactions  between  the  Company  and  its  jointly
 controlled entity. The joint venture is proportionately consolidated until the date on which the Company ceases to have joint
control over the joint venture.

Cash and cash equivalents
Cash  and  cash  equivalents  consist  of  cash  on  hand,  balances  with  banks,  and  highly  liquid  investments  that  are  readily
 convertible to known amounts of cash with maturities of three months or less at the date of acquisition. Cash is considered
to be restricted when it is subject to contingent rights of a third-party customer, vendor, or government agency.

Inventories
Inventories are valued at the lower of cost, determined on a moving average cost basis, and market, being net realizable value.
Costs include all direct and reasonable expenditures that are incurred in bringing inventories to their present location and
condition. Net realizable value is the estimated selling price in the ordinary course of business. When the Company per -
manently reduces the retail price of an item and the markdown incurred brings the retail price below the cost of the item,
there is a corresponding reduction in inventory recognized in the period. Vendor rebates are recorded as a reduction in the
price of the products, and corresponding inventories are recorded net of vendor rebates.

Prepaid expenses
Prepaid expenses include store supplies, rent, license fees, maintenance contracts, and insurance. Store supplies are expensed
as they are used while other costs are amortized over the term of the contract.

Income taxes
Current income tax is the expected tax payable or receivable on the taxable earnings or loss for the period. Current income
tax is payable on taxable earnings for the period as calculated under Canadian taxation guidelines, which differs from taxable
earnings under IFRS. Calculation of current income tax is based on tax rates and tax laws that have been enacted, or sub-
stantively enacted, by the end of the reporting period. Current income tax relating to items recognized directly in equity is
recognized in equity and not in the consolidated statements of earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss).

Deferred income tax is calculated at the reporting date using the liability method based on temporary differences between
the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their tax bases. However, deferred tax assets and liabilities on temporary dif-
ferences arising from the initial recognition of goodwill, or of an asset or liability in a transaction that is not a business com-
bination, will not be recognized when neither accounting nor taxable profit or loss are affected at the time of the transaction.
Deferred tax assets arising from temporary differences associated with investments in subsidiaries and interests in joint
ventures are provided for if it is probable that the differences will reverse in the foreseeable future and taxable profit will be
available against which the tax assets may be utilized. Deferred tax assets on temporary differences associated with investments
in subsidiaries and interests in joint ventures are not provided for if the timing of the reversal of these temporary differences
can be controlled by the Company and it is probable that reversal will not occur in the foreseeable future.

Deferred tax assets and liabilities are calculated, without discounting, at tax rates that are expected to apply to their
respective  periods  of  realization,  provided  they  are  enacted  or  substantively  enacted  by  the  end  of  the  reporting  period.
Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset only when the Company has the right and intention to set off current tax assets
and liabilities from the same taxable entity and the same taxation authority.

32

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

Property, plant and equipment
All items of property, plant and equipment are initially recognized at cost, which includes any costs directly attributable to
bringing the asset to the location and condition necessary for it to be capable of operating in the manner intended by the
Company. Subsequent to initial recognition, property, plant and equipment assets are shown at cost less accumulated depre-
ciation and any accumulated impairment losses.

Depreciation of an asset begins once it becomes available for use. The depreciable amount of an asset, being the cost of
an asset less the residual value, is allocated on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life of the asset. Residual value is
estimated to be zero unless the Company expects to dispose of the asset at a value that exceeds the estimated disposal costs.
The residual values, useful lives, and depreciation methods applied to assets are reviewed annually based on relevant market
information and management considerations.
The following useful lives are applied:

Furniture, fixtures and equipment
Computer equipment
Equipment under finance lease
Leasehold improvements

5 – 10 years
3 – 5 years
3 – 5 years
over the lease term to a maximum of 10 years

Items of property, plant and equipment are assessed for impairment as detailed in the accounting policy note on impairment
and are derecognized either upon disposal or when no future economic benefits are expected from their use. Any gain or loss
arising on derecognition is included in earnings when the asset is derecognized.

Leased assets
Leases are classified as finance leases when the terms of the lease transfer substantially all the risks and rewards related to
ownership of the leased asset to the Company. At lease inception, the related asset is recognized at the lower of the fair value of
the leased asset or the present value of the lease payments. The corresponding liability amount is recognized as long-term debt.
Depreciation methods and useful lives for assets held under finance lease agreements correspond to those applied to
 comparable assets which are legally owned by the Company. If there is no reasonable certainty that the Company will obtain
ownership of the financed asset at the end of the lease term, the asset is depreciated over the shorter of its estimated useful
life or the lease term. The corresponding long-term debt is reduced by lease payments less interest paid. Interest payments
are expensed as part of interest on long-term debt and financing charges on the consolidated statements of earnings (loss) and
comprehensive earnings (loss) over the period of the lease. As at March 30, 2013 and March 31, 2012, computer equipment
assets are the only type of asset leased under finance lease arrangements.

All other leases are treated as operating leases. Payments on operating lease agreements are recognized as an expense on

a straight-line basis over the lease term. Associated costs, such as maintenance and insurance, are expensed as incurred.

The Company performs quarterly assessments of contracts which do not take the legal form of a lease to determine
whether they convey the right to use an asset in return for a payment or series of payments and therefore need to be accounted
for as leases. As at March 30, 2013 and March 31, 2012, the Company had no such contracts.

Leased premises
The Company conducts all of its business from leased premises. Leasehold improvements are depreciated over the lesser of
their economic life or the initial lease term plus renewal periods where renewal has been determined to be reasonably assured
(“lease term”). Leasehold improvements are assessed for impairment as detailed in the accounting policy note on impairment.
Leasehold improvement allowances are depreciated over the lease term. Other inducements, such as rent-free periods, are
amortized  into  earnings  over  the  lease  term,  with  the  unamortized  portion  recorded  in  current  and  long-term  accounts
payable and accrued liabilities. As at March 30, 2013 and March 31, 2012, all of the Company’s leases on premises were

Annual  Report  2013        33

accounted for as operating leases. Expenses incurred for leased premises include base rent, taxes, and contingent rent based
upon a percentage of sales.

Intangible assets
Intangible assets are initially recognized at cost, if acquired separately, or at fair value, if acquired as part of a business com-
bination. After initial recognition, intangible assets are carried at cost less accumulated amortization and any accumulated
impairment losses.

Amortization commences when the intangible assets are available for their intended use. The useful lives of intangible
assets are assessed as either finite or indefinite. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their useful economic life.
Intangible assets with indefinite lives are not amortized but are reviewed at each reporting date to determine whether the
indefinite life continues to be supportable. If not, the change in useful life from indefinite to finite is made on a prospective
basis. Residual value is estimated to be zero unless the Company expects to dispose of the asset at a value that exceeds the
estimated disposal costs. The residual values, useful lives and amortization methods applied to assets are reviewed annually
based on relevant market information and management considerations.

The following useful lives are applied:

Computer application software
Internal development costs

3 – 5 years
3 years

Intangible assets are assessed for impairment as detailed in the accounting policy note on impairment. An intangible asset is
derecognized either upon disposal or when no future economic benefit is expected from its use. Any gain or loss arising on
derecognition is included in earnings when the asset is derecognized.

Computer application software
When computer application software is not an integral part of a related item of computer hardware, the software is treated
as an intangible asset. Computer application software that is integral to the use of related computer hardware is recorded as
property, plant and equipment.

Internal development costs
Costs that are directly attributable to internal development are recognized as intangible assets provided they meet the defi-
nition of an intangible asset. Development costs not meeting these criteria are expensed as incurred. Capitalized development
costs include external direct costs of materials and services and the payroll and payroll-related costs for employees who are
directly associated with the projects.

Goodwill
Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price of an acquired business over the fair value assigned to the net identifiable
assets, including intangible assets, acquired at the date of acquisition. Goodwill is carried at cost less any disposals and any
accumulated impairment losses. Goodwill is allocated to the lowest level at which it is monitored for internal management
purposes and is not larger than an operating segment before aggregation. Where goodwill forms part of a CGU and part of
the operation within that unit is disposed of, the goodwill associated with the disposed operation is included in the deter -
mination of any gain or loss on disposal. Goodwill is not amortized, but is subject to review for impairment as detailed in the
accounting policy note on impairment.

34

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

Impairment testing
Capital assets
For the purposes of assessing impairment, capital assets are grouped at the lowest levels for which there are largely independent
cash inflows and for which a reasonable and consistent allocation basis can be identified. For capital assets which can be reason-
ably and consistently allocated to individual stores, the store level is used as the CGU for impairment testing. For all other
capital assets, the operating segment level is used as the group of CGUs. Capital assets and related CGUs or groups of CGUs
are tested for impairment at each reporting date and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying
amount may not be recoverable. Events or changes in circumstances which may indicate impairment include: a significant
change to the Company’s operations; a significant decline in performance; or a change in market conditions which adversely
affects the Company.

An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of a CGU or group of CGUs exceeds its
recoverable amount. To determine the recoverable amount, management determines the present value of the expected future
cash flows from each CGU or group of CGUs based on the Company’s estimated growth rate. The Company’s growth rate
and future cash flows are based on historical data and management’s expectations. Impairment losses are charged pro rata to
the capital assets in the CGU or group of CGUs. Capital assets and CGUs or groups of CGUs are subsequently reassessed for
indicators that a previously recognized impairment loss may no longer exist. An impairment loss is reversed if the recoverable
amount of the capital asset, CGU, or group of CGUs exceeds its carrying amount, but only to the extent that the carrying
amount of the asset does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined, net of depreciation or amorti-
zation, if no impairment loss had been recognized.

Goodwill
Goodwill  is  allocated  at  the  operating  segment  level,  which  represents  the  lowest  level  within  the  Company  at  which
 management monitors goodwill. Goodwill is tested for impairment at each reporting date and whenever events or changes
in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Events or changes in circumstances which may
indicate impairment include: a significant change to the Company’s operations; a significant decline in performance; or a
change in market conditions which adversely affects the Company.

An impairment loss is recognized for the amount by which the carrying amount of the operating segment exceeds its
recoverable amount. To determine the recoverable amount, management determines the present value of the expected future
cash flows from each reporting unit based on the Company’s estimated growth rate. The Company’s growth rate and future
cash flows are based on historical data and management’s expectations. Previously recognized goodwill impairment losses are
not subsequently reversed if conditions change.

Financial assets
Individually  significant  financial  assets  are  tested  for  impairment  on  an  individual  basis. The  remaining  financial  assets  are
assessed collectively in groups that share similar credit risk characteristics. Financial assets are tested for impairment at each
reporting date and whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable.
Evidence of impairment may include: indications that a debtor or a group of debtors are experiencing significant financial
 difficulty; default or delinquency in interest or principal payments; and observable data indicating that there is a measurable
decrease in the estimated future cash flows.

A financial asset is deemed to be impaired if there is objective evidence that one or more loss events having a negative
effect on future cash flows of the financial asset occurs after initial recognition and the loss can be reliably measured. The
impairment loss is measured as the difference between the carrying amount of the financial asset and the present value of the
estimated future cash flows, discounted at the original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recorded as an allowance
and recognized in net earnings. If the impairment loss decreases as the result of subsequent events, the previously recognized
impairment loss is reversed.

Annual  Report  2013        35

Provisions
Provisions are recognized when the Company has a present legal or constructive obligation as a result of past events, for which
it is probable that the Company will be required to settle the obligation and a reliable estimate of the settlement can be made.
The amount recognized as a provision is the best estimate of the consideration required to settle the present obligation at the
end of the reporting period, taking into account risks and uncertainties of cash flow. Where the effect of discounting to present
value is material, provisions are adjusted to reflect the time value of money. Examples of provisions include legal claims, oner-
ous leases, and decommissioning liabilities.

Deferred financing fees
Financing fees relate to the Company’s line of credit and are amortized on a straight-line basis, which approximates the effective
yield method, over the term of the respective indebtedness. When funds have been drawn against this facility, the Company’s
line of credit is presented on the consolidated balance sheets net of financing fees. If the line of credit has not been drawn
upon, then financing fees are netted against long-term debt.

Borrowing costs
Borrowing costs primarily comprise interest on the Company’s long-term debt and line of credit. Borrowing costs are capi-
talized to the extent that they are directly attributable to the acquisition, production, or construction of qualifying assets that
require a substantial period of time to get ready for their intended use or sale. All other borrowing costs are expensed as
incurred and reported in the consolidated statements of earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss) as part of interest
on long-term debt and finance charges.

Total equity
Share capital represents the nominal value of shares that have been issued. Retained earnings include all current and prior
period retained profits. Dividend distributions payable to equity shareholders are recorded as dividends payable when the
 dividends have been approved by the Board of Directors prior to the reporting date.

Share-based awards
The Company has established an employee stock option plan for key employees. The fair value of each tranche of options
granted is estimated on grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The grant date fair value, net of estimated
forfeitures, is recognized as an expense with a corresponding increase to contributed surplus over the vesting period. Estimates
are subsequently revised if there is an indication that the number of stock options expected to vest differs from previous
 estimates. Any consideration paid by employees on exercise of stock options is credited to share capital with a corresponding
reduction to contributed surplus.

For share-based awards which allow the counterparty to choose whether the awards will be settled in cash or in shares, the
Company measures the fair value of these awards using the Black-Scholes option pricing model at grant date. Fair value is
remeasured at each reporting date and at settlement date. The fair value of settlement in cash is the same as the fair value of
settlement in shares. The fair value is recognized as an expense with a corresponding increase in liabilities over the period that
the counterparties become unconditionally entitled to the awards. If the Company issues equity instruments on settlement
instead of paying cash, the liability shall be transferred directly to share capital as consideration for the equity instruments issued.

Revenues
The Company recognizes revenue when the substantial risks and rewards of ownership pass to the customer. Revenue is meas-
ured at the fair value of consideration received or receivable by the Company for goods supplied, inclusive of amounts invoiced
for shipping, and net of sales discounts, returns and amounts deferred related to the issuance of Plum points. Return allowances

36

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

are estimated using historical experience. Revenue is recognized when: the amount can be measured reliably; it is probable
that economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the Company; the costs incurred or to be incurred can be
measured reliably; and the criteria for each of the Company’s activities (as described below) have been met.

Retail sales
Revenue for retail customers is recognized at the time of purchase.

Online sales
Revenue for online customers is recognized when the product is shipped.

Commission revenue
The Company earns commission revenue through partnerships with other companies and recognizes revenue once services
have been rendered and the amount of revenue can be measured reliably.

Gift cards
The Company sells gift cards to its customers and recognizes the revenue as gift cards are redeemed. The Company also
 recognizes  gift  card  breakage  if  the  likelihood  of  gift  card  redemption  by  the  customer  is  considered  to  be  remote. The
Company determines its average gift card breakage rate based on historical redemption rates. Once the breakage rate is deter-
mined, the resulting revenue is recognized over the estimated period of redemption based on historical redemption patterns,
commencing when the gift cards are sold. Gift card breakage is included in revenues in the Company’s consolidated statements
of earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss).

Indigo irewards loyalty program
For an annual fee, the Company offers loyalty cards to customers that entitle the cardholder to receive discounts on purchases.
Each card is issued with a 12-month expiry period. The fee revenue related to the issuance of a card is deferred and amortized
into earnings over the expiry period, based upon historical sales volumes.

Indigo plum rewards program
Plum is a free program that allows members to earn points on their purchases in the Company’s stores and enjoy member pric-
ing at the Company’s online website. Members can then redeem points for discounts on future purchases of store merchandise.
When a Plum member purchases merchandise, the Company allocates the payment received between the merchandise
and the points. The payment is allocated based on the residual method, where the amount allocated to the merchandise is the
total payment less the fair value of the points. The portion of revenue attributed to the merchandise is recognized at the time
of purchase. Revenue attributed to the points is recorded as deferred revenue and recognized when points are redeemed.

The fair value of the points is calculated by multiplying the number of points issued by the estimated cost per point. The
estimated cost per point is determined based on a number of factors, including the expected future redemption patterns and
associated costs. On an ongoing basis, the Company monitors trends in redemption patterns (redemption at each reward level),
historical redemption rates (points redeemed as a percentage of points issued) and net cost per point redeemed, adjusting the
estimated cost per point based upon expected future activity. Points revenue is included with total revenues in the Company’s
consolidated statements of earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss).

Interest income
Interest income is reported on an accrual basis using the effective interest method.

Annual  Report  2013        37

Vendor rebates
The Company records cash consideration received from vendors as a reduction to the price of vendors’ products. This is
reflected as a reduction in cost of goods sold and related inventories when recognized in the consolidated financial statements.
Certain exceptions apply where the cash consideration received is a reimbursement of incremental selling costs incurred by
the Company, in which case the cash received is reflected in operating and administrative expenses.

Discontinued operations
A discontinued operation is a component of the Company that represents a separate major line of business which has been
disposed  of  or  classified  as  held  for  sale. The  operations  and  cash  flows  can  be  clearly  distinguished  from  the  rest  of  the
Company, both operationally and for financial reporting purposes. When the Company classifies a component of its business
as a discontinued operation, certain comparative figures are reclassified to conform to the current period’s presentation. The
Company excludes the results of the discontinued operation, along with any gain or loss from disposal, from the operating
results of continuing operations. Results of the discontinued operation, along with any gain or loss from disposal, are separately
presented as operations and cash flows of the discontinued operation.

Where the discontinued operation has not yet been disposed of and is a consolidated subsidiary of the Company, the assets
and liabilities of the discontinued operation are classified on the consolidated balance sheets as assets and liabilities held for
sale. The Company will continue to eliminate all intercompany transactions for a consolidated subsidiary until disposal occurs.

Earnings per share
Basic earnings per share is determined by dividing the net earnings attributable to common shareholders by the weighted
average number of common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share are calculated in accordance
with the treasury stock method and are based on the weighted average number of common shares and dilutive common share
equivalents outstanding during the period. The weighted average number of shares used in the computation of both basic and
fully diluted earnings per share may be the same due to the anti-dilutive effect of securities.

Financial instruments
Financial assets and financial liabilities are recognized when the Company becomes a party to the contractual provisions of
the financial instrument. Financial assets are derecognized when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the financial asset
expire, or when the financial asset and all substantial risks and rewards are transferred. A financial liability is derecognized
when it is extinguished, discharged, cancelled, or expires. Where a legally enforceable right to offset exists for recognized
financial assets and financial liabilities and there is an intention to settle the liability and realize the asset simultaneously, or to
settle on a net basis, such related financial assets and financial liabilities are offset.

For the purposes of ongoing measurement, financial assets and liabilities are classified according to their characteristics and
management’s intent. All financial instruments are initially recognized at fair value. The following methods and assumptions
were used to estimate the initial fair value of each type of financial instrument by reference to market data and other valuation
techniques, as appropriate:

(i) The fair values of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, and accounts payable and accrued liabilities approximate

their carrying values given their short-term maturities; and

(ii) The  fair  value  of  long-term  debt  is  estimated  based  on  the  discounted  cash  payments  of  the  debt  at  the  Company’s
 estimated incremental borrowing rates for debt of the same remaining maturities. The fair value of long-term debt
approximates its carrying value.

Embedded derivatives are separated and measured at fair value if certain criteria are met. Management has reviewed all material
contracts and has determined that the Company does not currently have any significant embedded derivatives that require
separate accounting and disclosure.

38

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

After initial recognition, financial instruments are subsequently measured as follows:

Financial assets

(i) Loans  and  receivables  – These  are  non-derivative  financial  assets  with  fixed  or  determinable  payments  that  are  not
quoted in an active market. These assets are measured at amortized cost, less impairment charges, using the effective
interest method. Gains and losses are recognized in earnings through the amortization process or when the assets are
derecognized.

(ii) Financial assets at fair value through profit or loss – These assets are held for trading if acquired for the purpose of selling
in the near term or are designated to this category upon initial recognition. These assets are measured at fair value, with
gains or losses recognized in earnings.

(iii) Held-to-maturity investments – These are non-derivative financial assets with fixed or determinable payments and fixed
maturities which the Company intends, and is able, to hold until maturity. These assets are measured at amortized cost,
less impairment charges, using the effective interest method. Gains and losses are recognized in earnings through the
amortization process or when the assets are derecognized.

(iv) Available-for-sale financial assets – These are non-derivative financial assets that are either designated to this category
upon initial recognition or do not qualify for inclusion in any of the other categories. These assets are measured at fair
value, with unrealized gains and losses recognized in equity until the asset is derecognized or determined to be impaired.
If the asset is derecognized or determined to be impaired, the cumulative gain or loss previously reported in equity is
included in earnings.

Financial liabilities

(i) Other liabilities – These liabilities are measured at amortized cost using the effective interest rate method. Gains and

losses are recognized in earnings through the amortization process or when the liabilities are derecognized.

(ii) Financial liabilities at fair value through profit or loss – These liabilities are held for trading if acquired for the purpose
of selling in the near term or are designated to this category upon initial recognition. These liabilities are measured at
fair value, with gains or losses recognized in earnings.

The Company’s financial assets and financial liabilities are generally classified and measured as follows:

Financial Asset /Liability
Cash and cash equivalents
Accounts receivable
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Long-term debt

Category
Loans and receivables
Loans and receivables
Other liabilities
Other liabilities

Measurement
Amortized cost
Amortized cost
Amortized cost
Amortized cost

All other balance sheet accounts are not financial instruments.

All financial instruments measured at fair value after initial recognition are categorized into one of three hierarchy levels

for disclosure purposes. Each level reflects the significance of the inputs used in making the fair value measurements.

Level 1: Fair value is determined by reference to quoted prices in active markets.
Level 2: Valuations use inputs based on observable market data, either directly or indirectly, other than the quoted prices.
Level 3: Valuations are based on inputs that are not based on observable market data.

As  at  March  30,  2013,  there  are  no  financial  instruments  classified  into  these  levels. The  Company  measures  all  financial
instruments at amortized cost.

Annual  Report  2013        39

Retirement benefits
The Company provides retirement benefits through a defined contribution retirement plan. Under the defined contribution
retirement plan, the Company pays fixed contributions to an independent entity. The Company has no legal or constructive
obligations to pay further contributions after its payment of the fixed contribution. The costs of benefits under the defined
contribution retirement plan are expensed as contributions are due and are reversed if employees leave before the vesting period.

Foreign currency translation
The consolidated financial statements are presented in Canadian dollars, which is the functional currency of the Company.
Sales transacted in foreign currencies are aggregated monthly and translated using the average exchange rate. Transactions in
foreign currencies are translated at rates of exchange at the time of the transaction. Monetary assets and liabilities denominated
in foreign currencies which are held at the reporting date are translated at the closing consolidated balance sheet rate. 
Non-monetary items are measured at historical cost and are translated using the exchange rates at the date of the transaction.
Non-monetary items measured at fair value are translated using exchange rates at the date when fair value was determined.
The resulting exchange gains or losses are included in earnings.

Accounting Standards Implemented in Fiscal 2013
Income Taxes (“IAS 12”)
An amendment to IAS 12 introduced an exception to the general measurement requirements of IAS 12 in respect of investment
properties measured at fair value. The amendment was effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2012.
The amendment had no impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements as it has no investment properties.

Financial Instruments: Disclosures (“IFRS 7”)
Amendments to IFRS 7 increased the disclosure requirements for transactions involving transfers of financial assets. These
amendments  are  effective  for  annual  periods  beginning  on  or  after  July  1,  2011. The  amendments  had  no  impact  on  the
Company’s disclosures as it has no transfers of financial assets.

5. NEW ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
Presentation of Financial Statements (“IAS 1”)
The IASB has issued amendments to IAS 1 which will require companies to group together items within other comprehensive
earnings which may be reclassified to net earnings. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning on or after
July 1, 2012 and must be applied retrospectively. The Company will apply these amendments beginning in the first quarter
of fiscal 2014. The Company does not expect implementation of these amendments to have an impact on its consolidated
financial statements.

Financial Instruments: Disclosures (“IFRS 7”)
The IASB has issued amendments to IFRS 7 regarding the offsetting of financial instruments. These amendments must be
applied retrospectively and are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013 and interim periods within
those annual periods. The Company will apply these amendments beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. The Company
does not expect implementation of these amendments to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

Financial Instruments: Presentation (“IAS 32”)
The IASB has issued amendments to IAS 32 that clarify its requirements for offsetting financial instruments. These amend-
ments must be applied retrospectively and are effective for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2014. The Company
will apply these amendments beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2015. The Company does not expect implementation of
these amendments to have a significant impact on its consolidated financial statements.

40

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

Financial Instruments (“IFRS 9”)
The IASB has issued a new standard, IFRS 9, which will ultimately replace IAS 39, “Financial Instruments: Recognition and
Measurement” (“IAS 39”). The replacement of IAS 39 is a multi-phase project with the objective of improving and simplifying
the reporting for financial instruments. Issuance of IFRS 9 is part of the first phase of the IAS 39 replacement project. IFRS 9
uses a single approach to determine whether a financial asset or liability is measured at amortized cost or fair value, replacing
the  multiple  rules  in  IAS  39.  For  financial  assets,  the  approach  in  IFRS  9  is  based  on  how  an  entity  manages  its  financial
 instruments in the context of its business model and the contractual cash flow characteristics of the financial assets. The new
standard also requires a single impairment method to be used, replacing the multiple impairment methods in IAS 39. For
financial liabilities measured at fair value, fair value changes due to changes in the Company’s credit risk are presented in other
comprehensive earnings instead of net earnings unless this would create an accounting mismatch. IFRS 9 is effective for annual
periods beginning on or after January 1, 2015 and must be applied retrospectively. The Company is assessing the impact of the
new standard on its consolidated financial statements.

Other Standards
On May 12, 2011, the IASB issued four new standards along with amendments to two standards, all of which are effective
for annual periods beginning on or after January 1, 2013. Early adoption is permitted, but the new standards and amendments
must all be adopted concurrently, with the exception of IFRS 12, “Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities,” which may be
early adopted on its own. All of the new standards and amendments must be applied retrospectively. The Company will adopt
these new standards and amendments in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. The following is a list and description of these new
standards and amendments:
•  Consolidated Financial Statements (“IFRS 10”) replaces portions of IAS 27, “Consolidated and Separate Financial Statements”
and supersedes SIC-12, “Consolidation – Special Purpose Entities,” and establishes standards for the presentation and prepa-
ration of consolidated financial statements when an entity controls one or more entities. IFRS 10 establishes a single con-
trol model that requires an entity to consolidate an investee when it has power, exposure to variability in returns and has
the ability to use its power over the investee to affect its returns, regardless of whether voting rights are present. Kobo was
the only entity which would have been consolidated by the Company under this standard and the sale of Kobo closed on
January 11, 2012. As such, adoption of IFRS 10 will have no impact on the consolidated financial statements;

•  Joint Arrangements (“IFRS 11”) replaces IAS 31, “Interests in Joint Ventures” (“IAS 31”) and SIC-13, “Jointly-controlled
Entities – Non-monetary Contributions by Venturers,” and requires that a party in a joint arrangement assess its rights and
obligations to determine the type of joint arrangement and account for those rights and obligations accordingly. IFRS 11
removes the option to account for jointly-controlled entities using proportionate consolidation. Instead, jointly-controlled
entities that meet the definition of a joint venture must be accounted for using the equity method. Currently, the Company
accounts for its interest in Calendar Club under IAS 31 using proportionate consolidation. However, the Company has con-
cluded that its interest in Calendar Club will not meet the definition of a joint arrangement under IFRS 11 and will need
to be accounted for under “Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures” (“IAS 28”) as a significant investment using the
equity method beginning in fiscal 2014. As part of the transition to IAS 28, beginning in fiscal 2014 the Company will retro -
spectively restate its comparative financial statements to reclassify proportionately consolidated Calendar Club operating
results into a single equity investment line. These restatements will have no impact to the Company’s total net earnings (loss).
•  Disclosure of Interests in Other Entities (“IFRS 12”) includes all of the disclosures that were previously in IAS 27, “Separate
Financial Statements,” IAS 31 and IAS 28, “Investments in Associates.” These disclosures relate to an entity’s interests in 
subsidiaries, joint arrangements, associates, and structured entities. Under IFRS 12, an entity is required to disclose the
judgments made to determine whether it controls another entity. This new standard is expected to increase disclosures
related to Calendar Club;

Annual  Report  2013        41

•  Fair Value Measurement (“IFRS 13”) provides guidance to improve consistency and comparability in fair value measurements
and related disclosures through a fair value hierarchy. This standard applies when another IFRS standard requires or permits
fair value measurements or disclosures. IFRS 13 does not apply for share-based payment transactions, leasing transactions and
measurements that are similar to, but are not, fair value. The Company has no financial or non-financial items which are meas-
ured at fair value. As such, this standard is not expected to have an impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements;
•  Separate Financial Statements (“IAS 27”) has been amended to remove all requirements relating to consolidated financial
statements. Prior to this amendment, the Company applied IAS 27 to the preparation of its consolidated financial state-
ments. However, as Indigo does not prepare separate financial statements, the amended IAS 27 will not be applicable to the
Company; and

•  Investments in Associates and Joint Ventures (“IAS 28”) has been amended for conforming changes based on the issuance of
IFRS 10 and IFRS 11. The amendments to IAS 28 relate to accounting for associates and joint ventures held for sale, and to
changes in interests held in associates and joint ventures. The Company will account for its equity investment in Calendar
Club under IAS 28 beginning in fiscal 2014.

6. CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS
Cash and cash equivalents consist of the following:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Cash
Restricted cash
Cash equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents

March 30,
2013

89,407
470
121,824
211,701

March 31,
2012

87,082
487
120,032
207,601

Restricted cash represents cash pledged as collateral for letter of credit obligations issued to support the Company’s purchases
of offshore merchandise.

7. INVENTORIES
Inventories  consist  of  finished  goods. The  cost  of  inventories  recognized  as  an  expense  was  $505.1  million  in  fiscal  2013 
(2012 – $600.4 million). The amount of inventory write-downs as a result of net realizable value lower than cost was $3.9 mil-
lion in fiscal 2013 (2012 – $10.5 million), and there were no reversals of inventory write-downs that were recognized in fiscal
2013 (2012 – nil). The amount of inventory with net realizable value equal to cost was $1.4 million as at March 30, 2013 (2012
– $1.7 million).

42

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

8. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Gross carrying amount
Balance, April 2, 2011
Additions
Transfers / reclassifications
Disposals
Assets with zero net book value
Asset activity related to discontinued operations
Disposal of discontinued operations
Balance, March 31, 2012
Additions
Transfers / reclassifications
Disposals
Assets with zero net book value
Balance, March 30, 2013

Accumulated depreciation and impairment
Balance, April 2, 2011
Depreciation
Transfers / reclassifications
Disposals
Net impairment losses and reversals
Assets with zero net book value
Asset activity related to discontinued operations
Disposal of discontinued operations
Balance, March 31, 2012
Depreciation
Transfers / reclassifications
Disposals
Net impairment losses and reversals
Assets with zero net book value
Balance, March 30, 2013

Net carrying amount
March 31, 2012
March 30, 2013

Furniture,
fixtures and
equipment

Computer
equipment

Leasehold
improvements

Equipment
under
finance leases

59,007
5,353
75
(193)
(4,355)
61
(214)
59,734
4,376
(4)
(161)
(5,113)
58,832

26,363
5,446
–
(151)
1,584
(4,355)
15
(24)
28,878
5,408
–
(130)
–
(5,113)
29,043

18,335
2,104
(300)
(12)
(3,059)
416
(1,728)
15,756
2,439
(411)
(20)
(3,279)
14,485

8,716
3,383
191
(11)
78
(3,059)
418
(821)
8,895
3,092
5
(9)
–
(3,279)
8,704

56,005
4,787
229
(86)
(1,944)
36
(254)
58,773
2,706
415
(110)
(5,015)
56,769

23,007
8,032
(84)
(63)
2,294
(1,944)
26
(28)
31,240
8,129
(5)
(109)
250
(5,015)
34,490

6,555
253
–
(662)
–
1,429
(1,429)
6,146
465
–
(2,976)
–
3,635

3,039
1,555
–
(662)
–
–
50
(50)
3,932
1,209
–
(2,976)
–
–
2,165

Total

139,902
12,497
4
(953)
(9,358)
1,942
(3,625)
140,409
9,986
–
(3,267)
(13,407)
133,721

61,125
18,416
107
(887)
3,956
(9,358)
509
(923)
72,945
17,838
–
(3,224)
250
(13,407)
74,402

30,856
29,789

6,861
5,781

27,533
22,279

2,214
1,470

67,464
59,319

Annual  Report  2013        43

Capital assets are assessed for impairment at the CGU level, except for those capital assets which are either considered to be
corporate assets, or capital assets which belong to Calendar Club. As certain corporate assets cannot be allocated on a reason -
able and consistent basis to individual CGUs, they are tested for impairment at the corporate level. Separate impairment tests
are performed for Calendar Club. Last year, a separate impairment test was also performed for Kobo.

A CGU has been defined as an individual retail store, as each store generates cash flows that are largely independent from
the cash flows of other stores. CGUs and groups of CGUs are tested for impairment if impairment indicators exist at the
reporting date. Recoverable amounts for CGUs being tested are based on value in use, which is calculated from discounted
cash flow projections over the remaining lease terms, plus any renewal options where renewal is likely. Corporate asset test-
ing calculates discounted cash flow projections over a seven-year period.

The key assumptions from the value in use calculations are those regarding growth rates and discount rates. The cash flow
projections are based on both past and forecasted performance and are extrapolated using long-term growth rates which are
calculated separately for each CGU being tested. Average long-term growth rates for impairment testing ranged from 0.0%
to 3.0% (2012 – 0.0% to 3.0%). Management’s estimate of the discount rate reflects the current market assessment of the
time value of money and the risks specific to the Company. The pre-tax discount rate used to calculate value in use was 21.9%
(2012 – 22.0%).

Impairment indicators were identified during fiscal 2013 for Indigo’s retail stores and corporate assets. Accordingly, the
Company performed impairment testing, which resulted in the recognition and reversal of impairment losses for Indigo’s
retail stores only. Impairment losses recognized were $1.3 million in fiscal 2013 (2012 – $4.8 million) and are spread across
a number of CGUs. The impairment losses relate to CGUs whose carrying amounts exceed their recoverable amounts. In all
cases, impairment losses arose due to stores performing at lower-than-expected profitability. Impairment reversals recog-
nized were $1.0 million in fiscal 2013 (2012 – $0.8 million). Impairment reversals arose due to improved store performance
and the likelihood of lease term renewals. All of the impairment losses and reversals related to Indigo’s continuing operations.

44

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

9. INTANGIBLE ASSETS

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Gross carrying amount
Balance, April 2, 2011
Additions
Transfers / reclassifications
Disposals
Assets with zero net book value
Asset activity related to discontinued operations
Disposal of discontinued operations
Balance, March 31, 2012
Additions
Transfers / reclassifications
Disposals
Assets with zero net book value
Balance, March 30, 2013

Accumulated amortization and impairment
Balance, April 2, 2011
Amortization
Transfers / reclassifications
Disposals
Net impairment losses and reversals
Assets with zero net book value
Asset activity related to discontinued operations
Disposal of discontinued operations
Balance, March 31, 2012
Amortization
Disposals
Assets with zero net book value
Balance, March 30, 2013

Net carrying amount
March 31, 2012
March 30, 2013

Computer
application
software

Internal
development
costs

32,093
5,010
(4)
–
(4,733)
2,088
(10,525)
23,929
5,936
266
(5)
(4,890)
25,236

10,733
5,076
–
(1)
1
(4,733)
216
(2,884)
8,408
6,567
(2)
(4,890)
10,083

15,521
15,153

15,016
3,440
–
(66)
(3,585)
6,263
(8,990)
12,078
3,685
(266)
(21)
(2,999)
12,477

6,065
3,167
(107)
(7)
–
(3,585)
5,516
(6,260)
4,789
3,678
(2)
(2,999)
5,466

7,289
7,011

Domain
name

303
–
–
–
–
22
(325)
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
–

–
–

Total

47,412
8,450
(4)
(66)
(8,318)
8,373
(19,840)
36,007
9,621
–
(26)
(7,889)
37,713

16,798
8,243
(107)
(8)
1
(8,318)
5,732
(9,144)
13,197
10,245
(4)
(7,889)
15,549

22,810
22,164

Last year, the domain name was part of Kobo’s total assets. Useful life was deemed to be indefinite because there were no
legal, regulatory, contractual, competitive, economic or other factors which limited the useful life of the domain name to
Kobo. As a result of the sale of Kobo, Kobo assets were no longer consolidated as at March 31, 2012.

Impairment testing for intangible assets is performed using the same methodology, CGUs, and groups of CGUs as those
used for property, plant and equipment. The key assumptions from the value in use calculations for intangible asset impairment
testing are also identical to the key assumptions used for property, plant and equipment testing. Impairment and reversal
 indicators were identified during fiscal 2013 for Indigo’s retail stores. Accordingly, the Company performed impairment and
reversal testing but there were no intangible asset impairment losses or reversals in fiscal 2013 (2012 – $1,000 of impairment
losses and nil reversals).

Annual  Report  2013        45

10. INCOME TAXES
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities
for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Significant components of the Company’s
deferred tax assets are as follows:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Deferred tax assets
Reserves and allowances
Tax loss carryforwards
Corporate minimum tax
Book amortization in excess of cumulative eligible capital deduction
Book amortization in excess of capital cost allowance
Total deferred tax assets

March 30,
2013

March 31,
2012

2,990
22,648
1,354
267
21,472
48,731

3,343
25,620
1,354
285
18,031
48,633

The Company has recorded deferred tax assets of $48.7 million pertaining to tax loss carryforwards and other deductible
temporary differences based on management’s best estimate of future taxable income that the Company expects to achieve
from reviewing its latest approved forecast. The forecast of taxable income indicates the probable use of the deferred tax assets
and, therefore, it was recognized in full.

Significant components of income tax expense (recovery) are as follows:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Current income tax expense

Adjustment for prior periods

Deferred income tax expense (recovery)

Origination and reversal of temporary differences
Deferred income tax expense relating to utilization of loss carryforwards
Adjustment to deferred tax assets resulting from increase 

in substantively enacted tax rate

Change in tax rates due to change in expected pattern of reversal
Other, net

Total income tax recovery

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

–
–

(6,174)
7,745

(1,636)
(32)
(1)
(98)
(98)

71
71

(675)
–

–
(905)
8
(1,572)
(1,501)

46

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

The reconciliation of income taxes computed at statutory income tax rates to the effective income tax rates is as follows:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Earnings (loss) before income taxes

Tax at combined federal and provincial tax rates
Tax effect of expenses not deductible 

for income tax purposes

Goodwill impairment not deductible 

for income tax purposes

Adjustment to deferred tax assets  

resulting from increase in substantively  
enacted tax rate

Change in tax rates due to change 
in expected pattern of reversal

Other, net

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

4,190

1,102

388

–

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

(29,328)

26.3%

(8,069)

27.5%

9.3%

0.0%

781

(2.7%)

6,993

(23.8%)

(1,636)

(39.0%)

–

(32)
80
(98)

(0.8%)
1.9%
(2.3%)

(1,206)
–
(1,501)

0.0%

4.1%
0.0%
5.1%

The combined federal and provincial income tax rate used for fiscal 2013 is 26.3% (2012 – 27.5%). The rate has declined due
to declining federal and provincial income tax rates.

As at March 30, 2013, the Company has combined non-capital loss carryforwards of approximately $86.1 million for

income tax purposes that expire as follows if not utilized:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

2031

86,080

11. PROVISIONS
Provisions consist primarily of amounts recorded in respect of decommissioning liabilities, onerous lease arrangements, and
legal claims. Activity related to the Company’s provisions is as follows:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Balance, beginning of period
Charged
Utilized / released
Balance, end of period

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

692
1,814
(260)
2,246

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

–
692
–
692

Annual  Report  2013        47

12. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
(a)  Commitments

As at March 30, 2013, the Company had the following commitments:
(i) Operating lease obligations

The Company had operating lease commitments in respect of its stores, support office premises and certain equipment.
The leases expire at various dates between 2013 and 2022, and may be subject to renewal options. Annual store rent
consists of a base amount plus, in some cases, additional payments based on store sales. The Company expects to gen-
erate $8.9 million of revenues from subleases related to these operating leases over the next eight fiscal years.

(ii) Finance lease obligations

The Company entered into finance lease agreements for certain equipment. The obligations under these finance leases
is $1.5 million (2012 – $2.2 million), of which $0.8 million (2012 – $1.1 million) is included in the current portion
of long-term debt. The remainder of the finance lease obligations have been included in the non-current portion of
long-term debt.

The Company’s minimum contractual obligations due over the next five fiscal years and thereafter are summarized below:

(millions of Canadian dollars)

Operating leases

Finance leases

2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
Thereafter
Total obligations

(b)  Legal claims

55.8
40.6
31.3
24.0
16.6
14.3
182.6

0.8
0.5
0.2
–
–
–
1.5

Total

56.6
41.1
31.5
24.0
16.6
14.3
184.1

In the normal course of business, the Company becomes involved in various claims and litigation. While the final outcome
of such claims and litigation pending as at March 30, 2013 cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes that
any such amount would not have a material impact on the Company’s financial position or financial performance, except
for those amounts which have been recorded as provisions on the Company’s consolidated balance sheets.

48

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

13. SHARE CAPITAL
Share capital consists of the following:

Authorized
Unlimited Class A preference shares with no par value, voting, convertible into 

common shares on a one-for-one basis at the option of the shareholder

Unlimited common shares, voting

Balance, beginning of period
Issued during the period

52-week period ended
March 30, 2013

52-week period ended
March 31, 2012

Number of
shares

Amount
C$ (thousands) 

Number of
shares 

Amount
C$ (thousands)

25,238,414

203,373

25,140,540

202,220

Directors’ deferred share units converted
Options exercised
Balance, end of period

1,075
57,900
25,297,389

15
417
203,805

38,774
59,100
25,238,414

404
749
203,373

During fiscal 2013, the Company issued 1,075 common shares (2012 – 38,774 common shares) in exchange for Directors’
deferred share units (“DSUs”).

During fiscal 2013, the Company distributed dividends per share of $0.44 (2012 – $0.44).

14. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION
The Company has established an employee stock option plan (the “Plan”) for key employees. The number of common shares
reserved for issuance under the Plan is 2,179,739. Most options granted between May 21, 2002 and March 31, 2012 have a
ten-year term and have one fifth of the options granted exercisable one year after the date of issue with the remainder exercis-
able in equal instalments on the anniversary date over the next four years. Subsequently, most options granted after April 1,
2012 have a five-year term and have one third of the options granted exercisable one year after the date of issue with the
remainder exercisable in equal instalments on the anniversary date over the next two years. A small number of options have
special vesting schedules that were approved by the Board. Each option is exercisable into one common share of the Company
at the price specified in the terms of the option agreement.

The Company uses the fair value method of accounting for stock options, which estimates the fair value of the stock options
granted on the date of grant, net of estimated forfeitures, and expenses this value over the vesting period. During fiscal 2013,
the pre-forfeiture fair value of options granted was $0.7 million (2012 – $0.7 million). The weighted average fair value of
options issued in fiscal 2013 was $1.54 per option (2012 – $1.98 per option).

Annual  Report  2013        49

The fair value of the employee stock options is estimated at the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option pricing

model with the following weighted average assumptions during the periods presented:

Black-Scholes option pricing assumptions
Risk-free interest rate
Expected volatility
Expected time until exercise
Expected dividend yield

Other assumptions
Forfeiture rate

A summary of the status of the Plan and changes during both periods is presented below:

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

1.2%
37.1%
3.0 years
5.0%

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

1.8%
33.3%
3.7 years
4.3%

24.9%

23.5%

52-week period ended
March 30, 2013

52-week period ended
March 31, 2012

Number
#

1,372,400
430,000
(117,500)
(57,900)
1,627,000

722,500

Weighted
average
exercise price
C$

13.64
8.63
12.97
5.74
12.64

14.52

Number
#

1,799,100
350,000
(717,600)
(59,100)
1,372,400

574,900

Weighted
average
exercise price
C$

14.23
10.99
14.14
9.89
13.64

13.88

March 30, 2013

Outstanding

Exercisable

Weighted
average
exercise price
C$

Weighted
average
remaining
contractual life
(in years)

7.74
10.95
14.17
15.18
16.11
12.64

5.5
5.6
6.5
7.7
4.5
5.9

Number
#

361,000
330,500
328,000
302,500
305,000
1,627,000

Number
#

45,000
74,500
177,000
121,000
305,000
722,500

Weighted
average
exercise price
C$

6.99
12.44
14.10
15.18
16.11
14.52

Outstanding options, beginning of period
Granted
Forfeited
Exercised
Outstanding options, end of period

Options exercisable, end of period

Options outstanding and exercisable

Range of
exercise prices
C$

4.45 – 8.13
8.14 – 13.38
13.39 – 15.00
15.01 – 15.51
15.52 – 16.75
4.45 – 16.75

50

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

Directors’ compensation
The Company has established a Directors’ Deferred Share Unit Plan (“DSU Plan”). Under the DSU Plan, Directors receive
their annual retainer fees and other Board-related compensation in the form of deferred share units (“DSUs”). The number
of shares reserved for issuance under this plan is 350,000. The Company issued 46,409 DSUs with a value of $0.4 million
during fiscal 2013 (2012 – 56,273 DSUs with a value of $0.5 million). The number of DSUs to be issued to each Director is
based on a set fee schedule. The fair value of the outstanding DSUs as at March 30, 2013 was $2.9 million (2012 – $2.5 million)
and was recorded in contributed surplus. The fair value of DSUs is equal to the traded price of the Company’s common shares
on grant date.

Last year, the Company entered into agreements to allow one Indigo Director (who served on Kobo’s Board) and one
Kobo Director to purchase shares of Kobo. These agreements allowed for the purchase of up to 470,000 Kobo shares directly
from Indigo and exercise prices ranged from $1.00 to $3.86 per share. As a result of the sale of Kobo to Rakuten Inc., the
agreements were exercised in full and the holders received a cash payout of $1.7 million. There were no such agreements in
fiscal 2013.

15. OPERATING AND ADMINISTRATIVE EXPENSES
Supplemental operating and administrative expenses information:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Wages, salaries and bonuses
Short-term benefits expense
Termination benefits expense
Retirement benefits expense
Stock-based compensation
Total employee benefits expense

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

151,366
17,884
3,482
1,224
743
174,699

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

154,279 
17,793 
2,507 
1,223 
1,041 
176,843 

Termination benefits arise when the Company terminates certain employment agreements.

Minimum lease payments recognized as an expense for the 52-week period ended March 30, 2013 were $62.7 million
(2012 – $62.9 million). Contingent rents recognized as an expense for the 52-week period ended March 30, 2013 were 
$1.3 million (2012 – $1.7 million).

Annual  Report  2013        51

16. EARNINGS PER SHARE
Earnings per share is calculated based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during the period. In
calculating diluted earnings per share amounts under the treasury stock method, the numerator remains unchanged from the
basic earnings per share calculations as the assumed exercise of the Company’s stock options and assumed conversion of the
Directors’ DSUs do not result in an adjustment to net earnings. The reconciliation of the denominator in calculating diluted
earnings per share amounts for the periods presented is as follows:

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, basic
Effect of dilutive securities

Stock options
Deferred share units

Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, diluted

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

25,270

25,201 

34
285
25,589

33 
240 
25,474 

As at March 30, 2013, 1,505,500 (2012 – 1,293,000) options could potentially dilute basic earnings per share in the future, but
were excluded from the computation of diluted net earnings per common share in the current period as they were anti-dilutive.

17. STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Supplemental cash flow information:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Net change in non-cash working capital balances related to continuing operations:

Accounts receivable
Inventories
Prepaid expenses
Income taxes payable
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Unredeemed gift card liability
Provisions
Deferred revenue

Assets acquired under finance leases

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

5,447
12,790
(540)
(86)
(24,714)
4,458
1,554
2,499
1,408

465

(4,649)
2,748
2,118 
(245) 

14,589
1,720 
692
(48)
16,925

253 

18. CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
The Company’s main objectives when managing capital are to safeguard its ability to continue as a going concern while main-
taining adequate financial flexibility to invest in new business opportunities that will provide attractive returns to shareholders.
The primary activities engaged by the Company to generate attractive returns include construction and related leasehold
improvements of stores, the development of new business concepts, and investment in information technology and distribu-
tion capacity to support the online and retail networks. The Company’s main sources of capital are its current cash position,
cash flows generated from operations, a revolving line of credit, and long-term debt. The Company is able to draw $25.0 mil-
lion from its revolving line of credit. As at March 30, 2013, the Company has no amounts drawn upon its revolving line of credit.

52

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

Cash flow is used to fund working capital needs, capital expenditures, debt service requirements, and dividend distributions
to shareholders. There were no changes to these objectives during fiscal 2013.

In January 2012, the Company received US$146.1 million from the proceeds of the sale of Kobo to Rakuten Inc. To
 partially manage the foreign exchange risk related to this cash flow, the Company entered into a foreign currency forward
contract in December 2011 with a settlement date in January 2012. The Company does not expect to enter into any other
forward contracts in the foreseeable future.

Previously, the Company monitored its capital structure principally through measuring its total debt to equity ratio. Total
debt is defined as the total of long-term debt (including the current portion). However, this ratio is no longer significant as
the Company’s total equity significantly exceeds its total debt and the ratio has been close to nil for the past five years. The
Company now primarily manages its capital by monitoring its available cash balance to ensure that sufficient funds are available
for long-term debt and interest payments over the next year.

The following table summarizes selected capital structure information for the Company:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Current portion of long-term debt
Long-term debt
Total debt
Total equity
Total capital under management

March 30,
2013

773
705
1,478
350,322
351,800

March 31,
2012

1,060
1,141
2,201
355,632
357,833

Last year, the Company also held $5.3 million of notes payable; these notes were used in the acquisition of related companies
with non-capital tax losses. The notes were paid in full during fiscal 2012 and the Company had no notes payable outstanding
as at March 31, 2012. The Company also held no notes payable during fiscal 2013.

19. FINANCIAL INSTRUMENTS
The Company had no financial instruments measured at fair value in fiscal 2013.

Last year, the Company entered into a foreign currency forward contract with a Canadian bank to partially manage the
foreign exchange risk related to U.S. dollar proceeds from the sale of Kobo. This was a short-term contract with a settlement
date in January 2012. This contract was classified as a financial asset and categorized as a Level 2 financial instrument. The fair
value of the foreign currency forward contract was calculated by the bank using a valuation model and mid-market rates and
was recorded as part of net earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss) from continuing operations.

20. FINANCIAL RISK MANAGEMENT
The Company’s activities expose it to a variety of financial risks, including risks related to foreign exchange, interest rate,
credit, and liquidity.

Foreign exchange risk
The  Company’s  foreign  exchange  risk  from  continuing  operations  is  largely  limited  to  currency  fluctuations  between  the
Canadian and U.S. dollar. Decreases in the value of the Canadian dollar relative to the U.S. dollar could negatively impact net
earnings since the purchase price of some of the Company’s products are negotiated with vendors in U.S. dollars, while the
retail price to customers is set in Canadian dollars. Last year, the Company entered into one foreign currency derivative
 contract to partially manage the foreign exchange risk related to U.S. dollar proceeds from the sale of Kobo. The Company
does not expect to enter into any other forward contracts to manage foreign exchange risk from continuing operations.

Annual  Report  2013        53

As the Company expands its product selection to include a greater number of non-book items, foreign exchange risk has
increased due to more purchases being denominated in U.S. dollars. A 10% appreciation or depreciation in the U.S. and
Canadian dollar exchange rates during fiscal 2013 would have had an impact of $3.9 million (2012 – $4.8 million) on net
earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss) from continuing operations.

In fiscal 2013, the effect of foreign currency translation on net earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss) from

continuing operations was a gain of $0.2 million (2012 – gain of $0.1 million).

Interest rate risk
Interest rate risk is the risk that the fair value of future cash flows associated with the Company’s financial assets or liabilities
will fluctuate due to changes in market interest rates. The Company’s interest rate risk is limited to the fluctuation of floating
rates on its revolving line of credit. Since the Company does not intend to draw on its revolving line of credit in the coming
year, it does not consider its exposure to interest rate risk to be material. The Company does not use any interest rate swaps
to fix the floating interest rate on its line of credit.

Credit risk
The Company is exposed to credit risk resulting from the possibility that counterparties may default on their financial obli-
gations to the Company. The Company’s maximum exposure to credit risk at the reporting date is equal to the carrying value
of accounts receivable. Accounts receivable primarily consists of receivables from retail customers who pay by credit card,
recoveries of credits from suppliers for returned or damaged products, and receivables from other companies for sales of
products, gift cards and other services. Credit card payments have minimal credit risk and the limited number of corporate
receivables is closely monitored.

Liquidity risk
Liquidity risk is the risk that the Company will be unable to meet its obligations relating to its financial liabilities. The Company
manages liquidity risk by preparing and monitoring cash flow budgets and forecasts to ensure that the Company has sufficient
funds to meet its financial obligations and fund new business opportunities or other unanticipated requirements as they arise.
The contractual maturities of the Company’s current and long-term liabilities as at March 30, 2013 are as follows:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
Unredeemed gift card liability
Provisions
Current portion of long-term debt
Long-term accrued liabilities
Long-term provisions
Long-term debt
Total

Payments
due in the
next 90 days

119,975
47,169
–
–
–
–
–
167,144

Payments
due between
90 days and
less than a year

31,308
–
2,168
773
–
–
–
34,249

Payments
due after
1 year

–
–
–
–
4,004
78
705
4,787

Total

151,283
47,169
2,168
773
4,004
78
705
206,180

54

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

21. JOINT VENTURE
The Company participates in a joint venture through a 50% equity ownership in Calendar Club to sell calendars, games, and
gifts through seasonal kiosks and year-round stores.

The following tables represent the total assets, liabilities, revenues, expenses, and cash flows of Calendar Club along with

the Company’s proportionate share therein:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Current assets
Long-term assets
Current liabilities

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Revenue
Expenses
Net earnings

Cash flows provided by (used in)
Operating activities
Investing activities
Financing activities
Net cash flow

Total

March 30,
2013

3,316
831
2,212

March 31, 

2012

2,798
1,071
1,948

Proportionate share

March 30,
2013

1,658
416
1,106

Total

Proportionate share

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

30,543
27,914
2,629

3,668
(160)
(2,995)
513

52-week 
period ended 
March 31, 

2012

30,748
28,415
2,333

3,533
(90)
(2,875)
568

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

15,272
13,957
1,315

1,834
(80)
(1,498)
256

March 31,
2012

1,399
536
974

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

15,374 
14,208 
1,166 

1,767 
(45)
(1,438)
284

22. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
The Company’s related parties include its key management personnel, shareholders, defined contribution retirement plan,
joint venture, and subsidiary. Unless otherwise stated, none of the transactions incorporate special terms and conditions and
no guarantees were given or received. Outstanding balances are usually settled in cash.

Transactions with key management personnel
Key management of the Company includes members of the Board of Directors as well as members of the Executive Committee.
Key management personnel remuneration includes the following expenses:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Wages, salaries, bonus and consulting
Short-term benefits expense
Termination benefits expense
Retirement benefits expense
Stock-based compensation
Directors’ compensation
Total remuneration

52-week
period ended
March 30,
2013

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

4,085
246
450
66
443
446
5,736

5,591
255
–
54
601
1,307
7,808

Annual  Report  2013        55

Transactions with shareholders
During fiscal 2013, Indigo rented space to store a portion of the Company’s holiday inventories and paid for assistance with
international freight transportation and customs clearance. These transactions were with a public company controlled by 
Mr. Gerald W. Schwartz, who is also the controlling shareholder of Indigo. Indigo paid $0.2 million for these transactions.
These transactions were in the normal course of business for both companies.

Last year, Indigo purchased two companies, the sole assets of which are certain tax losses, from a public company controlled
by Mr. Gerald W. Schwartz, who is also the controlling shareholder of Indigo. Indigo acquired these companies with a total
of $100.3 million of non-capital tax losses in exchange for total net cash consideration of $5.3 million and two notes payable
totalling $5.3 million. The notes payable were non-interest bearing and were both due and repaid on March 31, 2012. The
acquisitions included transaction costs shared between the two companies. As a result, the Company recorded a total deferred
tax asset of $25.4 million and the difference of $15.0 million between the total net cash consideration and the total deferred
tax asset was recorded directly to retained earnings.

Transactions with defined contribution retirement plan
The Company’s transactions with the defined contribution retirement plan include contributions paid to the retirement plan
as disclosed in note 15. The Company has not entered into other transactions with the retirement plan.

Transactions with joint venture
The Company’s Calendar Club joint venture is a seasonal operation which is dependent on the December holiday sales season
to  generate  revenues.  During  the  year,  the  Company  loans  cash  to  Calendar  Club  for  working  capital  requirements  and
Calendar Club repays the loans once profits are generated in the third quarter. The net amount of these transactions for fiscal
2013 is nil (2012 – nil), as Calendar Club has repaid all loans as at March 30, 2013.

Transactions with subsidiaries
Indigo had no subsidiaries in fiscal 2013.

Last year, Kobo was a consolidated subsidiary of the Company from April 3, 2011 to January 10, 2012. On April 19,
2011, Kobo issued 6,743,486 shares to a syndicate of investors comprised of both existing shareholders and new investors.
Indigo purchased 779,361 common shares for $3.0 million while the rest of the syndicate members purchased a total of
5,964,125 common shares for $23.0 million. As a result of these transactions, Indigo’s ownership of Kobo decreased from
58.3% to 51.4%. Subsequently, on November 8, 2011, Indigo entered into an agreement with Rakuten, Inc. for Rakuten to
acquire all the outstanding shares of Kobo on a fully diluted basis. The transaction closed on January 11, 2012 and, on that
date, Kobo was no longer consolidated with the Company.

From April 3, 2011 to January 10, 2012, the Company earned revenue from Kobo through a revenue-sharing agreement,
provided back office management services to Kobo, and purchased inventory from Kobo. For Indigo gift cards which are
redeemed on Kobo’s website, the Company pays Kobo for the value of the gift cards, less a commission fee. All related party
transactions were recorded in the consolidated statements of earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss). The net amount
of these transactions last year totalled $30.3 million paid by Indigo.

23. DISCONTINUED OPERATIONS
On November 8, 2011, Indigo entered into an agreement with Rakuten Inc. to acquire all the outstanding shares of Kobo on
a fully diluted basis for an aggregate purchase price of US$315.0 million. The transaction was unanimously approved by the
Board of Directors on November 8, 2011 and closed on January 11, 2012 following the satisfaction of all closing conditions.
As a result of the sale, Kobo’s operating results were classified as discontinued operations and the Company has no remaining
non-controlling interest on the consolidated balance sheets. Indigo received net cash proceeds of US$146.1 million for the
Kobo sale and recognized an accounting gain of $164.5 million, offset by a $16.3 million income tax expense, as part of

56

Consolidated  Financial  Statements  and  Notes

 earnings from discontinued operations. This transaction involved both investing and financing activities. Net cash proceeds
were originally recorded as cash flows from financing activities in the consolidated statements of cash flows last year but have
been  reclassified  as  investing  activities  for  presentation  purposes. The  Company  continued  to  eliminate  all  intercompany
transactions until the sale was closed.

Below  is  a  summary  of  Kobo’s  operating  results,  including  the  gain  on  sale  of  discontinued  operations,  which  were

included in the consolidated statements of earnings (loss) and comprehensive earnings (loss) last year:

(thousands of Canadian dollars)

Revenues
Expenses
Loss from discontinued operations
Gain on sale of discontinued operations
Income tax expense on sale of discontinued operations
Net earnings from discontinued operations (net of tax)

Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations attributable to:
Shareholders of Indigo
Non-controlling interest

52-week
period ended
March 31,
2012

91,681
(145,818)
(54,137)
164,491
(16,338)
94,016

120,491
(26,475)
94,016

25. GOODWILL
The Company had no remaining goodwill balance in fiscal 2013.

Last year, impairment indicators were identified during the second quarter of fiscal 2012. At that time, the Company had
two  operating  segments:  Indigo  and  Kobo.  Indigo  segment  performance  was  significantly  lower  than  expected  and  the
Company’s market capitalization had declined significantly from fiscal 2011. These conditions, among other factors, indicated
that goodwill may be impaired. As a result, the Company performed a goodwill impairment test which resulted in a full write-
down of goodwill allocated to the Indigo segment. Unlike other asset impairments, goodwill impairment charges cannot be
reversed once they are recorded.

The goodwill impairment test consisted of comparing the carrying value of assets within each CGU or group of CGUs
to the recoverable amount of the CGU or group of CGUs. The group of CGUs used by the Company for impairment testing
was at the operating segment level. The recoverable amount of the Indigo segment was measured by discounting the future
cash flows expected to be generated. Cash flows were projected over one year plus a terminal value. The discounted cash flow
model was based on actual operating results, detailed sales and cost forecasts, and long-term growth rates which are consis-
tent with inflation and general retail industry averages. The carrying value of Indigo segment assets exceeded its recoverable
amount, which resulted in a goodwill impairment charge of $25.4 million.

The key assumptions from the Indigo discounted cash flow model were those regarding growth rates and discount rates.

Average growth rate used for the fiscal 2012 impairment test was 2.0% and the pre-tax discount rate was 22.0%.

Last year, the Company also performed an impairment test on the Kobo segment. The recoverable amount of the Kobo
segment was based on the market capitalization of Kobo. There was no impairment identified for the goodwill allocated to
the Kobo segment. However, the $1.2 million of goodwill allocated to the Kobo segment was subsequently disposed of in
fiscal 2012 as part of the Kobo sale. As such, the Company had no remaining goodwill balance at the end of fiscal 2012.

Annual  Report  2013        57

Corporate Governance Policies

A presentation of Indigo’s corporate governance policies is included in the Management Information Circular which is mailed
to all shareholders. If you would like to receive a copy of this information, please contact Investor Relations at Indigo.

58

Corporate  Governance  Policies

Executive Management and Board of Directors

EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Heather Reisman
Chair & Chief Executive Officer

Kay Brekken
Chief Financial Officer

Kirsten Chapman
Executive Vice President, Online & Mobile

Laura Dunne
Senior Vice President, Human Resources & 
Organizational Development

Kathleen Flynn
General Counsel & Corporate Secretary

Joyce Gray
Group Executive Vice President, 
Consumer Experience & Print

Deirdre Horgan
Chief Marketing Officer

Tod Morehead
Executive Vice President & 
Group General Merchandise Manager 

Mike Mortson
Executive Vice President, Supply Chain

Sumit Oberai
Chief Information Officer &
Executive Vice President, Digital

Frank Clegg
Chairman
Navantis Inc.

Jonathan Deitcher
Investment Advisor
RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

Mitchell Goldhar
President & Chief Executive Officer
SmartCentres

James Hall
President & Chief Executive Officer
James Hall Advisors Inc.

Michael Kirby
Corporate Director
Chair of Partners for Mental Health

Anne Marie O’Donovan
Executive Vice President & Chief Administration Officer,
Global Banking and Markets
Scotiabank

Heather Reisman
Chair & Chief Executive Officer
Indigo Books & Music Inc.

Joel Silver
Managing Partner
Trilogy Growth

Gerald Schwartz
Chairman & Chief Executive Officer
Onex Corporation

Annual  Report  2013        59

Five Year Summary of Financial Information

For the years ended
(millions of Canadian dollars, except share and per share data)

March 30,
2013

IFRS

March 31,
2012

April 2,
2011

Canadian GAAP

April 3,
2010

March 28,
2009

SELECTED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS

INFORMATION

Revenues

Superstores
Small format stores
Online
Other
Total revenues

EBITDA1
Earnings (loss) before income taxes
Net earnings (loss) and comprehensive 

earnings (loss)

Dividends per share
Net earnings (loss) per common share

SELECTED BALANCE SHEET INFORMATION
Working capital
Total assets

Long-term debt (including current portion)
Total equity

625.4
137.2
91.9
38.0
892.5

30.0
4.2

4.3

$0.44
$0.17

224.9
570.2

1.5
350.3

656.5
145.2
91.3
41.0
934.0

26.4
(29.3)

66.2

$0.44
$3.68

224.1
592.5

2.2
355.6

667.6
149.4
90.6
48.8
956.4

56.4
25.8

(19.4)

$0.44
$(0.23)

101.6
511.0

3.3
267.4

670.5
159.3
92.2
46.1
968.1

76.1
49.8

34.9

$0.40
$1.42

106.4
519.8

3.0
259.0

634.7
166.8
95.2
43.7
940.4

72.5
45.8

30.7

–
$1.24

87.1
487.5

5.0
230.9

Weighted average number of shares outstanding

25,270,087

25,201,127

24,874,199

24,549,622

24,674,523

Common shares outstanding at end of period

25,297,389

25,238,414

25,140,540

24,742,915

24,526,272

STORE OPERATING STATISTICS
Number of stores at end of period
Superstores
Small format stores

Selling square footage at end of period 

(in thousands)

Superstores
Small format stores

Comparable store sales
Superstores
Small format stores

Sales per selling square foot
Superstores
Small format stores

97
134

97
143

97
150

96
151

90 
157

2,235
379

(4.6%)
(2.4%)

280
362

2,235
400

(1.9%)
(0.8%)

294
363

2,235
413

(0.3%)
(3.2%)

299
362

2,217
417

0.6%
(2.2%)

302
382

2,110 
420 

2.4%
4.3%

301
397 

1  Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and impairment. Also see “Non-IFRS Financial Measures”.

60

Five Year  Summary  of  Financial  Information

Investor Information

AUDITORS
Ernst & Young LLP
Ernst & Young Tower
Toronto-Dominion Centre
Toronto, Ontario
Canada  M5K 1J7

ANNUAL MEETING
The Annual Meeting represents an opportunity 
for shareholders to review and participate in 
the  management of the Company as well as 
meet with its directors and officers.

Indigo’s Annual Meeting will be held on 
June 25, 2013 at 10:00 a.m. at
Torys LLP
79 Wellington Street West, 33rd Floor
Toronto, Ontario
Canada M5K 1N2

Shareholders are encouraged to attend and 
guests are welcome.

Une traduction française de ce document est 
disponible sur demande.

SUPPORT OFFICE
468 King Street West
Suite 500
Toronto, Ontario
Canada  M5V 1L8
Telephone (416) 364-4499
Fax (416) 364-0355
www.chapters.indigo.ca/investor-relations/

INVESTOR CONTACT
Kay Brekken
Chief Financial Officer
Telephone (416) 646-8945

MEDIA CONTACT
Janet Eger
Vice President, Public Relations
Telephone (416) 342-8561

STOCK LISTING
Toronto Stock Exchange

TRADING SYMBOL
IDG

TRANSFER AGENT AND REGISTRAR
CIBC Mellon Trust Company
P.O. Box 700, Station B
Montreal, Quebec
Canada  H3B 3K3
Telephone (Toll Free) 1-800-387-0825
(416) 682-3860

(Toronto)

Annual  Report  2013        61

Transforming Lives One Book at a Time

Since 2004 Indigo has enriched the lives of thousands of Canadian children through its Indigo Love of Reading Foundation
and national grassroots Adopt a School program. Together with the support of Indigo employees and customers they have
delivered over $13.5 million to more than 1,300 elementary schools in the country, putting over one million books into the
hands of children, resulting in increased literacy scores, stronger self-esteem and brighter futures.

In particular, Love of Reading has committed $12 million, transforming 130 schools in their communities. These schools

are listed below.

Alberta
Balwin School, Edmonton (2012)
Barons School, Barons (2011)
Belfast School, Calgary (2009)
Brightview Elementary School, Edmonton (2010)
Capitol Hill School, Calgary (2009)
Delton School, Edmonton (2013)
Glendale Elementary, Edmonton (2009)
Holy Redeemer, Calgary (2007)
Inglewood, Edmonton (2010)
John A. McDougall School, Edmonton (2012)
Keeler Elementary School, Calgary (2010)
Norwood Elementary School, Edmonton (2013)
Parkdale School, Edmonton (2008)
Penbrooke Meadows Elementary, Calgary (2011)
Prince Charles Elementary School, Edmonton (2008)
Sherwood School, Edmonton (2012)
St. Augustine Fine Arts School, Calgary (2013)
St. Francis of Assisi, Edmonton (2005)
St. Louis School, Medicine Hat (2006)
St. Maria Goretti Catholic School, Edmonton (2011)

British Columbia
Abbotsford Middle School, Abbotsford (2011)
Barrowtown Elementary, Abbotsford (2012)
Cedar Hills Elementary School, Surrey (2012)
Conrad Street Elementary School, Prince Rupert (2008)
David Hoy Elementary School, Fort St. James (2007)
Douglas Park Community School, Langley (2005)
Graham Bruce Elementary School, Vancouver (2006)
Grandview/¿uuqinak’uuh Elementary, Vancouver (2009)
Harwin Elementary School, Prince George (2013)
Holly Elementary School, Surrey (2009)
KB Woodward Elementary School, Surrey (2010)
Kinnikinnick Elementary, Sechelt (2010)
Lena Shaw Elementary School, Surrey (2008)
Lord Beaconsfield Elementary, Vancouver (2005)
Lord Selkirk, Vancouver (2011)
Lucerne Elementary Secondary School, New Denver (2009)

62

Transforming  Lives  One  Book  at  a  Time

Moody Elementary School, Port Moody (2013)
Nootka Elementary School, Vancouver (2006)
Queen Alexandra Elementary School, Vancouver (2007)
Thornhill Elementary School, Terrace (2012)
Thunderbird Elementary, Vancouver (2011)
Tillicum Community Annex, Vancouver (2010)
Tomsett Elementary, Richmond (2011)
W.E. Kinvig Elementary, Surrey (2013)

Manitoba
Arborgate School, La Broquerie (2009)
Betty Gibson School, Brandon (2009)
David Livingstone Community School, Winnipeg (2013)
Dawson Trail School, Lorette (2010)
Dufferin School, Winnipeg (2011)
Kelsey Community School, The Pas (2008)
King Edward Community School, Winnipeg (2009)
King George School, Brandon (2012)
Lavallee School, Winnipeg (2010)
Lundar School, Lundar (2005)
Mulvey School, Winnipeg (2013)
North Memorial School, Portage la Prairie (2008)
Oak Lake Community School, Oak Lake (2010)
Plum Coulee Elementary School, Plum Coulee (2008)
Sister MacNamara, Winnipeg (2011)
Wellington Elementary School, Winnipeg (2007)
William Whyte Community School, Winnipeg (2006)

New Brunswick
Centennial School, Saint John (2013)
Burnt Church Esgenoopetitj School, Burnt Church (2007)
Elsipogtog First Nation School, Elsipogtog (2008)
Forest Glen School, Moncton (2005)
Glen Falls Elementary School, Saint John (2012)
Mountain View Elementary, Irishtown (2011)
South Devon Elementary School, Fredericton (2006)
St. Patrick’s School, Saint John (2009)
Upper Miramichi Elementary School, Boiestown (2010)

Newfoundland and Labrador
Acreman Elementary, Green’s Harbour (2011)
Bishop Feild School, St. John’s (2010)
Helen Tulk Elementary School, Bishop’s Falls (2012)
Jakeman All Grade, Trout River (2012)
St. John Bosco School, Shea Heights (2009)
Stephenville Primary School, Stephenville (2006)
Virginia Park Elementary, St. John’s (2013)
Woodland Primary School, Grand Falls-Windsor (2008)

Nova Scotia
Central Spryfield Elementary School, Halifax (2006)
Chiganois Elementary, Masstown (2007)
Evangeline Middle School, New Minas (2011)
Gold River-Western Shore Elementary School, 

Western Shore (2009)

John Martin Junior High School, Dartmouth (2010)
Nelson Whynder Elementary School, Dartmouth (2012)
Sheet Harbour Consolidated, Sheet Harbour (2009)
South Centennial Elementary School, Yarmouth (2008)
Southdale-North Woodside School, Dartmouth (2005)
Windsor Forks District School, Curry’s Corner (2010)

Northwest Territories
École St. Joseph, Yellowknife (2009)
Mildred Hall Elementary School, Yellowknife (2010)
Sir Alexander Mackenzie School, Inuvik (2008)
Weledeh Catholic School, Yellowknife (2007)

Nunavut
Victor Sammurtok School, Chesterfield Inlet (2013)

Ontario
A.R. Kaufman Public School, Kitchener (2009)
Abe Scatch Memorial School, Poplar Hill (2008)
Alexander Muir/Gladstone, Toronto (2008)
Armadale Public School, Markham (2011)
Blessed John XXIII Catholic Elementary School, 

Toronto (2012)

Central Public School, Brantford (2012)
Delhi Public School, Delhi (2012)
Dovercourt Junior Public School, Toronto (2006)
Dunrankin Drive Public School, Mississauga (2011)
East View Public School, Sault Ste. Marie (2009)
Eastwood Public School, Windsor (2011)
Fenelon Township Public School, Cameron (2008)
First Nations School of Toronto, Toronto (2011)
General Crerar Public School, Toronto (2013)
Graham Bell-Victoria Public School, Brantford (2013)
Houghton Public School, Langton (2010)

Keith Wightman Public School, Peterborough (2006)
Kent Public School, Campbellford (2010)
King Edward Public School, Kitchener (2005)
Mary Street Community School, Oshawa (2005)
McHugh Public School, Brampton (2009)
Nelson Mandela Park Public School, Toronto (2013)
Ogden Community School, Thunder Bay (2007)
Parkdale Junior and Senior Public School, Toronto (2012)
Pinecrest Public School, Ottawa (2005)
Queen Victoria Public School, Toronto (2011)
Ridgewood Public School, Mississauga (2013)
Rose Avenue Public School, Toronto (2013)
Roxborough Park Public School, Hamilton (2008)
Sherbrooke Public School, Thunder Bay (2012)
Sir John A. MacDonald Public School, London (2007)
St. David Catholic Elementary, Sudbury (2010)
St. Patrick Catholic Elementary School, Niagara Falls (2013)
William G. Davis, Windsor (2012)

Prince Edward Island
Belfast Consolidated School, Belle River (2008)
Eliot River Elementary, Cornwall (2012)
Prince Street Elementary School, Charlottetown (2008)
Souris Consolidated School, Souris (2013)

Quebec
Belle Anse School, Barachois (2013)
Butler Elementary School, Bedford (2005)
Maniwaki Woodland School, Maniwaki (2010)
New Carlisle High School, New Carlisle (2009)
Orchard Elementary School, LaSalle (2008)
Riverview Elementary School, Verdun (2006)
Shigawake Port Daniel School, Shigawake (2008)
Verdun Elementary, Verdun (2011)

Saskatchewan
Connaught Community School, North Battleford (2011)
Glen Elm School, Regina (2008)
King George Community Public School, Prince Albert (2013)
King George Community School, Saskatoon (2011)
McKitrick Community School, North Battleford (2009)
Pleasant Hill Community School, Saskatoon (2007)
Princess Alexandra Community School, Saskatoon (2009)
Riverside Community School, Prince Albert (2012)
St. Augustine Community School, Regina (2010)
St. Catherine Community School, Regina (2012)
Westview Community School, Prince Albert (2010)

Annual  Report  2013        63

Our Beliefs

• We exist to add joy to customers’ lives – when 

they interact with us and, when they interact with 
our products.

• Each and every person in the company should

understand how his or her work contributes to the
creation of joyful customer moments. 

• We owe to each other, irrespective of role or position,
the same level of respect and caring as we would show 
to a valued friend.

• We have a responsibility to create an environment 
where each individual is inspired to perform to the 
best of his or her ability.

• Passion, creativity and innovation are the keys to

sustainable growth and profitability. Each individual
working at Indigo should reflect this in his or her work.
Our role, as a company, is to encourage and reward the
demonstration of these attributes.

• We have a responsibility to give back to the communities

in which we operate.

 
 
Printed in Canada

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