Quarterlytics / Consumer Cyclical / Apparel - Retail / Shoe Carnival, Inc. / FY2018 Annual Report

Shoe Carnival, Inc.
Annual Report 2018

SCVL · NASDAQ Consumer Cyclical
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Ticker SCVL
Exchange NASDAQ
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Apparel - Retail
Employees 2500
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FY2018 Annual Report · Shoe Carnival, Inc.
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7500 East Columbia Street  •  Evansville, Indiana 47715 
812.867.6471  •  shoecarnival.com

CELEBRATING

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

outer back cover

outer front cover

1978

1993

1987

2002

2016

F

1   O F

$

$2 OFF

$1 OFF

1986

2009

F R E E
P RIZ E

F
F
1 O

$

F
F
O
5
$

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1

$

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2 

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$

1 O
F
F

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2 

$

$1 OFF

$2 OFF

$

1 OF

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$3 OFF

1995

2002

Celebrating 40 years in the retail shoe industry.

Celebrating 40 years in the retail shoe industry.

2001

1992

2009
2009

1984

2018

inner front cover

1978 - 2018

inner back cover

 
 
 
 
Human Resources, In-House Counsel 

Divisional Merchandise Manager

OFFICERS AND CORPORATE MANAGEMENT

J. WAYNE WEAVER**

Chairman

CLIFTON E. SIFFORD**

President and Chief Executive Offi cer

W. KERRY JACKSON**

Senior Executive Vice President  

Chief Operating and Financial Offi cer 

and Treasurer

TIMOTHY T. BAKER**

Executive Vice President

Store Operations

CARL N. SCIBETTA**

Executive Vice President

Chief Merchandising Offi cer

MARK J. WORDEN**

Executive Vice President

Chief Strategy and Marketing Offi cer

MARC A. CHILTON

Senior Vice President

Store Operations Administration

TERRY L. CLEMENTS

Senior Vice President

Chief Information Offi cer

CHRISTOPHER A. ASKINS

JEFFREY N. FINK

Senior Vice President

Real Estate

SEAN M. GEORGES

Senior Vice President 

and Secretary

DAVID A. KAPP

Senior Vice President

Planning/Allocation

Vice President 

Loss Prevention

TED COLLINS

Vice President

Store Operations

JOHN W. DODSON

Vice President

Store Operations

TANYA E. GORDON

Vice President 

Divisional Merchandising Manager

Women's and Children's Footwear 

and Accessories

DAVID M. GROFF

Vice President 

Project Management

DEBORAH S. HANNAH

Vice President

Marketing

CLINT R. PIERCE

Vice President

Athletic Footwear

JEFFREY J. THOMAS

Vice President

Corporate Controller

CHARLES J. TOROK, JR.

Vice President

Supply Chain

KENT A. ZIMMERMAN

Vice President

E-Commerce and CRM

ANTHONY J. CAROSELLO

Assistant Vice President

Real Estate

JAMES W. JOHNSTON

Assistant Vice President

Infrastructure and Support

CHERYL L. LINDAUER

Assistant Vice President

Application Systems

(**) Executive Offi cers

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

J. WAYNE WEAVER

Chairman of the Board

Shoe Carnival, Inc.

CLIFTON E. SIFFORD

President and Chief Executive Offi cer

Shoe Carnival, Inc.

JAMES A. ASCHLEMAN 1,2*,3

Retired

Indianapolis, Indiana

JEFFREY C. GERSTEL 1,2

Chief Marketing Offi cer

CHARLES B. TOMM 1,2

Principal 

B&H Foto and Electronics Corp.

Oaklins Heritage Capital Group

New York, NY

Jacksonville, FL

ANDREA R. GUTHRIE 2,3*

Co-founder, Gyde Travel, LLC

Park City, UT 

JOSEPH W. WOOD 2,3

Consultant

St. Louis, Missouri

KENT A. KLEEBERGER 1*,2,3,4

(1) Audit Committee

Consultant

Sanibel Island, Florida

(2) Compensation Committee

(3) Nominating and Corporate  

     Governance Committee

(4) Lead Independent Director

(*) Committee Chair

CORPORATE INFORMATION

CORPORATE OFFICE

7500 East Columbia Street

Evansville, Indiana 

CORPORATE COUNSEL

Faegre Baker Daniels LLP

Indianapolis, Indiana 

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS

Deloitte & Touche LLP

Indianapolis, Indiana

TRANSFER AGENT

Computershare Trust 

Company NA  

Chicago, Illinois

(312) 360-5359

LETTER FROM 
OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO

ANNUAL REVIEW

were attained through double-digit growth in digital 

Fiscal year 2018 was a great year for Shoe Carnival. 

sales and single-digit increase in our brick and 

Our customer-centric strategic initiatives, trend-

mortar stores. We also enjoyed increases in all major 

right selection of compelling brands and the latest 

product categories along with each geographic 

fashion along with our exciting in-store environment 

region throughout our store chain.  

continue to make Shoe Carnival the store of choice 

for moderately priced family footwear. Sales of 

Our merchants did an outstanding job of identifying 

$1.030 billion represented the highest volume in the 

key trends, key categories and key items, buying 

company’s history, driven by a 4.3% comparable 

suffi cient quantities in each to drive comparable 

store sales increase, our tenth consecutive year 

store sales increases each quarter of the fi scal year. 

without a comparable store sales loss.  Record sales 

This helped us achieve a gross profi t margin 90 basis 

2018 Annual Report

points higher than FY 2017.  Our store associates 

During FY 2018, we analyzed customer data 

SIGNATURES

consistently served our customers well which led 

which allowed us to identify each customer’s 

store sales and once again expand our national 

share repurchases. Our balance sheet at year-end 

to a 150 basis point increase in conversion.  As a 

unique identity. Our analyst team is providing rich 
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly 
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

data to our marketing, merchant and real estate 

result of the efforts of our over 5,000 dedicated 

Shoe Carnival, Inc.
SIGNATURES

associates, we are very pleased to have achieved 

teams. These teams then utilize this data to better 

record earnings of $2.45 per diluted share. We 

merchandise each individual store, market to 

Date: April 2, 2019

used the strength of our consistent cash fl ow 

generation to return the highest amount of value 

/s/ Clifton E. Sifford
Clifton E. Sifford
As we move this project forward, we will leverage 
President and Chief Executive Officer
Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly 
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.
customer insights to better serve our customers and 
Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  this  report  has  been  signed  below  by  the 
following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Shoe Carnival, Inc.

further differentiate the Shoe Carnival brand.    

specifi c customers, and fi nd new store opportunities. 

to our shareholders through dividends and share 

repurchases – a corporate milestone we are 

By:

incredibly proud to have delivered. 
Signature

Date: April 2, 2019

CUSTOMER CENTRICITY

/s/ J. Wayne Weaver
J. Wayne Weaver

Date
STRATEGY FOR GROWTH
/s/ Clifton E. Sifford
Clifton E. Sifford
We strengthened our executive management team 
April 2, 2019
President and Chief Executive Officer
with the addition of Mark Worden, Executive Vice 
Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  this  report  has  been  signed  below  by  the 
President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
/s/ Clifton E. Sifford
following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
(Principal Executive Officer)
Clifton E. Sifford

President, Chief Strategy and Marketing Offi cer. 

process of creating a holistic approach to Customer 

More than a year ago we began the strategic 

Chairman of the Board and Director

April 2, 2019

Title

By:

Relationship Management (CRM). We remain 

committed to building an industry leading CRM 

Director

We immediately began the process of working 
Title
through a comprehensive fi ve-year strategy. Our 

April 2, 2019
Date

Chairman of the Board and Director
tool, which will be the key building block to 
Director

increasingly placing the customer at the center of 

goal is to build an incomparable brand and 

customer experience. Through our team of the 

everything we do. CRM will be a key component 

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director
Director
(Principal Executive Officer)

industry’s best people and unmatched capabilities, 

April 2, 2019
April 2, 2019

April 2, 2019
April 2, 2019

that will allow us to communicate with our loyal 

customers on a one-to-one basis, focused on their 

particular family footwear needs and desires. In 

addition, we are gaining a better understanding of 

our customers’ shopping journeys. Each customer’s 

Director
Director

Director
Director

Director
Director

we will assist our customers’ shopping journey, 

which we believe is critical as we look toward 

April 2, 2019
April 2, 2019

becoming a multi-billion dollar brand. 

April 2, 2019
April 2, 2019

Our fi rst imperative was to hire and on-board a 

journey is mapped, regardless of how they chose 

world-class agency of record for overall creative 

to shop with Shoe Carnival, which has allowed our 

strategy and all media. We accomplished this 

team to identify areas of improvement to make 

imperative in 2018 with the hiring of McCann 

Director
Senior Executive Vice President - Chief Operating
and Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial 
Director
Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

Detroit. Their job is to help Shoe Carnival become 

April 2, 2019

the most distinctive and compelling brand in the 

their shopping experience seamless and enjoyable.   

April 2, 2019
April 2, 2019

April 2, 2019
April 2, 2019

Signature

/s/ James A. Aschleman
James A. Aschleman
/s/ J. Wayne Weaver
/s/ Jeffrey C. Gerstel
J. Wayne Weaver
Jeffrey C. Gerstel
/s/ Clifton E. Sifford
/s/ Andrea R. Guthrie
Clifton E. Sifford
Andrea R. Guthrie
/s/ James A. Aschleman
/s/ Kent A. Kleeberger
James A. Aschleman
Kent A. Kleeberger
/s/ Jeffrey C. Gerstel
/s/ Charles B. Tomm
Jeffrey C. Gerstel
Charles B. Tomm
/s/ Andrea R. Guthrie
/s/ Joseph W. Wood
Andrea R. Guthrie
Joseph W. Wood
/s/ Kent A. Kleeberger
/s/ W. Kerry Jackson
Kent A. Kleeberger
W. Kerry Jackson
/s/ Charles B. Tomm
Charles B. Tomm

The pillar of customer centricity is our strong and 

Director

/s/ Joseph W. Wood
Joseph W. Wood

growing loyalty program, Shoe Perks.  In July, we 

Family Footwear Channel.  The vast and successful 

April 2, 2019

experience they bring to this important initiative 

re-launched our Shoe Perks program, creating a 

/s/ W. Kerry Jackson
W. Kerry Jackson

Gold tier for our most loyal customers. Gold status 

Senior Executive Vice President - Chief Operating
and Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial 
Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

Motors, Chick-fi l-A and Pure Michigan.

includes work for great companies such as General 

April 2, 2019

rewards our most active customers with new and 

more valuable Shoe Perks to keep them committed 

We believe by combining the expertise of McCann, 

to Shoe Carnival as their store of choice for all their 

along with our unique and entertaining store 

footwear needs.

environment and our customer-centric capabilities, 

by returning more than $155 million to them 

The Nasdaq Stock Market (U.S.)

through our quarterly cash dividend and share 

Nasdaq Retail Trade Stocks

repurchases. In FY 2018, we returned more than 

Shoe Carnival, Inc.

69

69

Shoe Carnival will continue to grow comparable 

$50 million in the form of cash dividends and 

store footprint.

STOCK PRICE PERFORMANCE GRAPH

remains strong with more than $67 million in cash 

and cash equivalents and no outstanding debt. In 

The performance graphs set forth below compare the cumulative total shareholder return on the Company's Common 

December 2018, our Board of Directors authorized 

REAL ESTATE STRATEGY

Stock with the Nasdaq Stock Market Index and the Nasdaq Index for Retail Trade Stocks for the period from January 

Over the past two years, we have focused our 

a new share repurchase program for up to $50 

31, 2014 through February 1, 2019. The graphs assume that $100 was invested in our common stock and $100 was 

real estate, operations and merchandising 

million of our outstanding shares for calendar year 

invested in each of the other two indices on January 31, 2014, and assumes reinvestment of dividends. The stock 

teams to improve the metrics of stores that are 

2019, underscoring their confidence in the future of 

performance shown in the graphs represents past performance and should not be considered an indication of future 

not performing to expectations. I have been 

performance. The performance graphs shall not be deemed "soliciting material" or to be "fi led" with the Securities 

very pleased with the success these teams have 

and Exchange Commission, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future fi ling under the 

delivered so far. When we entered the 2018 

Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifi cally incorporate it by 

The investments made in technology and customer 

Shoe Carnival.  

fiscal year, we identified 25 to 30 stores that we 

reference into such fi ling.

expected to close by year-end. Through the hard 

engagement are incredibly important to Shoe 

Carnival’s continued growth. I am proud of what 

work and dedication of these teams, we reduced 

the number of store closures from a planned high 

Comparison of Cumulative Total Return Among the Company,

our efforts will show continued improvement in FY 

of 30 to an actual 14. We are pleased with our 

Nasdaq Stock Market Index and Nasdaq Index for Retail Trade Stocks

2019 and beyond. We appreciate your support of 

NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes

our team accomplished in FY 2018 and believe 

ability to improve key performance metrics across 

1/31/2014

1/30/2015

1/29/2016

Shoe Carnival.

1/27/2017

2/2/2018

2/1/2019

these stores and believe it demonstrates that our 

   The Nasdaq Stock Market (U.S.)

100

$

$

113

$

$

$

$

110

130

94

Sincerely,

135

143

103

165

193

90

165

202

149

Clifton E. Sifford

President and Chief Executive Officer 

Shoe Carnival team, working together, can deliver 

   Nasdaq Retail Trade Stocks

100

123

   Shoe Carnival, Inc.

tremendous results.

100

94

For FY 2019, we have identified seven to 10 

250

stores for closure; no new stores are currently 

planned for the immediate future. However, the 

success achieved with the CRM program thus far 

200

has aided in the identification of market places 

where our core customers live. This will fuel our 

efforts to establish future new stores within these 

L

markets should favorable real estate be found. We 

have established a goal to open 10 new stores in 

100

2020 utilizing the robust customer data from our 

150

S

R

A

L

O

D

customer analytics team. 

50

SHAREHOLDER VALUE

Since 2015, we have stayed true to our 

0

commitment to generate value for our shareholders 

1/30/2015

1/29/2016

1/27/2017

1/31/2014

2/2/2018

2/1/2019

2018 Annual Report

2018 Annual Report

 
 
points higher than FY 2017.  Our store associates 

During FY 2018, we analyzed customer data 

SIGNATURES

consistently served our customers well which led 

which allowed us to identify each customer’s 

to a 150 basis point increase in conversion.  As a 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly 

result of the efforts of our over 5,000 dedicated 

caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

data to our marketing, merchant and real estate 

unique identity. Our analyst team is providing rich 

associates, we are very pleased to have achieved 

teams. These teams then utilize this data to better 

record earnings of $2.45 per diluted share. We 

Date: April 2, 2019

used the strength of our consistent cash fl ow 

Shoe Carnival, Inc.

SIGNATURES

merchandise each individual store, market to 

By:

specifi c customers, and fi nd new store opportunities. 

/s/ Clifton E. Sifford

generation to return the highest amount of value 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly 

President and Chief Executive Officer

As we move this project forward, we will leverage 

to our shareholders through dividends and share 

caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

customer insights to better serve our customers and 

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

further differentiate the Shoe Carnival brand.    

repurchases – a corporate milestone we are 

following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

Shoe Carnival, Inc.

Clifton E. Sifford

incredibly proud to have delivered. 

Date: April 2, 2019

Signature

/s/ J. Wayne Weaver

CUSTOMER CENTRICITY

Chairman of the Board and Director

J. Wayne Weaver

More than a year ago we began the strategic 

By:

Title

STRATEGY FOR GROWTH

/s/ Clifton E. Sifford

Date

We strengthened our executive management team 

April 2, 2019

President and Chief Executive Officer

with the addition of Mark Worden, Executive Vice 

Clifton E. Sifford

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

President, Chief Strategy and Marketing Offi cer. 

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

process of creating a holistic approach to Customer 

/s/ Clifton E. Sifford

April 2, 2019

following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.

(Principal Executive Officer)

Clifton E. Sifford

We immediately began the process of working 

Relationship Management (CRM). We remain 

/s/ James A. Aschleman

Signature

committed to building an industry leading CRM 

Director

James A. Aschleman

through a comprehensive fi ve-year strategy. Our 

April 2, 2019

Date

Title

tool, which will be the key building block to 

/s/ J. Wayne Weaver

Chairman of the Board and Director

goal is to build an incomparable brand and 

customer experience. Through our team of the 

April 2, 2019

April 2, 2019

increasingly placing the customer at the center of 

/s/ Jeffrey C. Gerstel

J. Wayne Weaver

Jeffrey C. Gerstel

Director

/s/ Clifton E. Sifford

everything we do. CRM will be a key component 

President, Chief Executive Officer and Director

industry’s best people and unmatched capabilities, 

April 2, 2019

/s/ Andrea R. Guthrie

Clifton E. Sifford

Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

we will assist our customers’ shopping journey, 

April 2, 2019

which we believe is critical as we look toward 

April 2, 2019

becoming a multi-billion dollar brand. 

that will allow us to communicate with our loyal 

Andrea R. Guthrie

/s/ James A. Aschleman

customers on a one-to-one basis, focused on their 

Director

/s/ Kent A. Kleeberger

James A. Aschleman

particular family footwear needs and desires. In 

Kent A. Kleeberger

addition, we are gaining a better understanding of 

/s/ Jeffrey C. Gerstel

/s/ Charles B. Tomm

Jeffrey C. Gerstel

/s/ Andrea R. Guthrie

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

our customers’ shopping journeys. Each customer’s 

Charles B. Tomm

Our fi rst imperative was to hire and on-board a 

journey is mapped, regardless of how they chose 

/s/ Joseph W. Wood

Andrea R. Guthrie

Director

Joseph W. Wood

to shop with Shoe Carnival, which has allowed our 

world-class agency of record for overall creative 

strategy and all media. We accomplished this 

team to identify areas of improvement to make 

/s/ W. Kerry Jackson

Senior Executive Vice President - Chief Operating

imperative in 2018 with the hiring of McCann 

April 2, 2019

their shopping experience seamless and enjoyable.   

and Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial 

Detroit. Their job is to help Shoe Carnival become 

Director

Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

April 2, 2019

/s/ Kent A. Kleeberger

Kent A. Kleeberger

W. Kerry Jackson

/s/ Charles B. Tomm

Charles B. Tomm

April 2, 2019

April 2, 2019

April 2, 2019

April 2, 2019

April 2, 2019

April 2, 2019

the most distinctive and compelling brand in the 

Family Footwear Channel.  The vast and successful 

April 2, 2019

experience they bring to this important initiative 

The pillar of customer centricity is our strong and 

/s/ Joseph W. Wood

Director

growing loyalty program, Shoe Perks.  In July, we 

Joseph W. Wood

re-launched our Shoe Perks program, creating a 

/s/ W. Kerry Jackson

Senior Executive Vice President - Chief Operating

includes work for great companies such as General 

April 2, 2019

Gold tier for our most loyal customers. Gold status 

and Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial 

Motors, Chick-fi l-A and Pure Michigan.

W. Kerry Jackson

rewards our most active customers with new and 

Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

more valuable Shoe Perks to keep them committed 

We believe by combining the expertise of McCann, 

to Shoe Carnival as their store of choice for all their 

along with our unique and entertaining store 

footwear needs.

environment and our customer-centric capabilities, 

69

69

Shoe Carnival will continue to grow comparable 

$50 million in the form of cash dividends and 

store sales and once again expand our national 

share repurchases. Our balance sheet at year-end 

store footprint.

STOCK PRICE PERFORMANCE GRAPH

remains strong with more than $67 million in cash 

and cash equivalents and no outstanding debt. In 

REAL ESTATE STRATEGY

a new share repurchase program for up to $50 

The performance graphs set forth below compare the cumulative total shareholder return on the Company's Common 
December 2018, our Board of Directors authorized 
Stock with the Nasdaq Stock Market Index and the Nasdaq Index for Retail Trade Stocks for the period from January 
Over the past two years, we have focused our 
31, 2014 through February 1, 2019. The graphs assume that $100 was invested in our common stock and $100 was 
real estate, operations and merchandising 
invested in each of the other two indices on January 31, 2014, and assumes reinvestment of dividends. The stock 
teams to improve the metrics of stores that are 
2019, underscoring their confidence in the future of 
performance shown in the graphs represents past performance and should not be considered an indication of future 
not performing to expectations. I have been 
performance. The performance graphs shall not be deemed "soliciting material" or to be "fi led" with the Securities 
very pleased with the success these teams have 
and Exchange Commission, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future fi ling under the 
delivered so far. When we entered the 2018 
Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifi cally incorporate it by 
The investments made in technology and customer 
fiscal year, we identified 25 to 30 stores that we 
reference into such fi ling.
expected to close by year-end. Through the hard 

million of our outstanding shares for calendar year 

engagement are incredibly important to Shoe 

Shoe Carnival.  

Carnival’s continued growth. I am proud of what 

work and dedication of these teams, we reduced 

the number of store closures from a planned high 

NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes
Comparison of Cumulative Total Return Among the Company,
Nasdaq Stock Market Index and Nasdaq Index for Retail Trade Stocks

our efforts will show continued improvement in FY 

our team accomplished in FY 2018 and believe 

2019 and beyond. We appreciate your support of 
1/29/2016
Shoe Carnival.

1/27/2017

2/1/2019

2/2/2018

of 30 to an actual 14. We are pleased with our 

ability to improve key performance metrics across 

1/31/2014

1/30/2015

these stores and believe it demonstrates that our 
   The Nasdaq Stock Market (U.S.)
113
Shoe Carnival team, working together, can deliver 
123
   Nasdaq Retail Trade Stocks
   Shoe Carnival, Inc.
94
tremendous results.

100

100

100

$

$

For FY 2019, we have identified seven to 10 

250

stores for closure; no new stores are currently 

planned for the immediate future. However, the 

success achieved with the CRM program thus far 

200

has aided in the identification of market places 

150

S
R
A
L
L
O
D

where our core customers live. This will fuel our 

efforts to establish future new stores within these 

markets should favorable real estate be found. We 

have established a goal to open 10 new stores in 

100

2020 utilizing the robust customer data from our 

customer analytics team. 

50

SHAREHOLDER VALUE

Since 2015, we have stayed true to our 

0

1/29/2016
commitment to generate value for our shareholders 

1/31/2014

1/30/2015

$

110

130

$

94
Sincerely,

135

143

103

$

165

193

90

$

165

202

149

Clifton E. Sifford
President and Chief Executive Officer 

1/27/2017

2/2/2018

2/1/2019

by returning more than $155 million to them 

The Nasdaq Stock Market (U.S.)

through our quarterly cash dividend and share 

Nasdaq Retail Trade Stocks

repurchases. In FY 2018, we returned more than 

Shoe Carnival, Inc.

2018 Annual Report
2018 Annual Report

 
 
1

1

2

4

4

4

4

2

3

5

7

46

3

16

30

29

20

5

12

20

6

11

16

11

22

10

9

The map identifies the number of our 
stores in each state and Puerto Rico 
as of February 2, 2019.

3

16

3

1

7

18

10

30

6

Exhibit

Exhibit 

No.

No. 

101

101 

Exhibit

No.

101

INDEX TO EXHIBITS - Continued

INDEX TO EXHIBITS - Continued 

INDEX TO EXHIBITS - Continued

INDEX TO EXHIBITS - Continued

Description

Description 

The following materials from Shoe Carnival, Inc.’s Annual Report on 

 The following materials from Shoe Carnival, Inc.’s Annual Report on 

Form 10-K  for the  year ended February  2, 2019,  formatted in XBRL 

Form 10-K for the year ended February 2, 2019, formatted in XBRL 

Description

(Extensible  Business Reporting  Language): (1) Consolidated  Balance 

(Extensible Business Reporting  Language): (1) Consolidated Balance 

The following materials from Shoe Carnival, Inc.’s Annual Report on 

Sheets,  (2) Consolidated  Statements  of  Income,  (3) Consolidated 

Sheets,  (2) Consolidated  Statements  of  Income,  (3) Consolidated 

Form 10-K  for the  year ended February  2, 2019,  formatted in XBRL 

Statement  of  Shareholders’  Equity,  (4)  Consolidated  Statements  of 

Statement  of  Shareholders’  Equity,  (4)  Consolidated  Statements  of 

(Extensible  Business Reporting  Language): (1) Consolidated  Balance 

Cash Flows, and (5) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Cash Flows, and (5) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

Sheets,  (2) Consolidated  Statements  of  Income,  (3) Consolidated 

Statement  of  Shareholders’  Equity,  (4)  Consolidated  Statements  of 

  Incorporated by Reference To 

Incorporated by Reference To

Form Exhibit

Form  Exhibit 

Incorporated by Reference To

Filing

Filing 

Date

Date 

Filing

Date

Form Exhibit

Filed

Filed 

Herewith

Herewith 

X

X 

Filed

Herewith

X

*

*  The indicated exhibit is a management contract, compensatory plan or arrangement required to be filed by Item 

The indicated exhibit is a management contract, compensatory plan or arrangement required to be filed by Item 

Cash Flows, and (5) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

*

The indicated exhibit is a management contract, compensatory plan or arrangement required to be filed by Item 

601 of Regulation S-K.

601 of Regulation S-K. 

+

+  SEC File No. 000-21360. 

SEC File No. 000-21360.

601 of Regulation S-K.

ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY

ITEM 16.  FORM 10-K SUMMARY 

SEC File No. 000-21360.

+

ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY

None.

None. 

None.

68

68 

68

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
UNITED STATES 
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION 
Washington, D.C. 20549  

Form 10-K 

(Mark One) 
[X]  Annual report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 

For the fiscal year ended:   February 2, 2019 

or 

[   ]  Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 

For the transition period from ____________________  to  ____________________ 

Commission File Number: 

0-21360 

Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter) 

Indiana 
(State or other jurisdiction of 
incorporation or organization) 

7500 East Columbia Street 
Evansville, IN 
(Address of principal executive offices) 

35-1736614 
(IRS Employer Identification Number) 

47715 
(Zip code) 

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

(812) 867-6471 
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code) 

Common Stock, $.01 par value 
(Title of Each Class) 

The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC 
(Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered) 

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

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. 

[  ] Yes 

[ X] No 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. 

[  ] Yes 

[X] No 

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

[X] Yes 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 
of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit 
such files).  

[X ] Yes 

[  ] No 

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

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, 
or an emerging growth company.  See the definitions of “large accelerated filer”, “accelerated filer”, “smaller reporting company”, and “emerging 
growth company”  in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. 
[  ]  Large accelerated filer 

[  ]  Smaller reporting company 

[ ]  Emerging growth company 

[  ]  Non-accelerated filer 

[X] Accelerated filer 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with 
any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. [  ] 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). 

[  ] Yes 

[X] No 

The aggregate market value of the voting stock held by non-affiliates of the registrant based on the last sale price for such stock at August 3, 2018 
(the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) was approximately $395,489,636 (assuming solely for the 
purposes of this calculation that all Directors and executive officers of the registrant are “affiliates”). 

Number of Shares of Common Stock, $.01 par value, outstanding at March 25, 2019 was 15,374,819. 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE 
Certain information contained in the Definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Registrant to be held on June 13, 
2019 is incorporated by reference into PART III hereof. 

 
 
 
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
  
 
 
 
  
TABLE OF CONTENTS 

Business 
Risk Factors 
Unresolved Staff Comments 
Properties 
Legal Proceedings 
Mine Safety Disclosures 

Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer 
Purchases of Equity Securities 
Selected Financial Data 
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of 
Operations 
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial 
Disclosure 
Controls and Procedures 
Other Information 

Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 
Executive Compensation 
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related 
Stockholder Matters 
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence 
Principal Accounting Fees and Services 

PART I 

Item 1. 
Item 1A. 
Item 1B. 
Item 2. 
Item 3. 
Item 4. 

PART II 

Item 5. 

Item 6. 
Item 7. 

Item 7A. 
Item 8. 
Item 9. 

Item 9A. 
Item 9B. 

PART III 

Item 10. 
Item 11. 
Item 12. 

Item 13. 
Item 14. 

PART IV 

Item 15. 
Item 16. 

Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules 
Form 10-K Summary 

Signatures 

2 
12 
18 
19 
19 
19 

20 
22 

24 
35 
35 

61 
61 
64 

64 
64 

64 
64 
64 

65 
68 

69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Evansville, Indiana 

Annual Report to Securities and Exchange Commission  
For the Fiscal Year Ended February 2, 2019 

PART I 

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information  

This  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  contains  forward-looking  statements,  within  the  meaning  of  the  Private 
Securities  Litigation  Reform  Act  of  1995,  that  involve  a  number  of  risks  and  uncertainties.    A  number  of  factors 
could  cause  our  actual  results,  performance,  achievements  or  industry  results  to  be  materially  different  from  any 
future  results,  performance  or  achievements  expressed  or  implied  by  these  forward-looking  statements.    These 
factors include, but are not limited to: general economic conditions in the areas of the continental United States in 
which  our  stores  are  located  and  the  impact  of  the  ongoing  economic  crisis  in  Puerto  Rico  on  sales  at,  and  cash 
flows  of,  our  stores  located  in  Puerto  Rico;  the  effects  and  duration  of  economic  downturns  and  unemployment 
rates; changes in the overall retail environment and more specifically in the apparel and footwear retail sectors; our 
ability  to  generate  increased  sales  at  our  stores;  our  ability  to  successfully  navigate  the  increasing  use  of  online 
retailers for fashion purchases and the impact on traffic and transactions in our physical stores; our ability to attract 
customers  to  our  e-commerce  website  and  to  successfully  grow  our  e-commerce  sales;  the  potential  impact  of 
national  and  international  security  concerns  on  the  retail  environment;  changes  in  our  relationships  with  key 
suppliers; changes in the political and economic environments in, the status of trade relations with, and the impact of 
changes  in  trade  policies  and  tariffs  impacting,  China  and  other  countries  which  are  the  major  manufacturers  of 
footwear;  the  impact  of  competition  and  pricing;  our  ability  to  successfully  manage  and  execute  our  marketing 
initiatives  and  maintain  positive  brand  perception  and  recognition;  changes  in  weather  patterns,  consumer  buying 
trends  and  our  ability  to  identify  and  respond  to  emerging  fashion  trends;  the  impact  of  disruptions  in  our 
distribution  or  information  technology  operations;  the  effectiveness  of  our  inventory  management;  the  impact  of 
natural disasters on our stores, as well as on consumer confidence and purchasing in general; risks associated with 
the seasonality of  the retail  industry; the impact of  unauthorized disclosure or  misuse of  personal and confidential 
information  about  our  customers,  vendors  and  employees,  including  as  a  result  of  a  cyber-security  breach;  our 
ability  to  manage  our  third-party  vendor  relationships;  our  ability  to  successfully  execute  our  business  strategy, 
including the availability of desirable store locations at acceptable lease terms, our ability to open new stores in a 
timely and profitable manner, including our entry into major new markets, and the availability of sufficient funds to 
implement our business plans; higher than anticipated costs associated with the closing of underperforming stores; 
the inability of manufacturers to deliver products in a timely manner; the impact of regulatory changes in the United 
States and the countries where our manufacturers are located; the resolution of litigation or regulatory proceedings 
in  which  we  are  or  may  become  involved;  our  ability  to  meet  our  labor  needs  while  controlling  costs;  and  future 
stock  repurchases  under  our  stock  repurchase  program  and  future  dividend  payments.    For  a  more  detailed 
discussion of risk factors impacting us, see ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

ITEM 1.  BUSINESS  

Our Company 

Shoe Carnival, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest family footwear retailers, providing the convenience of shopping at 
any of our store locations or online.  We offer customers a broad assortment of moderately priced dress, casual and 
athletic  footwear  for  men,  women  and  children  with  an  emphasis  on  national  name  brands.  We  differentiate  our 
retail concept from our competitors by our distinctive, fun and promotional marketing efforts. On average, our stores 
are  approximately  10,800  square  feet,  generate  approximately  $2.5  million  in  annual  sales  and  carry  inventory  of 
approximately 27,800 pairs of shoes per location.  As of February 2, 2019, we operated 397 stores in 35 states and 
Puerto Rico and offered online shopping at www.shoecarnival.com.  

2 

 
We are an Indiana corporation that was initially formed in Delaware in 1993 and reincorporated in Indiana in 1996.  
References to “Shoe Carnival,” “we,” “us,” “our” and the “Company” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K refer to 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. and its subsidiaries.  

Key Competitive Strengths 

We  believe  our  financial  success  is  due  to  a  number  of  key  competitive  strengths  that  make  Shoe  Carnival  a 
destination of choice for today’s retail consumer. 

Distinctive shopping experience   

Our  stores  combine  competitive  pricing  with  a  promotional,  in-store  marketing  effort  that  encourages  customer 
participation  and  injects  fun  and  surprise  into  every  shopping  experience.    We  promote  a  high-energy  retail 
environment by decorating  with exciting  graphics and bold colors, and by featuring a stage and  mic-person as the 
focal point in our stores.  With a microphone, this mic-person announces current specials supplied by our centralized 
merchandising staff, organizes contests and games, and assists and educates customers with the features and location 
of merchandise.  Our mic-person offers limited-duration promotions throughout the day, encouraging customers to 
take immediate advantage of our value pricing.  We believe this fun and promotional atmosphere results in various 
competitive  advantages,  including  increased  multiple  unit  sales;  the  building  of  a  loyal,  repeat  customer  base;  the 
creation  of  word-of-mouth  advertising;  and  enhanced  sell-through  of  in-season  goods.    A  similar  customer 
experience  is  reflected  in  our  e-commerce  site  through  special  promotions  and  limited  time  sales,  along  with 
relevant product stories featured on our home page. 

Broad merchandise assortment  

Our  objective  is  to  be  the  destination  shoe  retailer-of-choice  for  a  wide  range  of  consumers  seeking  value-priced, 
current  season  name  brand  and  private  label  footwear.    Our  product  assortment  includes  dress  and  casual  shoes, 
sandals, boots and a wide assortment of athletic shoes for the entire family.  Our average store carries approximately 
27,800  pairs  of  shoes  in  four  general  categories – women’s,  men’s,  children’s  and  athletics  – which  are  organized 
within the  store by category and brand, thus  fashioning strong brand statements  within the aisles.  We engage our 
customers  by  presenting  creatively  branded  merchandise  statements  and  signage  upon  entering  our  stores.    Key 
brands are further emphasized by prominent displays on end caps, focal walls, and within the aisles.  These displays 
may  highlight  a  product  offering  of  a  single  vendor,  highlight  sales  promotions,  advertise  promotional  pricing  to 
meet or beat competitors’ sale prices or may make a seasonal or lifestyle statement by highlighting similar footwear 
from  multiple  vendors.    These  visual  merchandising  techniques  make  it  easier  for  customers  to  shop  and  focus 
attention  on  key  name  brands.    Our  e-commerce  site  offers  customers  an  opportunity  to  choose  from  a  large 
selection  of  products  in  all  of  the  same  categories  of  footwear  with  a  depth  of  sizes  and  colors  that  may  not  be 
available in some of our smaller stores and introduces our concept to consumers who are new to Shoe Carnival in 
both  existing  and  new  markets.    Customers  who  enroll  in  our  loyalty  program  (“Shoe  Perks”)  or  register  on  our 
website receive periodic personalized e-mail communications from us.  These communications afford us additional 
opportunities to highlight our broad product assortment and promotions. 

Value pricing for our customers  

Our marketing efforts attract moderate income, value-conscious consumers seeking name brand footwear for all age 
groups.  We believe that by offering a  wide selection of popular styles of name brand merchandise at competitive 
prices, we generate broad customer appeal.  Additionally, the time-conscious customer appreciates the convenience 
of one-stop shopping for the entire family, whether it is at any of our store locations, online at shoecarnival.com or 
through our mobile app.  We also believe our fun and promotional shopping environment contributes to a reputation 
of value pricing. 

3 

 
Efficient store level cost structure  

Our  cost-efficient  store  operations  and  real  estate  strategy  enable  us  to  price  products  competitively.    We  achieve 
low labor costs by housing merchandise directly on the selling floor in an open stock format, allowing customers to 
serve themselves, if they choose.  This reduces the staffing required to assist customers and reduces store level labor 
costs  as  a  percentage  of  sales.    We  locate  stores  predominantly  in  open-air  shopping  centers  in  order  to  take 
advantage of lower occupancy costs and maximize our exposure to value-oriented shoppers. 

Heavy reliance on information technology  

We  have  invested  significant  resources  in  information  technology.    Our  proprietary  inventory  management  and 
advanced point-of-sale (“POS”) systems provide corporate management, buyers and store managers with the timely 
information  necessary  to  monitor  and  control  all  phases  of  operations.    The  POS  provides,  in  addition  to  other 
features,  full  price  management  (including  price  look-up),  promotion  tracking  capabilities  (in  support  of  the 
spontaneous  nature  of  the  in-store  price  promotions),  real-time  sales  and  gross  margin  by  product  category  at  the 
store level and customer tracking.  Using the POS, store managers are able to monitor sales and gross profit margins 
on a real-time basis throughout the day.  Reacting to sales trends, our mic-people use the POS to choose from among 
a number of product promotions supplied by our centralized merchandising staff.   

Our  centralized  network  connects  our  corporate  office  to  our  distribution  center  and  retail  stores  via  a  wide  area 
network,  providing  up-to-date  sales  and  inventory  information  as  required.    Our  data  warehouse  enables  our 
merchandising and store operations staff to analyze sales, margin and inventory levels by location, by day, down to 
the size of shoe.  Using this information, our merchandise managers meet regularly  with vendors to compare their 
product  sales,  gross  margins  and  return  on  inventory  investment  against  previously  stated  objectives.    We  believe 
timely  access  to  key  business  data  has  enabled  us  to  drive  annual  comparable  store  sales  increases,  manage  our 
markdown activity and improve inventory turnover. 

Growth Strategy  

Store portfolio 

Increasing market penetration by opening new stores has historically been a key component of our growth strategy. 
While our focus continues to be on generating positive long-term financial performance for our store portfolio, we 
only opened three new stores in fiscal 2018 and do not expect to open any new stores in fiscal 2019.  As we leverage 
customer data  from our  Customer Relationship Management (“CRM”) program, and as  more attractive real estate 
opportunities become available,  we  will continue  to pursue opportunities  for brick-and-mortar  store growth across 
large, mid-size and smaller markets in fiscal 2020.  Our CRM program is more fully described below under, “Multi-
Channel Strategy – Customer Relationship Management.”    

Critical  to  the  success  of  opening  new  stores  in  larger  markets  or  geographic  areas  has  been  our  ability  to  cluster 
stores.    In  large  markets  (populations  greater  than  400,000),  clustering  involves  opening  two  or  more  stores  at 
approximately the  same time.  In smaller  markets that can  only  support a single store, clustering  involves seeking 
locations in reasonably close proximity to other existing markets.  This strategy creates cost efficiencies by enabling 
us  to  leverage  store  expenses  with  respect  to  advertising,  distribution  and  management  costs.    We  believe  the 
advantages of clustering stores in existing markets will lead to cost efficiencies and overall incremental sales gains 
that should more than offset any adverse effect on sales of existing stores. 

Over  the  past  several  years,  we  have  analyzed  our  entire  portfolio  of  stores,  with  a  concentration  on 
underperforming  stores,  to  meet  our  long-term  goal  of  increasing  shareholder  value  through  increasing  operating 
income. Our objective is to identify and address underperforming stores that produce low or negative contribution 
and either renegotiate lease terms, relocate or close those stores.  Based on this analysis, we closed 14 stores in fiscal 
2018, and we currently expect to close seven to 10 stores in fiscal 2019. Even though this could reduce our overall 
net  sales  volume,  we  believe  this  strategy  will  realize  long-term  improvement  in  operating  income  and  diluted 
earnings per share.  

4 

 
 
As  of  February 2,  2019,  we  operated  397  stores  located  across  35  states  and  Puerto  Rico.    Our  stores  averaged 
approximately  10,800  square  feet,  ranging  in  size  from  4,000  to  26,000  square  feet.    New  store  sizes  typically 
depend upon location and population base, and our stores  are predominantly located in  open-air shopping centers.  
Our traditional store prototype typically  utilizes between 7,000 and 10,000 square feet of leased area.  During  the 
past several years, we began to roll out scalable store prototypes that reflect the diverse population densities of our 
markets.  These scalable prototypes utilize a wide range of leased space based on sales potential and opportunistic 
space availability.  The sales area is approximately 85% of the typical gross store footprint. 

Fiscal Years 
Stores open at the beginning of the year 
New store openings 
Store closings 
Stores open at the end of the year 
Stores relocated 
Percentage of store base remodeled 

   2018 

      2017 

      2016 

      2015 

      2014 

Historical Store Count 

408        
3        
(14 )      
397        
1        
1 %     

415        
19        
(26 )      
408        
3        
3 %     

405        
19        
(9 )      
415        
3        
4 %     

400        
20        
(15 )      
405        
2        
7 %     

376   
31   
(7 ) 
400   
3   
7 % 

We lease all store locations, as we believe the flexibility afforded by leasing allows us to avoid the inherent risks of 
owning real estate, particularly with respect to underperforming stores.  Before entering a new market, we perform a 
market, demographic and competition analysis to evaluate the suitability of the potential market.  Potential store site 
selection criteria include, among other factors, market demographics, traffic counts, tenant mix, visibility within the 
center and from major thoroughfares, overall retail activity of the area and proposed lease terms.  The time required 
to  open  a  store  after  signing  a  lease  depends  primarily  upon  the  property  owner’s  ability  to  deliver  the  premises.  
After  we accept the premises from the property owner,  we can generally open a turnkey store  within 60 days and 
open an “as-is” store in up to 115 days.  A turnkey store is generally available for immediate use from the landlord, 
as  the  landlord  performs  nearly  all  aspects  of  construction  and  delivers  the  store  in  a  condition  ready  for  fixtures.  
There are typically minimal tenant improvement allowances negotiated with landlords for turnkey stores.  An “as-is” 
store typically requires more significant capital investment by us, as the landlord performs minimal construction and 
delivers  the  space  “as-is”  while  representing  that  the  location  is  free  of  hazardous  materials.    There  are  typically 
significant tenant improvement allowances negotiated with landlords for “as-is” stores.   

Multi-Channel Strategy 

We  are  committed  to  establishing  Shoe  Carnival  as  a  world  class  multi-channel  retailer.    The  foundation  of  our 
multi-channel  strategy  is  connecting  customers  with  our  wide  assortment  of  store  inventory  through  multiple 
channels, while maintaining a personalized, seamless customer service experience.  The Shoe Carnival customer’s 
shopping journey is complex and rapidly evolving, bridging multiple devices and touchpoints.  We are committed to 
providing  an  incomparable  customer  experience  across  all  channels  and  believe  that  our  ongoing  multi-channel 
initiatives  represent  the  cornerstone  for  our  long-term  growth  and  are  aligned  with  rapidly  changing  consumer 
behavior.  These initiatives are an integral part of expanding our multi-channel footprint and creating opportunities 
to connect with our customers in new ways.   

Customer Relationship Management   

In fiscal 2018 we continued to invest in our CRM strategy, which is intended to focus our entire organization on a 
more  customer-centric  model.    We  engaged  with  a  strategic  partner  that  specializes  in  creating  holistic  CRM 
strategies  for  large  and  mid-sized  retail  organizations  to  provide  discovery,  implementation,  launch  and  ongoing 
support for our customer-centric, multi-channel CRM Solution.  This new platform will form the foundation of our 
CRM  program  and  will  also  serve  as  the  systemic  framework  for  our  Shoe  Perks  loyalty  program  and  CRM 
campaign manager.  We expect this initiative will give us an improved view into customer data, allowing us to more 
effectively communicate with consumers on a personalized basis. Using primarily transaction data, we are gaining 
useful  insights  into  our  customers’  shopping  habits,  including  where,  when  and  how  they  shop  our  stores  and 
navigate our online presence.  Additionally, we are gaining a deeper understanding of the brands and categories our 
high-value customers consistently purchase so that  we can  continue to deliver  strong performance at a geographic 
and store level.  

5 

 
 
  
  
  
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
 
 
 
 
We  believe  using  CRM  strategies  will  help  drive  customer  retention  through  segmentation  and  other  analysis  and 
will aid us in gaining a better understanding of our existing customer base as well as identifying new customers.  As 
we segment our high-value customers through data analysis and target the broader market of customers with similar 
characteristics, we expect this to play a key role in our growth.  We believe the data received as a result of our CRM 
program  will  allow  us  to  better  merchandise  each  individual  store,  market  to  specific  customers  and  aid  in 
identifying  new  store  opportunities.    Although  a  large  part  of  customer  data  comes  from  our  loyalty  program,  we 
take a holistic view of CRM.  We believe this approach should help drive continued Company growth in fiscal 2019 
as  we  continue  to  enhance  our  loyalty  program  and  CRM  capabilities  through  exclusive  offers  and  personalized 
messaging and build even greater loyalty and a deeper relationship with our Shoe Perks customers.   

We  expect  to  officially  launch  our  CRM  Solution  in  the  third  quarter  of  fiscal  2019.    This  launch  represents  the 
implementation  of  our  production  CRM  database  to  support  customer  information,  identity  management  and  our 
CRM campaign management software.   

Ship-From-Store 

Our Ship-From-Store program is a core element of our multi-channel strategy.  This program allows stores to fulfill 
online orders and has been implemented on a chain-wide basis (with limited exceptions).  By fulfilling e-commerce 
orders from our store level inventory, we are able to minimize out-of-stocks, offer our customers an expanded online 
assortment and leverage store level inventory and overhead.  Additionally, e-commerce orders for certain key items 
and promotional product are fulfilled from our distribution center in Evansville, Indiana.  

Shoes 2U 

A  growing  part  of  our  multi-channel  strategy  is  our  Shoes  2U  program.    This  program  enables  us  to  ship  product 
from any store to a customer’s home or store of their choice if they are unable to find the size, color or style of a 
shoe in the store in which they are shopping.  This creates an endless aisle experience for our customers in which 
our chain-wide inventory is accessible to any store customer.   

Buy Online, Pick Up In Store 

Another  key  element  of  our  multi-channel  strategy  is  our  buy  online,  pick  up  in  store  program.    This  program 
provides  the  convenience  of  local  pickup  for  our  customers  with  the  added  benefit  of  driving  traffic  back  to  our 
stores.   

E-commerce and Mobile  

In  fiscal 2017,  we relaunched our e-commerce and  mobile  storefronts on a  new platform designed to improve the 
customer journey and allow us to provide a more relevant and personalized shopping experience for our customers. 
We continue to build upon this foundation and plan to add new functionality, including mobile payment options and 
the  ability  to  shop  a  specific  Shoe  Carnival  store  location,  which  are  planned  for  launch  in  the  first  half  of  fiscal 
2019. 

Given our desire to connect with customers anywhere and anytime, our mobile strategy is an important component 
of the customer’s journey and our overall multi-channel strategy. A majority of our customers are accessing our e-
commerce site on their mobile devices, and we continue to enhance our mobile web experience to better serve the 
unique needs of our customers. In addition, our mobile app offers native e-commerce functionality directly from the 
app  and  provides  Shoe  Perks  members  easy  access  to  their  rewards.    Customers  also  have  the  ability  to  scan  bar 
codes in-store to access product ratings and reviews and find extended sizes. 

6 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Expanded Online Assortment 

We implemented a Vendor Drop-Ship program  with  select vendor partners prior to the fiscal 2018 back-to-school 
season.  This important program offers our customers an expanded online assortment of styles and colors that we do 
not carry in-store, and we expect to continue to expand this program in the future.  While our customers benefit from 
expanded item assortment, the functionality of this program is seamless, and our customers’ online experience is not 
impacted  by  the  Vendor  Drop-Ship  fulfillment  option.    We  benefit  from  this  program  by  not  having  to  make  a 
capital investment in the expanded inventory assortment, which is carried and fulfilled by the vendors participating 
in this program.   

Merchandise 

Critical to our success is maintaining fresh, fashionable merchandise at moderate prices.  Our buyers stay in touch 
with  evolving  fashion  trends  and  adjust  growth  strategies  based  on  these  trends.    This  is  accomplished  by 
subscribing to an industry leading trend service, shopping fashion-leading markets, attending national trade shows, 
gathering vendor input and monitoring the current styles shown in leading fashion and lifestyle magazines.  

Our  buyers  and  planners  have  years  of  experience  and  in-depth  knowledge  of  our  customers  and  the  markets  in 
which we operate.  This helps us select our assortment and quantities in order to manage and allocate inventories at 
the store level.  The mix of merchandise and the brands offered in a particular store reflect the demographics of each 
market,  climate  and  seasonality,  among  other  factors.    Management  encourages  store  operations  personnel  to 
provide  input  to  our  merchandising  staff  regarding  market  specific  fashion  trends.    Our  e-commerce  site  offers 
customers an opportunity to choose from a large selection of products in all of the same categories of footwear, and 
introduces our concept to consumers who are new to Shoe Carnival, in both existing and new markets.  Due to our 
multi-channel retailer strategy, we view our e-commerce sales as an extension of our physical stores. 

Our  stores  and  e-commerce  site  offer  a  broad  assortment  of  current-season,  name  brand  footwear,  supplemented 
with private label merchandise.  Our stores carry complementary accessories such as socks, belts, shoe care items, 
handbags, sport bags, backpacks, scarves and wallets, while our e-commerce site offers certain handbags, sport bags 
and  backpacks.    We  purchase  merchandise  from  approximately  160  footwear  vendors.    Management  of  the 
purchasing  function  is  the  responsibility  of  our  Executive  Vice  President  –  Chief  Merchandising  Officer.    Our 
buyers  maintain  ongoing  communication  with  our  vendors  and  provide  feedback  to  our  vendors  on  sales, 
profitability and current demand for their products.  We adjust future purchasing decisions based upon the results of 
this analysis.  In fiscal 2018, two branded suppliers, Nike, Inc. and Skechers USA, Inc., collectively accounted for 
approximately  43%  of  our  net  sales.    Nike,  Inc.  accounted  for  approximately  32%  and  Skechers  USA,  Inc. 
accounted  for  approximately  11%  of  our  net  sales,  respectively.    Name  brand  suppliers  also  provide  us  with 
cooperative  advertising  and  visual  merchandising  funds.    A  loss  of  any  of  our  key  suppliers  in  certain  product 
categories  or  our  inability  to  obtain  name  brand  or  other  merchandise  from  suppliers  at  competitive  prices  could 
have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  business.    As  is  common  in  the  industry,  we  do  not  have  any  long-term 
contracts with our suppliers.   

7 

 
 
Initial  pricing  levels  are  typically  established  in  accordance  with  the  manufacturer’s  suggested  retail  pricing 
structure.    Subsequent  to  this  initial  pricing,  our  buying  staff  manages  our  markdown  cadence  based  on  product-
specific  sell-through  rates  to  achieve  liquidation  of  inventory  within  the  natural  lifecycle  of  the  product.    We 
emphasize our  value proposition to customers by combining current  season name brand  product  with promotional 
pricing.  Our promotions include both advertised limited time sale offerings in addition to in-store and online timed 
specials.  

The table below sets forth our percentage of merchandise sales by product category.  

Fiscal Years 
Non-Athletics: 
Women's 
Men's 
Children's 
Total 
Athletics: 
Women's 
Men's 
Children's 
Total 
Accessories 
Total 

   2018 

      2017 

      2016 

      2015 

      2014 

24 %     
14        
5        
43        

18        
21        
14        
53        
4        
100 %     

24 %     
14        
5        
43        

17        
22        
14        
53        
4        
100 %     

26 %     
14        
5        
45        

16        
22        
13        
51        
4        
100 %     

27 %     
14        
5        
46        

16        
22        
12        
50        
4        
100 %     

27 % 
14   
5   
46   

16   
21   
13   
50   
4   
100 % 

Women’s, men’s and children’s non-athletic footwear categories are further divided into dress, casual, sport, sandals 
and boots.  We classify athletic shoes by functionality, such as running, basketball or fitness shoes. 

Building Brand Awareness 

Our  goal  is  to  communicate  a  consistent  brand  image  across  all  aspects  of  our  operations.    We  utilize  a  blend  of 
advertising mediums and marketing methods to communicate who we are and the values we offer.  Special emphasis 
is  made  to  highlight  brands  as  well  as  specific  styles  of  product,  and  visual  graphics  are  used  extensively  in  our 
stores to emphasize the lifestyle aspect of the styles we carry.  The use of social media has become an increasingly 
important medium in our digital marketing efforts, allowing us to directly communicate with, as well as advertise to, 
our  core  customers.    For  fiscal  2018,  approximately  47%  of  our  total  advertising  budget  was  directed  to  digital 
media,  television  and  radio.    Print  media  (including  inserts,  direct  mail  and  newspaper  advertising)  and  outdoor 
advertising  accounted  for  the  balance.    We  make  a  special  effort  to  utilize  the  cooperative  advertising  dollars  and 
collateral offered by vendors whenever possible.  We utilize television advertising to deliver a balanced mix of both 
branding  and  seasonal  product  messaging  across  the  year  beginning  with  the  Easter  selling  season.    Moreover,  it 
enables us to provide a message of offering value-priced, current season footwear.   

In  addition  to  a  dynamic,  lively  and  fun  shopping  experience,  we  offer  our  customers  our  Shoe  Perks  rewards 
program.    This  loyalty  program  provides  customers  with  a  heightened  shopping  experience,  which  includes 
exclusive offers and personalized messaging.  Rewards are earned by making purchases either in-store or online and 
through participating in other point earning opportunities that facilitate engagement with our brand.   

We  remain  highly  focused  on  expanding  Shoe  Perks  enrollment.    In  fiscal  2018,  we  added  2.4  million  new 
members, and purchases from Shoe Perks members were approximately 68% of our net sales.  We believe our Shoe 
Perks  program  affords  us  tremendous  opportunity  to  communicate,  build  relationships,  and  engage  with  our  most 
loyal shoppers and increase our customer touch points,  which we believe will result in long-term sales gains.  We 
relaunched our Shoe Perks program just prior to the back-to-school selling period in fiscal 2018 to better reward our 
high-value  customers  and  incentivize  all  of  our  members  in  order  to  encourage  brand  loyalty.    As  part  of  this 
relaunch,  we added a new  “Gold” tier for our high-value customers. Our customers  who qualify  for our Gold tier 
receive additional rewards and incentives. The Gold tier represents approximately 35% of our active members and 
the average transaction value for these customers is 20% higher than non-Gold Shoe Perks members. 

8 

 
 
  
    
         
         
         
         
    
    
    
    
    
    
         
         
         
         
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
 
We  strive  to  make  each  store  opening  a  major  retail  event.    Major  promotions  during  grand  openings  and  peak 
selling periods feature contests and prize giveaways.  We believe our grand openings help establish the high-energy, 
promotional  atmosphere  that  develops  a  loyal,  repeat  customer  base  and  generates  word-of-mouth  advertising.  
Although we do not anticipate any new store openings in fiscal 2019, we expect to continue to pursue opportunities 
for brick-and-mortar store growth in fiscal 2020.   

Distribution 

We  operate  a  single  410,000  square  foot  distribution  center  located  in  Evansville,  Indiana.    Our  facility  is  leased 
from a third party and can support the processing and distribution needs for up to 460 stores based on our current 
configuration.  We have the right to expand the facility by 200,000 square feet, which would provide us processing 
capacity to support approximately 650 stores.  

Our distribution center is equipped with state-of-the-art processing and product movement equipment.  The facility 
utilizes  cross  docking/store  replenishment  and  redistribution  methods  to  fill  store  product  requirements.    These 
methods  may  include  count  verification,  price  and  bar  code  labeling  of  each  unit  (when  not  performed  by  the 
manufacturer),  redistribution  of  an  order  into  size  assortments  (when  not  performed  by  the  manufacturer)  and 
allocation of shipments to individual stores.  Throughout packing, allocating, storing and shipping, our distribution 
process is essentially paperless.  Merchandise is typically shipped to each store location once per week.  For stores 
within  the  continental  United  States,  a  dedicated  carrier,  with  occasional  use  of  common  carriers,  handles  the 
majority  of  shipments.    Our  shipments  to  Puerto  Rico  are  loaded  for  containerized  overseas  shipment,  with  final 
delivery by a third-party provider.   

Competition 

The retail footwear business is highly competitive.  We believe the principal competitive factors in our industry are 
merchandise  selection,  price,  fashion,  quality,  location,  shopping  environment  and  service.    We  compete  with 
department  stores,  shoe  stores,  sporting  goods  stores,  online  retailers  and  mass  merchandisers.    Our  specific 
competitors vary from  market to  market.  We compete  with  most department stores and traditional shoe stores by 
offering  competitive  prices.    We  compete  with  off-price  retailers,  mass  merchandisers  and  discount  stores  by 
offering  a  wider  and  deeper  selection  of  merchandise.    Many  of  our  competitors  are  significantly  larger  and  have 
substantially  greater resources than  we do.  However,  we believe that our distinctive retail format, in combination 
with our wide merchandise selection, competitive prices and low operating costs, enables us to compete effectively. 

Store Operations 

Management  of  store  operations  is  the  responsibility  of  our  Executive  Vice  President  -  Store  Operations,  who  is 
assisted by a Senior Vice President of Operations, divisional managers, regional directors, district managers and the 
individual  store  general  managers.    Generally,  each  store  has  a  general  manager  and  up  to  three  store  managers, 
depending  on  sales  volume.    Store  operations  personnel  make  certain  merchandising  decisions  necessary  to 
maximize sales and profits primarily through merchandise placement, signage and timely clearance of slower selling 
items.  Administrative functions are centralized at the corporate headquarters.  These functions include accounting, 
purchasing,  store  maintenance,  information  systems,  advertising,  human  resources,  distribution  and  pricing.  
Management oversight for e-commerce is also located at our corporate headquarters. 

Employees 

At  February 2,  2019,  we  had  approximately  5,200  employees,  of  which  approximately  2,900  were  employed  on  a 
part-time basis.  The number of employees fluctuates during the year primarily due to seasonality.  No employees 
are represented by a labor union. 

We  attribute  a  large  portion  of  our  success  in  various  areas  of  cost  control  to  our  inclusion  of  virtually  all 
management level employees in incentive compensation plans.  We contribute all or a portion of the cost of medical, 
disability  and  life  insurance  coverage  for  those  employees  who  are  eligible  to  participate  in  Company-sponsored 
plans.  Additionally, we sponsor retirement plans that are open to all employees who have met the minimum age and 
work hour requirements.  All employees are eligible to receive discounts on purchases from our stores.  We consider 
our relationship with our employees to be satisfactory. 

9 

 
Seasonality 

Our quarterly results of operations have fluctuated, and are expected to continue to fluctuate in the future, primarily 
as a result of seasonal  variances and the  timing of  sales and costs associated  with opening  new  stores and closing 
underperforming stores.  Non-capital expenditures, such as advertising and payroll incurred prior to the opening of a 
new store, are charged to expense as incurred.  The timing and actual amount of expense recorded in closing a store 
can  vary  significantly  depending,  in  part,  on  the  period  in  which  management  commits  to  a  closing  plan,  the 
remaining basis in the fixed assets to be disposed of at closing and the amount of any lease buyout.  Therefore, our 
results of operations may be adversely affected in any quarter in which we incur pre-opening expenses related to the 
opening of new stores or incur closing costs related to the closure of existing stores.   

We  have  three  distinct  peak  selling  periods:  Easter,  back-to-school  and  Christmas.    To  prepare  for  our  peak 
shopping  seasons,  we  must  order  and  keep  in  stock  significantly  more  merchandise  than  we  would  carry  during 
other parts of the year.  Any unanticipated decrease in demand for our products during these peak shopping seasons 
could  require  us  to  sell  excess  inventory  at  a  substantial  markdown,  which  could  reduce  our  net  sales  and  gross 
margins and negatively affect our profitability.  Our operating results depend significantly upon the sales generated 
during these periods.  

Trademarks 

We own the following federally registered trademarks and service marks:  Shoe Carnival® and associated trade dress 
and  related  logos,  The  Carnival®,  Donna  Lawrence®,  Innocence®,  Y-NOT?®,  UNR8ED®,  Solanz®,  Cabrizi®,  Shoe 
Perks®,  SC  Work  Wear®,  When  You  Want  To  2®,  A  Surprise  In  Store®,  Shoes  2U®,  Laces  for  Learning®  and 
Princess Lacey’s Laces®.  We believe these marks are valuable and, accordingly, we intend to maintain the marks 
and  the  related  registrations.    We  are  not  aware  of  any  pending  claims  of  infringement  or  other  challenges  to  our 
right to use these marks.  

Environmental 

Compliance  with  federal,  state  and  local  provisions  regulating  the  discharge  of  materials  into  the  environment  or 
otherwise relating to the protection of the environment has not had a material effect upon our capital expenditures, 
earnings or competitive position.  We believe the nature of our operations have little, if any, environmental impact. 
We  therefore  anticipate  no  material  capital  expenditures  for  environmental  control  facilities  for  our  current  fiscal 
year or for the near future. 

Available Information  

We  make  available  free  of  charge  through  the  investor  relations  portion  of  our  website  at  www.shoecarnival.com 
our  annual  reports  on  Form  10-K,  our  quarterly  reports  on  Form  10-Q,  our  current  reports  on  Form  8-K  and 
amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange 
Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such 
material  with,  or  furnish  it  to,  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission.    We  have  included  our  website  address 
throughout this filing as textual references only.  The information contained on, or accessible through, our website is 
not incorporated into this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

This  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission,  including  the 
financial statements and schedules thereto, without the accompanying exhibits, is available without charge to 
shareholders,  investment  professionals  and  securities  analysts  upon  written  request.    Requests  should  be 
directed to Investor Relations at our corporate address.  A list of exhibits is included in this Annual Report on 
Form 10-K, and exhibits are available from us upon payment to us of the cost of furnishing them. 

10 

 
Executive Officers  

Name 
J. Wayne Weaver 
Clifton E. Sifford 
W. Kerry Jackson 

Timothy T. Baker 
Carl N. Scibetta 
Mark J. Worden 

Age 
84 
65 
57 

62 
60 
45  

   Position 
   Chairman of the Board and Director 
   President, Chief Executive Officer and Director 

Senior Executive Vice President - Chief Operating and Financial 
Officer and Treasurer 

   Executive Vice President - Store Operations 
   Executive Vice President - Chief Merchandising Officer 
   Executive Vice President - Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer 

Mr.  Weaver  has  served  as  Chairman  of  the  Board  since  March  1988.    From  1978  until  February  2,  1993,  Mr. 
Weaver had served as President and Chief Executive Officer of Nine West Group, Inc., a designer, developer and 
marketer  of  women’s  footwear.    He  has  over  50  years  of  experience  in  the  footwear  industry.    Mr.  Weaver  is  a 
former  Director  of  Nine  West  Group,  Inc.    Mr.  Weaver  served  as  Chairman  and  Chief  Executive  Officer  of 
Jacksonville Jaguars, LTD, a professional football franchise, until January 2012.  Mr. Weaver previously served two 
terms as a Director of Stein Mart, Inc., a publicly traded chain of off-price retail stores, from June 2014 until March 
2016 and from November 2000 until April 2008.  

Mr. Sifford has been employed as President and Chief Executive Officer and has served as a Director since October 
2012.  Mr. Sifford also served as Chief Merchandising Officer from October 2012 to March 2016.  From June 2001 
to October 2012, Mr. Sifford served as Executive Vice President – General Merchandise Manager and from  April 
1997 to June 2001, Mr. Sifford served as Senior Vice President – General Merchandise Manager.  Prior to joining 
us, Mr. Sifford served as Merchandise Manager – Shoes for Belk, Inc. 

Mr.  Jackson  has  been  employed  as  Senior  Executive  Vice  President,  Chief  Operating  and  Financial  Officer  and 
Treasurer since October 2012.  From August 2004 to October 2012, Mr. Jackson served as Executive Vice President 
–  Chief  Financial  Officer  and  Treasurer.    From  June  2001  to  August  2004,  Mr.  Jackson  served  as  Senior  Vice 
President – Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.  From September 1996 to June 2001, Mr. Jackson served as Vice 
President – Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer.  From January 1993 to September 1996, Mr. Jackson served as 
Vice  President  –  Controller  and  Chief  Accounting  Officer.    Prior  to  January  1993,  Mr.  Jackson  held  various 
accounting positions with us.  Prior to joining us in 1988, Mr. Jackson was associated with a public accounting firm.  
He is a Certified Public Accountant.  

Mr. Baker has been employed as Executive Vice President – Store Operations since June 2001.  From March 1994 
to June 2001, Mr. Baker served as Senior Vice President – Store Operations.  From May 1992 to March 1994, Mr. 
Baker served as Vice President – Store Operations.  Prior to that time, he served as one of our regional managers.  
From 1983 to June 1989, Mr. Baker held various retail management positions with Payless ShoeSource. 

Mr.  Scibetta  has  been  employed  as  Executive  Vice  President  –  Chief  Merchandising  Officer  since  March  2016. 
From  December  2012  to  March  2016,  Mr.  Scibetta  served  as  General  Merchandise  Manager.    Prior  to joining  us, 
Mr. Scibetta served as Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager– Footwear for Belk, Inc. since 2008.  From 
2004  to  2007,  Mr.  Scibetta  served  as  Vice  President,  Divisional  Merchandise  Manager  –  Footwear  for  Parisian 
Department Stores.  From 1998 to 2000, Mr. Scibetta served as Vice President, Divisional Merchandise Manager for 
Shoe Corporation of America.  Mr. Scibetta began his retail career with Wohl Shoe Company in 1980. 

Mr.  Worden  has  been  employed  as  Executive  Vice  President  –  Chief  Strategy  and  Marketing  Officer  since 
September 2018.  Prior to joining us, Mr. Worden led the Northern European region for S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc. 
(“SC Johnson”), a manufacturer of household cleaning supplies and products, and was responsible for revenue and 
share  growth  objectives  across  six  countries  from  May  2014  to  July  2018.    Prior  to  that,  Mr.  Worden  served  as 
Assistant to the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of SC Johnson from May 2012 to May 2014 and as a Senior 
Marketing  Director  from  2009  to  2012.    Mr.  Worden  also  served  as  a  Senior  Brand  Manager  at  Kimberly-Clark 
Corporation  and  held  multiple  marketing  roles  across  their  flagship  brands  during  his  tenure  there  from  2003 
through 2009. 

11 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
 
Our executive officers serve at the discretion of the Board of Directors.  There is no family relationship between any 
of our Directors or executive officers. 

ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS 

Carefully consider the following risk factors and all other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-
K  before  making  an  investment  decision  with  respect  to  our  common  stock.    Investing  in  our  common  stock 
involves  a  high  degree  of  risk.    If  any  of  the  following  risks  actually  occur,  we  may  not  be  able  to  conduct  our 
business  as  currently  planned  and  our  financial  condition  and  operating  results  could  be  materially  and  adversely 
affected.    See  PART  I  “Cautionary  Statement  Regarding  Forward-Looking  Information”  at  the  beginning  of  this 
Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

Economic  conditions  and  unemployment  rates  may  adversely  affect  consumer  spending  and  may  significantly 
harm  our  business.    The  success  of  our  business  depends  to  a  significant  extent  upon  the  level  of  consumer 
spending.  A number of factors may affect the level of consumer spending on merchandise that we offer, including, 
among other things: 

general economic, industry and weather conditions; 
unemployment trends and salaries and wage rates; 
energy costs, which affect gasoline and home heating prices; 
the level of consumer debt; 
consumer credit availability; 
real estate values and foreclosure rates; 
consumer confidence in future economic conditions; 
interest rates; 
health care costs; 
tax rates, policies and timing and amounts of tax refunds; and 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  war, terrorism, other hostilities and security concerns. 

The  merchandise  we  sell  generally  consists  of  discretionary  items.    Adverse  economic  conditions  and 
unemployment  rates,  and  any  related  decrease  in  consumer  confidence  and  spending  may  result  in  reduced 
consumer  demand  for  discretionary  items.    Any  decrease  in  consumer  demand  could  reduce  traffic  in  our  stores, 
limit  the  prices  we  can  charge  for  our  products  and  force  us  to  take  inventory  markdowns,  which  could  have  a 
material  adverse  effect  on  our  business,  results  of  operations  and  financial  condition.    Reduced  demand  may  also 
require increased selling and promotional expenses.  Reduced demand and increased competition could increase the 
need to close underperforming stores, which could result in higher than anticipated closing costs.   

We face significant competition in our markets and we may be unable to compete favorably.  The retail footwear 
industry is highly competitive with few barriers to entry.  We compete primarily with department stores, shoe stores, 
sporting goods stores, online retailers and mass merchandisers.  Many of our competitors are significantly larger and 
have substantially greater resources than we do.  Economic pressures or bankruptcies of our competition could result 
in  increased  pricing  pressures.    This  competition  could  adversely  affect  our  results  of  operations  and  financial 
condition in the future.  

Failure  to  successfully  manage  and  execute  our  marketing  initiatives  could  have  a  negative  impact  on  our 
business.    Our  success  and  growth  are  partially  dependent  on  generating  customer  traffic  in  order  to  gain  sales 
momentum in our stores and drive traffic to our  website.  Successful  marketing efforts require the ability to reach 
customers  through  their  desired  mode  of  communication,  utilizing  various  media  outlets.    Media  placement 
decisions are generally  made  months in advance of the scheduled release date.  Our inability to accurately predict 
our consumers’ preferences, to utilize their desired mode of communication, or to ensure availability of advertised 
products could adversely affect our business and operating results.  In addition, our competitors may spend more on 
marketing or use different marketing approaches, which could provide them with a competitive advantage.   

Our failure to identify fashion trends could result in lower sales, higher markdowns and lower gross profits.  Our 
success  depends  upon  our  ability  to  anticipate  and  react  to  the  fashion  tastes  of  our  customers  and  provide 
merchandise that satisfies consumer demand.  Our failure to anticipate, identify or react appropriately to changes in 
consumer fashion preferences may result in lower sales, higher markdowns to reduce excess inventories and lower 

12 

 
gross profits.  Conversely, if we fail to anticipate or react to consumer demand for our products, we may experience 
inventory shortages, which would result in lost sales and could negatively affect our customer goodwill, our brand 
image and our profitability.  Moreover, our business relies on continuous changes in fashion preferences.  Stagnating 
consumer  preferences  could  also  result  in  lower  sales  and  would  require  us  to  take  higher  markdowns  to  reduce 
excess inventories. 

A  failure  to  increase  sales  at  our  existing  stores  may  adversely  affect  our  stock  price  and  affect  our  results  of 
operations.  A number of factors have historically affected, and will continue to affect, our comparable store sales 
results, including: 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

competition; 
timing of holidays, including sales tax holidays; 
general regional and national economic conditions; 
inclement weather and/or unseasonable weather patterns; 
consumer trends, such as less disposable income due to the impact of higher prices on consumer goods; 
fashion trends; 
changes in our merchandise mix; 
our ability to efficiently distribute merchandise; 
timing and type of, and customer response to, sales events, promotional activities or other advertising; 
the effectiveness of our inventory management;  
new merchandise introductions; and 
our ability to execute our business strategy effectively. 

In addition, consumers are increasingly  using online retailers for their fashion purchases, shifting sales away  from 
brick-and-mortar stores to e-commerce channels.  This shift in shopping preference has resulted, and may continue 
to  result,  in  decreased  traffic  in  our  physical  stores,  which  could  reduce  sales  at  our  physical  stores  and,  in  turn, 
negatively affect our business and financial results.  

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

Members  in  our  Shoe  Perks  customer  loyalty  program  account  for  a  significant  portion  of  our  sales,  and  any 
material  decline  in  sales  from  our  Shoe  Perks  members  could  have  an  adverse  impact  on  our  results  of 
operations.    We  believe  our  Shoe  Perks  rewards  program  provides  our  customers  with  a  heightened  shopping 
experience, which includes exclusive offers and personalized messaging. Rewards are earned by making purchases 
either in-store or online and through participating in other point earning opportunities that facilitate engagement with 
our brand. We remain highly focused on expanding our Shoe Perks enrollment. In fiscal 2018, we added 2.4 million 
new  members,  and  purchases  from  Shoe  Perks  members  were  68%  of  net  sales.  Shoe  Perks  members  on  average 
spent 19%  more per transaction than non-members in  fiscal 2018.  If our Shoe Perks  members do not continue to 
shop with us, our sales may be adversely affected, which could have an adverse impact on our results of operations. 

We would be adversely affected if our information technology systems fail to operate effectively, are disrupted or 
are compromised.  We rely on our existing information technology systems in operating and monitoring all major 
aspects  of  our  business,  including  sales,  warehousing,  distribution,  purchasing,  inventory  control,  merchandise 
planning and replenishment, point-of-sale support and financial systems. We regularly make investments to upgrade, 
enhance  or  replace  these  systems,  as  well  as  leverage  new  technologies  to  support  our operational  strategies.  Any 
delays or difficulties transitioning to new systems or integrating them with current systems in an orderly and timely 
fashion could have a material adverse effect on our operational results, financial position and cash flows.  

The  reliability  and  capacity  of  our  information  technology  systems,  and  in  particular  our  distribution  technology 
operations, are critical to our continued operations. We currently operate a single, 410,000 square foot distribution 
center in Evansville, Indiana.  Virtually all  merchandise received by our stores is and  will be shipped through our 
distribution  center.    We  fulfill  our  e-commerce  orders  primarily  from  our  store  locations.    E-commerce  orders  for 
certain  key  items  and  promotional  product  are  fulfilled  from  our  distribution  center.    Our  corporate  computer 
network is essential to our distribution process.  

13 

 
Despite our precautionary efforts, our information technology systems are vulnerable from time to time to damage 
or interruption from, among other things, natural or man-made disasters, technical malfunctions, inadequate systems 
capacity,  power  outages  or  terrorist  attack,  computer  viruses  and  security  breaches,  which  may  require  significant 
investment  to  fix  or  replace.  If  our  distribution  center  is  shut  down  for  any  reason,  if  our  information  technology 
systems do not operate effectively, or if we are the target of attacks or security breaches, we may suffer the loss of 
critical data, we could incur significantly higher costs and longer lead times associated with distributing our products 
to our stores, our ability to operate our e-commerce site and mobile app may be impacted, and we could experience 
other interruptions or delays to our operations.  Our insurance only covers costs relating to specified, limited matters 
such as a shutdown due to fire and windstorms, as well as certain cyber-security incidents, but does not cover other 
events such as acts of war or terrorist attacks.  Even in the event of a shutdown due to covered matters, our insurance 
may  not  be  sufficient,  or  the  insurance  proceeds  may  not  be  paid  to  us  in  a  timely  fashion.    Shutdowns  or 
information technology disruptions could have an adverse effect on our operating and financial performance. 

Failure  to  protect  the  integrity  and  security  of  individually  identifiable  data  of  our  customers  and  employees 
could expose us to litigation and damage our reputation.  We receive and maintain certain personal, sensitive and 
confidential information about our customers, vendors and employees.  The collection and use of this information is 
regulated at the international, federal and state levels, and is subject to certain contractual restrictions in third party 
contracts.    Non-compliance  with  these  regulations  and  contractual  restrictions  may  subject  us  to  fines,  penalties, 
restrictions and expulsion from credit card acceptance programs and civil liability.  Although we have implemented 
processes to collect and protect the integrity and security of this personal information, there can be no assurance that 
this  information  will  not be obtained by unauthorized persons, or collected or used inappropriately, including as a 
result  of  cyber-security  breaches,  acts  of  vandalism,  computer  viruses,  credit  card  fraud  or  phishing.    Advanced 
cyber-security  threats  are  persistent  and  continue  to  evolve,  making  them  increasingly  difficult  to  identify  and 
prevent.  If our security and information systems or the systems of our employees or external business associates are 
compromised or our employees or external business associates fail to comply  with  these laws and regulations and 
this information is obtained by unauthorized persons, or collected or used inappropriately, it could negatively affect 
our  reputation,  as  well  as  our  operations  and  financial  results,  and  could  result  in  litigation  or  regulatory  action 
against  us  or  the  imposition  of  costs,  fines  or  other  penalties.    As  privacy  and  information  security  laws  and 
regulations change, we may incur additional costs to remain in compliance. 

We  outsource  certain  business  processes  to  third-party  vendors  and  have  certain  business  relationships  that 
subject  us  to  risks,  including  disruptions  in  business  and  increased  costs.    We  outsource  some  of  our  business 
processes to third-party vendors.  We make a diligent effort to ensure that all providers of these outsourced services 
are observing proper internal control practices; however, there are no guarantees that failures will not occur.  Failure 
of third parties to provide adequate services or our inability to arrange for alternative providers on favorable terms in 
a  timely  manner  could  disrupt  our  business,  increase  our  costs  or  otherwise  adversely  affect  our  business  and  our 
financial results. 

Failure  to  maintain  positive  brand  perception  and  recognition  could  have  a  negative  impact  on  our  business.  
Maintaining a good reputation is critical to our business.  The considerable expansion in the use of social media over 
recent years has increased the risk that our reputation could be negatively impacted in a short amount of time.  If we 
are unable to quickly and effectively respond to any incidents  negatively impacting our reputation,  we  may suffer 
declines  in  customer  loyalty  and  traffic  and  we  may  experience  vendor  relationship  issues  and  other  issues,  all  of 
which could negatively affect our financial results. 

We will require significant funds to implement our business strategy and meet our other liquidity needs.  We may 
not  continue  to  generate  sufficient  cash  flow  from  operations  or  obtain  sufficient  borrowings  under  our  existing 
credit  facility  to  finance  our  business  strategy  and  meet  our  other  liquidity  needs.    In  fiscal  2019,  capital 
expenditures  are  expected  to  range  from  $21  million  to  $22 million.    Our  actual  costs  may  be  greater  than 
anticipated.  We also require working capital to support inventory for our existing stores.  Failure to generate or raise 
sufficient funds may require us to modify, delay or abandon some of our future growth or expenditure plans.  We 
utilize our existing credit facility to issue merchandise and special purpose standby letters of credit as well as to fund 
working  capital  requirements,  as  needed.    Significant  decreases  in  cash  flow  from  operations  could  result  in  our 
borrowing  under  the  credit  facility  to  fund  operational  needs.    If  we  borrow  funds  under  our  credit  facility  and 
interest rates materially increase from present levels, our results could be adversely affected. 

14 

 
Various  risks  associated  with  our  e-commerce  business  may  adversely  affect  our  business  and  results  of 
operations.  Digital commerce has been a rapidly growing sales channel, particularly with younger consumers, and 
an increasing source of competition in the retail industry.  We sell shoes and related accessories through our website 
at www.shoecarnival.com.  We fulfill e-commerce orders from our store locations and from our distribution center.  
We anticipate that the percentage of our sales through our e-commerce site will continue to grow and thus the risks 
associated with these operations could have a material impact on our overall operations.  However, our e-commerce 
operations  may  not  achieve  growing  sales  and  profitability.    Our  e-commerce  operations  are  subject  to  numerous 
risks, including unanticipated operating problems, reliance on third-party computer hardware, software and service 
providers, and the need to invest in additional computer systems.  Any significant interruptions in the operations of 
these third-party providers, over which we have no control, could have a material adverse effect on our e-commerce 
business.  Our e-commerce operations involve additional potential risks that could have an impact on our results of 
operations,  including  hiring,  retaining  and  training  personnel  to  conduct  our  e-commerce  operations,  diversion  of 
sales  from  our  stores,  our  ability  to  manage  any  upgrades  or  other  technological  changes,  our  ability  to  provide 
customer-facing  technology  systems,  including  mobile  technology  solutions,  that  function  reliably  and  provide  a 
convenient  and  consistent  experience  for  our  customers,  exposure  to  potential  liability  for  online  content,  risks 
related  to  the  failure  of  the  computer  systems  that  operate  our  e-commerce  site  and  its  related  support  systems, 
including computer viruses, telecommunication failures and cyber-attacks and break-ins and similar disruptions, and 
security  risks  related  to  our  electronic  processing  and  transmission  of  confidential  customer  information.    Any 
breach involving our customer information could materially harm our reputation or result in liability including, but 
not  limited  to,  fines,  penalties  and  costs  of  litigation,  any  of  which  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our 
operating results, financial position and cash flows.   

An increase in the cost or a disruption in the flow of imported goods may decrease our sales and profits.  We rely 
on  imported  goods  to  sell  in  our  stores.    Substantially  all  of  our  footwear  product  is  manufactured  overseas, 
including the merchandise we import directly from overseas manufacturers and the merchandise we purchase from 
domestic vendors.  Our primary footwear manufacturers are located in China.  A disruption in the flow of imported 
merchandise  or  an  increase  in  the  cost  of  those  goods  may  decrease  our  sales  and  profits.    In  addition,  we  do  not 
control our vendors or their labor and business practices.  The violation of labor, product safety or other laws by one 
of our vendors could have an adverse effect on our business and reputation.   

If imported merchandise becomes more expensive or unavailable, the transition to alternative sources may not occur 
in time to meet our demands.  Products from alternative sources may be of lesser quality and more expensive than 
those we currently import.  Other risks associated with our use of imported goods include:  

• 

disruptions in the flow of imported goods because of factors such as electricity or raw material shortages, work 
stoppages, strikes, political unrest and natural disasters; 
import duties, import quotas, tariffs, anti-dumping duties, and other trade sanctions; 

• 
•  modifications to international trade policy and/or existing trade agreements and other changes affecting United 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

• 
• 

States trade relations with other countries;  
problems with oceanic shipping, including shipping container shortages and piracy; 
port congestion at arrival ports causing delays; 
additional oceanic shipping costs to reach non-congested ports; 
inland transit costs and delays resulting from port congestion;  
economic crises and international disputes; 
currency exchange rate fluctuations; 
increases  in  the  cost  of  purchasing  or  shipping  foreign  merchandise  resulting  from  the  failure  to  maintain 
normal trade relations with source countries; 
increases in shipping rates imposed by the trans-Pacific shipping cartel; and 
compliance  with the laws and regulations, and changes to such laws and regulations, in the United States and 
the countries where our manufacturers are located, including but not limited to requirements relating to shipping 
security, product safety testing, environmental requirements and anti-corruption laws. 

We may not be able to successfully execute our growth strategy, which could have a material adverse effect on 
our business, financial condition and results of operations.  As part of our growth strategy, we intend to continue 
to invest in our multi-channel initiatives, which will require substantial investment in technology.  Although we do 
not expect any new store openings in fiscal 2019, we expect to open new stores in fiscal 2020.  When we resume 
new  store  growth  in  the  future,  we  may  not  be  able  to  open  all  of  the  new  stores  contemplated  by  our  growth 
strategy, and the new stores that we open may not be as profitable as existing stores.   

15 

 
The complexity of our operations and management responsibilities will increase as we execute our growth strategy.  
Our  growth  strategy  requires  that  we  continue  to  expand  and  improve  our  operating  and  financial  systems  and 
expand,  train  and  manage  our  employee  base.    In  addition,  as  we  create  more  opportunities  to  connect  with  our 
customers through our  multi-channel  initiatives and as  we  open new  stores,  we  may be  unable  to hire a sufficient 
number of qualified personnel or successfully integrate the multi-channel initiatives or new stores into our business. 

If  we  fail  to  successfully  implement  our  growth  strategy,  it  could  have  a  material  adverse  effect  on  our  business, 
financial condition or results  of operations.  The success of our growth strategy  will depend on a number of other 
factors, many of which are out of our control, including, among other things: 

• 
• 
• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 
• 
• 

the acceptance of the Shoe Carnival concept in new markets; 
our ability to provide adequate distribution to support growth; 
our ability to source sufficient levels of inventory to meet the needs of new stores and for our Ship From Store, 
Shoes 2U and Buy Online Pick Up In Stores services; 
our  ability  to  resolve  downtime  or  technical  issues  related  to  our  e-commerce  site,  our  mobile  app,  our  third-
party  order  management  and  fulfillment  systems,  and  all  other  related  systems  that  support  our  multi-channel 
strategy; 
our  ability  to  execute  multi-channel  advertising  and  marketing  campaigns  to  effectively  communicate  our 
message to our customers and our employees; 
our  ability  to  locate  suitable  store  sites  and  negotiate  store  leases  (for  new  stores  and  renewals)  on  favorable 
terms; 
particularly if we expand into new markets, our ability to open a sufficient number of new stores to provide the 
critical mass needed for efficient advertising and effective brand recognition; 
the availability of financing for capital expenditures and working capital requirements; 
our ability to improve costs and timing associated with opening new stores; and 
the impact of new stores on sales or profitability of existing stores in the same market. 

We  depend  on  our  key  suppliers  for  merchandise  and  advertising  support  and  the  loss  of  key  suppliers  could 
adversely  affect  our  business.    Our  business  depends  upon  our  ability  to  purchase  fashionable,  name  brand  and 
other  merchandise at competitive prices  from our suppliers.  In fiscal 2018, two branded suppliers, Nike, Inc. and 
Skechers  USA,  Inc.,  collectively  accounted  for  approximately  43%  of  our  net  sales.    Nike,  Inc.  accounted  for 
approximately 32% and Skechers USA, Inc. accounted for approximately 11% of our net sales, respectively.  Name 
brand suppliers also provide us with cooperative advertising and visual merchandising funds.  A loss of any of our 
key suppliers in certain product categories or our inability to obtain name brand or other merchandise from suppliers 
at competitive prices could have a material adverse effect on our business. As is common in the industry, we do not 
have any long-term contracts with our suppliers. 

Our  quarterly  operating  results  will  fluctuate  due  to  seasonality,  weather  conditions  and  other  factors.    Our 
quarterly results of operations have fluctuated, and are expected to continue to fluctuate in the future, primarily as a 
result of seasonal variances, weather conditions and the timing of sales and costs associated with opening new stores 
and closing existing stores.  

We  have  three  distinct  peak  selling  periods:  Easter,  back-to-school  and  Christmas.    To  prepare  for  our  peak 
shopping  seasons,  we  must  order  and  keep  in  stock  significantly  more  merchandise  than  we  would  carry  during 
other parts of the year.  Any unanticipated decrease in demand for our products during these peak shopping seasons 
could  require  us  to  sell  excess  inventory  at  a  substantial  markdown,  which  could  reduce  our  net  sales  and  gross 
margins and negatively affect our profitability.  Our operating results depend significantly upon the sales generated 
during these periods, and our quarterly results may be impacted by calendar shifts of holiday or seasonal periods.   

We also increase our inventory levels to offer styles particularly suited for the relevant season, such as sandals in the 
early  summer  season  and  boots  during  the  winter  season.    If  the  weather  conditions  for  a  particular  season  vary 
significantly  from  those  typical  for  such  season,  such  as  an  unusually  cold  early  summer  or  an  unusually  warm 
winter, consumer demand for the seasonally appropriate merchandise that we have available in our stores could be 
adversely  affected  and  negatively  impact  net  sales  and  margins.    Lower  demand  for  seasonally  appropriate 
merchandise may leave us with an excess inventory of our seasonally appropriate products, forcing us to sell these 
products  at  significantly  discounted  prices  and  adversely  affecting  our  net  sales  margins  and  operating  cash  flow. 

16 

 
Conversely,  if  weather  conditions  permit  us  to  sell  our  seasonal  product  early  in  the  season,  this  may  reduce 
inventory  levels  needed  to  meet  our  customers’  needs  later  in  that  same  season.    Consequently,  our  results  of 
operations are highly dependent on somewhat predictable weather conditions and our ability to react to changes in 
weather conditions.  

Other factors that may affect our quarterly results of operations include: 

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

fashion trends; 
the timing and amount of income tax refunds to customers;  
the effectiveness of our inventory management; 
changes in general economic conditions and consumer spending patterns; and 
actions of competitors or co-tenants. 

If our future quarterly results fail to meet the expectations of research analysts, then the market price of our common 
stock could decline substantially. 

If  our  long-lived  assets  become  impaired,  we  may  need  to  record  significant  non-cash  impairment  charges.  
Periodically,  we  review  our  long-lived  assets  for  impairment  whenever  economic  events  or  changes  in 
circumstances indicate that the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable.  Significant negative industry or 
general economic trends, disruptions to our business and unexpected significant changes or planned changes in our 
use  of  the  assets  (such  as  store  relocations  or  closures)  have  resulted,  and  in  the  future  may  result,  in  impairment 
charges.  Any  such  impairment  charges,  if  significant,  would  adversely  affect  our  financial  position  and  results  of 
operations. 

We  are  subject  to  periodic  litigation  and  other  regulatory  proceedings,  which  could  result  in  the  unexpected 
expenditure of time and resources.  We are a defendant from time to time in lawsuits and regulatory actions relating 
to  our  business.    Due  to  the  inherent  uncertainties  of  litigation  and  regulatory  proceedings,  we  cannot  accurately 
predict  the  ultimate  outcome  of  any  such  proceedings.    An  unfavorable  outcome  could  have  a  material  adverse 
impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.  In addition, regardless of the outcome of any 
litigation  or  regulatory  proceedings,  such  proceedings  are  expensive  and  will  require  us  to  devote  substantial 
resources and executive time to defend, thereby diverting management’s attention and resources that are needed to 
successfully run our business. 

Our failure to manage key executive succession and retention and to continue to attract qualified personnel could 
adversely affect our business.  Our success depends largely on the continued service of our executive management 
team.  Our business would be adversely affected if we fail to adequately plan for the succession and retention of our 
executive management team.  While we have succession plans in place for members of our executive management 
team,  and  continue  to  review  and  update  those  plans,  and  we  have  employment  agreements  with  certain  key 
executive  officers,  these  plans  and  agreements  do  not  guarantee  that  the  services  of  our  executive  officers  will 
continue  to  be  available  to  us  or  that  we  will  be  able  to  find  suitable  management  personnel  to  replace  departing 
executives on a timely basis.  

Furthermore,  our  strategy  requires  us  to  continue  to  train,  motivate  and  manage  our  employees  and  to  attract, 
motivate  and  retain  additional  qualified  managerial  and  merchandising  personnel.    The  ability  to  meet  our  labor 
needs  while  controlling  costs  is  subject  to  external  factors  such  as  unemployment  levels,  prevailing  wage  rates, 
health care and minimum wage legislation and changing demographics.  If we are unable to attract and retain quality 
sales associates and management, the ability to meet growth goals or to sustain expected levels of profitability may 
be compromised.   

Our  stock  price  may  be  volatile  and  could  decline  substantially.    The  stock  market  has,  from  time  to  time, 
experienced  extreme  price  and  volume  fluctuations.    Many  factors  may  cause  the  market  price  for  our  common 
stock to decline, including:  

operating results failing to meet the expectations of securities analysts or investors in any quarter;  
downward revisions in securities analysts’ estimates;  

• 
• 
•  material announcements by us or our competitors; and  
• 

the other risk factors cited in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

17 

 
In  the  past,  companies  that  have  experienced  volatility  in  the  market  price  of  their  stock  have  been  the  subject  of 
securities  class  action  litigation.    If  we  become  involved  in  securities  class  action  litigation  in  the  future,  it  could 
result in substantial costs and diversion of management attention and resources, thus harming our business. 

We  cannot  guarantee  that  we  will  continue  to  make  dividend  payments  or  that  we  will  continue  to  repurchase 
stock pursuant to our stock repurchase program.  Our Board of Directors determines if it is in our best interest to 
pay a dividend to our shareholders and the amount of any dividend and declares all dividend payments. In the future, 
our  results  of  operations  and  financial  condition  may  not  allow  for  a  dividend  to  be  declared  or  the  Board  of 
Directors  may  decide  not  to  continue  to  declare  dividends.  In  addition,  our  current  share  repurchase  program 
authorizes the purchase of up to $50 million of our common stock through December 31, 2019.  However, we are 
not  obligated  to  make  any  purchases  under  the  share  repurchase  program  and  the  program  may  be  amended, 
suspended or discontinued at any time. 

Failure to maintain effective internal control over financial reporting could result in a loss of investor confidence 
in our financial reports and have a material adverse effect on our stock price.  We must continue to document, test 
and evaluate our internal control over financial reporting in order to satisfy the requirements of Section 404 of the 
Sarbanes-Oxley  Act  of  2002,  which  requires  annual  reports  by  management  regarding  the  effectiveness  of  our 
internal control over financial reporting and a report by our independent registered public accounting firm attesting 
to  the  effectiveness  of  our  internal  control  over  financial  reporting.    We  have  expended,  and  expect  that  we  will 
continue  to expend, significant  management time and resources documenting and testing our internal control over 
financial reporting. If we conclude in future periods that our internal control over financial reporting is not effective, 
it could result in lost investor confidence in the accuracy, reliability and completeness of our financial reports.  Any 
such events could have a material adverse effect on our stock price.  

We are controlled by our principal shareholders. J. Wayne Weaver, our Chairman of the Board of Directors, and 
his spouse together beneficially own approximately 19.5% of our outstanding common stock.  Mr. Weaver’s adult 
son is the sole trustee of the J. Wayne Weaver 2018 Grantor Retained  Annuity Trust for Bradley Wayne Weaver, 
and, as a result, beneficially owns the approximately 6.5% of our outstanding common stock held by such trust.  Mr. 
Weaver’s adult daughter is the sole trustee of the J. Wayne Weaver 2018 Grantor Retained Annuity Trust for Leigh 
Anne Weaver, and, as a result, beneficially owns the approximately 6.5% of our outstanding common stock held by 
such  trust.    Accordingly,  the  Weaver  family  is  able  to  exert  substantial  influence  over  our  management  and 
operations. In addition, their interests may differ from or be opposed to the interests of our other shareholders, and 
their  ownership  may  have  the  effect  of  delaying  or  preventing  a  change  in  control  that  may  be  favored  by  other 
shareholders. 

Provisions of our organizational documents and Indiana law might deter acquisition  bids for us.  Our  Restated 
Articles  of  Incorporation,  our  By-Laws  and  Indiana  corporate  laws  contain  provisions  that  may  discourage  other 
persons  from  attempting  to  acquire  control  of  us,  including,  without  limitation,  a  Board  of  Directors  that  has 
staggered terms for its members, supermajority voting provisions, restrictions on the ability of shareholders to call a 
special  meeting  of  shareholders  and  procedural  requirements  in  connection  with  shareholder  proposals  or  director 
nominations.    The  Board  of  Directors  has  the  authority  to  issue  preferred  stock  in  one  or  more  series  without  the 
approval  of  the  holders  of  our  common  stock.    Further,  Indiana  corporate  law  contains  business  combination 
provisions that, in general, prohibit for five years any business combination with a beneficial owner of 10% or more 
of  our  common  stock  unless  the  holder’s  acquisition  of  the  stock  was  approved  in  advance  by  our  Board  of 
Directors.  Indiana corporate law also contains control share acquisition provisions that limit the ability of certain 
shareholders to vote their shares unless their control share acquisition is approved.  In certain circumstances, the fact 
that corporate devices are in place that inhibit or discourage takeover attempts could reduce the market value of our 
common stock. 

ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS 

None. 

18 

 
ITEM 2.    PROPERTIES 

We lease all existing stores and intend to lease all future stores.  Approximately 98% of the leases for our existing 
stores provide for fixed minimum rentals and approximately 49% provide for contingent rental payments based upon 
various  specified  percentages  of  sales  above  minimum  levels.    Certain  leases  also  contain  escalation  clauses  for 
increases in minimum rentals, operating costs and taxes. 

The following table identifies the number of our stores in each state and Puerto Rico as of February 2, 2019: 

State/Territory 
Alabama 
Arkansas 
Arizona 
Colorado 
Delaware 
Florida 
Georgia 
Idaho 
Iowa 
Illinois 
Indiana 
Kansas 
Kentucky 
Louisiana 
Michigan 
Missouri 
Mississippi 
Montana 
Nebraska 

     State/Territory 

11      New Jersey 
10      New York 
4      North Carolina 
4      North Dakota 
1      Ohio 
30      Oklahoma 
16      Pennsylvania 
4      Puerto Rico 
11      South Carolina 
30      South Dakota 
29      Tennessee 
5      Texas 
12      Utah 
9      Virginia 
16      Wisconsin 
22      West Virginia 
6      Wyoming 
1      Total Stores 
3        

3   
3   
18   
4   
20   
7   
16   
6   
10   
2   
20   
46   
2   
7   
3   
5   
1   
397   

In  February  2006,  we  entered  into  an  operating  lease  with  an  independent  third  party  to  lease  our  410,000  square 
foot distribution center located in Evansville, Indiana.  The lease has an initial term of 15 years, expiring in 2021.  
We have the right to extend the initial lease term for up to three additional periods of five years each, and to expand 
the facility by up to 200,000 square feet. 

In June 2006, we entered into an operating lease with an independent third party to lease our corporate headquarters 
for an initial term of 15 years, expiring in 2021.  We have the right to extend the initial lease term for up to three 
additional periods of five years each, and to expand the facility by up to 30,000 square feet.  As of the date of this 
Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K,  we  have  not  exercised  our  right  to  extend  the  lease  term,  but  we  are  presently  in 
negotiations to purchase our corporate headquarters for approximately $7 million.   

For  additional  information  with  respect  to  our  properties,  see  ITEM  1.  BUSINESS  –  “Growth  Strategy”  and 
“Distribution”  as  well  as  PART  II,  ITEM  7.  MANAGEMENT’S  DISCUSSION  AND  ANALYSIS  OF 
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS – “Executive Summary” of this Annual Report on 
Form 10-K. 

ITEM 3.    LEGAL PROCEEDINGS  

From time to time, we are involved in certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of conducting our business.  
While the outcome of any legal proceeding is uncertain, we do not currently expect that any such proceedings will 
have a material adverse effect on our financial position or results of operations. 

ITEM 4.    MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES 

Not applicable.  

19 

 
 
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
    
 
PART II 

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

Market Information and Holders 

Our  common  stock  has  been  quoted  on  The  Nasdaq  Stock  Market,  LLC  under  the  trading  symbol  “SCVL”  since 
March 16, 1993.  As of March 25, 2019, there were approximately 138 holders of record of our common stock.  We 
did not sell any unregistered equity securities during fiscal 2018.   

Cash Dividends 

During fiscal 2018, we paid quarterly cash dividends of $0.075 per share in the first quarter and $0.08 per share in 
the second, third and fourth quarters. The declaration and payment of any future dividends are at the discretion of 
the  Board  of  Directors  and  will  depend  on  our  results  of  operations,  financial  condition,  business  conditions  and 
other  factors  deemed  relevant  by  our  Board  of  Directors.    Our  credit  agreement  permits  the  payment  of  cash 
dividends as long as  no default or event of default exists  under the credit agreement both immediately before and 
immediately after giving effect to the cash dividends, and the aggregate amount of cash dividends for a fiscal year 
do not exceed $10 million.  

On March 21, 2019, the Board of Directors approved the payment of a cash dividend to our shareholders in the first 
quarter of fiscal 2019.  The quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share will be paid on April 22, 2019 to shareholders 
of record as of the close of business on April 8, 2019. 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 

Throughout fiscal 2018, we issued treasury shares to certain employees and our non-employee directors in the form 
of  restricted  stock  awards  and  upon  the  vesting  of  restricted  stock  units.    We  also  repurchased  12,842  shares  of 
common stock as a result of our withholding shares or allowing our employees to deliver shares to us for the income 
taxes resulting from the vesting of certain restricted stock awards.  It is our intention to continue these practices as 
they relate to the issuance of treasury shares.  

On December 13, 2018, our Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program for up to $50 million of 
outstanding common  stock, effective January 1, 2019. The purchases  may be  made in the open  market or through 
privately negotiated transactions from time-to-time through December 31, 2019 and in accordance with applicable 
laws, rules and regulations.  The share repurchase program may be amended, suspended or discontinued at any time 
and does not commit us to repurchase shares of our common stock. We have funded, and intend to continue to fund, 
the  share  repurchase  program  from  cash  on  hand,  and  any  shares  acquired  will  be  available  for  stock-based 
compensation awards and other corporate purposes.  The actual number and value of the shares to be purchased will 
depend on the performance of our stock price and other market conditions.  As of February 2, 2019, no shares had 
been repurchased under the new share repurchase program. 

The new share repurchase program replaced the prior $50 million share repurchase program that was authorized in 
December 2017 and expired in accordance with its terms on December 31, 2018. At its expiration, we had purchased 
approximately 1.5 million shares at an aggregate cost of $46.0 million under the prior repurchase program. 

20 

 
 
The following table summarizes repurchase activity during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018: 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities 

Total 
Number 
     Of Shares 
     Purchased       of Shares 

     Approximate   
     Dollar Value   

Period 

Total 

     Average 
   Number 
   of Shares 
     Price Paid 
   Purchased(1)      per Share 

as Part 

     that May Yet   
     of Publicly      Be Purchased   
     Announced      
     Programs(2)       Programs(2)    

Under 

November 4, 2018 to December 1, 2018     
December 2, 2018 to January 5, 2019 
January 6, 2019 to February 2, 2019 

137,427     $ 
60,300     $ 
0     $ 
197,727       

36.50       
33.14       
0.00       

137,056     $  5,952,000   
60,300     $  50,000,000   
0     $  50,000,000   

197,356       

(1)  Total number of shares purchased includes 371 shares delivered to or withheld by us in connection with employee payroll tax withholding 

upon the vesting of certain restricted stock awards. 

(2)  On  December  13,  2018,  our  Board  of  Directors  authorized  a  new  share  repurchase  program  for  up  to  $50  million  of  our  outstanding 
common stock, effective January 1, 2019 and expiring on December 31, 2019.  The new share repurchase program replaced the prior $50 
million share repurchase program that was authorized in December 2017 and expired in accordance with its terms on December 31, 2018. 

Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans 

The information required by this Item concerning securities authorized for issuance under our equity plans has been 
incorporated by reference into PART III, ITEM 12 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

21 

 
 
  
    
  
      
  
    
  
    
  
      
  
  
    
  
      
  
  
  
  
      
  
    
  
  
  
  
    
        
        
        
    
    
    
  
    
        
    
 
ITEM 6.    SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA 

The following selected financial data should be read in conjunction with Management’s Discussion and Analysis of 
Financial  Condition  and  Results  of  Operations  as  contained  in  PART  II,  ITEM  7  along  with  our  consolidated 
financial statements and notes to those statements included in PART II, ITEM 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-
K. 

(In thousands, except per share and operating data) 

Fiscal years (1) 
Income Statement Data: 
Net sales 
Cost of sales (including buying, distribution and 
   occupancy costs) 
Gross profit 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 
Operating income 
Interest income 
Interest expense 
Income before income taxes 
Income tax expense 
Net income 

Net income per share: 

Basic 
Diluted 

Weighted average shares: 

Basic 
Diluted 

   2018 

      2017 

      2016 

      2015 

      2014 

  $ 1,029,650      $ 1,019,154      $ 1,001,102      $ 983,968      $ 940,162   

     720,658         722,885         711,867        693,452        666,483   
     308,992         296,269         289,235        290,516        273,679   
     259,232         258,568         251,323        243,883        231,826   
37,912         46,633         41,853   
(14 ) 
165   
37,749         46,504         41,702   
14,232         17,737         16,175   
23,517      $  28,767      $  25,527   

37,701        
(4 )      
292        
37,413        
18,480        
18,933      $ 

49,760        
(747 )      
150        
50,357        
12,222        
38,135      $ 

(6 )      
169        

(39 )      
168        

  $ 

  $ 
  $ 

2.51      $ 
2.45      $ 

1.15      $ 
1.15      $ 

1.28      $ 
1.28      $ 

1.45      $ 
1.45      $ 

1.27   
1.27   

15,111        
15,499        

16,220        
16,227        

18,017         19,417         19,777   
18,022         19,427         19,791   

Dividends declared per share 

  $ 

0.315      $ 

0.295      $ 

0.275      $  0.255      $ 

0.24   

Selected Operating Data: 

Stores open at end of year 
Square footage of store space at year 
   end (000’s) 
Average sales per store (000’s) (2) 
Average sales per square foot (2) (4) 
Comparable store sales (2) (3) 

Balance Sheet Data: 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Total assets 
Long-term debt 
Total shareholders’ equity 

397        

408        

415        

405        

400   

  $ 
  $ 

4,268        
2,473      $ 
236      $ 
4.3 %     

4,391        
2,419      $ 
229      $ 
0.3 %     

4,465        

4,526        
4,419   
2,367      $  2,407      $  2,390   
221   
1.8 % 

224      $ 
0.5 %     

224      $ 
3.0 %     

48,254      $ 

67,021      $ 

62,944      $  68,814      $  61,376   
  $ 
  $  417,999      $  415,580      $  458,478      $ 481,093      $ 465,016   
  $ 
0   
  $  304,433      $  307,302      $  318,882      $ 339,802      $ 331,198   

0      $ 

0      $ 

0      $ 

0      $ 

(1)  Our fiscal year is a 52/53 week year ending on the Saturday closest to January 31.  Unless otherwise stated, references to years 2018, 2017, 
2016, 2015, and 2014 relate respectively to the fiscal years ended February 2, 2019, February 3, 2018, January 28, 2017, January 30, 2016,  
and January 31, 2015.  Fiscal year 2017 consisted of 53 weeks and the other fiscal years consisted of 52 weeks. 

(2)  Selected Operating Data for fiscal 2017 has been adjusted to a comparable 52-week period ended January 27, 2018. The 53rd week in fiscal 
2017 caused a one-week shift in our fiscal calendar.  To minimize the effect of this fiscal calendar shift on comparable store sales, average 
sales per store and average sales per square foot, our reported annual comparable store sales results for fiscal 2017 compare the 52-week 
period ended January 27, 2018 to the 52-week period ended January 28, 2017 and average sales per store and average sales per square foot 
are calculated for the 52-week period ended January 28, 2017.  Comparable store sales results for fiscal 2018 compare the 52-week period 
ended February 2, 2019 to the 52-week period ended February 3, 2018.  

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(3)  Comparable store sales for the periods indicated include stores that have been open for 13 full months after such stores’ grand opening prior 
to the beginning of the period, including those stores that have been relocated or remodeled.  Therefore, stores opened or closed during the 
periods indicated are not included in comparable store sales.  We include e-commerce sales in our comparable store sales.  Due to our multi-
channel retailer strategy, we view e-commerce sales as an extension of our physical stores. 

(4)  Average sales per square foot includes net e-commerce sales.  We include e-commerce sales in our average sales per square foot as a result 
of our multi-channel retailer strategy.  Due to our multi-channel retailer strategy, we view e-commerce sales as an extension of our physical 
stores. 

23 

 
ITEM  7.    MANAGEMENT’S  DISCUSSION  AND  ANALYSIS  OF  FINANCIAL  CONDITION 

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS 

The  following  discussion  of  our  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations  should  be  read  together  with  our 
consolidated financial statements and notes to those statements included in PART II, ITEM 8 of this Annual Report 
on Form 10-K. 

Overview of Our Business  

Shoe Carnival, Inc. is one of the nation’s largest family footwear retailers, providing the convenience of shopping at 
any  of  our  store  locations  or  online  at  shoecarnival.com.    Our  stores  combine  competitive  pricing  with  a  fun  and 
promotional, in-store marketing effort that encourages customer participation and injects fun and surprise into every 
shopping  experience.    We  believe  this  fun  and  promotional  atmosphere  results  in  various  competitive  advantages, 
including increased multiple unit sales; the building of a loyal, repeat customer base; the creation of word-of-mouth 
advertising;  and  enhanced  sell-through  of  in-season  goods.    A  similar  customer  experience  is  reflected  in  our  e-
commerce site through special promotions and limited time sales, along with relevant product stories featured on our 
home page.   

Our objective is to be the destination retailer-of-choice for a wide range of consumers seeking value-priced, current 
season  name  brand  and  private  label  footwear.    Our  product  assortment  includes  dress  and  casual  shoes,  sandals, 
boots  and  a  wide  assortment  of  athletic  shoes  for  the  entire  family  in  four  general  categories -  women’s,  men’s, 
children’s and athletics.  In addition to footwear, our stores carry selected accessory items such as socks, belts, shoe 
care  items,  handbags,  sport  bags,  backpacks,  scarves  and  wallets.    Our  e-commerce  site  offers  customers  an 
opportunity to choose from a large selection of products in all of the same categories of  footwear  with a depth of 
sizes and colors that  may  not be available in some of our  smaller stores and introduces  our concept to consumers 
who are new to Shoe Carnival in both existing and new markets. 

Our  fiscal  year  is  a  52/53  week  year  ending  on  the  Saturday  closest  to  January  31.    Unless  otherwise  stated, 
references to years 2018, 2017 and 2016 relate respectively to the fiscal years ended February 2, 2019, February 3, 
2018, and January 28, 2017. Fiscal year 2017 consisted of 53 weeks and the other fiscal years consisted of 52 weeks.   

Executive Summary 

Overview 

Net income increased to $38.1 million in fiscal 2018, or $2.45 per diluted share, compared to net income of $18.9 
million,  or  $1.15  per  diluted  share,  in  fiscal  2017.    Despite  a  low-single  digit  decline  in  store  traffic,  comparable 
store  sales  increased  by  4.3%  in  fiscal  2018,  and  we  generated  a  low-single  digit  improvement  in  our  conversion 
rate, primarily due to continued progress  with our  multi-channel  strategy.  Our balance sheet remains strong as of 
February 2, 2019, with inventory down $3.0 million year-over-year, $67.0 million in cash and cash equivalents and 
no outstanding debt. 

Highlights of our performance in fiscal 2018 compared to the prior year are presented below, followed by a  more 
comprehensive discussion under “Results of Operations”:   

•  Net sales increased $10.5 million, or 1.0%, during the 52-week fiscal 2018 compared to a 53-week fiscal 2017.  
Of the $10.5 million increase in net sales, approximately $8.9 million was attributable to the 22 new stores we 
opened  since  the  beginning  of  fiscal  2017  and  $28.5  million  was  attributable  to  the  stores  in  our  comparable 
store sales base.  This  net  sales increase  was partially offset by the  loss of $26.9 million in sales from the 40 
stores closed since the beginning of fiscal 2017.  Similar to other retailers, we follow the retail 4-5-4 reporting 
calendar,  which included an extra  week in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 (the 53rd week).  The loss of this 
one week of sales in fiscal 2018 negatively affected our net sales comparison, as approximately $13.0 million in 
net sales were recorded for this extra week in fiscal 2017. 

24 

 
•  Comparable  store  sales  for  the  52-week  period  ended  February  2,  2019  increased  4.3%  compared  to  the  52-
week period ended February 3, 2018, despite a low-single digit decline in store traffic.  Customers responded 
well to our product assortment and marketing efforts throughout the year, and we posted comparable store sales 
increases in all major product categories.  Seasonal product categories, such as women’s and children’s sandals 
and men’s boots, all posted double-digit comparable store sales increases.  We continue to offer our customers 
fresh  new  styles  and  colors  from  brands  that  drive  the  athletic  and  athleisure  trend.    Adult  athletics  posted  a 
low-single digit comparable store sales increase during the year led by women’s athletics, which posted a mid-
single digit sales increase during fiscal 2018.   

•  Our  gross  profit  margin  increased  to  30.0%  in  fiscal  2018  from  29.1%  in  the  prior  year.    Our  merchandise 
margin  increased  0.3%  primarily  due  to  higher  margins  achieved  in  the  women’s  non-athletic  category.  
Buying, distribution and occupancy costs, as a percentage of sales, decreased 0.6% compared to the prior year 
primarily as a result of lower occupancy expenses during the year and the leveraging effect of higher sales. 
In December 2017, the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “Tax Act”) was enacted, which reduced our maximum 
corporate tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018.  Our effective tax rate decreased to 24.3% in 
fiscal  2018  compared  to  49.4%  in  fiscal  2017  primarily  due  to  the  change  in  the  corporate  tax  rate.  We  also 
recorded additional income tax expense of $4.4 million in fiscal 2017 related to the one-time remeasurement of 
certain deferred tax assets and liabilities using the new, lower corporate tax rate.   

• 

• 

• 

•  We repurchased approximately 1.5 million shares of common stock during fiscal 2018 at a total cost of $46.0 
million  under  our  share  repurchase  programs  and  ended  fiscal  2018  with  $67.0  million  in  cash  and  cash 
equivalents, and we ended fiscal 2018 with no outstanding debt. 
In fiscal 2018, we continued to invest in our CRM strategy, which is intended to focus our entire organization 
on  a  more  customer-centric  model.    We  engaged  with  a  strategic  partner  that  specializes  in  creating  holistic 
CRM  strategies  for large and  mid-sized retail organizations to provide discovery, implementation, launch and 
ongoing  support  for  our  customer-centric,  multi-channel  CRM  Solution.  This  new  platform  will  form  the 
foundation  of  our  CRM  program  and  will  also  serve  as  the  systemic  framework  for  our  Shoe  Perks  loyalty 
program.   
In  fiscal  2018,  we  increased  membership  in  our  Shoe  Perks  customer  loyalty  program  by  an  additional  2.4 
million members, which brought total membership to 21.7 million customers at the end of the fiscal year.  For 
the fiscal year, member sales accounted for approximately 68% of our total business and members on average 
spent 19% more per transaction than non-members.  The Gold tier represents approximately 35% of our active 
Shoe Perks members and the average transaction value for these customers is 20% higher than non-Gold Shoe 
Perks members.  We believe our Shoe Perks program affords us tremendous opportunity to communicate, build 
relationships and engage with our most loyal shoppers, which we believe will result in long-term sales gains.   
•  We began fiscal 2018 expecting to close approximately 25 to 30 stores.  Our management team was focused on 
improving  the  metrics  of  certain  stores  expected  for  closure  and  was  successful  in  making  them  productive 
contributors  to  our  store  base.    As  a  result,  we  closed  14  stores  during  the  year,  opened  three  stores  and 
relocated one store.  We ended the year with 397 stores.   

Fiscal 2019   

Fiscal 2019 will continue to be a year of innovation for Shoe Carnival.  In the third quarter, we expect to officially 
launch our CRM Solution.  This launch represents the official implementation of our production CRM database to 
support customer information, identity management and our CRM campaign management software.  In fiscal 2019 
we  will  continue  to  invest  in  our  CRM  strategy,  which  is  intended  to  focus  our  entire  organization  on  a  more 
customer-centric  model.    We  will  continue  to  work  with  our  strategic  partner  that  specializes  in  creating  holistic 
CRM  strategies  for  large  and  mid-sized  retail  organizations  to  provide  discovery,  implementation,  launch  and 
ongoing  support  for  our  customer-centric,  multi-channel  CRM  Solution.    This  new  platform  will  form  the 
foundation of our CRM program and will also serve as the systemic framework for our Shoe Perks loyalty program 
and CRM campaign manager.  We expect this initiative will give us an improved view into customer data, allowing 
us  to  effectively  communicate  with  consumers  on  a  personalized  basis.  Using  primarily  transaction  data,  we  are 
gaining  useful  insights  into  our  customers’  shopping  habits,  including  where,  when  and  how  they  shop  our  stores 
and navigate our online presence.  Additionally, we are gaining a deeper understanding of the brands and categories 
our  high-value  customers  consistently  purchase  so  that  we  can  continue  to  deliver  strong  performance  at  a 
geographic  and  store  level.    Although  a  large  part  of  customer  data  comes  from  our  loyalty  program,  we  take  a 
holistic view of CRM.  We believe this approach should help drive continued Company growth in fiscal 2019 as we 
continue to enhance our loyalty program and CRM capabilities through exclusive offers and personalized messaging 
and build even greater loyalty and a deeper relationship with our Shoe Perks customers.   

25 

 
 
Increasing market penetration by opening new stores has historically been a key component of our growth strategy. 
While our focus continues to be on generating positive long-term financial performance for our store portfolio, we 
do not expect to open any new stores in fiscal 2019.  As we leverage customer data from our CRM program, and as 
more  attractive  real  estate  opportunities  become  available,  we  will  continue  to  pursue  opportunities  for  brick-and-
mortar store growth across large, mid-size and smaller markets in fiscal 2020.    

Over  the  past  several  years,  we  have  analyzed  our  entire  portfolio  of  stores,  with  a  concentration  on 
underperforming stores, in order to identify and address stores that produce low or negative contribution and either 
renegotiate  lease  terms,  relocate  or  close  those  stores.    Based  on  this  analysis,  we  currently  expect  to  close 
approximately seven to 10 stores in fiscal 2019.   

In  fiscal  2019,  we  will  also  be  evaluating  key  processes  underlying  our  supply  chain,  order  management  and 
fulfillment  competencies  in  order  to  build  a  more  efficient  supply  chain,  position  ourselves  for  new  growth  and 
ultimately enhance customer satisfaction and convenience in an increasingly competitive environment.  We are also 
partnering  with  a  new  marketing  agency,  who  we  believe  will  help  us  deliver  new  and  unique  messaging  to  our 
customers and fortify our brand as a distinct and compelling family footwear retailer.  

Critical Accounting Policies 

It  is  necessary  for  us  to  include  certain  judgments  in  our  reported  financial  results.   These  judgments  involve 
estimates  based  in  part  on  our  historical  experience  and  incorporate  the  impact  of  the  current  general  economic 
climate  and  company-specific  circumstances.   However,  because  future  events  and  economic  conditions  are 
inherently  uncertain,  our  actual  results  could  differ  materially  from  these  estimates.   The  accounting  policies  that 
require more significant judgments are included below. 

Merchandise Inventories – Our merchandise inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value as of 
the  balance  sheet  date  and  consist  primarily  of  dress,  casual  and  athletic  footwear  for  women,  men  and  children.  
The  cost  of  our  merchandise  is  determined  using  the  first-in,  first-out  valuation  method  (FIFO).    For  determining 
market  value,  we  estimate  the  future  demand  and  related  sale  price  of  merchandise  in  our  inventory.    The  stated 
value  of  merchandise  inventories  contained  on  our  consolidated  balance  sheets  also  includes  freight,  certain 
capitalized overhead costs and reserves.  

We review our inventory at the end of each quarter to determine if it is properly stated at the lower of cost or net 
realizable value.  Factors considered include recent sale prices, historical loss rates, the length of time merchandise 
has  been  held  in  inventory,  quantities  of  the  various  styles  held  in  inventory,  seasonality  of  the  merchandise, 
expected consideration to be received from our vendors and current and expected future sales trends.  We reduce the 
value  of  our  inventory  to  its  estimated  net  realizable  value  where  cost  exceeds  the  estimated  future  selling  price.  
Merchandise  inventories  as  of  February 2,  2019,  totaled  $257.5  million,  representing  approximately  62%  of  total 
assets. Merchandise inventories as of February 3, 2018, totaled $260.5 million, representing approximately 63% of 
total assets.  Given the significance of inventories to our consolidated financial statements, the determination of net 
realizable value is considered to be a critical accounting estimate.  Material changes in the factors noted above could 
have a significant impact on the actual net realizable value of our inventory and our reported operating results. 

Valuation  of  Long-Lived  Assets  –  Long-lived  assets,  such  as  property  and  equipment  subject  to  depreciation,  are 
evaluated  for  impairment  on  a  periodic  basis  if  events  or  circumstances  indicate  the  carrying  value  may  not  be 
recoverable.  This evaluation includes performing an analysis of the estimated undiscounted future cash flows of the 
long-lived  assets.    Assets  are  grouped  and  the  evaluation  performed  at  the  lowest  level  for  which  there  are 
identifiable cash flows, which is generally at a store level.   

If the estimated future cash flows for a store are determined to be less than the carrying value of the store’s assets, an 
impairment loss is recorded for the difference between estimated fair value and carrying value.  We estimate the fair 
value of our long-lived assets using store-specific cash  flow assumptions discounted by a rate commensurate  with 
the  risk  involved  with  such  assets  while  incorporating  marketplace  assumptions.    Our  assumptions  and  estimates 
used in the evaluation of impairment, including current and future economic trends for stores, are subject to a high 
degree  of  judgment.    Assets  subject  to  impairment  are  adjusted  to  estimated  fair  value  and,  if  applicable,  an 
impairment  loss  is  recorded  in  selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses.    Our  net  long-lived  assets  as  of 
February 2,  2019,  and  of  February  3,  2018,  totaled  $70.6  million  and  $86.3  million,  respectively,  representing 

26 

 
approximately 17% and 21% of total assets, respectively, for both fiscal years.  There were no impairments of long-
lived assets recorded in fiscal 2018.  From our evaluations performed during fiscal 2017, we recorded impairments 
of  long-lived  assets  of  $5.1  million  on  47  underperforming  domestic  stores.    If  actual  operating  results  or  market 
conditions differ from those anticipated, the carrying value of certain of our assets may prove unrecoverable and we 
may incur additional impairment charges in the future.  

Insurance  Reserves  –  We  self-insure  a  significant  portion  of  our  workers’  compensation,  general  liability  and 
employee  health  care  costs  and  also  maintain  insurance  in  each  area  of  risk  to  protect  us  from  individual  and 
aggregate  losses  over  specified  dollar  values.    We  review  the  liability  reserved  for  our  self-insured  portions  on  a 
quarterly  basis,  taking  into  consideration  a  number  of  factors,  including  historical  claims  experience,  severity 
factors, statistical trends and, in certain instances,  valuation assistance provided by independent third parties.  Our 
self-insurance reserves include estimates of both claims filed, carried at their expected ultimate settlement value, and 
claims  incurred  but  not  yet  reported.    As  of  February 2,  2019  and  February  3,  2018,  our  self-insurance  reserves 
totaled $3.4 million and $3.6 million, respectively.  While we believe that the recorded amounts are adequate, there 
can  be  no  assurance  that  changes  to  management’s  estimates  will  not  occur  due  to  limitations  inherent  in  the 
estimating  process.    If  actual  results  are  not  consistent  with  our  estimates  or  assumptions,  we  may  be  exposed  to 
future losses or gains that could be material. 

Income  Taxes  –  As  part  of  the  process  of  preparing  our  consolidated  financial  statements,  we  are  required  to 
estimate our current and future income taxes for each tax jurisdiction in which we operate.  Significant judgment is 
required in determining our annual tax expense and evaluating our tax positions.  As a part of this process, deferred 
tax  assets  and  liabilities  are  recognized  based  on  the  difference  between  the  consolidated  financial  statement 
carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases.  Our temporary timing differences 
relate  primarily  to  inventory,  depreciation,  accrued  expenses,  deferred  lease  incentives  and  stock-based 
compensation.    Deferred  tax  assets  and  liabilities  are  measured  using  the  tax  rates  enacted  and  expected  to  be  in 
effect  in  the  years  when  those  temporary  differences  are  expected  to  reverse.    Deferred  tax  assets  are  reduced,  if 
necessary, by a valuation allowance to the extent future realization of those tax benefits are uncertain.   

We  are  also  required  to  make  many  subjective  assumptions  and  judgments  regarding  our  income  tax  exposures 
when accounting for uncertain tax positions associated  with our income tax  filings.  We must presume that taxing 
authorities  will  examine  all  uncertain  tax  positions  and  that  they  have  full  knowledge  of  all  relevant  information.  
However,  interpretations  of  guidance  surrounding  income  tax  laws  and  regulations  are  often  complex,  ambiguous 
and frequently change over time, and a number of years may elapse before a particular issue is resolved.  As such, 
changes in our subjective assumptions and judgments can materially affect amounts recognized in our consolidated 
financial  statements.    Although  we  believe  we  have  adequately  provided  for  all  uncertain  tax  positions,  tax 
authorities could assess tax liabilities greater or less than our accrued positions for open tax periods.   

Results of Operations 

The following table sets forth our results of operations expressed as a percentage of net sales for the following fiscal 
years: 

Net sales 
Cost of sales (including buying, distribution, and 
   occupancy costs) 
Gross profit 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 
Operating income 
Interest income 
Interest expense 
Income before income taxes 
Income tax expense 
Net income 

   2018 

      2017 

      2016 

100.0 %     

100.0 %     

100.0 % 

70.0        
30.0        
25.2        
4.8        
(0.1 )      
0.0        
4.9        
1.2        
3.7 %     

70.9        
29.1        
25.4        
3.7        
(0.0 )      
0.0        
3.7        
1.8        
1.9 %     

71.1   
28.9   
25.1   
3.8   
(0.0 ) 
0.0   
3.8   
1.4   
2.4 % 

27 

 
 
  
  
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
 
In  the  regular  course  of  business,  we  offer  our  customers  sales  incentives,  including  coupons,  discounts,  and  free 
merchandise.   Sales are recorded net of such incentives and returns and allowances.   If  an incentive involves  free 
merchandise, that merchandise is recorded as a zero sale and the cost is included in cost of sales.  Comparable store 
sales for the periods indicated below include stores that have been open for 13 full months after such stores’ grand 
opening  prior  to  the  beginning  of  the  period,  including  those  stores  that  have  been  relocated  or  remodeled.  
Therefore,  stores  opened  or  closed  during  the  periods  indicated  are  not  included  in  comparable  store  sales.    We 
include e-commerce sales in our comparable store sales as a result of our multi-channel retailer strategy.  Due to our 
multi-channel retailer strategy, we view e-commerce sales as an extension of our physical stores. 

2018 Compared to 2017 

Net Sales 

Net sales increased $10.5 million to $1.030 billion for fiscal 2018, a 1.0% increase from net sales of $1.019 billion 
for fiscal 2017.  Of the $10.5 million increase in net sales, approximately $8.9 million was attributable to the 22 new 
stores  we  opened  since  the  beginning  of  fiscal  2017  and  $28.5  million  was  attributable  to  the  stores  in  our 
comparable  store  sales  base.    Comparable  store  sales  for  the  52-week  period  ended  February 2,  2019,  increased 
4.3% compared to the 52-week period ended February 3, 2018.  Despite a low-single digit decline in store traffic, we 
experienced  increases  in  our  conversion  rate,  average  sales  per  transaction  and  average  units  per  transaction.  
Average unit retail was flat year-over-year.  This net sales increase was partially offset by the loss of $26.9 million 
in sales from the 40 stores closed since the beginning of fiscal 2017.  Similar to other retailers, we follow the retail 
4-5-4 reporting calendar,  which included an extra  week in  the  fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 (the 53rd  week).  The 
loss of this one  week of sales in fiscal 2018 negatively affected our net sales comparison, as approximately $13.0 
million in net sales were recorded for this extra week in fiscal 2017. 

Gross Profit 

Gross profit increased $12.7 million to $309.0 million in fiscal 2018, primarily because of the increase in net sales 
and lower occupancy costs.  Our gross profit margin in fiscal 2018 increased to 30.0% from 29.1% in the prior fiscal 
year.    Our  merchandise  margin  increased  0.3%  primarily  due  to  higher  margins  achieved  in  the  women’s  non-
athletic category.  Buying, distribution and occupancy costs, as a percentage of sales, decreased 0.6% compared to 
the prior year primarily as a result of lower occupancy expenses during the year and the leveraging effect of higher 
sales. 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses 

Selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  increased  $664,000  to  $259.2  million  in  fiscal  2018  compared  to 
$258.6 million in the prior year.  As a percentage of sales, these expenses decreased to 25.2% in fiscal 2018 from 
25.4% in fiscal 2017.  Significant changes in expense between the periods are as follows: 

•  On  an  overall  basis,  the  net  change  in  selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  was  primarily  driven  by 
increases in incentive and stock-based compensation expense, partially offset by expense reductions associated 
with store closings, as described below, as well as reduced costs associated with our deferred compensation plan 
in fiscal 2018 due to plan performance. 

•  We realized cost savings of $8.8 million during fiscal 2018 compared to fiscal 2017 related to the closure of 40 
stores since the beginning of fiscal 2017, net of additional selling expense associated with the operation of 22 
new stores opened since the beginning of fiscal 2017. 
Incentive compensation expense increased $7.1 million in  fiscal 2018 compared to fiscal 2017.  This increase 
was  primarily  attributable  to  the  achievement  of  certain  goals  associated  with  our  performance-based 
compensation during fiscal 2018. 

• 

•  Stock-based compensation expense increased $5.1 million in fiscal 2018 compared to fiscal 2017 primarily due 
to the anticipated vesting of a greater number of performance-based equity awards as a result of our financial 
performance in fiscal 2018. 

28 

 
Pre-Opening Costs 

In fiscal 2018, pre-opening costs included in selling, general and administrative expenses were $208,000, or 0.02% 
as a percentage of sales, compared to $827,000, or 0.08% as a percentage of sales, for fiscal 2017.  We opened three 
stores  during  fiscal  2018  at  an  average  pre-opening  cost  of  $69,000  compared  to  19  stores  in  fiscal  2017  at  an 
average pre-opening cost of $44,000.  Pre-opening costs, such as advertising, payroll and supplies incurred prior to 
the opening of a new store, are charged to expense in the period in which they are incurred.  The total amount of pre-
opening  expense  incurred  will  vary  by  store  depending  on  the  specific  market  and  the  promotional  activities 
involved.     

Store Closing Costs 

The portion of store closing costs included in selling, general and administrative expenses for fiscal 2018 was $2.8 
million, or 0.3% as a percentage of sales.  Store closing costs in fiscal 2018 were related to the 14 stores we closed 
during  the  year  and  acceleration  of  expenses  associated  with  management’s  determination  to  close  certain 
underperforming stores in future periods.  There were no impairments of long-lived assets recorded in fiscal 2018. 

The  portion  of  store  closing  costs  and  non-cash  asset  impairment  charges  included  in  selling,  general  and 
administrative expenses for fiscal 2017 was $7.7 million, or 0.8% as a percentage of sales.  Store closing costs in 
fiscal  2017  were  related  to  the  26  stores  we  closed  during  the  year  and  acceleration  of  expenses  associated  with 
management’s determination to close certain underperforming stores in future periods.  We recorded impairments of 
long-lived assets totaling $5.1 million on 47 underperforming, domestic stores in fiscal 2017.   

The timing and actual amount of expense recorded in closing a store can vary significantly depending, in part, on the 
period in which management commits to a closing plan, the remaining basis in the fixed assets to be disposed of at 
closing and the cost incurred in terminating the lease. 

Income Taxes 

The effective income tax rate for fiscal 2018 was 24.3% compared to 49.4% for fiscal 2017. Our effective tax rate 
decreased 25.1 percentage points in fiscal 2018 primarily due to the change in the corporate tax rate under the Tax 
Act  and  the  additional  income  tax  expense  of  $4.4  million  recorded  in  fiscal  2017  related  to  the  one-time 
remeasurement of certain deferred tax assets and liabilities as a result of the reduction in the corporate tax rate.  Our 
provision for income tax expense is based on the current estimate of our annual effective tax rate. 

2017 Compared to 2016 

Net Sales 

Net sales increased $18.1 million to $1.019 billion for fiscal 2017, a 1.8% increase from net sales of $1.001 billion 
for fiscal 2016.  Of the $18.1  million increase in net sales, approximately $23.3 million was attributable to the 38 
new  stores  we  opened  since  the  beginning  of  fiscal  2016  and  $16.1  million  was  attributable  to  the  stores  in  our 
comparable  store  sales  base.    Comparable  store  sales  for  the  52-week  period  ended  January  27,  2018  increased 
0.3%.  Despite a mid-single digit decline in store traffic, we experienced increases in our conversion rate, average 
sales per transaction, average units per transaction and average unit retail.  The $18.1 million increase in net sales 
was partially offset by the loss of $21.3 million in sales from the 35 stores closed since the beginning of fiscal 2016.  
Similar to other retailers, we follow the retail 4-5-4 reporting calendar, which included an extra week in the fourth 
quarter of fiscal 2017 (the 53rd week).  Net sales of approximately $13.0 million were recorded in this extra week, 
which are included in the total net sales increase of $18.1 million described above.   

Gross Profit 

Gross profit increased $7.0 million to $296.3 million in fiscal 2017, primarily because of the increase in net sales.  
Our  gross  profit  margin  in  fiscal  2017  increased  to  29.1%  from  28.9%  in  the  prior  fiscal  year.    Our  merchandise 
margin  increased  0.2%  while  buying,  distribution  and  occupancy  costs,  as  a  percentage  of  sales,  remained  flat 
compared to the prior  year.   Our  merchandise  margin increased primarily due to a $3.3  million gain on  insurance 
proceeds recorded to cost of sales related to hurricane affected stores.  This gain was partially offset by an increase 
in shipping expense related to our multi-channel sales initiatives.  

29 

 
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses 

Selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  increased  $7.2  million  to  $258.6  million  in  fiscal  2017  compared  to 
$251.3 million in the prior year.  As a percentage of sales, these expenses increased to 25.4% in fiscal 2017 from 
25.1% in fiscal 2016.  Significant changes in expense between the periods are as follows: 

•  On  an  overall  basis,  the  net  change  in  selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  was  primarily  driven  by 
increases  in  contracted  services,  wages,  stock-based  compensation,  employee  health  care  and  incentive 
compensation, partially offset by reductions in advertising expense and security personnel.   

•  We incurred additional selling expense of $929,000 during fiscal 2017 compared to the prior year related to the 
operation of 38 new stores opened since the beginning of fiscal 2016, net of expense reductions associated with 
the closure of 35 stores since the beginning of the same period. 

•  Contracted services expense increased $1.4 million in fiscal 2017 primarily due to consulting fees related to our 

CRM initiative.   

•  Stock-based compensation expense increased $1.2 million in fiscal 2017 compared to fiscal 2016 primarily due 

• 

to the impact of the Tax Act on anticipated vesting of performance-based restricted stock.   
Incentive  compensation  increased  $937,000  in  fiscal  2017  compared  to  the  prior  year.    This  increase  was 
primarily  attributable  to  achieving  certain  goals  associated  with  our  performance-based  compensation  during 
fiscal 2017. 

Pre-Opening Costs 

In fiscal 2017, pre-opening costs included in selling, general and administrative expenses were $827,000, or 0.08% 
as a percentage of sales, compared to $886,000, or 0.09% as a percentage of sales, for fiscal 2016.  We opened 19 
stores  during  fiscal  2017  at  an  average  pre-opening  cost  of  $44,000  compared  to  19  stores  in  fiscal  2016  at  an 
average pre-opening cost of $47,000.  Pre-opening costs, such as advertising, payroll and supplies incurred prior to 
the opening of a new store, are charged to expense in the period in which they are incurred.  The total amount of pre-
opening  expense  incurred  will  vary  by  store  depending  on  the  specific  market  and  the  promotional  activities 
involved.     

Store Closing Costs 

The  portion  of  store  closing  costs  and  non-cash  asset  impairment  charges  included  in  selling,  general  and 
administrative expenses for fiscal 2017 was $7.7 million, or 0.8% as a percentage of sales.  Store closing costs in 
fiscal  2017  were  related  to  the  26  stores  we  closed  during  the  year  and  acceleration  of  expenses  associated  with 
management’s determination to close certain underperforming stores in future periods.  We recorded impairments of 
long-lived assets totaling $5.1 million on 47 underperforming, domestic stores in fiscal 2017.   

The  portion  of  store  closing  costs  and  non-cash  asset  impairment  charges  included  in  selling,  general  and 
administrative expenses for fiscal 2016 was $5.6 million, or 0.6% as a percentage of sales.  Store closing costs in 
fiscal 2016  were related to the nine  stores  we closed during the  year and acceleration of expenses associated  with 
management’s determination to close certain underperforming stores in future periods.  We recorded impairments of 
long-lived  assets  totaling  $4.5  million  on  19  stores  in  fiscal  2016.    This  included  $3.6  million  of  impairments  of 
long-lived assets associated with seven of our stores located in Puerto Rico.   

The timing and actual amount of expense recorded in closing a store can vary significantly depending, in part, on the 
period in which management commits to a closing plan, the remaining basis in the fixed assets to be disposed of at 
closing and the amount of any lease buyout. 

Income Taxes 

In  December  2017,  the  Tax  Act  was  enacted,  which  reduced  our  maximum  corporate  tax  rate  from  35%  to  21%.  
This rate change primarily impacted selling, general and administrative expenses and income tax expense in fiscal 
2017.    In  selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses,  we  recorded  a  $1.9  million  increase  in  stock-based 
compensation  expense  due  to  the  change  in  anticipated  vesting  of  performance-based  restricted  stock  awards.  
Additionally, we re-measured our deferred tax assets and liabilities using the new, lower tax rate, which resulted in a 
$4.4  million  charge  to  income  tax  expense  recorded  in  the  fourth  quarter  of  fiscal  2017.    Primarily  due  to  this 

30 

 
adjustment  to  deferred  tax  assets  and  liabilities,  our  effective  income  tax  rate  increased  11.7  percentage  points  to 
49.4%  in  fiscal  2017  compared  to  37.7%  in  fiscal  2016.    Our  provision  for  income  tax  expense  is  based  on  the 
current estimate of our annual effective tax rate. 

Liquidity and Capital Resources  

Our sources and uses of cash are summarized as follows: 

(In thousands) 
Net income 
Depreciation and amortization 
Stock-based compensation 
(Gain) loss on retirement and impairment of assets, net 
Deferred income taxes 
Lease incentives 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities 
Other operating activities 
Net cash provided by operating activities 
Net cash used in investing activities 
Net cash used in financing activities 
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 

   $ 

2018 

2017 

2016 

38,135      $ 
21,843        
10,162        
(1,264 )      
(1,440 )      
634        
14,721        
(8,650 )      
74,141        
(4,415 )      
(50,959 )      

18,933      $ 
23,804        
5,017        
5,511        
1,418        
4,818        
(12,160 )      
(6,993 )      
40,348        
(19,653 )      
(35,385 )      

23,517   
23,699   
3,822   
4,794   
(1,381 ) 
3,825   
10,132   
(4,619 ) 
63,789   
(21,832 ) 
(47,827 ) 

   $ 

18,767      $ 

(14,690 )    $ 

(5,870 ) 

Our  primary  sources  of  liquidity  are  cash  and  cash  equivalents  on  hand,  cash  generated  from  operations  and 
availability  under our credit  facility. We believe these resources  will be sufficient to  fund our cash  needs, as they 
arise,  for  at  least  the  next  12  months.  Our  primary  uses  of  cash  are  for  working  capital,  which  are  principally 
inventory  purchases,  store  initiatives,  potential  dividend  payments,  potential  share  repurchases  under  our  share 
repurchase  program,  the  financing  of  capital  projects,  including  investments  in  new  systems,  and  various  other 
commitments and obligations. 

Cash Flow - Operating Activities 

Our  net  cash  provided  by  operating  activities  was  $74.1  million,  $40.3  million  and  $63.8  million  in  fiscal  years 
2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.  These amounts reflect our income from operations adjusted for non-cash items 
and working capital changes.  Working capital was $266.5 million, $263.8 million and $265.5 million at February 2, 
2019, February 3, 2018 and January 28, 2017, respectively.  Working capital increased $2.7 million at February 2, 
2019 compared to February 3, 2018 primarily due to an $18.8 million increase in cash and cash equivalents partially 
offset  by  a  $7.0  million  increase  in  accounts  payable  and  a  $7.0  million  increase  in  accrued  and  other  liabilities.  
Working capital decreased $1.7 million at February 3, 2018 compared to January 28, 2017 primarily due to a $19.1 
million  decrease  in  merchandise  inventories  and  a  $14.7  million  decrease  in  cash  and  cash  equivalents  partially 
offset by a $26.1 million decrease in accounts payable and a $3.4 million decrease in accrued and other liabilities.  
The  current  ratio  was  4.8,  5.7  and  4.1  at  February 2,  2019,  February  3,  2018  and  January  28,  2017,  respectively.  
The current ratio decreased 16% at February 2, 2019 compared to February 3, 2018 primarily due to a $14.0 million 
increase year-over-year in accounts payable and accrued and other liabilities.   

Cash Flow - Investing Activities 

Our cash outflows for investing activities were primarily for capital expenditures.  During fiscal 2018, we expended 
$7.4  million  for  the  purchase  of  property  and  equipment,  of  which  $2.5  million  was  for  the  construction  and 
fixturing of new stores, remodeling and relocations.  During fiscal 2017, we expended $19.7 million for the purchase 
of property and equipment, of which $13.5 million was for the construction and fixturing of new stores, remodeling 
and  relocations.    During  fiscal  2016,  we  expended  $21.8  million  for  the  purchase  of  property  and  equipment,  of 
which  $16.4  million  was  for  the  construction  and  fixturing  of  new  stores,  remodeling  and  relocations.    The 
remaining  capital  expenditures  in  all  periods  were  for  continued  investments  in  technology  and  normal  asset 
replacement activities.   

31 

 
 
  
    
    
  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
 
Cash Flow - Financing Activities 

Our  cash  outflows  for  financing  activities  were  primarily  for  cash  dividend  payments,  share  repurchases,  and,  in 
fiscal 2017, payments on our credit facility.  Shares of our common stock can be either acquired as part of a publicly 
announced  repurchase  program  or  withheld  by  us  in  connection  with  employee  payroll  tax  withholding  upon  the 
vesting of restricted stock awards.  Our cash inflows  from  financing activities have represented proceeds from the 
issuance  of  shares  as  a  result  of  stock  option  exercises,  purchases  under  our  Employee  Stock  Purchase  Plan,  and 
borrowings under our credit facility.   

During fiscal 2018, net cash used in financing activities was $51.0 million compared to $35.4 million during fiscal 
2017 and $47.8 million in fiscal 2016.  The fluctuations in cash used in financing activities during fiscal 2018, 2017 
and 2016 was primarily attributable to changes in share repurchases in each fiscal year. There was $46.0 million of 
common  stock  repurchased  under  our  share  repurchase  program  in  fiscal  2018  compared  to  $29.8  million  of 
common stock repurchased under the share repurchase program in fiscal 2017 and $42.6 million of common stock 
repurchased under the share repurchase program during fiscal 2016. 

Store Openings and Closings – Fiscal 2018 

We  aim  to  realize  positive  long-term  financial  performance  for  our  store  portfolio.    We  utilize  a  formal  review 
process  in  our  evaluation  of  potential  new  store  sites  as  well  as  for  decisions  surrounding  leases  on  existing  store 
locations.  Our approach is both qualitative and quantitative in nature.  We look to continually enhance this process 
with tools such as real estate  software used for portfolio analysis that aid in identifying  viable locations  for future 
expansion and identifying potential store closings and relocations, as well as additional information we learn about 
customers as we implement our CRM program.    

In fiscal 2018, we opened three new stores.  On a per-store basis, the initial inventory investment for stores opened 
averaged $409,000, capital expenditures averaged $278,000 and lease incentives received from landlords averaged 
$74,000.   

Pre-opening  expenses  included  in  cost  of  sales  and  selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  totaled 
approximately  $288,000  for  fiscal  2018,  or  an  average  of  $96,000  per  store.    Items  classified  as  pre-opening 
expenses include rent, freight, advertising, salaries and supplies.  During fiscal 2017, we opened 19 new stores and 
expended  $1.3  million  on  pre-opening  expenses,  or  an  average  of  $70,000 per  store.   The  increase  in  the  average 
expense per new store was primarily the result of an increase in advertising expense.      

We closed 14 stores during fiscal 2018 and 26 stores during fiscal 2017.  Total store closing costs were $554,000 in 
fiscal 2018 and $6.5 million in fiscal 2017.  Store closing costs include impairments of long-lived assets, fixed asset 
write-offs, employee severances, lease termination fees and store tear-down and clean-up expenses associated with 
closing  a  store  and  acceleration  of  expenses  associated  with  management’s  determination  to  close  certain 
underperforming stores in future periods.  In fiscal 2017, store closing costs included non-cash impairment charges 
on fixed assets of $5.1 million.  There were no impairments of long-lived assets recorded in fiscal 2018.  The timing 
and actual amount of expense recorded in closing an individual store can vary significantly depending, in part, on 
the period in which management commits to a closing plan, the remaining basis in the fixed assets to be disposed of 
at closing and the amount of any lease buyout. 

Capital Expenditures – Fiscal 2019   

Capital expenditures are expected to be $21 million to $22 million in fiscal 2019.  Of our total capital expenditures, 
approximately $7  million is expected to be used for the purchase of our corporate headquarters, approximately $3 
million  is  expected  to  be  used  to  relocate  existing  stores  and  approximately  $6  million  is  expected  to  be  used  to 
remodel approximately 5% of our existing store base.  Lease incentives to be received from landlords are expected 
to  total  approximately  $1.6  million.    The  remaining  capital  expenditures  are  expected  to  be  incurred  for  various 
other store improvements, continued investments in technology and normal asset replacement activities.  The actual 
amount  of  cash  required  for  capital  expenditures  for  store  operations  depends  in  part  on  the  number  of  stores 
opened, if any, the number of stores relocated, the amount of lease incentives, if any, received from landlords and 
the number of stores remodeled.  The number of new store openings and relocations will be dependent upon, among 
other things, the availability of desirable locations, the negotiation of acceptable lease terms and general economic 
and business conditions affecting consumer spending. 

32 

 
Store Openings and Closings – Fiscal 2019   

Increasing market penetration by opening new stores has historically been a key component of our growth strategy. 
While our focus continues to be on generating positive long-term financial performance for our store portfolio, we 
do not expect to open any new stores in fiscal 2019.  As we leverage customer data from our CRM program, and as 
more  attractive  real  estate  opportunities  become  available,  we  will  continue  to  pursue  opportunities  for  brick-and-
mortar store growth across large, mid-size and smaller markets in fiscal 2020.    

Over  the  past  several  years,  we  have  analyzed  our  entire  portfolio  of  stores,  with  a  concentration  on 
underperforming  stores,  to  meet  our  long-term  goal  of  increasing  shareholder  value  through  increasing  operating 
income. Our objective is to identify and address underperforming stores that produce low or negative contribution 
and either renegotiate lease terms, relocate or close the stores. Based on this analysis, we currently expect to close 
approximately  seven  to  10  stores  in  fiscal  2019.    Even  though  this  could  reduce  our  overall  net  sales  volume,  we 
believe  this  strategy  will  realize  long-term  improvement  in  operating  income  and  diluted  earnings  per  share.  
Depending upon the results of lease negotiations with certain landlords of underperforming stores, we may increase 
or  decrease  the  number  of  store  closures  in  future  periods.  The  timing  and  actual  amount  of  expense  recorded  in 
closing a store can vary significantly depending, in part, on the period in which management commits to a closing 
plan, the remaining basis in the fixed assets to be disposed of at closing and the amount of any lease buyout.  We 
will  continue  to  review  our  store  portfolio  based  on  our  view  of  the  internal  and  external  opportunities  and 
challenges in the marketplace.   

Dividends  

In fiscal 2018, four quarterly cash dividends were approved and paid. The first quarter dividend was in the amount 
of  $0.075  per  share  and  the  dividends  paid  for  the  remaining  three  quarters  were  increased  to  $0.08  per  share. 
During  fiscal  2017,  the  first  quarter  dividend  was  in  the  amount  of  $0.07  per  share  and  the  dividends  for  the 
remaining three quarters were $0.075 per share.  During fiscal 2016, the first quarter dividend was in the amount of 
$0.065 per share and the dividends for the remaining three quarters were $0.07 per share.  During fiscal years 2018, 
2017  and  2016,  we  returned  $4.8  million,  $4.8  million  and  $5.0  million,  respectively,  in  cash  to  our  shareholders 
through our quarterly dividends.   

The declaration and payment of any future dividends are at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend 
on our results of operations, financial condition, business conditions and other factors deemed relevant by our Board 
of Directors.  Our credit agreement (described below) permits the payment of cash dividends as long as no default or 
event of default exists under the credit agreement both immediately before and immediately after giving effect to the 
cash dividends, and the aggregate amount of cash dividends for a fiscal year do not exceed $10 million. 

Share Repurchase Program 

On December 13, 2018, our Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program for up to $50 million of 
outstanding common  stock, effective January 1, 2019. The purchases  may be  made in the open  market or through 
privately negotiated transactions from time-to-time through December 31, 2019 and in accordance with applicable 
laws, rules and regulations. The share repurchase program may be amended, suspended or discontinued at any time 
and does not commit us to repurchase shares of our common stock. We have funded, and intend to continue to fund, 
the  share  repurchase  program  from  cash  on  hand,  and  any  shares  acquired  will  be  available  for  stock-based 
compensation awards and other corporate purposes.  The actual number and value of the shares to be purchased will 
depend on the performance of our stock price and other market conditions.  As of February 2, 2019, no repurchases 
had been made under the new share repurchase program, and we had $50 million available for future repurchases.     

The new share repurchase program replaced the prior $50 million share repurchase program that was authorized in 
December 2017 and expired in accordance with its terms on December 31, 2018. At its expiration, we had purchased 
approximately 1.5 million shares at an aggregate cost of $46.0 million under the prior repurchase program.   

33 

 
Contractual Obligations  

Significant contractual obligations as of February 2, 2019 and the fiscal years in which payments are due include: 

 (In thousands) 

Contractual Obligations 
Letters of credit 
Operating leases 
Purchase commitments 
Deferred compensation 
Total contractual obligations 

Payments Due By Fiscal Year 
2020 & 
2021 

2022 & 
2023 

2024 and 
after 

2019 

1,200     $ 

1,200     $ 

   Total 
  $ 
-   
     295,439        60,807        102,624        75,571        56,437   
     402,268        398,507       
-   
     12,115       
12        11,950   
37       
  $  711,022     $  460,551     $  105,454     $  76,630     $  68,387   

2,714       
116       

1,047       

-     $ 

-     $ 

For purposes of our contractual obligations table above, we have assumed that we will make all payments scheduled 
or  reasonably  estimated  to  be  made  under  those  obligations  that  have  a  determinable  expiration  date.    We  have 
disregarded the possibility that such obligations may be prematurely terminated or extended, whether automatically 
by  the  terms  of  the  obligation  or  by  agreement  between  us  and  the  counterparty,  due  to  the  speculative  nature  of 
premature  termination  or  extension.    Except  for  operating  leases,  the  balances  included  in  the  “2024  and  after” 
column  of  the  contractual  obligations  table  include  amounts  for  which  we  are  not  able  to  reasonably  estimate  the 
timing of the potential future  payments.  Estimated interest payments on our credit facility are not included in the 
above table, as our credit facility provides for frequent borrowing and/or repayment activities, which does not lend 
itself to reliable forecasting for disclosure purposes.   

On  March  27,  2017  we  entered  into  a  second  amendment  of  our  current  unsecured  credit  agreement  (the  “Credit 
Agreement”)  to  extend  the  expiration  date  by  five  years  to  March  27,  2022  and  to  renegotiate  certain  terms  and 
conditions.  The Credit Agreement, as amended, continues to provide for up to $50.0 million in cash advances and 
commercial and standby letters of credit with borrowing limits based on eligible inventory,  which amount  may be 
increased  from  time  to  time  by  up  to  an  additional  $50.0  million,  without  the  consent  of  any  lender,  if  certain 
conditions are met.  The Credit Agreement contains covenants which stipulate:  (1) Total Shareholders’ Equity (as 
defined in the Credit Agreement) will not fall below $250.0 million at the end of each fiscal quarter; (2) the ratio of 
funded debt plus three times rent to EBITDA (as defined in the Credit Agreement) plus rent will not exceed 2.5 to 
1.0; (3) the aggregate amount of cash dividends for a fiscal year will not exceed $10 million; and (4) distributions in 
the form of redemptions of Equity Interests (as defined in the Credit Agreement) can be made solely with cash on 
hand so long as before and immediately after such distributions there are no revolving loans outstanding under the 
Credit Agreement.  We were in compliance with these covenants as of February 2, 2019.  Should a default condition 
be  reported,  the  lenders  may  preclude  additional  borrowings  and  call  all  loans  and  accrued  interest  at  their 
discretion.  The credit facility bears interest, at our option, at (1) the agent bank’s prime rate as defined in the Credit 
Agreement  plus  1%,  with  the  prime  rate  defined  as  the  greater  of  (a)  the  Federal  Fund  rate  plus  0.50%  or  (b)  the 
interest rate announced from time to time by the agent bank as its “prime rate” or (2) LIBOR plus 1.25% to 2.50%, 
depending on our achievement of certain performance criteria.  A commitment fee is charged at 0.20% to 0.35% per 
annum,  depending  on  our  achievement  of  certain  performance  criteria,  on  the  unused  portion  of  the  bank  group’s 
commitment.  There were no borrowings outstanding under the credit facility and letters of credit outstanding were 
$1.2  million  at  February 2,  2019.    As  of  February 2,  2019,  $48.8  million  was  available  to  us  for  additional 
borrowings under the credit facility. 

See Note 7 – “Long-Term Debt”, Note 8 – “Leases”, Note 9 – “Income Taxes” and Note 10 – “Employee Benefit 
Plans” to our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in PART II, ITEM 8 of this Annual Report on 
Form 10-K for a further discussion of our contractual obligations.   

34 

 
 
  
  
    
    
    
    
  
 
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements 

There were no assignments of operating leases to third parties in  fiscal 2018, 2017 or 2016.  Except for operating 
leases  entered  into  in  the  normal  course  of  business,  we  did  not  have  any  off-balance  sheet  arrangements  as  of 
February 2, 2019.  See Note 8 – “Leases” to our Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in PART II, 
ITEM 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K for further discussion of our lease obligations. 

Seasonality and Quarterly Results 

Our quarterly results of operations have fluctuated, and are expected to continue to fluctuate in the future, primarily 
as a result of seasonal  variances and the  timing of  sales and costs associated  with opening  new  stores and closing 
underperforming stores.  Non-capital expenditures, such as advertising and payroll incurred prior to the opening of a 
new  store,  are  charged  to  expense  as  incurred.    The  timing  and  actual  amount  of  expense  recorded  in  closing  an 
individual store can vary significantly depending, in part, on the period in which management commits to a closing 
plan,  the  remaining  basis  in  the  fixed  assets  to  be  disposed  of  at  closing  and  the  amount  of  any  lease  buyout.  
Therefore,  our  results  of  operations  may  be  adversely  affected  in  any  quarter  in  which  we  incur  pre-opening 
expenses related to the opening of new stores or incur store closing costs related to the closure of existing stores. 

We  have  three  distinct  peak  selling  periods:  Easter,  back-to-school  and  Christmas.    To  prepare  for  our  peak 
shopping  seasons,  we  must  order  and  keep  in  stock  significantly  more  merchandise  than  we  would  carry  during 
other parts of the year.  Any unanticipated decrease in demand for our products during these peak shopping seasons 
could  require  us  to  sell  excess  inventory  at  a  substantial  markdown,  which  could  reduce  our  net  sales  and  gross 
margins and negatively affect our profitability.  Our operating results depend significantly upon the sales generated 
during these periods.   

New Accounting Pronouncements 

Recent accounting pronouncements applicable to our operations are contained in Note 2 – “Summary of Significant 
Accounting Policies,” contained in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in PART II, ITEM 8 of 
this Annual Report on Form 10-K.  

ITEM 7A.  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK 

We are exposed to market risk in that the interest payable on our credit facility is based on variable interest rates and 
therefore  is  affected  by  changes  in  market  rates.    We  do  not  use  interest  rate  derivative  instruments  to  manage 
exposure to changes in market interest rates.  We had no borrowings under our credit facility during fiscal 2018.  A 
1%  change  in  the  weighted  average  interest  rate  charged  under  the  credit  facility  would  have  resulted  in  interest 
expense fluctuating by approximately $24,000 for fiscal 2017.  

ITEM 8.    FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA 

The information required by this item appears beginning on page 36.   

35 

 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM  

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Shoe Carnival, Inc. 

Opinion on the Financial Statements 

We  have  audited  the  accompanying  consolidated  balance  sheets  of  Shoe  Carnival,  Inc.  and  subsidiaries  (the 
"Company")  as  of  February  2,  2019  and  February  3,  2018,  the  related  consolidated  statements  of  income, 
shareholders' equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended February 2, 2019, and the related 
notes and the schedule listed in the Index at Item 15 (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). In our 
opinion, the financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of 
February 2, 2019 and February 3, 2018, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years 
in  the  period  ended  February  2,  2019,  in  conformity  with  accounting  principles  generally  accepted  in  the  United 
States of America. 

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of February 2, 2019, based on criteria 
established  in  Internal  Control  —  Integrated  Framework  (2013)  issued  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring 
Organizations of the Treadway Commission and our report dated April 2, 2019, expressed an unqualified opinion on 
the Company's internal control over financial reporting. 

Basis for Opinion 

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an 
opinion on the Company's financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with 
the  PCAOB  and  are  required  to  be  independent  with  respect  to  the  Company  in  accordance  with  the  U.S.  federal 
securities  laws  and  the  applicable  rules  and  regulations  of  the  Securities  and  Exchange  Commission  and  the 
PCAOB. 

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and 
perform  the  audit  to  obtain  reasonable  assurance  about  whether  the  financial  statements  are  free  of  material 
misstatement,  whether  due  to  error  or  fraud.  Our  audits  included  performing  procedures  to  assess  the  risks  of 
material  misstatement  of  the  financial  statements,  whether  due  to  error  or  fraud,  and  performing  procedures  that 
respond  to  those  risks.  Such  procedures  included  examining,  on  a  test  basis,  evidence  regarding  the  amounts  and 
disclosures  in  the  financial  statements.  Our  audits  also  included  evaluating  the  accounting  principles  used  and 
significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. 
We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion. 

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP 
Indianapolis, Indiana   
April 2, 2019   

We have served as the Company's auditor since 1988. 

36 

 
February 2, 
2019 

February 3, 
2018 

   $ 

   $ 

   $ 

67,021      $ 
1,219        
257,539        
11,534        
337,313        
70,605        
9,622        
459        
417,999      $ 

48,715      $ 
22,069        
70,784        
22,171        
8,436        
12,108        
67        
113,566        

48,254   
6,270   
260,500   
5,562   
320,586   
86,276   
8,182   
536   
415,580   

41,739   
15,045   
56,784   
29,024   
10,132   
11,372   
966   
108,278   

205   
65,458   
326,738   
(85,099 ) 
307,302   
415,580   

Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Consolidated Balance Sheets 
(In thousands, except share data) 

Assets 
Current Assets: 

Cash and cash equivalents 
Accounts receivable 
Merchandise inventories 
Other 

Total Current Assets 
Property and equipment – net 
Deferred income taxes 
Other noncurrent assets 
Total Assets 

Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity 
Current Liabilities: 

Accounts payable 
Accrued and other liabilities 

Total Current Liabilities 
Deferred lease incentives 
Accrued rent 
Deferred compensation 
Other 
Total Liabilities 

Shareholders’ Equity: 

Common stock, $.01 par value, 50,000,000 shares authorized, 
   20,529,227 and 20,529,227 shares issued, respectively 
Additional paid-in capital 
Retained earnings 
Treasury stock, at cost, 5,154,243 and 3,582,068 shares, respectively 

Total Shareholders’ Equity 
Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity 

See notes to consolidated financial statements. 

205        
75,631        
360,443        
(131,846 )      
304,433        
417,999      $ 

   $ 

37 

 
 
  
  
    
  
     
         
    
     
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  
     
         
    
     
         
    
     
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
  
     
         
    
     
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
 
February 2, 
2019 

February 3, 
2018 
   $  1,029,650      $  1,019,154      $  1,001,102   

January 28, 
2017 

720,658        
308,992        
259,232        
49,760        
(747 )      
150        
50,357        
12,222        
38,135      $ 

722,885        
296,269        
258,568        
37,701        
(4 )      
292        
37,413        
18,480        
18,933      $ 

711,867   
289,235   
251,323   
37,912   
(6 ) 
169   
37,749   
14,232   
23,517   

2.51      $ 
2.45      $ 

1.15      $ 
1.15      $ 

1.28   
1.28   

15,111        
15,499        

16,220        
16,227        

18,017   
18,022   

   $ 

   $ 
   $ 

Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Consolidated Statements of Income 
(In thousands, except per share data) 

Net sales 
Cost of sales (including buying, distribution and occupancy 
   costs) 
Gross profit 
Selling, general and administrative expenses 
Operating income 
Interest income 
Interest expense 
Income before income taxes 
Income tax expense 
Net income 
Net income per share: 
Basic 
Diluted 
Weighted average shares: 
Basic 
Diluted 

See notes to consolidated financial statements. 

38 

 
 
  
  
    
    
  
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
    
     
         
         
    
     
     
 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity 
(In thousands) 

Common Stock 

Balance at January 30, 2016 
Dividends ($0.275 per share) 
Stock-based compensation income tax 
   benefit 
Employee stock purchase plan 
   purchases 
Restricted stock awards 
Shares surrendered by employees to pay 
   taxes on restricted stock 
Purchase of common stock for Treasury      
Stock-based compensation expense 
Net income 
Balance at January 28, 2017 
Adoption of Accounting Standards 
   Update No. 2016-09 
Stock option exercises 
Dividends ($0.295 per share) 
Employee stock purchase plan 
   purchases 
Restricted stock awards 
Shares surrendered by employees to pay 
   taxes on restricted stock 
Purchase of common stock for Treasury      
Stock-based compensation expense 
Net income 
Balance at February 3, 2018 
Adoption of Accounting Standards 
   Codification 606 
Dividends ($0.315 per share) 
Employee stock purchase plan 
   purchases 
Restricted stock awards 
Shares surrendered by employees to pay 
   taxes on restricted stock 
Purchase of common stock for Treasury      
Stock-based compensation expense 
Net income 
Balance at February 2, 2019 

  Issued     Treasury     Amount     
    20,604       

(956 )   $ 

(35 )     

10       
225       

(16 )     
         (1,697 )     

    20,569        (2,434 )     

Additional 
Paid-In 
Capital 

Retained 
Earnings     

Treasury 
Stock 

     Total 

206     $  66,805     $ 294,308     $  (21,517 )   $ 339,802   
(5,184 ) 
(5,184 )     

3       

(10 )     
(5,072 )     

3   

223   
0   

233       
5,072       

(421 )     

(421 ) 
         (42,604 )      (42,604 ) 
3,546   
         23,517   
65,272       312,641        (59,237 )     318,882   

         23,517       

3,546       

206       

7       

(188 )     
(114 )     

188       

(5,024 )     

168       

0   
54   
(5,024 ) 

(40 )     

10       
139       

(44 )     
(4,545 )     

(1 )     

249       
4,546       

205   
0   

(45 )     
         (1,259 )     

    20,529        (3,582 )     

7       
(39 )     

(13 )     
         (1,527 )     

    20,529        (5,154 )   $ 

(1,027 )     

(1,027 ) 
         (29,798 )      (29,798 ) 
5,077   
         18,933   
65,458       326,738        (85,099 )     307,302   

         18,933       

5,077       

205       

620       
(5,050 )     

620   
(5,050 ) 

8       
543       

169       
(543 )     

177   
0   

(327 )     

(327 ) 
         (46,046 )      (46,046 ) 
9,622   
         38,135   
205     $  75,631     $ 360,443     $ (131,846 )   $ 304,433   

         38,135       

9,622       

See notes to consolidated financial statements. 

39 

 
  
  
      
  
      
  
      
  
      
  
  
  
    
  
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
    
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
      
      
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
    
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
      
      
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
        
        
    
        
        
        
 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows 
(In thousands) 

Cash Flows From Operating Activities 

Net income 
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net 
cash provided by operating activities: 
Depreciation and amortization 
Stock-based compensation 
(Gain)/loss on retirement and impairment of assets, net 
Deferred income taxes 
Lease incentives 
Other 
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: 

Accounts receivable 
Merchandise inventories 
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 
Other 

Net cash provided by operating activities 
Cash Flows From Investing Activities 

Purchases of property and equipment 
Other 

Net cash used in investing activities 
Cash Flow From Financing Activities 
Borrowings under line of credit 
Payments on line of credit 
Proceeds from issuance of stock 
Dividends paid 
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation 
Purchase of common stock for treasury 
Shares surrendered by employees to pay taxes on restricted 
   stock 

Net cash used in financing activities 
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents 
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of year 
Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Year 
Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information: 

Cash paid during year for interest 
Cash paid during year for income taxes 
Capital expenditures incurred but not yet paid 

See notes to consolidated financial statements. 

February 2, 
2019 

February 3, 
2018 

January 28, 
2017 

   $ 

38,135      $ 

18,933      $ 

23,517   

21,843        
10,162        
(1,264 )      
(1,440 )      
634        
(8,650 )      

3,905        
2,961        
12,688        
(4,833 )      
74,141        

23,804        
5,017        
5,511        
1,418        
4,818        
(6,993 )      

(951 )      
19,146        
(30,132 )      
(223 )      
40,348        

(7,413 )      
2,998        
(4,415 )      

(19,653 )      
0        
(19,653 )      

0        
0        
177        
(4,763 )      
0        
(46,046 )      

(327 )      
(50,959 )      
18,767        
48,254        
67,021      $ 

88,600        
(88,600 )      
259        
(4,819 )      
0        
(29,798 )      

(1,027 )      
(35,385 )      
(14,690 )      
62,944        
48,254      $ 

23,699   
3,822   
4,794   
(1,381 ) 
3,825   
(4,619 ) 

(2,293 ) 
13,232   
(982 ) 
175   
63,789   

(21,832 ) 
0   
(21,832 ) 

0   
0   
223   
(5,028 ) 
3   
(42,604 ) 

(421 ) 
(47,827 ) 
(5,870 ) 
68,814   
62,944   

150      $ 
13,419      $ 
130      $ 

292      $ 
16,832      $ 
783      $ 

170   
14,696   
168   

   $ 

   $ 
   $ 
   $ 

40 

 
 
  
  
    
    
  
     
         
         
    
     
         
         
    
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
     
         
         
    
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
         
         
    
 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

Note 1 – Organization and Description of Business 

Our consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Shoe Carnival, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries 
SCHC,  Inc.  and  Shoe  Carnival  Ventures,  LLC,  and  SCLC,  Inc.,  a  wholly-owned  subsidiary  of  SCHC,  Inc. 
(collectively referred to as “we”, “our”, “us” or the “Company”).  All intercompany accounts and transactions have 
been  eliminated.    Our  primary  activity  is  the  sale  of  footwear  and  related  products  through  our  retail  stores  in  35 
states  within the continental United States and in Puerto Rico.  We also offer online shopping on our e-commerce 
site at www.shoecarnival.com. 

Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies 

Fiscal Year  

Our  fiscal  year  is  a  52/53  week  year  ending  on  the  Saturday  closest  to  January  31.    Unless  otherwise  stated, 
references  to  years  2018,  2017  and  2016  relate  to  the  fiscal  years  ended  February 2,  2019,  February  3,  2018  and 
January 28, 2017, respectively.  Fiscal  year 2017 consisted of 53  weeks and the other  fiscal  years consisted of 52 
weeks. 

Use of Estimates in the Preparation of Consolidated Financial Statements 

The  preparation  of  our  consolidated  financial  statements  in  conformity  with  generally  accepted  accounting 
principles in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the 
reported  amounts  of  certain  assets  and  liabilities  as  of  the  financial  statement  reporting  date  in  addition  to  the 
reported amounts of certain revenues and expenses for the reporting period.  The assumptions used by management 
in future estimates could change significantly due to changes in circumstances and actual results could differ from 
those estimates. 

Cash and Cash Equivalents 

We  had  cash  and  cash  equivalents  of  $67.0  million  at  February 2,  2019  and  $48.3  million  at  February  3,  2018.  
Credit and debit card receivables and receivables due from a third party totaling $8.2 million and $5.4 million were 
included  in  cash  equivalents  at  February 2,  2019  and  February  3,  2018,  respectively.    Credit  and  debit  card 
receivables generally settle within three days; receivables due from a third party generally settle within 15 days. 

We consider all short-term investments with an original maturity date of three months or less to be cash equivalents.  
As of February 2, 2019, all invested cash was held in money market mutual funds.  There was no invested cash as of 
February 3,  2018.    While  investments  are  not  considered  by  management  to  be  at  significant  risk,  they  could  be 
impacted  if  the  underlying  financial  institutions  fail  or  are  subject  to  other  adverse  conditions  in  the  financial 
markets.  To date,  we have experienced  no loss or lack of access to either invested cash or cash  held in our bank 
accounts. 

Fair Value of Financial Instruments and Non-Financial Assets 

Our financial assets as of February 2, 2019 and February 3, 2018 included cash and cash equivalents.  The carrying 
value  of  cash  and  cash  equivalents  approximates  fair  value  due  to  its  short-term  nature.    We  did  not  have  any 
financial liabilities measured at fair value for these periods.  Non-financial assets measured at fair value included on 
our consolidated balance sheets as of February 2, 2019 and February 3, 2018 were those long-lived assets for which 
an impairment charge has been recorded.  We did not have any  non-financial liabilities  measured at fair value  for 
these periods.  See Note 3 – “Fair Value Measurements” for further discussion. 

41 

 
 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

Merchandise Inventories and Cost of Sales 

Merchandise  inventories  are  stated  at  the  lower  of  cost  or  net  realizable  value  using  the  first-in,  first-out  (FIFO) 
method.    For  determining  net  market  value,  we  estimate  the  future  demand  and  related  sale  price  of  merchandise 
contained in inventory as of the balance sheet date.  The stated value of merchandise inventories contained on our 
consolidated  balance  sheets  also  includes  freight,  certain  capitalized  overhead  costs  and  reserves.    Factors 
considered  in  determining  if  our  inventory  is  properly  stated  at  the  lower  of  cost  or  net  realizable  value  includes, 
among  others,  recent  sale  prices,  the  length  of  time  merchandise  has  been  held  in  inventory,  quantities  of  various 
styles  held  in  inventory,  seasonality  of  merchandise,  expected  consideration  to  be  received  from  our  vendors  and 
current and expected future sales trends.  We reduce the value of our inventory to its estimated net realizable value 
where cost exceeds the estimated future selling price.  Material changes in the factors previously noted could have a 
significant impact on the actual net realizable value of our inventory and our reported operating results.   

Cost  of  sales  includes  the  cost  of  merchandise  sold,  buying,  distribution,  and  occupancy  costs,  inbound  freight 
expense,  provision  for  inventory  obsolescence,  inventory  shrink  and  credits  and  allowances  from  merchandise 
vendors.    Cost  of  sales  related  to  our  e-commerce  orders  include  charges  paid  to  a  third-party  service  provider  in 
addition to the freight expense for delivering merchandise to our customer. 

Property and Equipment-Net 

Property  and  equipment  is  stated  at  cost.    Depreciation  and  amortization  of  property,  equipment  and  leasehold 
improvements are taken on the straight-line method over the shorter of the estimated useful lives of the assets or the 
applicable lease terms.  Lives used in computing depreciation and amortization range from two to twenty-five years.  
Expenditures for maintenance and repairs are charged to expense as incurred.  Expenditures that materially increase 
values,  improve  capacities  or  extend  useful  lives  are  capitalized.    Upon  sale  or  retirement,  the  costs  and  related 
accumulated depreciation or amortization are eliminated from the respective accounts and any resulting gain or loss 
is included in operations. 

We  periodically  evaluate  our  long-lived  assets  if  events  or  circumstances  indicate  the  carrying  value  may  not  be 
recoverable.  The carrying  value of  long-lived assets is considered impaired  when  the carrying value of the assets 
exceeds  the  expected  future  cash  flows  to  be  derived  from  their  use.    Assets  are  grouped,  and  the  evaluation 
performed, at the lowest level for which there are identifiable cash flows, which is generally at a store level.  If the 
estimated, undiscounted future cash flows for a store are determined to be less than the carrying value of the store’s 
assets,  an  impairment  loss  is  recorded  for  the  difference  between  estimated  fair  value  and  carrying  value.    Assets 
subject  to  impairment  are  adjusted  to  estimated  fair  value  and,  if  applicable,  an  impairment  loss  is  recorded  in 
selling, general and administrative expenses.  We estimate the fair value of our long-lived assets using store specific 
cash  flow  assumptions  discounted  by  a  rate  commensurate  with  the  risk  involved  with  such  assets  while 
incorporating  marketplace  assumptions.    Our  assumptions  and  estimates  used  in  the  evaluation  of  impairment, 
including current and future economic trends for stores, are subject to a high degree of judgment.  If actual operating 
results  or  market  conditions  differ  from  those  anticipated,  the  carrying  value  of  certain  of  our  assets  may  prove 
unrecoverable and we may incur additional impairment charges in the future.  There were no impairments of long-
lived assets recorded in fiscal 2018.  We recorded non-cash impairment charges of approximately $5.1 million and 
$4.5 million in fiscal years 2017 and 2016, respectively.  

Insurance Reserves 

We self-insure a significant portion of our workers’ compensation, general liability and employee health care costs 
and  also  maintain  insurance  in  each  area  of  risk  to  protect  us  from  individual  and  aggregate  losses  over  specified 
dollar  values.    We  review  the  liability  reserved  for  our  self-insured  portions  on  a  quarterly  basis,  taking  into 
consideration a number of factors, including historical claims experience, severity factors, statistical trends and, in 
certain  instances,  valuation  assistance  provided  by  independent  third  parties.    Self-insurance  reserves  include 
estimates  of  claims  filed,  carried  at  their  expected  ultimate  settlement  value,  and  claims  incurred  but  not  yet 
reported.    As  of  February 2,  2019  and  February  3,  2018,  our  self-insurance  reserves  totaled  $3.4  million  and  $3.6 
million,  respectively.    We  record  self-insurance  expense  as  a  component  of  selling,  general  and  administrative 
expenses in our consolidated statements of income.  While we believe that the recorded amounts are adequate, there 
can  be  no  assurance  that  changes  to  management’s  estimates  will  not  occur  due  to  limitations  inherent  in  the 
estimating  process.    If  actual  results  are  not  consistent  with  our  estimates  or  assumptions,  we  may  be  exposed  to 
losses or gains that could be material. 

42 

 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

Deferred Lease Incentives 

All cash incentives received from landlords are recorded as deferred income and amortized over the life of the lease 
on a straight-line basis as a reduction of rental expense. 

Accrued Rent 

We are party to various lease agreements, which require scheduled rent increases over the initial lease term.  Rent 
expense for such leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the initial lease term beginning the earlier of the 
start  date  of  the  lease  or  when  we  take  possession  of  the  property.    The  difference  between  rent  based  upon 
scheduled monthly payments and rent expense recognized on a straight-line basis is recorded as accrued rent. 

Revenue Recognition 

Substantially  all  of  our  revenue  is  for  a  single  performance  obligation  and  is  recognized  when  control  passes  to 
customers.  We consider control to have transferred when we have a present right to payment, the customer has title 
to the product, physical possession of the product has been transferred and the risks and rewards of the product that 
we  retain  are  minimal.    For  our  brick-and-mortar  stores,  we  satisfy  our  performance  obligation  and  control  is 
transferred  at  the  point  of  sale  when  the  customer  takes  possession  of  the  products.    This  also  includes  the  “buy 
online,  pick  up  in  store”  scenario  and  includes  Shoes  2U  if  the  customer  chooses  the  option  of  picking  up  their 
goods  in-store.    For  sales  made  through  our  e-commerce  site  or  mobile  app  in  which  the  customer  chooses  home 
delivery,  we  transfer  control  and  recognize  revenue  when  the  product  is  shipped  from  our  stores  or  distribution 
center.    This  also  includes  Shoes  2U  if  the  customer  chooses  the  option  of  having  goods  delivered  to  their  home.  
The redemption of loyalty points under our Shoe Perks loyalty rewards program and redemptions of gift cards may 
be  part  of  any  transaction.    These  situations  represent  separate  performance  obligations  that  are  embedded  in  the 
contract and are more fully described below. 

In  the  regular  course  of  business,  we  offer  our  customers  sales  incentives  including  coupons,  discounts,  and  free 
merchandise.   Sales are recorded net of such incentives and returns and allowances.   If  an incentive involves  free 
merchandise, that merchandise is recorded as a zero sale and the cost is included in cost of sales.  Gift card revenue 
is recognized at the time of redemption. 

See  Note  4  –  “Revenue”  for  additional  discussion  of  our  revenue  recognition  policies  as  well  as  additional 
disclosures on revenue from contracts with customers.   

Consideration Received From a Vendor 

Consideration is primarily received from  merchandise  vendors.  Consideration is either recorded as a reduction of 
the  price  paid  for  the  vendor’s  products  and  recorded  as  a  reduction  of  our  cost  of  sales,  or  if  the  consideration 
represents  a  reimbursement  of  a  specific,  incremental  and  identifiable  cost,  then  it  is  recorded  as  an  offset  to  the 
same financial statement line item. 

Consideration  received  from  our  vendors  includes  co-operative  advertising/promotion,  margin  assistance,  damage 
allowances  and  rebates  earned  for  a  specific  level  of  purchases  over  a  defined  period.    Consideration  principally 
takes the form of credits that we can apply against trade amounts owed. 

Consideration  received  after  the  related  merchandise  has  been  sold  is  recorded  as  an  offset  to  cost  of  sales  in  the 
period  negotiations  are  finalized.    For  consideration  received  on  merchandise  still  in  inventory,  the  allowance  is 
recorded as a reduction to the cost of on-hand inventory and recorded as a reduction of our cost of sales at the time 
of sale.  Should the allowances received exceed the incremental cost, then the excess consideration is recorded as a 
reduction  to  the  cost  of  on-hand  inventory  and  allocated  to  cost  of  sales  in  future  periods  utilizing  an  average 
inventory turn rate. 

Store Opening and Start-up Costs 

Non-capital expenditures, such as advertising, payroll, supplies and rent incurred prior to the opening of a new store, 
are charged to expense in the period they are incurred. 

43 

 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

Advertising Costs 

Print, television, radio, outdoor and digital media costs are generally expensed when incurred.  Internal production 
costs are expensed  when incurred and external production  costs are expensed in  the period the advertisement  first 
takes  place.    Advertising  expenses  included  in  selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  were  $41.2  million, 
$40.1 million and $42.9 million in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. 

Stock-Based Compensation 

We  recognize  compensation  expense  for  stock-based  awards  based  on  a  fair  value  based  method.    Stock-based 
awards  may  include  stock  options,  stock  appreciation  rights,  restricted  stock,  stock  units  and  other  stock-based 
awards under our stock-based compensation plans.  Additionally,  we recognize stock-based compensation expense 
for the discount on shares sold to employees through our employee stock purchase plan.  This discount represents 
the  difference  between  the  market  price  and  the  employee  purchase  price.    Stock-based  compensation  expense  is 
included in selling, general and administrative expense. 

We  account  for  forfeitures  as  they  occur  in  calculating  stock-based  compensation  expense  for  the  period.    For 
performance-based stock awards, we estimate the probability of vesting based on the likelihood that the awards will 
meet their performance goals. 

Segment Information 

We  have  identified  each  retail  store  and  our  e-commerce  store  as  individual  operating  segments.    Our  operating 
segments have been aggregated and are reported as one reportable segment based on the similar nature of products 
sold, merchandising and distribution processes involved, target customers and economic characteristics.  Due to our 
multi-channel retailer strategy, we view our e-commerce sales as an extension of our physical stores. 

Income Taxes 

We compute income taxes using the asset and liability method, under which deferred income taxes are provided for 
the  temporary  differences  between  the  financial  reporting  basis  and  the  tax  basis  of  our  assets  and  liabilities.  
Deferred tax assets are reduced, if necessary, by a valuation allowance to the extent future realization of those tax 
benefits are uncertain.  We account for uncertain tax positions in accordance with current authoritative guidance and 
report a liability for unrecognized tax benefits resulting from uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in 
a  tax  return.    We  recognize  interest  expense  and  penalties,  if  any,  related  to  uncertain  tax  positions  in  income  tax 
expense. 

44 

 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

Net Income Per Share 

The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share as shown on the face of the 
accompanying consolidated statements of income: 

February 2, 2019 

Net 

Income     Shares     
  $ 38,135       

Fiscal Year Ended 
February 3, 2018 
(In thousands, except per share data) 
Per 
Share 
Amount     

Per 
Share 
Amount     

Net 

Net 

Income     Shares     
      $ 18,933       

Per 
Share 
Amount   

Income     Shares     
      $ 23,517       

January 28, 2017 

(152 )     

(250 )     

(487 )     

  $ 37,983       15,111     $  2.51     $ 18,683       16,220     $  1.15     $ 23,030       18,017     $  1.28   

  $ 38,135       

      $ 18,933       

      $ 23,517       

(152 )     

(250 )     

(487 )     

4        388       

0       

7       

0       

5       

  $ 37,987       15,499     $  2.45     $ 18,683       16,227     $  1.15     $ 23,030       18,022     $  1.28   

Basic Earnings per Share: 
Net income 
Amount allocated to participating 
   securities 
Net income available for basic 
   common shares and basic 
   earnings per share 
Diluted Earnings per Share: 
Net income 
Amount allocated to participating 
   securities 
Adjustment for dilutive potential 
   common shares 
Net income available for diluted 
   common shares and diluted 
   earnings per share 

Our  basic  and  diluted  earnings  per  share  are  computed  using  the  two-class  method.    The  two-class  method  is  an 
earnings allocation that determines net income per share for each class of common stock and participating securities 
according to their participation rights in dividends and undistributed earnings or losses.  Non-vested restricted stock 
awards  that  include  non-forfeitable  rights  to  dividends  are  considered  participating  securities.    During  periods  of 
undistributed  losses,  however,  no  effect  is  given  to  our  participating  securities  because  they  do  not  share  in  the 
losses. Per share amounts are computed by dividing net income available to common shareholders by the weighted 
average shares outstanding during each period.  No options to purchase shares of common stock were excluded in 
the computation of diluted shares for the periods presented. 

New Accounting Pronouncements 

In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued guidance on the recognition of revenue 
for  all  contracts  with  customers  designed  to  improve  comparability  and  enhance  financial  statement  disclosures. 
Subsequently,  the  FASB  also  issued  accounting  standards  updates  which  clarify  this  guidance.    The  underlying 
principle  of  this  comprehensive  model  is  that  revenue  is  recognized  to  depict  the  transfer  of  promised  goods  or 
services  to  customers  in  an  amount  that  reflects  the  payment  to  which  the  company  expects  to  be  entitled  in 
exchange for those goods or services.  We adopted the new revenue guidance on February 4, 2018, using a modified 
retrospective transition approach.  We recorded an increase in retained earnings of $620,000 as a cumulative effect 
of the adoption based on our evaluation of incomplete contracts as of the adoption date.  This increase to retained 
earnings  included  pre-tax  adjustments  in  connection  with  e-commerce  revenue  of  $171,000  and  recognition  of 
breakage revenue for unredeemed gift cards of $649,000, partially offset by a $200,000 adjustment related to the tax 
impact of the cumulative effect adjustments.  The cumulative effect e-commerce adjustment is related to recognizing 
revenue  when  products  are  shipped  from  our  stores  or  distribution  center  under  the  new  guidance  rather  than 
recognizing  revenue  when  the  shipments  were  delivered  under  the  previous  revenue  guidance.    The  cumulative 
effect gift card breakage adjustment is related to the unredeemed portion of our gift cards, which are now estimated 
using historical breakage percentages and recognized based on expected gift card usage, rather than waiting until the 
likelihood of redemption becomes remote.  In addition to these changes, we also now record a right of return asset in 
inventory for the estimated cost of the inventory expected to be returned.  Under the previous revenue guidance, we 

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Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

recorded a net returns reserve in accrued and other liabilities.  The adoption of this guidance did not have a material 
impact on our consolidated financial statements.  See Note 4 – “Revenue” for additional discussion of this adoption 
as well as additional disclosures on revenue from contracts with customers. 

In  February  2016,  the  FASB  issued  guidance  which  will  replace  most  existing  lease  accounting  guidance.  This 
update requires an entity to recognize leased assets and the rights and obligations created by those leased assets on 
the  balance  sheet  and  to  disclose  key  information  about  the  entity's  leasing  arrangements.   This  guidance  was 
updated in July 2018.  This update, among other things, added a transition option allowing entities to initially apply 
the requirements by recognizing a cumulative-effect adjustment to the opening balance  of retained earnings in the 
period of adoption rather than the earliest period presented.  This guidance became effective for us on February 3, 
2019 and will include interim periods in fiscal 2019.   We have elected the optional transition method to apply the 
standard as of the effective date and therefore, we will not apply the standard to the comparative periods presented 
in our financial statements. We did not elect the transition package of practical expedients that is permitted by the 
guidance, so we were required to reassess previous accounting conclusions regarding whether existing arrangements 
are or contain leases, the classification of existing leases and the treatment of initial direct costs.  We also did not 
elect  the  transition  practical  expedients  that  permits  entities  to  use  hindsight  when  determining  lease  term  and 
impairment of right-of-use assets or that permits entities to account for lease and non-lease components as a single 
lease  component.   We  did  elect  the  practical  expedient  that  permits  us  not  to  recognize  right-of-use  assets  and 
related  liabilities  that  arise  from  short-term  leases  (i.e.,  leases  with  terms  of  twelve  months  or  less).   We  are 
finalizing  the  impact  of  the  standard  to  our  accounting  policies,  processes,  disclosures,  and  internal  control  over 
financial reporting and have implemented necessary upgrades to our existing lease system.  Substantially all of our 
retail store locations, our distribution center and our corporate headquarters are subject to operating lease accounting 
under  the  new  guidance.   Therefore,  the  adoption  of  standard  will  have  a  material  impact  on  our  consolidated 
balance  sheet.   While  we  are  continuing  to  assess  all  potential  impacts  of  the  standard,  we  expect  to  record  lease 
liabilities  of  approximately  $240  million  to  $260  million  based  on  the  present  value  of  the  remaining  minimum 
rental  payments  using  incremental  borrowing  rates  as  of  the  effective  date.    The  right-of-use  assets  will  be  based 
upon the lease liabilities adjusted for accrued rent, unamortized deferred lease incentives and impairment charges of 
right-of-use assets recognized at transition, if applicable.  We do not expect a material impact on our consolidated 
statement of income or our consolidated statement of cash flows. 

In May 2017, the FASB issued guidance  which clarifies what constitutes a modification of a share-based payment 
award.  We adopted the provisions of this guidance on February 4, 2018.  The adoption of this guidance did not have 
a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.   

In March 2018, the FASB issued guidance on the income tax accounting implications of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs 
Act  (the  “Tax  Act”),  to  address  the  application  of  guidance  in  situations  when  a  company  does  not  have  the 
necessary information available, prepared, or analyzed to complete the accounting for certain income tax effects of 
the  Tax  Act.  The  guidance  provides  a  one-year  measurement  period  to  assess  the  Tax  Act,  which  began  in  the 
reporting  period  of  the  enactment  date  of  the  Tax  Act.    Due  to  the  timing  of  the  enactment  and  the  complexity 
involved  in  applying  the  provisions  of  the  Tax  Act,  we  initially  made  reasonable  estimates  of  the  effects  and 
recorded  provisional  amounts  in  our  financial  statements.    We  recorded  $4.4  million  of  additional  income  tax 
expense in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 and an income tax benefit of $0.1 million during fiscal 2018 related to 
the  remeasurement  of  certain  deferred  tax  assets  and  liabilities  based  on  the  rates  at  which  they  were  expected  to 
reverse in the future.  As of the end of fiscal 2018, we have filed our fiscal 2017 federal income tax return and have 
completed our assessment of the final impact of the Tax Act.       

In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance that addressed the diversity  in practice surrounding the accounting for 
costs  incurred  to  implement  a  cloud  computing  hosting  arrangement  that  is  a  service  contract  by  establishing  a 
model  for  capitalizing  or  expensing  such  costs,  depending  on  their  nature  and  the  stage  of  the  implementation 
project during which they are incurred.  Any capitalized costs are to be amortized over the reasonably certain term 
of the hosting arrangement and presented in the same line as the service arrangement's fees within the consolidated 
statements of operations.  This guidance also requires enhanced qualitative and quantitative disclosures surrounding 
hosting arrangements that are service contracts.  We are presently in the process of implementing a cloud computing 
hosting arrangement that is a service contract in connection with our Customer Relationship Management (“CRM”) 
program.  The costs incurred during the application-development stage of our CRM program are being capitalized in 
accordance with this new guidance and amortized over the term of the contract with our third-party service provider, 

46 

 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

and because our CRM program is a significant component of our strategic plan, these costs have a material impact 
on our consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.  We early adopted this guidance on a prospective 
basis on November 4, 2018. 

In August 2018, the FASB issued guidance which modifies the disclosure requirements on fair value measurements, 
including the consideration of costs and benefits.  This guidance is effective for annual reporting periods and interim 
periods  within  those  annual  periods  beginning  after  December  15,  2019.    We  are  in  the  process  of  evaluating  the 
impact of this guidance on our consolidated financial statements.      

Note 3 – Fair Value Measurements 

The accounting standards related to fair value measurements define fair value and provide a consistent framework 
for  measuring  fair  value  under  the  authoritative  literature.    Valuation  techniques  are  based  on  observable  and 
unobservable  inputs.    Observable  inputs  reflect  readily  obtainable  data  from  independent  sources,  while 
unobservable inputs reflect market assumptions.  This guidance only applies when other standards require or permit 
the  fair  value  measurement  of  assets  and  liabilities.    The  guidance  does  not  expand  the  use  of  fair  value 
measurements.  A fair value hierarchy was established, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value into 
three broad levels. 

•  Level 1 – Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; 
•  Level 2 – Observable market-based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data; 
•  Level 3 – Significant unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.  Generally, these fair value 
measures  are  model-based  valuation  techniques  such  as  discounted  cash  flows,  and  are  based  on  the  best 
information  available,  including  our  own  data.    Fair  values  of  our  long-lived  assets  are  estimated  using  an 
income-based approach and are classified within Level 3 of the valuation hierarchy.   

The  following  table  presents  assets  that  are  measured  at  fair  value  on  a  recurring  basis  at  February  2,  2019  and 
February 3, 2018.  We have no material liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring or non-recurring basis.   

(In thousands) 
As of February 2, 2019: 

Fair Value Measurements 

   Level 1       Level 2       Level 3       Total 

Cash equivalents – money market mutual fund 

  $  68,500     $ 

As of February 3, 2018: 

Cash equivalents – money market mutual fund 

  $ 

-     $ 

-     $ 

-     $ 

-     $  68,500   

-     $ 

-   

The  fair  values  of  cash  and  cash  equivalents,  receivables,  accounts  payable,  accrued  expenses  and  other  current 
liabilities approximate their carrying values because of their short-term nature.   

From  time  to  time,  we  measure  certain  assets  at  fair  value  on  a  non-recurring  basis,  specifically  long-lived  assets 
evaluated  for  impairment.    These  are  typically  store-specific  assets,  which  are  reviewed  for  impairment  whenever 
events  or  changes  in  circumstances  indicate  that  recoverability  of  their  carrying  value  is  questionable.    If  the 
expected undiscounted future cash flows related to a store’s assets are less than their carrying value, an impairment 
loss would be recognized for the difference between estimated fair value and carrying value and recorded in selling, 
general  and  administrative  expenses.    We  estimate  the  fair  value  of  store  assets  using  an  income-based  approach 
considering  the  cash  flows  expected  over  the  remaining  lease  term  for  each  location.    These  projections  are 
primarily based on  management’s estimates of store-level  sales,  gross  margins, direct expenses, exercise of future 
lease renewal options and resulting cash flows and, by their nature, include judgments about how current initiatives 
will impact future performance.  External factors, such as the local environment in which the store resides, including 
strip-mall  traffic  and  competition,  are  evaluated  in  terms  of  their  effect  on  sales  trends.    Changes  in  sales  and 
operating income assumptions or unfavorable changes in external factors can significantly impact estimated future 
cash flows.  An increase or decrease in projected cash flow can significantly decrease or increase the fair value of 
these assets, which would have an effect on the impairment recorded. 

There were no impairments of long-lived assets recorded during the 52 weeks ended February 2, 2019.  During the 
53 weeks ended February 3, 2018, we recorded an impairment charge of $5.1 million on long-lived assets held and 
used,  which  was  included  in  selling,  general  and  administrative  expenses  for  the  period.    Subsequent  to  this 

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Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

impairment, these long-lived assets had a remaining unamortized basis of $4.7 million.  During the 52 weeks ended 
January 28, 2017, we recorded an impairment charge of $4.5 million on long-lived assets held and used, which was 
included in selling, general and administrative expenses for the period. Subsequent to this impairment, these long-
lived assets had a remaining unamortized basis of $4.7 million.    

Note 4 – Revenue  

Revenue Recognition Adoption and Practical Expedients 

We  adopted  and  applied  the  new  revenue  guidance  in  Accounting  Standards  Codification  606  (“ASC  606”)  as  of 
February  4,  2018  using  the  modified  retrospective  transition  approach.    Based  on  this  approach,  the  consolidated 
financial  statements  for  prior  fiscal  years  were  not  restated  and  are  reported  under  the  prior  revenue  guidance  in 
effect  for  the  fiscal  years  presented.    We  elected  the  practical  expedient  to  treat  shipping  and  handling  activities 
associated  with  freight  charges  that  occur  after  control  of  the  product  transfers  to  the  customer  as  fulfillment 
activities.    These  costs  are  expensed  as  incurred  and  included  in  cost  of  sales  in  our  consolidated  statements  of 
income.    We  also  elected  the  practical  expedient  for  sales  tax  collected,  which  allows  us  to  exclude  from  our 
transaction price any amounts collected from customers for sales tax and other similar taxes.  There were no changes 
to our comparative reporting of shipping and handling costs included in cost of sales or accounting for sales tax as a 
result of the adoption of ASC 606.    

Accounting Policy and Performance Obligations  

We operate as a multi-channel, family footwear retailer and provide the convenience of shopping at our brick-and-
mortar stores or shopping online through our e-commerce and mobile platforms.  As part of our multi-channel 
strategy, we offer Shoes 2U, a program that enables us to ship product to a customer’s home or selected store if the 
product is not in stock.  We also offer “buy online, pick up in store” services for our customers.  “Buy online, pick 
up in store” provides the convenience of local pickup for our customers.  

Substantially all of our revenue is for a single performance obligation and is recognized when control passes to 
customers.  We consider control to have transferred when we have a present right to payment, the customer has title 
to the product, physical possession of the product has been transferred and the risks and rewards of the product that 
we retain are minimal.  For our brick-and-mortar stores, we satisfy our performance obligation and control is 
transferred at the point of sale when the customer takes possession of the products.  This also includes the “buy 
online, pick up in store” scenario described above and includes Shoes 2U if the customer chooses the option of 
picking up their goods in-store.  For sales made through our e-commerce site or mobile app in which the customer 
chooses home delivery, we transfer control and recognize revenue when the product is shipped from our stores or 
distribution center.  This also includes Shoes 2U if the customer chooses the option of having goods delivered to 
their home.   

The redemption of loyalty points under our Shoe Perks loyalty rewards program (“Shoe Perks”) and redemptions of 
gift  cards  may  be  part  of  any  transaction.    These  situations  represent  separate  performance  obligations  that  are 
embedded in the contract. 

Transaction Price and Payment Terms  

The transaction price is the amount of consideration we expect to receive from our customers and is reduced by any 
stated promotional discounts at the time of purchase.  The transaction price may be variable due to terms that permit 
customers to exchange or return products for a refund within a limited period of time.  The implicit contract with the 
customer reflected in the transaction receipt states the final terms of the sale, including the description, quantity, and 
price of each product purchased.  The customer agrees to a stated price in the contract that does not vary over the 
term of the contract.  Taxes imposed by governmental authorities such as sales taxes are excluded from net sales.   

Our  brick-and-mortar  stores  accept  various  forms  of  payment  from  customers  at  the  point  of  sale.    These  include 
cash,  checks,  credit/debit  cards  and  gift  cards.    Our  e-commerce  and  mobile  platforms  accept  credit/debit  cards, 
PayPal and gift cards as forms of payment.  Payments made for products are generally collected when control passes 
to the customer, either at the point of sale or at the time the customer order is shipped.  For Shoes 2U transactions, 

48 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

customers may order the product at the point of sale.  For these transactions, customers pay in advance and unearned 
revenue is recorded as a contract liability.  We recognize the related revenue when control has been transferred to 
the customer (i.e., when the product is picked up by the customer or shipped to the customer).  Unearned revenue 
related to Shoes 2U was not material to our consolidated financial statements at February 2, 2019.   

Returns and Refunds  

It is our policy to allow brick-and-mortar and online customers to exchange or return products for a refund within a 
limited  period  of  time.    We  have  established  a  returns  allowance  based  upon  historical  experience  in  order  to 
estimate these transactions.  This allowance is recorded as a reduction in sales with a corresponding refund liability 
recorded in accrued and other liabilities.  The estimated cost of merchandise inventory is recorded as a reduction to 
cost of sales and an increase  in  merchandise inventories.    At  February 2, 2019, approximately $600,000 of refund 
liabilities  and  $410,000  of  right  of  return  assets  associated  with  estimated  product  returns  were  recorded  in  our 
consolidated balance sheet.   

Contract Liabilities 

We  sell  gift  cards  in  our  brick-and-mortar  stores  and  through  our  e-commerce  and  mobile  platforms.    Gift  card 
purchases  are  recorded  as  an  increase  to  contract  liabilities  at  the  time  of  purchase  and  a  decrease  to  contract 
liabilities when a customer redeems a gift card.  Under the previous revenue guidance, when a customer did not use 
the  entire  value  of  their  gift  card,  we  recorded  this  unredeemed  portion  of  the  gift  card  as  revenue  when  the 
likelihood of redemption became remote (i.e., breakage).  Under ASC 606, estimated breakage is determined based 
on historical breakage percentages and recognized as revenue based on expected gift card usage.  This new policy 
results in earlier recognition of breakage revenue compared to the previous guidance.  Consistent with the previous 
guidance, we do not record breakage revenue when escheat liability to relevant jurisdictions exists.  At February 2, 
2019, approximately $1.6 million of contract liabilities associated with unredeemed gift cards were recorded in our 
consolidated balance sheet.  We expect the revenue associated with these liabilities to be recognized in proportion to 
the pattern of customer redemptions within two years.   

We  offer  our  customers  the  opportunity  to  enroll  in  our  Shoe  Perks  program,  which  accrues  points  and  provides 
customers with the opportunity to earn rewards.  Points under Shoe Perks are earned primarily by making purchases 
either  in-store  or  through  our  online  platform.    Once  a  certain  threshold  of  accumulated  points  is  reached,  the 
customer  earns  a  reward  certificate,  which  is  redeemable  at  any  of  our  stores  or  online.    Under  the  previous 
guidance, after the certificates were batched, issued and awarded to customers at the end of the month, we recorded 
a liability for the estimated cost of the reward certificates expected to be redeemed.  This liability was immaterial at 
the  adoption  date  and  all  related  certificates  expired  prior  to  May  5,  2018  in  accordance  with  the  terms  of  the 
awards.  Under ASC 606, when a Shoe Perks customer makes a purchase, we allocate the transaction price between 
the goods and the loyalty reward points based on the relative standalone selling price.  The portion allocated to the 
material right is recorded as a contract liability  for rewards that are expected to be redeemed.  We then recognize 
revenue based on an estimate of when customers exercise their rights to redeem the rewards, which incorporates an 
estimate  of  points  expected  to  expire  using  historical  rates.    At  February 2,  2019,  approximately  $245,000  of 
contract liabilities associated with loyalty rewards were recorded in our consolidated balance sheet.  We expect the 
revenue associated with these liabilities to be recognized in proportion to the pattern of customer redemptions in less 
than one year.   

We are a multi-channel retailer that provides our customers with the convenience of home delivery.  Our customers 
may choose this delivery method when purchasing products online, through our mobile app or via Shoes 2U.  These 
products are picked up at our stores or distribution center and delivered by third-party freight companies.  Under the 
previous guidance,  which  was primarily based on a risks and rewards approach,  when product  was shipped to our 
customers,  we  recognized  revenue  based  on  an  estimated  customer  receipt  date.    Since  we  collect  payment  upon 
shipment, this resulted in deferred revenue,  which  was recognized  when the customer took receipt of  the product.  
Under  ASC  606,  which  is  control-based,  we  transfer  control  and  recognize  revenue  when  the  product  is  shipped 
from  our  stores  or  distribution  center.    This  change  had  the  effect  of  eliminating  the  deferred  revenue  accounting 
treatment  under  the  previous  guidance,  and  we  no  longer  record  an  initial  liability  when  sales  are  shipped  to  our 
customers.   

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Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

Impact of Adoption  

The impact of the new guidance on our consolidated balance sheet as of February 2, 2019 is below.  In the table, the 
adjustments for merchandise inventories relate to: (1) the classification of the right of return assets associated with 
product returns previously recorded net of the refund liability in accrued and other liabilities, and (2) the cost basis 
of  inventory  for  product  shipped  to  customers  not  yet  received  under  the  previous  revenue  guidance.    The 
adjustment for deferred income taxes relates to the tax effect of the cumulative effect adjustments.  The adjustments 
to  accrued  and  other  liabilities  relate  to:  (1)  the  classification  of  the  right  of  return  assets  from  accrued  and  other 
liabilities to merchandise inventories, (2) recognition of deferred revenue for product shipped to customers not yet 
received, and (3) the adjustment to contract liabilities for unredeemed gift cards and award certificates. 

(In thousands) 

Merchandise inventories 
Deferred income taxes 
Accrued and other liabilities 

As Reported 

February 2, 2019 
Adjustments 

As Adjusted 

     $ 

     $ 

257,539 
9,622  
(22,069)     

(253)       $ 
100       
(363)    

257,286 
9,722  
(22,432)  

The impact of the new guidance on our consolidated statement of income for the fiscal year ended February 2, 2019 
is below.  In the table, the adjustments to net sales relate to: (1) deferred revenue for product shipped to customers 
not yet received, (2) breakage revenue for unredeemed gift cards, and (3) adjustments associated with our rewards 
program.   The adjustment to  cost of  sales relates to  the cost associated  with product shipped to customers not  yet 
received  under  the  previous  revenue  guidance.      The  impact  of  the  new  guidance  on  income  tax  expense  was 
immaterial for the fiscal year ended February 2, 2019. 

(In thousands) 

Net sales 
Cost of sales (including buying, 
     distribution and occupancy costs) 

Disaggregation of Revenue by Product Category 

As Reported 

February 2, 2019 
Adjustments 

As Adjusted 

     $ 

1,029,650  

     $ 

47  

     $ 

1,029,697  

720,658  

(73)       

720,585  

Revenue  is  disaggregated  by  product  category  below.    Net  sales  and  percentage  of  net  sales  for  the  fiscal  years 
ended February 2, 2019, February 3, 2018 and January 28, 2017 were as follows:  

 (In thousands) 

Non-Athletics: 
Women's 
Men's 
Children's 
Total 
Athletics: 
Women's 
Men's 
Children's 
Total 
Accessories 
Other 

Total 

February 2, 
2019 

February 3, 
2018 

January 28, 
2017 

   $ 

   $ 

250,320     
144,628     
51,963     
446,911     

179,411     
215,796     
138,686     
533,893     
45,100     
3,746     
1,029,650     

24 %    $ 
14   
5   
43   

18   
21   
14   
53   
4   
-   
100 %    $ 

244,945     
141,295     
50,255     
436,495     

177,627     
219,224     
138,074     
534,925     
43,606     
4,128     
1,019,154     

24 %    $ 
14         
5         
43         

17         
22         
14         
53         
4         
-         
100 %    $ 

256,271     
137,729     
51,496     
445,496     

165,179     
217,969     
127,858     
511,006     
41,259     
3,341     
1,001,102     

26 % 
14   
5   
45   

16   
22   
13   
51   
4   
-   
100 % 

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Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

Note 5 – Property and Equipment - Net 

The following is a summary of property and equipment: 

 (In thousands) 
Furniture, fixtures and equipment 
Leasehold improvements 
Total 
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization 
Property and equipment – net 

Note 6 – Accrued and Other Liabilities 

Accrued and other liabilities consisted of the following: 

  $ 

February 2, 
2019 
156,596     $ 
110,824       
267,420       
(196,815 )     
70,605     $ 

February 3, 
2018 
154,844   
111,967   
266,811   
(180,535 ) 
86,276   

  $ 

 (In thousands) 
Employee compensation and benefits 
Self-insurance reserves 
Gift cards 
Sales and use tax 
Other 
Total accrued and other liabilities 

February 2, 
2019 

February 3, 
2018 

   $ 

  $ 

9,771      $ 
3,447        
1,558        
2,131        
5,162        
22,069     $ 

3,231   
3,565   
2,382   
1,797   
4,070   
15,045   

Note 7 – Long-Term Debt  

On  March  27,  2017  we  entered  into  a  second  amendment  of  our  current  unsecured  credit  agreement  (the  “Credit 
Agreement”)  to extend the expiration date by five  years and renegotiate certain terms and conditions.   The Credit 
Agreement  continues  to  provide  for  up  to  $50.0  million  in  cash  advances  and  commercial  and  standby  letters  of 
credit with borrowing limits based on eligible inventory. 

The Credit Agreement contains covenants which stipulate:  (1) Total Shareholders’ Equity will not fall below $250.0 
million at the end of each fiscal quarter; (2) the ratio of funded debt plus three times rent to EBITDA plus rent will 
not exceed 2.5 to 1.0; (3) the aggregate amount of cash dividends for a fiscal year will not exceed $10 million; and 
(4)  distributions  in  the  form  of  redemptions  of  Equity  Interests  can  be  made  solely  with  cash  on  hand  so  long  as 
before  and  immediately  after  such  distributions  there  are  no  revolving  loans  outstanding  under  the  Credit 
Agreement.    Should  a  default  condition  be  reported,  the  lenders  may  preclude  additional  borrowings  and  call  all 
loans  and  accrued  interest  at  their  discretion.    As  of  February 2,  2019,  there  were  $1.2  million  in  letters  of  credit 
outstanding and $48.8 million available to us for borrowing under the Credit Agreement.  

The credit facility bears interest, at our option, at (1) the agent bank’s prime rate as defined in the Credit Agreement 
plus 1.0% with the prime rate defined as the greater of (a) the Federal Fund rate plus 0.50% or (b) the interest rate 
announced from time to time by the agent bank as its “prime rate” or (2) LIBOR plus 1.25% to 2.50%, depending on 
our  achievement  of  certain  performance  criteria.    A  commitment  fee  is  charged  at  0.20%  to  0.35%  per  annum, 
depending  on  our  achievement  of  certain  performance  criteria,  on  the  unused  portion  of  the  bank  group’s 
commitment. The Credit Agreement expires on March 27, 2022. 

Note 8 – Leases 

We lease all of our retail locations and certain equipment under operating leases expiring at various dates through 
fiscal 2031. Various lease agreements require scheduled rent increases over the initial lease term.  Rent expense for 
such leases is recognized on a straight-line basis over the initial lease term beginning the earlier of the start date of 
the lease or when we take possession of the property.  The difference between rent based upon scheduled monthly 

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Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

payments and rent expense recognized on a straight-line basis is recorded as accrued rent.  All incentives received 
from landlords are recorded as deferred income and amortized over the life of the lease on a straight-line basis as a 
reduction of rental expense. 

Certain leases provide for contingent rents that are not measurable at inception.  These contingent rents are primarily 
based  on  a  percentage  of  sales  that  are  in  excess  of  a  predetermined  level.    These  amounts  are  excluded  from 
minimum rent and are included in the determination of total rent expense when it is probable that the expense has 
been incurred and the amount is reasonably estimable.  Certain leases also contain escalation clauses for increases in 
operating costs and taxes.  There were no assignments of operating leases to third parties in fiscal 2018, fiscal 2017 
or fiscal 2016.    

Rental expense for our operating leases consisted of: 

 (In thousands) 
Rentals for real property 
Contingent rent 
Equipment rentals 
Total 

2018 

2016 

2017 
  $  61,127     $  66,835     $  65,900   
92   
62   
  $  61,228     $  66,946     $  66,054   

46       
55       

70       
41       

Future minimum lease payments at February 2, 2019 were as follows: 

(In thousands) 
2019 
2020 
2021 
2022 
2023 
Thereafter to 2031 
Total 

Note 9 – Income Taxes  

The provision for income taxes consisted of: 

 (In thousands) 
Current: 

Federal 
State 
Puerto Rico 

Total current 
Deferred: 

Federal 
State 
Puerto Rico 
Total deferred 
Valuation allowance 
Total provision 

Operating 
Leases 

  $ 

60,807   
51,937   
50,687   
41,536   
34,035   
56,437   
  $  295,439   

2018 

2017 

2016 

  $  11,468     $  14,579     $  13,366   
1,997   
250   
15,613   

2,241       
242       
17,062       

1,693       
700       
13,861       

(894 )     
(745 )     
643       
(996 )     
(643 )     

(153 ) 
(1,228 ) 
(1,494 ) 
(2,875 ) 
1,494   
  $  12,222     $  18,480     $  14,232   

2,383       
(965 )     
2,500       
3,918       
(2,500 )     

We  realized  a  tax  benefit  of  $26,100  in  fiscal  year  2018,  tax  expense  of  $17,800  in  fiscal  year  2017,  and  a  tax 
benefit of $2,900 in fiscal year 2016 as a result of the exercise of stock options and the vesting of restricted stock.   
These amounts were recorded in tax expense in fiscal 2018 and shareholder’s equity in fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016.   

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Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

Reconciliation between the statutory federal income tax rate and the effective income tax rate is as follows: 

Fiscal years 
U.S. Federal statutory tax rate 
State and local income taxes, net of federal tax 
   benefit 
Puerto Rico 
Valuation allowance 
Tax impact of foreign losses 
Remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities 
   due to the Tax Act 
Other 
Effective income tax rate 

   2018 

      2017 

      2016 

21.0 %     

33.7 %     

35.0 % 

3.0        
4.2        
(1.3 )      
(2.7 )      

0.0        
0.1        
24.3 %     

3.0        
0.7        
(6.7 )      
6.3        

11.6        
0.8        
49.4 %     

2.1   
0.2   
4.0   
(3.6 ) 

0.0   
0.0   
37.7 % 

We recorded $310,000, $223,000 and $224,000 in federal employment-related tax credits in fiscal 2018, 2017 and 
2016, respectively.   

Deferred income taxes are the result of temporary differences in the recognition of revenue and expense for tax and 
financial reporting purposes.  The sources of these differences and the tax effect of each are as follows: 

 (In thousands) 
Deferred tax assets: 
Accrued rent 
Accrued compensation 
Accrued employee benefits 
Inventory 
Self-insurance reserves 
Lease incentives 
Net operating loss carry forward 
Other 
Total deferred tax assets 
Valuation allowance 
Total deferred tax assets – net of valuation 
   allowance 

Deferred tax liabilities: 

Property and equipment 
Capitalized costs 
Other 
Total deferred tax liabilities 

Long-term deferred income taxes, net 

  $ 

February 2, 

2019      

February 3, 
2018    

  $ 

2,051     $ 
7,843       
129       
787       
510       
5,429       
563       
288       
17,600       
(574 )     

2,464   
5,752   
349   
699   
518   
7,145   
1,218   
488   
18,633   
(1,217 ) 

17,026       

17,416   

6,484       
636       
284       
7,404       
9,622     $ 

8,588   
646   
0   
9,234   
8,182   

At  the  end  of  fiscal  2018,  we  estimated  foreign  net  operating  loss  carry  forwards  of  $1.5  million,  which  expire 
between fiscal 2024 and fiscal 2027.  At February 2, 2019, we had a valuation allowance of $574,000 against these 
net operating losses that would be realizable only upon the generation of future taxable income in the jurisdiction in 
which the losses were incurred. 

At February 2, 2019 and February 3, 2018, there were no unrecognized tax liabilities or related accrued penalties or 
interest in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheets.   

On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted the Tax Act, which made significant changes to the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, including, but not limited to, reducing the U.S. corporate statutory tax rate from 
35%  to  21%,  and  eliminating  or  limiting  deduction  of  several  expenses  which  were  previously  deductible.    In 
connection with the Tax Act, the Securities and Exchange Commission staff issued Staff Accounting Bulletin 118 

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Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

(“SAB  118”),  which  provides  guidance  on  accounting  for  the  tax  effects  of  the  Tax  Act.  SAB  118  provided  a 
measurement  period  of  one  year  from  the  Tax  Act’s  enactment  date  for  companies  to  complete  their  accounting 
under the income tax guidance.  For our initial analysis of the impact of the Tax Act, we recorded additional income 
tax expense of $4.4 million for the fiscal year ended February 3, 2018, which was related to the remeasurement of 
certain deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates at which they were expected to reverse in the future.  We 
also calculated our fiscal 2017 income tax expense using a blended rate of 33.7%, which is based on the applicable 
tax rates before and after the Tax Act and the number of days in the fiscal year that the respective tax rates were in 
effect.  We have determined that these provisions were the only provisions of the Tax Act that impacted fiscal 2017 
results.  In fiscal 2018, we obtained additional information and recorded an income tax benefit of $0.1 million.  As 
of the end of fiscal 2018, we have filed our fiscal 2017 federal income tax return and have completed our assessment 
of the final impact of the Tax Act.           

Note 10 – Employee Benefit Plans 

Retirement Savings Plans 

On February 24, 1994, our Board of Directors approved the Shoe Carnival Retirement Savings Plan (the “Domestic 
Savings Plan”).  The Domestic Savings Plan is open to all employees working in the continental United States who 
have been employed for at least one year, are at least 21 years of age and who work at least 1,000 hours in a defined 
year.  The primary savings mechanism under the Domestic Savings Plan is a 401(k) plan under which an employee 
may contribute up to 20% of annual earnings with us matching the first 4% at a rate of 50%.  Our contributions to 
the participants’ accounts become  fully  vested  when the participant reaches their third anniversary of employment 
with us.  Contributions charged to expense were $738,000, $733,000, and $695,000 in fiscal years 2018, 2017, and 
2016, respectively. 

On March 19, 2012, our Board of Directors approved the Shoe Carnival Puerto Rico Savings Plan (the “Puerto Rico 
Savings  Plan”).   The  Puerto  Rico  Savings  Plan  is  open  to  all  employees  working  in  Puerto  Rico  who  have  been 
employed for at least one year, are at least 21 years of age and who work at least 1,000 hours in a defined year.  This 
plan is similar to our Domestic Savings Plan, whereby an employee may contribute up to 20% of his or her annual 
earnings, with us matching the first 4% at a rate of 50%.  Contributions charged to expense were $16,000, $18,000 
and $15,000 in fiscal years 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively. 

Stock Purchase Plan 

On  May  11,  1995,  our  shareholders  approved  the  Shoe  Carnival,  Inc.  Employee  Stock  Purchase  Plan  (the  “Stock 
Purchase  Plan”)  as  adopted  by  our  Board  of  Directors  on  February  9,  1995.    The  Stock  Purchase  Plan  reserves 
450,000  shares  of  our  common  stock  (subject  to  adjustment  for  any  subsequent  stock  splits,  stock  dividends  and 
certain other changes in our common stock) for issuance and sale to any employee who has been employed for more 
than a year at the beginning of the calendar year, and who is not a 10% owner of our common stock, at 85% of the 
then  fair  market  value  up  to  a  maximum  of  $5,000  in  any  calendar  year.    Under  the  Stock  Purchase  Plan,  7,000, 
10,000 and 10,000 shares of  common stock  were purchased by participants in the plan  and proceeds to us  for the 
sale  of  those  shares  were  approximately  $177,000,  $205,000  and  $223,000  for  fiscal  years  2018,  2017  and  2016, 
respectively.  At February 2, 2019, there were 77,000 shares of unissued common stock reserved for future purchase 
under the Stock Purchase Plan.  

The following table summarizes information regarding stock-based compensation expense recognized for the Stock 
Purchase Plan: 

 (In thousands) 
Stock-based compensation expense before the 
   recognized income tax benefit (1) 
Income tax benefit 

2018 

2017 

2016 

  $ 
  $ 

31     $ 
8     $ 

36     $ 
18     $ 

39   
15   

(1)  Amounts are representative of the 15% discount employees are provided for purchases under the Stock Purchase Plan. 

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Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

Deferred Compensation Plan 

In  fiscal  2000,  we  established  a  non-qualified  deferred  compensation  plan  for  certain  key  employees  who,  due  to 
Internal Revenue Service guidelines, cannot take full advantage of the employer-sponsored 401(k) plan.  Participants 
in the plan elect on an annual basis to defer, on a pre-tax basis, portions of their current compensation until retirement, 
or earlier if so elected.  While not required to, we can match a portion of the employees’ contributions, which would 
be subject to vesting requirements.  The compensation deferred under this plan is credited with earnings or losses 
measured  by  the  rate  of  return  on  investments  elected  by  plan  participants.    The  plan  is  currently  unfunded.  
Compensation expense for our match and earnings on the deferred amounts was $154,000 for fiscal 2018, $1.8 million 
for fiscal 2017 and $1.5 million for fiscal 2016.  The total deferred compensation liability at February 2, 2019 and 
February 3, 2018 was $12.1 million and $11.6 million, respectively. 

Note 11 – Stock Based Compensation  

Compensation Plan Summaries 

At our 2017 annual meeting of shareholders held on June 13, 2017, our shareholders approved a new equity incentive 
plan, the Shoe Carnival, Inc. 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (the “2017 Plan”), which replaces our 2000 Stock Option 
and Incentive Plan, as amended (the “2000 Plan”).  We may issue stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted 
stock, stock units and other stock-based awards to eligible participants under the 2017 Plan.  According to the terms 
of the 2017 Plan, upon approval of the 2017 Plan by our shareholders, no further awards may be made under the 2000 
Plan.  A maximum of 1,000,000 shares of our common stock are available for issuance and sale under the 2017 Plan.  
In addition, any shares of our common stock subject to an award granted under the 2017 Plan, or to an award granted 
under  the  2000  Plan  that  was  outstanding  on  the  date  our  shareholders  approved  the  2017  Plan,  that  expires,  is 
cancelled  or  forfeited,  or  is  settled  for  cash  will,  to  the  extent  of  such  cancellation,  forfeiture,  expiration  or  cash 
settlement, automatically become available for future awards under the 2017 Plan. 

Stock-based  compensation  includes  stock  options,  cash-settled  stock  appreciation  rights  (SARs),  restricted  stock 
awards, restricted stock units and performance stock units.  Stock options that were outstanding under the 2000 Plan 
typically were granted such that one-third of the shares underlying the stock options granted would vest and become 
fully exercisable on each of the first three anniversaries of the date of the grant and were assigned a 10-year term from 
the date of grant.  During fiscal 2017, all remaining stock options were exercised.  

Equity awards issued to employees are classified as either performance-based or service-based.  Performance-based 
restricted stock awards historically were granted such that they vest upon the achievement of specified levels of annual 
earnings per diluted share during a six-year period starting from the grant date.  Should the annual earnings per diluted 
share criteria not be met within the six-year period from the grant date, any shares still restricted will be forfeited.  In 
fiscal  2016,  we  granted  performance-based  restricted  stock  awards  that  vest  on  March  31,  2019  if  we  achieve  a 
specified level of annual earnings per diluted share in any of fiscal 2016, 2017 or 2018.  Should the annual earnings 
per  diluted  share  criteria  not  be  met  in  any  of  the  three  specified  fiscal  years,  the  restricted  stock  awards  will  be 
forfeited on March 31, 2019.  In fiscal 2017, we granted performance-based restricted stock awards with two-thirds 
vesting  on  March  31,  2019,  and  one-third  vesting  on  March  31,  2020.  The  number  of  shares  vesting  depends  on 
whether  the  cumulative  diluted  earnings  per  share  for  fiscal  2017  and  fiscal  2018  meet  the  threshold,  target,  or 
maximum levels of performance. If performance goals are not achieved, the restricted stock will be forfeited. In fiscal 
2018, we granted performance stock units with one-half vesting on March 31, 2019, and one-half vesting on March 
31, 2020. The number of units that will vest depends on whether the diluted earnings per share for fiscal 2018 meet 
the established threshold, target, or maximum level of performance. If diluted earnings per share for fiscal 2018 does 
not exceed the threshold level of performance, all of the performance stock units will be forfeited. If diluted earnings 
per share for fiscal 2018 is between the threshold and target level of performance, any performance stock units that 
are determined not to be earned will be forfeited. 

Service-based restricted stock awards and restricted stock units typically are granted under one of four vesting periods: 
(a) one-third of the shares would vest on each of the first three anniversaries subsequent to the date of the grant; (b) 
the full award would vest at the end of a 5-year service period subsequent to the date of grant; (c) the full award would 
vest at the end of a 2-year service period subsequent to the date of grant; or (d) for our Directors, all restricted stock 
awards  are  issued  to vest  on  January  2nd  of  the  year  following  the  year  of  the  grant.    Awards  that  contain  both 
performance  and  service-based  conditions  require  that  the  performance  target  be  met  during  the  required  service 
period.  

55 

 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

Under the 2017 Plan, all dividends paid with respect to shares subject to the non-vested portion of a restricted stock 
award  are  subject  to  the  same  restrictions  and  risk  of  forfeiture  as  the  shares  of  restricted  stock  to  which  such 
dividends relate.  Recipients of restricted stock units and performance stock units will be entitled to receive dividend 
equivalents, based on dividends actually declared and paid, on the restricted stock units and performance stock units, 
and  such  dividend  equivalents will  be  subject  to  the  same  restrictions  and  risk  of  forfeiture  as  the restricted  stock 
units and performance stock units.  For awards granted under the 2000 Plan, all shares of non-vested service-based 
restricted  stock  provide  non-forfeitable  rights  to  all  dividends  declared  by  the  Company,  and  dividends  on  non-
vested performance-based restricted stock are subject to deferral until such times as the shares vest and are released. 

Plan-Specific Activity and End-of-Period Balance Summaries 

Stock Options 

No  stock  options  have  been  granted  since  fiscal  2008.    All  outstanding  options  had  vested  as  of  the  end  of  fiscal 
2011; therefore, no unrecognized compensation expense remains.   

The following table summarizes information regarding options exercised: 

 (In thousands) 
Total intrinsic value (1) 
Total cash received 
Associated excess income tax benefits recorded 

2018 

2017 

2016 

  $ 
  $ 
  $ 

0     $ 
0     $ 
0     $ 

127     $ 
54     $ 
0     $ 

0   
0   
0   

(1)  Defined as the difference between the market value at exercise and the grant price of stock options exercised. 

Restricted Stock 

The  following  table  summarizes  transactions  for  our  restricted  stock  awards  pursuant  to  our  stock-based 
compensation plans: 

Restricted stock at February 3, 2018 

Granted 
Vested 
Forfeited 

Restricted stock at February 2, 2019 

Weighted- 
Average 
Grant Date 
Fair Value   
23.62   
32.74   
26.61   
17.65   
23.94   

Number of 
Shares 

     915,925     $ 
10,998       
(49,992 )     
(51,650 )     
     825,281     $ 

The total fair value at grant date of restricted stock awards that vested during fiscal 2018, 2017 and 2016 was $1.3 
million,  $3.5  million  and  $1.4  million,  respectively.    The  weighted-average  grant  date  fair  value  of  stock  awards 
granted during fiscal 2017 and fiscal 2016 was $24.09 and $24.98, respectively.   

56 

 
 
 
  
    
    
  
 
 
  
  
    
    
    
    
 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

The following table summarizes transactions for our restricted stock units and performance stock units pursuant to 
our stock-based compensation plans: 

Restricted stock units and performance stock units at February 3, 2018 

Granted 
Vested 
Forfeited 

Restricted stock units and performance stock units at February 2, 2019 

Weighted- 
Average 
Grant Date 
Fair Value   
19.55   
25.05   
19.55   
0.00   
24.98   

Number of 

Shares      

4,000     $ 
     200,000       
(1,333 )     
0       
     202,667     $ 

The following table summarizes information regarding stock-based compensation expense recognized for restricted 
stock awards, restricted stock units and performance stock units: 

 (In thousands) 
Stock-based compensation expense before the 
   recognized income tax benefit 
Income tax benefit 

2018 

2017 

2016 

  $ 
  $ 

9,591     $ 
2,328     $ 

5,041     $ 
2,490     $ 

3,507   
1,322   

The  $9.6  million  of  expense  recognized  in  fiscal  2018  included  a  $2.2  million  cumulative  catch-up  of  expense 
recorded  in  the  third  quarter  of  fiscal  2018.  This  cumulative  catch-up  expense  was  related  to  performance-based 
restricted  stock  awards,  which  management  had  previously  determined  were  not  probable  to  vest  prior  to  their 
expiration, but given our financial performance in fiscal 2018, in the third quarter of fiscal 2018, such awards were 
deemed by management as probable to vest. 

As  of  February 2,  2019,  there  was  approximately  $4.3  million  of  unrecognized  compensation  expense  remaining 
related  to  both  our  performance-based  and  service-based  restricted  stock  awards,  restricted  stock  units  and 
performance stock units.  The cost is expected to be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 0.4 
years.  This incorporates our current assumptions with respect to the estimated requisite service period required to 
achieve the designated performance conditions for performance-based stock awards. 

Cash-Settled Stock Appreciation Rights 

Our  cash-settled  stock  appreciation  rights  (“SARs”)  were  granted  during  the  first  quarter  of  fiscal  2015  to  certain 
non-executive  employees,  such  that  one-third  of  the  shares  underlying  the  SARs  vested  and  became  fully 
exercisable on each of the first three anniversaries of the date of the grant and were assigned a five-year term from 
the date of grant, after which any unexercised SARs would expire.  Each SAR entitled the holder, upon exercise of 
their vested shares, to receive cash in an amount equal to the closing price of our stock on the date of exercise less 
the  exercise  price,  with  a  maximum  amount  of  gain  defined.    The  SARs  granted  during  the  first  quarter  of  fiscal 
2015  were  issued  with  a  defined  maximum  gain  of  $10.00  over  the  exercise  price  of  $24.26.    During  the  second 
quarter of fiscal 2018, all remaining SARs granted during the first quarter of fiscal 2015 were exercised. 

The following table summarizes SARs activity: 

Weighted- 
Average 
Exercise 
Price 

Number of 
Shares 

Weighted- 
Average 
Remaining 
Contractual 
Term (Years)   

24.26       
24.26       
0.00       

0.0   

Outstanding at February 3, 2018 

Exercised 

Outstanding at February 2, 2019 

     103,475     $ 
     (103,475 )     
0     $ 

57 

 
 
  
  
    
    
    
 
 
  
    
    
  
 
 
  
  
    
    
    
    
    
 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

The fair value of liability awards was remeasured, using a trinomial lattice model at each reporting period until the 
date of settlement.  Increases  or decreases in stock-based compensation expense  were recognized over the  vesting 
period, or immediately for vested awards.  As of February 2, 2019, all outstanding SARs were exercised. 

The fair value was estimated using a trinomial lattice model with the following assumptions: 

Risk free interest rate yield curve 
Expected dividend yield 
Expected volatility 
Maximum life 
Exercise multiple 
Maximum payout 
Employee exit rate 

February 3, 
2018 

January 28, 
2017 

1.40% - 2.58 %     0.49% - 1.94 % 
1.1 % 
35.51 % 

1.3 %     
39.21 %     
2.1 Years      
1.34        
$   10.00       
2.2% - 9.0 %   

3.1 Years   
1.34   
$  10.00   
2.2% - 9.0 % 

The risk free interest rate  was based on the U.S. Treasury  yield curve in effect at the end of the reporting period.  
The  expected  dividend  yield  was  based  on  our  quarterly  cash  dividends,  with  the  assumption  that  quarterly 
dividends  would  continue  at  that  rate.    Expected  volatility  was  based  on  the  historical  volatility  of  our  common 
stock.  The exercise multiple and employee exit rate were based on historical option data. 

The following table summarizes information regarding stock-based compensation recognized for SARs: 

 (In thousands) 
Stock-based compensation before the 
   recognized income tax effect 
Income tax effect 

2018 

2017 

2016 

  $ 
  $ 

540     $ 
131     $ 

(61 )   $ 
(30 )   $ 

276   
104   

As of February 2, 2019, no unrecognized compensation expense remained related to the SARs. 

Note 12 – Business Risk 

We purchase merchandise from approximately 160 footwear vendors.  In fiscal 2018, two branded suppliers, Nike, 
Inc. and Skechers USA, Inc., collectively accounted for approximately 43% of our net sales.  Nike, Inc. accounted 
for approximately 32% and Skechers USA, Inc. accounted for approximately 11% of our net sales, respectively.  A 
loss of any of our key suppliers in certain product categories could have a material adverse effect on our business.  
As is common in the industry, we do not have any long-term contracts with suppliers. 

58 

 
 
  
  
     
  
  
    
    
  
    
   
  
 
 
  
    
    
  
 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

Note 13 – Litigation Matters 

The accounting standard related to loss contingencies provides guidance regarding to our disclosure and recognition 
of loss contingencies, including pending claims, lawsuits, disputes with third parties, investigations and other actions 
that are incidental to the operation of our business.  The guidance utilizes the following defined terms to describe the 
likelihood of a future loss: (1) probable – the future event or events are likely to occur, (2) remote – the chance of 
the future event or events is slight and (3) reasonably possible – the chance of the future event or events occurring is 
more  than  remote  but  less  than  likely.    The  guidance  also  contains  certain  requirements  with  respect  to  how  we 
accrue for and disclose information concerning our loss contingencies.  We accrue for a loss contingency when we 
conclude that the likelihood of a loss is probable and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated.  When the 
reasonable estimate of the loss is within a range of amounts, and no amount in the range constitutes a better estimate 
than any other amount, we accrue for the amount at the low end of the range.  We adjust our accruals from time to 
time as  we receive additional information, but the loss  we  incur  may be  significantly  greater than or less than the 
amount we have accrued.  We disclose loss contingencies if there is at least a reasonable possibility that a loss has 
been incurred.  No accrual or disclosure is required for losses that are remote. 

From time to time, we are involved in certain legal proceedings in the ordinary course of conducting our business.  
While the outcome of any legal proceeding is uncertain, we do not currently expect that any such proceedings will 
have a material adverse effect on our consolidated balance sheets, statements of income, or cash flows. 

Note 14 – Quarterly Results (Unaudited) 

Quarterly results are determined in accordance with the accounting policies used for annual data and include certain 
items based upon estimates  for the entire  year.  All  fiscal  quarters in 2018 and 2017 include results for 13  weeks, 
except for the fourth quarter of 2017, which includes results for 14 weeks. 

(In thousands, except per share data) 

Fiscal 2018 
Net sales 
Gross profit 
Operating income 
Net income  
Net income per share – Basic (1) 
Net income per share – Diluted (1) 

Fiscal 2017 
Net sales 
Gross profit 
Operating income  
Net income (loss) 
Net income (loss) per share – Basic (1) 
Net income (loss) per share – Diluted (1) 

First 

Quarter      

Second 
Quarter      

Third 
Quarter      

Fourth 
Quarter    
  $  257,445     $  268,366     $  269,181     $  234,658   
66,666   
1,497   
1,359   
0.09   
0.09   

83,781       
14,931       
11,775       
0.77     $ 
0.76     $ 

81,218       
16,016       
12,046       
0.80     $ 
0.76     $ 

77,327       
17,316       
12,955       
0.83     $ 
0.83     $ 

  $ 
  $ 

First 

Quarter      

Second 
Quarter      

Third 
Quarter      

Fourth 
Quarter 
(2)(3)

  $  253,389     $  235,064     $  287,469     $  243,232   
70,219   
170   
(3,891 ) 
(0.24 ) 
(0.24 ) 

85,667       
17,880       
10,697       
0.66     $ 
0.66     $ 

68,227       
6,424       
3,896       
0.24     $ 
0.24     $ 

72,156       
13,227       
8,231       
0.48     $ 
0.48     $ 

  $ 
  $ 

(1)  Per share amounts are computed independently for each of the quarters presented. The sum of the quarters may not equal the total year due 

to the impact of changes in weighted shares outstanding and differing applications of earnings under the two-class method. 

(2)  Our gross profit, operating income and net loss for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 were impacted by the following items recorded in such 
quarter:    gain  on insurance  proceeds  related  to  hurricane  affected stores  of  $3.3  million,  or  $0.13 per  diluted  share, net  of  tax,  non-cash 
impairment charges for underperforming stores of $3.4 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, net of tax, additional stock-based compensation 
expense resulting from the enactment of the Tax Act and its impact on the anticipated vesting of outstanding performance-based restricted 
stock of $1.9 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, net of tax, and additional income tax expense resulting from the enactment of the Tax Act 
and our remeasurement of deferred tax assets and liabilities of $4.4 million, or $0.27 per diluted share.  

(3)  The fourth quarter of fiscal 2017 consisted of 14 weeks compared with 13 weeks in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. 

59 

 
 
  
    
    
    
 
  
    
    
    
    
 
 
Shoe Carnival, Inc. 
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements - continued 

Note 15 – Subsequent Events 

On March 21, 2019, the Board of Directors approved the payment of a cash dividend to our shareholders in the first 
quarter of fiscal 2019.  The quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share will be paid on April 22, 2019 to shareholders 
of record as of the close of business on April 8, 2019. 

The declaration and payment of any future dividends are at the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend 
on our results of operations, financial condition, business conditions and other factors deemed relevant by our Board 
of Directors.  

60 

 
 
SHOE CARNIVAL, INC. 
SCHEDULE II - VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS 

 (In thousands) 
Reserve for sales returns and allowances 
Year ended January 28, 2017 
Year ended February 3, 2018 
Year ended February 2, 2019 

Balance at
Beginning
of Period   
  $
178  
202  
  $
706  (1)   $

  $
  $
  $

Charged to
Cost and 
Expenses    

Credited to 
Costs and 
Expenses      

Balance at
End of 
Period 

102,826   $
102,701   $
110,314    $

102,802     $ 
102,672     $ 
110,420     $ 

202 
231 
600  

(1)  As a result of the implementation of ASC 606 on February 4, 2018, the accounting treatment for the reserve 
for sales returns and allowances was changed from a net to a gross basis.  Under the previous revenue 
guidance, we recorded a net returns reserve.  Under the new guidance, we record estimated sales returns at 
the gross sales price with a corresponding adjustment to inventory for the estimated cost of the product.  
The difference between the balance at the end of the fiscal year ended February 3, 2018 and the beginning 
of the fiscal year ended February 2, 2019 reflects this change in accounting policy.   

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

None. 

ITEM 9A.   CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES 

Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting 

The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial 
reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  Internal control over 
financial  reporting  is  a  process  designed  by,  or  under  the  supervision  of,  the  Company’s  principal  executive  and 
principal financial officers and effected by the Company’s Board of Directors, management and other personnel to 
provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements 
for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and includes those policies and 
procedures that: 

  Pertain to the maintenance of records that in reasonable detail accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and 

dispositions of the assets of the Company; 

  Provide  reasonable  assurance  that  transactions  are  recorded  as  necessary  to  permit  preparation  of  financial 
statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the 
Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and Directors of the Company; 
and 

  Provide  reasonable  assurance  regarding  prevention  or  timely  detection  of  unauthorized  acquisition,  use  or 

disposition of the Company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements. 

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

Management assessed the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of February 2, 
2019.    In  making  this  assessment,  management  used  the  criteria  set  forth  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring 
Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission  in  Internal  Control-Integrated  Framework  (2013).    Based  on  its 
assessment,  management believes that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was effective as of 
February 2, 2019. 

The Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of February 2, 2019 has been audited by its independent 
registered public accounting firm, Deloitte & Touche LLP, as stated in their report, which is included herein. 

61 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Conclusion  Regarding  the  Effectiveness  of  Disclosure  Controls  and  Procedures  and  Changes  in  Internal 
Control over Financial Reporting 

Our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded, based on their evaluation as of February 2, 
2019, that our disclosure controls and procedures are effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed by 
us  in  the  reports  filed  or  submitted  by  us  under  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  amended,  is  recorded, 
processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s 
rules and forms, and include controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by 
us in such reports is accumulated and communicated to our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and 
Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure. 

There has been no significant change in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the quarter 
ended February 2, 2019 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control 
over financial reporting. 

62 

 
REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM  

To the shareholders and the Board of Directors of Shoe Carnival, Inc. 

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

We  have  audited  the  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  of  Shoe  Carnival,  Inc.  and  subsidiaries  (the 
“Company”)  as  of  February  2,  2019,  based  on  criteria  established  in  Internal  Control  —  Integrated  Framework 
(2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO). In our opinion, 
the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of February 2, 
2019, based on criteria established in Internal Control — Integrated Framework (2013) issued by COSO. 

We have also audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United 
States)  (PCAOB),  the  consolidated  financial  statements  and  financial  statement  schedule  as  of  and  for  the  year 
ended February 2, 2019, of the Company and our report dated April 2, 2019, expressed an unqualified opinion on 
those financial statements and financial statement schedule. 

Basis for Opinion  

The  Company’s  management  is  responsible  for  maintaining  effective  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  and 
for  its  assessment  of  the  effectiveness  of  internal  control  over  financial  reporting,  included  in  the  accompanying 
Management’s Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting.  Our responsibility is to express an opinion on 
the  Company’s  internal  control  over  financial  reporting  based  on  our  audit.  We  are  a  public  accounting  firm 
registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the 
U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and 
the PCAOB. 

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

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control over Financial Reporting 

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

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

/s/ DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP 
Indianapolis, Indiana   
April 2, 2019   

63 

 
ITEM 9B.   OTHER INFORMATION 

None. 

PART III 

ITEM 10.   DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 

The information required by this Item concerning our Directors, nominees for Director, Code of Ethics, designation 
of the Audit Committee financial expert and identification of the Audit Committee, and concerning any disclosure of 
delinquent  filers  under  Section  16(a)  of  the  Exchange  Act,  is  incorporated  herein  by  reference  to  our  definitive 
Proxy  Statement  for  the  2019  Annual  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  to  be  filed  with  the  Securities  and  Exchange 
Commission  pursuant  to  Regulation  14A  within  120  days  after  the  end  of  our  last  fiscal  year.    Information 
concerning our executive officers is included under the caption “Executive Officers” at the end of PART I, ITEM 1. 
BUSINESS of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.  Such information is incorporated herein by reference. 

We have adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics (the “Code”) that applies to all of our Directors, officers 
and employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, principal accounting officer and 
controller.  The Code is posted on our website at www.shoecarnival.com.  We intend to disclose any amendments to 
the  Code  by  posting  such  amendments  on  our  website.    In  addition,  any  waivers  of  the  Code  for  our  Directors or 
executive officers will be disclosed in a report on Form 8-K. 

ITEM 11.   EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION 

The  information  required  by  this  Item  concerning  remuneration  of  our  officers  and  Directors  and  information 
concerning  material  transactions  involving  such  officers  and  Directors  and  Compensation  Committee  interlocks, 
including  the  Compensation  Committee  Report  and  the  Compensation  Discussion  and  Analysis,  is  incorporated 
herein by reference to our definitive Proxy Statement for the 2019 Annual Meeting of Shareholders, which will be 
filed pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after the end of our last fiscal year. 

ITEM  12.   SECURITY  OWNERSHIP  OF  CERTAIN  BENEFICIAL  OWNERS  AND 
MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS 

The  information  required  by  this  Item  concerning  the  stock  ownership  of  management  and  five  percent  beneficial 
owners and securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans is incorporated herein by reference to 
our  definitive  Proxy  Statement  for  the  2019  Annual  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  which  will  be  filed  pursuant  to 
Regulation 14A within 120 days after the end of our last fiscal year. 

ITEM  13.   CERTAIN  RELATIONSHIPS  AND  RELATED  TRANSACTIONS,  AND  DIRECTOR 
INDEPENDENCE 

The information required by this Item concerning certain relationships and related transactions and the independence 
of our Directors is incorporated herein by reference to our definitive Proxy Statement for the 2019 Annual Meeting 
of Shareholders, which will be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after the end of our last fiscal year. 

ITEM 14.   PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES 

The information required by this Item concerning principal accountant fees and services is incorporated herein by 
reference  to  our  definitive  Proxy  Statement  for  the  2019  Annual  Meeting  of  Shareholders,  which  will  be  filed 
pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days after the end of our last fiscal year. 

64 

 
ITEM 15.   EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES  

1.   Financial Statements: 

PART IV 

   The  following  financial  statements  of  Shoe  Carnival,  Inc.  are  set  forth  in  PART  II,  ITEM  8  of  this 

Annual Report on Form 10-K: 

   Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm 

   Consolidated Balance Sheets at February 2, 2019 and February 3, 2018 

   Consolidated  Statements  of  Income  for  the  years  ended  February 2,  2019,  February  3,  2018,  and 

January 28, 2017. 

   Consolidated  Statements  of  Shareholders’  Equity  for  the  years  ended  February 2,  2019,  February  3, 

2018, and January 28, 2017 

   Consolidated Statements of  Cash Flows  for the  years ended February 2, 2019, February 3, 2018, and 

January 28, 2017 

   Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 

2.   Financial Statement Schedule: 

   The following financial statement schedule of Shoe Carnival, Inc. is set forth in PART II, ITEM 8 of 

this Annual Report on Form 10-K. 

   Schedule II Valuation and Qualifying Accounts 

3.   Exhibits: 

65 

 
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
  
 
 
INDEX TO EXHIBITS 

Description 

  Incorporated by Reference To 

Form  Exhibit 

Filing 
Date 

Filed 
Herewith 

 Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Registrant 

  8-K  3-A  06/14/2013+ 

 By-laws of Registrant, as amended to date 

 Credit  Agreement,  dated  as  of  January  20,  2010,  among  Registrant, 
the financial institutions from time to time party thereto as Banks, and 
Wachovia Bank, National Association, as Agent 

 First Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of April 10, 2013, by 
and  among  Registrant,  the  financial  institutions  from  time  to  time 
party thereto as Banks, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as successor-by-
merger to Wachovia Bank, National Association, as Agent 

 Second Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of March 27, 2017, 
by and among Registrant, the financial institutions  from time to time 
party thereto as Banks, and Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., as successor-by-
merger to Wachovia Bank, National Association, as Agent 

  8-K  3-B  06/14/2013+ 

  8-K  4.1  01/26/2010+ 

  10-K  4-B  04/15/2013+ 

  10-K  4-C  03/29/2017 

 Lease,  dated  as  of  February  8,  2006,  by  and  between  Registrant  and 
Big-Shoe Properties, LLC 

  10-K  10-A 04/13/2006+ 

 Lease,  dated  as  of  June  22,  2006,  by  and  between  Registrant  and 
Outback Holdings, LLC 

  8-K  10-D 06/28/2006+ 

Exhibit 
No. 

3-A 

3-B 

4-A 

4-B 

4-C 

10-A 

10-B 

10-C* 

 Summary Compensation Sheet 

X 

10-D* 

 Non-competition  Agreement  dated  as  of  January  15,  1993,  between 
Registrant and J. Wayne Weaver (P) 

  S-1  10-I  02/04/1993 

10-E* 

 Employee Stock Purchase Plan of Registrant, as amended 

  10-Q  10-L 09/15/1997+ 

10-F* 

 2016 Executive Incentive Compensation Plan  

  8-K  10.1  06/17/2016 

10-G* 

 2000 Stock Option and Incentive Plan of Registrant, as amended 

  10-Q  10.1  06/10/2015 

10-H* 

 Form  of  Award  Agreement  for  restricted  stock  granted  under  the 
Registrant’s 2000 Stock Option and Incentive Plan 

 Form of Award Agreement for time-based restricted stock with cliff 
vesting granted under the Registrant’s 2000 Stock Option and 
Incentive Plan 

 Form  of  Award  Agreement  for  performance-based  restricted  stock 
with  deferred  cash  dividends  granted  under  the  Registrant’s  2000 
Stock Option and Incentive Plan 

  8-K  10-C 03/24/2005+ 

  8-K  10.2  10/19/2012+ 

  10-Q  10.1  06/13/2013+ 

 Form of Award  Agreement for time-based restricted stock granted to 
executive  officers  under  the  Registrant’s  2000  Stock  Option  and 
Incentive Plan 

  8-K  10.1  03/21/2016 

 Form  of  Award  Agreement 
restricted  stock  with  both 
for 
performance-based  and  time-based  restrictions  granted  under  the 
Registrant’s 2000 Stock Option and Incentive Plan 

  8-

10.2  04/25/2016 

K/A 

66 

10-I* 

10-J* 

10-K* 

10-L* 

 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
INDEX TO EXHIBITS - Continued 

Exhibit 
No. 

10-M* 

10-N* 

Description 

 Form  of  2017  Award  Agreement  for  service-based  restricted  stock 
granted  to  executive  officers  under  the  Registrant’s  2000  Stock 
Option and Incentive Plan 

  Incorporated by Reference To 

Form  Exhibit 

Filing 
Date 

Filed 
Herewith 

  8-K  10.1  04/24/2017 

 Form  of  2017  Award  Agreement  for  restricted  stock  with  both 
performance-based and service-based restrictions granted to executive 
officers under the Registrant’s 2000 Stock Option and Incentive Plan 

  8-K  10.2  04/24/2017 

10-O* 

 2017 Equity Incentive Plan of Registrant  

  8-K  10.1  06/15/2017 

10-P* 

 Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement under the Registrant’s 
2017 Equity Incentive Plan (Non-employee Directors) 

  10-Q  10-B 08/31/2017 

10-Q*    Form of Service-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement 

  10-Q  10-C 08/31/2017   

under the Registrant’s 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (Executive 
Officers) 

10-R* 

  Form of 2018 Performance Stock Unit Award Agreement under the 

  8-K  10.1  04/13/2018 

Registrant’s 2017 Equity Incentive Plan (Executive Officers) 

10-S* 

10-T* 

 Amended and Restated Employment and Noncompetition Agreement 
dated December 11, 2008, between Registrant and Timothy Baker 

 Amended and Restated Employment and Noncompetition Agreement 
dated December 11, 2008, between Registrant and Clifton E. Sifford 

10-U* 

 Amended and Restated Employment and Noncompetition Agreement 
dated December 11, 2008, between Registrant and W. Kerry Jackson 

10-V* 

 Employment and Noncompetition Agreement dated  December 4, 
2012, between Registrant and Carl N. Scibetta 

10-W* 

 Employment and Noncompetition Agreement dated September 10, 
2018, between Registrant and Mark S. Worden 

  8-K  10.2  12/17/2008+ 

  8-K  10.3  12/17/2008+ 

  8-K  10.4  12/17/2008+ 

  10-K  10-U 04/15/2013+ 

10-X* 

 Shoe Carnival, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan, as amended 

  10-K  10-S 04/10/2014 

21 

23 

31.1 

31.2 

32.1 

32.2 

 A list of subsidiaries of Shoe Carnival, Inc. 

 Written consent of Deloitte & Touche LLP 

 Certification  of  Chief  Executive  Officer  Pursuant  to  Rule  13a-
14(a)/15d-14(a)  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  Adopted 
Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 

 Certification  of  Chief  Financial  Officer  Pursuant  to  Rule  13a-
14(a)/15d-14(a)  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  as  Adopted 
Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 

 Certification of Chief Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 
1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 
of 2002 

 Certification of Chief Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 
1350, as Adopted Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act 
of 2002 

67 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

X 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
INDEX TO EXHIBITS - Continued 

Exhibit 
No. 

101 

Description 

 The following materials from Shoe Carnival, Inc.’s Annual Report on 
Form 10-K  for the  year ended February 2, 2019, formatted in XBRL 
(Extensible  Business  Reporting  Language):  (1) Consolidated  Balance 
Sheets,  (2) Consolidated  Statements  of  Income,  (3) Consolidated 
Statement  of  Shareholders’  Equity,  (4)  Consolidated  Statements  of 
Cash Flows, and (5) Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. 

  Incorporated by Reference To 

Form  Exhibit 

Filing 
Date 

Filed 
Herewith 

X 

*  The indicated exhibit is a management contract, compensatory plan or arrangement required to be filed by Item 

601 of Regulation S-K. 
+  SEC File No. 000-21360. 

ITEM 16.  FORM 10-K SUMMARY 

None. 

68 

 
 
  
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
 
SIGNATURES 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly 
caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. 

Date:   April 2, 2019 

By: 

Shoe Carnival, Inc. 

/s/ Clifton E. Sifford 
Clifton E. Sifford 
President and Chief Executive Officer 

Pursuant  to  the  requirements  of  the  Securities  Exchange  Act  of  1934,  this  report  has  been  signed  below  by  the 
following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. 

Signature 

/s/ J. Wayne Weaver 
J. Wayne Weaver 

/s/ Clifton E. Sifford 
Clifton E. Sifford 

/s/ James A. Aschleman 
James A. Aschleman 

/s/ Jeffrey C. Gerstel 
Jeffrey C. Gerstel 

/s/ Andrea R. Guthrie 
Andrea R. Guthrie 

/s/ Kent A. Kleeberger 
Kent A. Kleeberger 

/s/ Charles B. Tomm 
Charles B. Tomm 

/s/ Joseph W. Wood 
Joseph W. Wood 

/s/ W. Kerry Jackson 
W. Kerry Jackson 

Title 

Date 

 Chairman of the Board and Director 

  April 2, 2019 

 President, Chief Executive Officer and Director 
 (Principal Executive Officer) 

 Director 

 Director 

 Director 

 Director 

 Director 

 Director 

 Senior Executive Vice President - Chief Operating 
 and Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial 
Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) 

  April 2, 2019 

  April 2, 2019 

  April 2, 2019 

  April 2, 2019 

  April 2, 2019 

  April 2, 2019 

  April 2, 2019 

  April 2, 2019 

69 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
   
 
points higher than FY 2017.  Our store associates 

During FY 2018, we analyzed customer data 

SIGNATURES 

consistently served our customers well which led 

which allowed us to identify each customer’s 

to a 150 basis point increase in conversion.  As a 

unique identity. Our analyst team is providing rich 

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly 

result of the efforts of our over 5,000 dedicated 

caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized. 

data to our marketing, merchant and real estate 

associates, we are very pleased to have achieved 

teams. These teams then utilize this data to better 

record earnings of $2.45 per diluted share. We 

Shoe Carnival, Inc. 

merchandise each individual store, market to 

Date:   April 2, 2019 

used the strength of our consistent cash fl ow 

By: 

specifi c customers, and fi nd new store opportunities. 

/s/ Clifton E. Sifford 

generation to return the highest amount of value 

to our shareholders through dividends and share 

As we move this project forward, we will leverage 

Clifton E. Sifford 

President and Chief Executive Officer 

customer insights to better serve our customers and 

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

further differentiate the Shoe Carnival brand.    

repurchases – a corporate milestone we are 

following persons on behalf of the registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated. 

incredibly proud to have delivered. 

Signature 

Title 

STRATEGY FOR GROWTH

Date 

/s/ J. Wayne Weaver 

CUSTOMER CENTRICITY

 Chairman of the Board and Director 

We strengthened our executive management team 

  April 2, 2019 

J. Wayne Weaver 

More than a year ago we began the strategic 

with the addition of Mark Worden, Executive Vice 

process of creating a holistic approach to Customer 

/s/ Clifton E. Sifford 

 President, Chief Executive Officer and Director 

President, Chief Strategy and Marketing Offi cer. 

  April 2, 2019 

Clifton E. Sifford 

Relationship Management (CRM). We remain 

 (Principal Executive Officer) 

We immediately began the process of working 

/s/ James A. Aschleman 

committed to building an industry leading CRM 

 Director 

James A. Aschleman 

tool, which will be the key building block to 

/s/ Jeffrey C. Gerstel 

increasingly placing the customer at the center of 

 Director 

Jeffrey C. Gerstel 

everything we do. CRM will be a key component 

that will allow us to communicate with our loyal 

/s/ Andrea R. Guthrie 

Andrea R. Guthrie 

 Director 

customers on a one-to-one basis, focused on their 

/s/ Kent A. Kleeberger 

 Director 

particular family footwear needs and desires. In 

Kent A. Kleeberger 

addition, we are gaining a better understanding of 

/s/ Charles B. Tomm 

 Director 

our customers’ shopping journeys. Each customer’s 

Charles B. Tomm 

journey is mapped, regardless of how they chose 

/s/ Joseph W. Wood 

 Director 

to shop with Shoe Carnival, which has allowed our 

Joseph W. Wood 

through a comprehensive fi ve-year strategy. Our 

  April 2, 2019 

goal is to build an incomparable brand and 

customer experience. Through our team of the 

  April 2, 2019 

industry’s best people and unmatched capabilities, 

we will assist our customers’ shopping journey, 

  April 2, 2019 

which we believe is critical as we look toward 

becoming a multi-billion dollar brand. 

  April 2, 2019 

Our fi rst imperative was to hire and on-board a 

  April 2, 2019 

world-class agency of record for overall creative 

  April 2, 2019 

strategy and all media. We accomplished this 

team to identify areas of improvement to make 

/s/ W. Kerry Jackson 

 Senior Executive Vice President - Chief Operating 

imperative in 2018 with the hiring of McCann 

  April 2, 2019 

W. Kerry Jackson 

their shopping experience seamless and enjoyable.   

 and Financial Officer and Treasurer (Principal Financial 

Detroit. Their job is to help Shoe Carnival become 

Officer and Principal Accounting Officer) 

the most distinctive and compelling brand in the 

The pillar of customer centricity is our strong and 

Family Footwear Channel.  The vast and successful 

growing loyalty program, Shoe Perks.  In July, we 

experience they bring to this important initiative 

re-launched our Shoe Perks program, creating a 

includes work for great companies such as General 

Gold tier for our most loyal customers. Gold status 

Motors, Chick-fi l-A and Pure Michigan.

rewards our most active customers with new and 

more valuable Shoe Perks to keep them committed 

We believe by combining the expertise of McCann, 

to Shoe Carnival as their store of choice for all their 

along with our unique and entertaining store 

footwear needs.

environment and our customer-centric capabilities, 

STOCK PRICE PERFORMANCE GRAPH

The performance graphs set forth below compare the cumulative total shareholder return on the Company's Common 
Stock with the Nasdaq Stock Market Index and the Nasdaq Index for Retail Trade Stocks for the period from January 
31, 2014 through February 1, 2019. The graphs assume that $100 was invested in our common stock and $100 was 
invested in each of the other two indices on January 31, 2014, and assumes reinvestment of dividends. The stock 
performance shown in the graphs represents past performance and should not be considered an indication of future 
performance. The performance graphs shall not be deemed "soliciting material" or to be "fi led" with the Securities 
and Exchange Commission, nor shall such information be incorporated by reference into any future fi ling under the 
Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent we specifi cally incorporate it by 
reference into such fi ling.

NASDAQ OMX Global Indexes
Comparison of Cumulative Total Return Among the Company,
Nasdaq Stock Market Index and Nasdaq Index for Retail Trade Stocks

1/31/2014

1/30/2015

1/29/2016

1/27/2017

2/2/2018

2/1/2019

   The Nasdaq Stock Market (U.S.)

$

   Nasdaq Retail Trade Stocks

   Shoe Carnival, Inc.

100

100

100

$

113

123

94

$

110

130

94

$

135

143

103

$

165

193

90

$

165

202

149

250

200

S
R
A
L
L
O
D

150

100

50

0

1/31/2014

1/30/2015

1/29/2016

1/27/2017

2/2/2018

2/1/2019

The Nasdaq Stock Market (U.S.)

Nasdaq Retail Trade Stocks

Shoe Carnival, Inc.

69 

2018 Annual Report

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
  
   
 
  
 
 
   
 
OFFICERS AND CORPORATE MANAGEMENT

J. WAYNE WEAVER**
Chairman

CLIFTON E. SIFFORD**
President and Chief Executive Offi cer

W. KERRY JACKSON**
Senior Executive Vice President  
Chief Operating and Financial Offi cer 
and Treasurer

TIMOTHY T. BAKER**
Executive Vice President
Store Operations

CARL N. SCIBETTA**
Executive Vice President
Chief Merchandising Offi cer

MARK J. WORDEN**
Executive Vice President
Chief Strategy and Marketing Offi cer

MARC A. CHILTON
Senior Vice President
Store Operations Administration

TERRY L. CLEMENTS
Senior Vice President
Chief Information Offi cer

JEFFREY N. FINK
Senior Vice President
Real Estate

DEBORAH S. HANNAH
Vice President
Marketing

SEAN M. GEORGES
Senior Vice President 
Human Resources, In-House Counsel 
and Secretary

CLINT R. PIERCE
Vice President
Divisional Merchandise Manager
Athletic Footwear

DAVID A. KAPP
Senior Vice President
Planning/Allocation

CHRISTOPHER A. ASKINS
Vice President 
Loss Prevention

TED COLLINS
Vice President
Store Operations

JOHN W. DODSON
Vice President
Store Operations

TANYA E. GORDON
Vice President 
Divisional Merchandising Manager
Women's and Children's Footwear 
and Accessories

DAVID M. GROFF
Vice President 
Project Management

JEFFREY J. THOMAS
Vice President
Corporate Controller

CHARLES J. TOROK, JR.
Vice President
Supply Chain

KENT A. ZIMMERMAN
Vice President
E-Commerce and CRM

ANTHONY J. CAROSELLO
Assistant Vice President
Real Estate

JAMES W. JOHNSTON
Assistant Vice President
Infrastructure and Support

CHERYL L. LINDAUER
Assistant Vice President
Application Systems

(**) Executive Offi cers

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

J. WAYNE WEAVER
Chairman of the Board
Shoe Carnival, Inc.

CLIFTON E. SIFFORD
President and Chief Executive Offi cer
Shoe Carnival, Inc.

JAMES A. ASCHLEMAN 1,2*,3
Retired
Indianapolis, Indiana

JEFFREY C. GERSTEL 1,2
Chief Marketing Offi cer
B&H Foto and Electronics Corp.
New York, NY

ANDREA R. GUTHRIE 2,3*
Co-founder, Gyde Travel, LLC
Park City, UT 

KENT A. KLEEBERGER 1*,2,3,4
Consultant
Sanibel Island, Florida

CHARLES B. TOMM 1,2
Principal 
Oaklins Heritage Capital Group
Jacksonville, FL

JOSEPH W. WOOD 2,3
Consultant
St. Louis, Missouri

(1) Audit Committee
(2) Compensation Committee
(3) Nominating and Corporate  
     Governance Committee
(4) Lead Independent Director
(*) Committee Chair

CORPORATE INFORMATION

CORPORATE OFFICE
7500 East Columbia Street
Evansville, Indiana 

CORPORATE COUNSEL
Faegre Baker Daniels LLP
Indianapolis, Indiana 

INDEPENDENT AUDITORS
Deloitte & Touche LLP
Indianapolis, Indiana

TRANSFER AGENT
Computershare Trust 
Company NA  
Chicago, Illinois
(312) 360-5359

LETTER FROM 

OUR PRESIDENT AND CEO

ANNUAL REVIEW

were attained through double-digit growth in digital 

Fiscal year 2018 was a great year for Shoe Carnival. 

sales and single-digit increase in our brick and 

Our customer-centric strategic initiatives, trend-

mortar stores. We also enjoyed increases in all major 

right selection of compelling brands and the latest 

product categories along with each geographic 

fashion along with our exciting in-store environment 

region throughout our store chain.  

continue to make Shoe Carnival the store of choice 

for moderately priced family footwear. Sales of 

Our merchants did an outstanding job of identifying 

$1.030 billion represented the highest volume in the 

key trends, key categories and key items, buying 

company’s history, driven by a 4.3% comparable 

suffi cient quantities in each to drive comparable 

store sales increase, our tenth consecutive year 

store sales increases each quarter of the fi scal year. 

without a comparable store sales loss.  Record sales 

This helped us achieve a gross profi t margin 90 basis 

2018 Annual Report

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1995

2002

Celebrating 40 years in the retail shoe industry.

Celebrating 40 years in the retail shoe industry.

2001

1992

2009
2009

1984

2018

inner front cover

1978 - 2018

inner back cover

 
 
 
 
7500 East Columbia Street  •  Evansville, Indiana 47715 
812.867.6471  •  shoecarnival.com

CELEBRATING

ANNUAL REPORT 2018

outer back cover

outer front cover