Quarterlytics / Consumer Cyclical / Specialty Retail / The Michaels Companies, Inc.

The Michaels Companies, Inc.

mik · NASDAQ Consumer Cyclical
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FY2019 Annual Report · The Michaels Companies, Inc.
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Table of Contents

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES

EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended  February 1, 2020

Commission file number 001-36501

THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.
A Delaware Corporation

IRS Employer Identification No. 37-1737959

8000 Bent Branch Drive
Irving, Texas 75063

(972) 409-1300

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

Title of each class
Common Stock, $0.06775 par value

     Trading Symbol

MIK

Name of each exchange on which registered
Nasdaq Stock Exchange

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

The Michaels Companies, Inc. is not a  well-known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.  

The Michaels Companies, Inc. (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.  

The Michaels Companies, Inc. 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 and post such files).

The Michaels Companies, Inc. is a large accelerated filer.

The Michaels Companies, Inc. is not (1) a  shell company, (2) a  small reporting company or (3) an emerging growth company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the

Exchange Act).  

The aggregate market value of The Michaels Companies, Inc.’s common stock held by non-affiliates as of August 3, 2019 was approximately $ 552,436,941
based upon the closing sales price of $6.76 quoted on The Nasdaq Global Select Market as of August 2, 2019. For this purpose, directors and officers have been
assumed to be affiliates.

As of March 10, 2020, 146,846,664 shares of The Michaels Companies, Inc.’s common stock were outstanding.

The registrant will incorporate by reference information required in response to Part III, items 10-14, from its definitive proxy statement for its annual meeting

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

of shareholders, to be held on June 10, 2020.

                       
    
THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Contents

Part I.

Item 1.     Business

Item 1A.  Risk Factors

Item 1B.  Unresolved Staff Comments

Item 2.     Properties

Item 3.     Legal Proceedings

Item 4.     Mine Safety Disclosures

Part II.

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

Item 6.     Selected Financial Data

Item 7.     Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Item 7A.  Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk

Item 8.     Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

Item 9.     Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure

Item 9A.  Controls and Procedures

Part III.

Item 10.   Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance

Item 11.   Executive Compensation

Item 12.   Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters

Item 13.   Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence

Item 14.   Principal Accounting Fees and Services

Part IV.

Item 15.   Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules

Item 16.   Form 10-K Summary

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ITEM 1.  BUSINESS.

PART I

The following discussion, as well as other portions of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, contains forward-looking statements that
reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Any statements contained herein (including, but not limited to, statements to the effect that Michaels
or  its  management  “anticipates”,  “plans”,  “estimates”,  “expects”,  “believes”,  “intends”,  and  other  similar  expressions)  that  are  not
statements  of  historical  fact  should  be  considered  forward-looking  statements  and  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  our  consolidated
financial statements and related notes contained elsewhere in this report. Specific examples of forward-looking statements include, but are
not  limited  to,  statements  regarding  our  forecasts  of  financial  performance,    store  openings,  capital  expenditures  and  working  capital
requirements. Our actual results could materially differ from those discussed in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause
or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K
and particularly in “Item 1A. Risk Factors” and “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of
Operations”.  Unless  the  context  otherwise  indicates,  references  in  this  Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  to  “we”,  “our”,  “us”,  “our
Company”, “the Company”, and “Michaels” mean The Michaels Companies, Inc., together with its subsidiaries.

General

Michaels  Stores,  Inc.  (“MSI”)  is  headquartered  in  Irving,  Texas  and  was  incorporated  in  the  state  of  Delaware  in  1983.  In  July
2013, MSI was reorganized into a holding company structure and The Michaels Companies, Inc. was incorporated in the state of Delaware
in connection with the reorganization.

With $5,072.0 million in sales in fiscal 2019, the Company is the largest arts and crafts specialty retailer in North America (based
on  store  count)  providing  materials,  project  ideas  and  education  for  creative  activities.  Our  mission  is  to  inspire  and  enable  customer
creativity, create a fun and rewarding place to work, foster meaningful connections with our communities and lead the industry in growth
and innovation. With crafting classes, store events, store displays, mobile applications and online videos, we offer an omnichannel shopping
experience that can inspire creativity and build confidence in our customers’ artistic abilities.

As  of  February  1,  2020,  we  operated  1,274  Michaels  retail  stores  in  49  states  and  Canada,  with  approximately  18,000  average

square feet of selling space per store.

In  January  2019  and  March  2018,  we  closed  our  Pat  Catan’s  and Aaron  Brothers  stores,  respectively. As  a  result  of  the  store
closures,  we  recorded  restructure  charges  of  $8.2  million  and  $98.9  million  in  fiscal  2019  and  fiscal  2018,  respectively.  The  restructure
charges in fiscal 2019 are  primarily  related  to  employee-related  expenses  and  the  impairment  of  an  indefinite-lived  intangible  asset.  The
restructure charges in fiscal 2018 primarily related to the transfer of the rights to sell inventory and other assets to a third party to facilitate
the  store  closures  and  assist  with  the  disposition  of  our  remaining  lease  obligations,  the  impairment  of  goodwill  and  employee-related
expenses.

In addition, we recorded $5.3 million of employee-related charges in fiscal 2018 as a result of certain organizational changes made

to streamline our operations at our corporate support center.

During  fiscal  2018  and  fiscal  2017, Aaron  Brothers  net  sales  totaled  $12.9  million  and  $110.4  million,  respectively,  and  Pat
Catan’s net sales totaled $109.6 million and $113.4 million, respectively. Excluding the restructure charges, Aaron Brothers and Pat Catan’s
did not have a material impact on the Company’s operating income in all fiscal periods presented in the consolidated financial statements.

During fiscal 2019, we identified impairment indicators within our Darice wholesale business (“Darice”) that were primarily due to
a deterioration in sales associated with overall declining demand from customers. These indicators led us to revise Darice’s forecasted sales
downward  and  resulted  in  a  significantly  lower  operating  plan  in  fiscal  2019. As  a  result,  we  performed  impairment  tests  on  Darice’s
goodwill, indefinite and definite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets, including operating lease assets. As a result of this impairment
testing, Darice recorded an impairment charge of $40.1 million in fiscal 2019, consisting of $17.8 million related to goodwill, $14.4 million
related to long-lived assets, including operating lease assets, and $7.9 million related to indefinite and definite-lived intangible assets. As of
February 1, 2020, the carrying value of Darice’s operating lease assets, adjusted for the impairment charge, totaled

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$31.9 million. The carrying value of the remaining long-lived assets related to Darice, including intangible assets, are not material.

On  November  22,  2019,  the  Company  acquired  certain  intangible  assets  from  A.C.  Moore  Incorporated  for  $62.1  million,
including customer relationships and tradenames totaling $56.0 million and $5.2 million, respectively. In connection with the transaction,
we also leased a distribution facility in New Jersey and 19 store locations. The store locations will be reopened under the Michaels brand
name in fiscal 2020 and will include the relocation of certain existing Michaels stores. We believe the transaction will enable us to expand
our presence in strategic markets and better serve our customers both online and in stores.

Merchandising

Michaels. Each  Michaels  store  offers  approximately  45,000  basic  and  seasonal  stock-keeping  units  (“SKUs”)  in  a  number  of

product categories. The following table shows a breakdown of sales for Michaels stores by department as a percentage of total net sales:

General crafts
Home décor and seasonal
Custom and ready-made framing
Papercrafting

2019

Fiscal Year
2018

2017

 47 %
 23
 16
 14
 100 %

 48 %
 24
 16
 12
 100 %

 49 %
 23
 16
 12
 100 %

We have category merchant, product development, sourcing and design teams focused on quality, innovation and cost mitigation.
Our internal product development and global sourcing teams position us to deliver a differentiated level of innovation, quality and value to
our customers. Our global sourcing network allows us to control new product introductions, maintain quality standards, monitor delivery
times,  and  manage  product  costs  and  inventory  levels  to  enhance  profitability.  In  an  industry  with  few  well-known  national  brands,  our
private  brands  are  recognized  as  a  leader  in  many  categories.  We  continue  to  expand  our  private  brands  and  improve  the  selection  of
products we design, develop and deliver to our customers. Our Michaels’ private brands totaled approximately 60% of net sales in fiscal
2019  and  include,  among  others,  Recollections®,  Studio  Decor®,  Bead  Landing®,  Creatology®, Ashland®,  Celebrate  It®, ArtMinds®,
Artist’s Loft®, Craft Smart®, Loops & Threads®, Make Market®, Imagin8®, and Sticky Sticks®.

We  continue  to  search  for  ways  to  leverage  our  position  as  a  market  leader  by  establishing  strategic  partnerships  and  exclusive
product  relationships  to  provide  our  customers  with  exciting  merchandise.  We  have  partnerships  with  popular  brands  such  as  Crayola,
Elmer’s and Cricut. We will continue to explore opportunities to form future partnerships and exclusive product associations.

Darice. We operate an international wholesale business under the Darice brand name. Darice sources products from domestic and
foreign suppliers for resale to a variety of retail outlets worldwide, including our Michaels stores. Darice offers approximately 31,000 SKUs
consisting  of  a  wide  range  of  craft  and  hobby  items.  We  also  develop  Darice  branded  products  carried  by  both  Michaels  and  third-party
stores reflecting the breadth of our product line and our ability to distribute and source quality products at competitive prices.

E-commerce. Our e-commerce business provides an important avenue to communicate with our customers in an interactive way
that reinforces the Michaels brand and drives traffic to our stores and websites. We continue to strengthen our omnichannel offering with the
expansion  of  our  buy  online,  pick  up  in  store  capabilities  and  through  continuous  enhancements  to  our  existing  platforms  to  improve
discoverability,  product  content  and  personalization  of  customer  messaging  that  will  deliver  a  superior  customer  experience.  Our  online
platforms,  which  offer  over  100,000  basic  and  seasonal  SKUs,  currently 
include  Michaels.com,  Canada.Michaels.com,
ConsumerCrafts.com,  Darice.com, AaronBrothers.com  (our  online  custom  framing  solution)  and  our  Michaels  app,  which  connects  our
store and online experiences.

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Purchasing and Inventory Management

We  purchase  merchandise  from  a  variety  of  different  vendors  primarily  through  our  wholly-owned  subsidiary,  Michaels  Stores
Procurement  Company,  Inc.  We  believe  our  buying  power  and  ability  to  make  centralized  purchases  enable  us  to  acquire  products  on
favorable terms. Centralized merchandising management teams negotiate with vendors in an attempt to obtain the lowest merchandise costs
and  to  improve  product  mix  and  inventory  levels.  In  fiscal  2019,  there  were  no  vendors  who  accounted  for  more  than  10%  of  total
purchases.

We have also developed direct sourcing capabilities through our wholly-owned subsidiary, Darice International Sourcing Group.
We  believe  our  direct  sourcing  operation  allows  us  to  maintain  greater  control  over  the  manufacturing  process,  resulting  in  improved
product  quality  and  lower  costs.  In  addition,  our  stores  purchase  custom  frames,  framing  supplies  and  mats  from  our  wholly-owned
subsidiary, Artistree, Inc. (“Artistree”), which consists of a manufacturing facility and three regional processing centers.

The majority of the products sold in our stores are manufactured in Asia. Goods manufactured in Asia generally require long lead
times  and  are  ordered  two  to  four  months  in  advance  of  delivery.  Those  products  are  either  imported  directly  by  us  or  acquired  from
distributors based in the U.S.

Our automated replenishment system uses perpetual inventory records to analyze on-hand SKU quantities by store, as well as other
pertinent information such as sales forecasts, seasonal selling patterns, promotional events and vendor lead times, to generate recommended
merchandise  reorder  information.  These  recommended  orders  are  reviewed  daily  and  purchase  orders  are  delivered  electronically  to  our
vendors  and  our  distribution  centers.  In  addition  to  improving  our  store  in-stock  position,  these  systems  enable  us  to  better  forecast
merchandise  ordering  quantities  for  our  vendors  and  give  us  the  ability  to  identify,  order  and  replenish  the  stores’  merchandise.  These
systems  also  allow  us  to  react  more  quickly  to  sales  trends  and  allow  our  store  team  members  to  devote  more  time  to  customer  service,
thereby improving inventory productivity and sales opportunities.

Artistree

We  own  and  operate  Artistree,  a  vertically-integrated  framing  operation  which  supplies  precut  mats  and  high  quality  custom
framing merchandise in our stores and on aaronbrothers.com. We believe Artistree provides a competitive advantage and gives us quality
control over the entire framing process. Custom framing orders are processed and shipped to our stores where the custom frame order is
completed for customer pick-up.

Our moulding manufacturing plant, located in Kernersville, North Carolina, converts lumber into finished frame moulding that is
used  at  our  regional  processing  centers  to  fulfill  custom  framing  orders  for  our  customers.  We  manufacture  approximately  37%  of  the
moulding that we process and import approximately 57% from quality manufacturers in Indonesia, Malaysia, China, Spain and Italy. The
remaining mouldings are purchased from domestic manufacturers.

We  operate  three  regional  processing  centers  located  in  DFW Airport,  Texas;  Kernersville,  North  Carolina;  and  Mississauga,
Ontario.  Combined,  these  facilities  occupy  approximately  489,000  square  feet  and,  in  fiscal  2019,  processed  24.0  million  linear  feet  of
frame moulding and 3.6 million individual custom cut mats and foam boards for our customers. Our precut mats and custom frame supplies
are packaged and distributed out of our DFW Airport regional processing center.

Distribution

We  currently  operate  eight  distribution  centers  to  supply  our  stores  with  merchandise.  Approximately  92%  of  our  stores’
merchandise  receipts  are  shipped  through  the  distribution  network  with  the  remainder  shipped  directly  from  vendors  to  stores.  Our
distribution centers are located in California, Florida, Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Washington. In fiscal 2019, we completed the
implementation of an internal process to fulfill e-commerce orders though our distribution center in Texas that will allow us to maintain
greater control over our e-commerce order fulfillment process. On November 22, 2019, we also executed a lease for a distribution facility in
New Jersey that will allow us to more efficiently replenish merchandise in our stores.  

Our  distribution  facilities  use  warehouse  management  and  control  software  systems  to  maintain  and  support  the  efficient

movement of product through our supply chain. Store replenishment is performed using pick-to-light and radio

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frequency  processing  technologies  as  well  as  other  common  material  handling  equipment.  Product  is  delivered  to  stores  using  both  a
dedicated fleet of trucks and contract carriers.

Marketing

We employ a multi-faceted marketing strategy to increase brand awareness, acquire new customers, improve customer retention
and  increase  frequency  of  shopping.  We  communicate  with  our  current  and  prospective  customers  through  multiple  channels,  including
direct mail, email, newspaper inserts, television and digital advertising.

We  continue  to  develop  and  leverage  our  customer  data  analytic  capabilities  to  drive  a  more  customer-centric  strategy  through
targeted marketing and promotions. We believe that targeted marketing and promotions play an important role in today’s retail environment
by  improving  the  impact  of  digital  media,  email,  coupons  and  promotional  events.  In  July  2016,  we  launched  our  rewards  program,
Michaels  Rewards,  in  the  U.S.  and  in  July  2018,  we  launched  the  program  in  Canada.  Michaels  Rewards  continues  to  grow  and  has
surpassed  43  million  customers.  Michaels  Rewards  offers  customers  tailored,  exclusive  offers  and  events  such  as  sneak  peeks  for  new
product,  early  alerts  for  big  sales  and  receipt-free  returns.  The  program  adds  to  our  customer  database  and,  we  believe,  will  allow  us  to
further target our marketing and promotions more effectively. In fiscal 2020, we intend to expand Michaels Rewards by enabling customers
to earn rewards on purchases that can be redeemed for discounts on future purchases. We believe the expansion of our rewards program is
an important tool to increase retention of existing customers and enhance their loyalty to the Michaels brand.

Seasonality

Our  business  is  highly  seasonal,  with  higher  sales  in  the  third  and  fourth  fiscal  quarters.  Our  fourth  quarter,  which  includes  the

Holiday selling season, has on average accounted for approximately 34% of our net sales and approximately 46% of our operating income.

Our Industry

According to internal market research, approximately 53% of U.S. households participated in at least one crafting project during
2018, which represented approximately 67 million households. This research indicated that crafting activities continue to enjoy broad based
popularity  and  market  size  has  been  stable,  valued  at  approximately  $36  billion.  We  believe  the  broad,  multi-generational  appeal,  high
personal attachment and the low-cost, project-based nature of crafting creates a loyal, resilient following.

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Store Expansion and Relocation

The following table shows the number of stores open during each of the last five years:

Michaels stores:

Open at beginning of period
New stores
Relocated stores opened
Closed stores
Relocated stores closed
Open at end of period

Aaron Brothers stores:

Open at beginning of period
New stores
Closed stores
Open at end of period

Pat Catan's stores:

Open at beginning of period
Acquired stores
New stores
Relocated stores opened
Closed stores
Relocated stores closed
Open at end of period

Total store count at end of period

2019

2018

Fiscal Year
2017

2016

2015

 1,258
 21
 13
 (5)
 (13)
 1,274

 —
 —
 —
 —

 —
 —
 —
 —
 —
 —
 —
 1,274

 1,238
 24
 21
 (4)
 (21)
 1,258

 97
 —
 (97)
 —

 36
 —
 —
 —
 (36)
 —
 —
 1,258

 1,223
 17
 12
 (2)
 (12)
 1,238

 109
 —
 (12)
 97

 35
 —
 1
 —
 —
 —
 36
 1,371

 1,196
 32
 14
 (5)
 (14)
 1,223

 117
 1
 (9)
 109

 —
 32
 3
 1
 —
 (1)
 35
 1,367

 1,168
 30
 17
 (2)
 (17)
 1,196

 120
 —
 (3)
 117

 —
 —
 —
 —
 —
 —
 —
 1,313

We believe, based on an internal real estate and market penetration study of Michaels stores, that the combined U.S. and Canadian
markets can support between 1,400 and 1,500 Michaels stores. We plan to open approximately 45 Michaels stores, including approximately
16 relocations, in fiscal 2020. We continue to pursue a store relocation program to improve the real estate location quality and performance
of our store base. During fiscal 2020, we plan to close up to 10 Michaels stores. Many of our store closings are stores that have reached the
end of their lease term. We believe our ongoing store evaluation process results in strong performance across our store base.

Our store operating model, which is based on historical store performance, assumes an average store size of approximately 18,000
square feet of selling space. Our fiscal 2019 average initial net investment, which varies by site and specific store characteristics, was $0.7
million per store, including store build-out costs, pre-opening expenses and average first year inventory.

Employees

As of February 1, 2020, we employed approximately 44,000 team members, approximately 32,000 of whom were employed on a
part-time  basis.  The  number  of  part-time  team  members  substantially  increases  during  the  Holiday  selling  season.  Of  our  full-time  team
members,  approximately  4,000  are  engaged  in  various  executive,  operating,  training,  distribution  and  administrative  functions  in  our
support center, division offices, administrative offices and distribution centers and the remainder are engaged in store operations. None of
our team members are subject to a collective bargaining agreement.

Competition

We are the largest arts and crafts specialty retailer in North America based on store count. The market in which we compete is
highly  fragmented  and  includes  stores  across  the  U.S.  and  Canada  operated  primarily  by  small,  independent  retailers  along  with  a  few
regional and national chains. We believe customers choose where to shop based upon store

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location, breadth of selection, price, quality of merchandise, availability of product and customer service. We compete with many different
types of retailers and classify our competition within the following categories:

● Multi-store  chains.  This  category  consists  of  several  multi-store  chains,  each  operating  more  than 100  stores,  including:  Hobby
Lobby Stores, Inc., which operates approximately 900 stores in 46 states and Jo-Ann Stores, Inc., which operates approximately 870
stores in 49 states. We believe these chains are smaller than Michaels with respect to net sales.

● Mass merchandisers.  This  category  of  retailers  typically  dedicate  a  portion  of  their  selling  space  to  a  limited  selection  of  home
décor, arts and crafts supplies and seasonal merchandise, but they do seek to capitalize on the latest trends by stocking products that
are  complementary  to  those  trends  and  their  current  merchandise  offerings.  These  mass  merchandisers  generally  have  limited
customer service staffs with minimal experience in crafting projects.

●

●

Small,  local  specialty  retailers.  This  category  includes  local  independent  arts  and  crafts  retailers  and  custom  framing  shops.
Typically,  these  stores  are  single-store  operations  managed  by  the  owner.  These  stores  generally  have  limited  resources  for
advertising, purchasing and distribution. Many of these stores have established a loyal customer base within a given community and
compete based on relationships and customer service.

Internet. This  category  includes  all  internet-based  retailers  that  sell  arts  and  crafts  merchandise,  completed  projects  and  online
custom framing. Our internet competition is inclusive of those companies discussed in the categories above, as well as others that
may only sell products online. These retailers provide consumers with the ability to search and compare products and prices without
having to visit a physical store. These sellers generally offer a wide variety of products but do not offer product expertise or project
advice.

Trademarks and Service Marks

As of February 1, 2020, we own or have rights to trademarks, service marks or trade names we use in connection with the operation
of  our  business,  including  “Aaron  Brothers”,  “Artistree”,  “Darice”,  “Michaels”,  “Michaels  the  Arts  and  Crafts  Store”,  “Pat  Catan’s”,
“Recollections”, “Make Creativity Happen”, “Where Creativity Happens”, and the stylized Michaels logo. We have registered our primary
private  brands  including  Recollections®,  Studio  Decor®,  Bead  Landing®,  Creatology®, Ashland®,  Celebrate  It®, ArtMinds®, Artist’s
Loft®, Craft Smart®, Loops & Threads®, Simply Tidy®, Make Market®, Foamies®, LockerLookz®, Imagin8® and Sticky Sticks® and
various sub-brands associated with these primary marks. Solely for convenience, some of the trademarks, service marks and trade names
referred to in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are listed without the copyright, trademark and registered trademark symbols, but we will
assert, to the fullest extent under applicable law, our rights to our copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade names and domain names.

Available Information

We  provide  links  to  our Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K,  Quarterly  Reports  on  Form  10-Q,  Current  Reports  on  Form  8-K,  and
amendments to those reports, and other documents filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934,  as  amended  (the  “Exchange  Act”),  on  our  internet  website,  free  of  charge,  at   www.michaels.com  under  the  heading  “Investor
Relations”. These reports are available after we electronically file them with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) through the
SEC’s EDGAR system at www.sec.gov.

We  use  our  website (www.michaels.com)  as  a  means  of  disclosing  material  non-public  information  and  for  complying  with  our
disclosure  obligations  under  Regulation  Fair  Disclosure  promulgated  by  the  SEC.  These  disclosures  are  included  on  our  website  in  the
“Investor Relations” section. Accordingly, investors should monitor this portion of our website, in addition to following our press releases,
SEC filings, public conference calls and webcasts.

We  webcast  our  earnings  calls  and  certain  events  we  participate  in  or  host  with  members  of  the  investment  community  on  the
investor  relations  section  of  our  website. Additionally,  we  provide  notifications  of  news  or  announcements  regarding  press  and  earnings
releases as part of the investor relations section of our website. The contents of our website are not part of this Annual Report on Form 10-
K, or any other report we file with, or furnish to, the SEC.

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ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS.

Our business is subject to various risks and uncertainties. The risks described below are those we believe are the material risks we
face.  Any  of  the  risk  factors  described  below,  as  well  as  risks  not  currently  known  to  us,  could  significantly  and  adversely  affect  our
business, cash flows, financial condition, results of operations, liquidity or access to sources of financing.

We face risks related to the effect of economic uncertainty.

In  the  event  of  an  economic  downturn  or  slow  recovery,  our  growth  prospects,  results  of  operations,  cash  flows  and  financial
condition could be adversely impacted. Our stores offer arts and crafts supplies and products for the crafter and custom framing for the do-
it-yourself home decorator, which are viewed as discretionary items. Pressure on discretionary income brought on by economic downturns
and slow recoveries, including housing market declines, rising energy prices and weak labor markets, may cause consumers to reduce the
amount they spend on discretionary items. The inherent uncertainty related to predicting economic conditions makes it difficult for us to
accurately  forecast  future  demand  trends,  which  could  cause  us  to  purchase  excess  inventories,  resulting  in  increases  in  our  inventory
carrying cost, or limit our ability to satisfy customer demand and potentially lose market share.

We face risks related to our substantial indebtedness.

Our substantial leverage could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, limit our ability to react
to changes in the economy or our industry, expose us to interest rate risk associated with our variable rate debt and prevent us from meeting
our obligations under our 2027 senior notes and credit facilities. As of February 1, 2020, we had total outstanding debt of $2,682.6 million,
of which $2,182.6 million was subject to variable interest rates and $500.0 million  was  subject  to  fixed  interest  rates.  In April  2018,  we
executed two interest rate swap agreements with an aggregate notional value of $1 billion which are intended to mitigate interest rate risk
associated  with  future  changes  in  interest  rates  for  borrowings  under  our  term  loan  credit  facility  with  JP  Morgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.
(“JPMorgan”) and other lenders (“Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility”). As a result of these interest rate swaps, our exposure
to  interest  rate  volatility  for  $1  billion  of  our Amended  and  Restated  Term  Loan  Credit  Facility  was  eliminated  beginning  in  the  second
quarter of fiscal 2018. As of February 1, 2020, we had $768.1 million of additional borrowing capacity (after giving effect to $81.9 million
of letters of credit then  outstanding)  under  our  asset-based  revolving  credit  agreement  with  Wells  Fargo  Bank,  National Association  and
other lenders (“Amended Revolving Credit Facility”). Our substantial indebtedness could have important consequences to us, including:

● making it more difficult for us to satisfy our obligations with respect to our debt, and any failure to comply with the obligations
under our debt instruments, including restrictive covenants, could result in an event of default under the agreements governing
our indebtedness;

●

●

●

●

●

●

increasing our vulnerability to general economic and industry conditions;

requiring a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our
debt,  thereby  reducing  our  ability  to  use  our  cash  flow  to  fund  our  operations,  capital  expenditures,  selling  and  marketing
efforts, product development, future business opportunities and other purposes;

exposing  us  to  the  risk  of  increased  interest  rates  as  certain  of  our  borrowings,  including  borrowings  under  our Amended
Revolving  Credit  Facility  and  our  Amended  and  Restated  Term  Loan  Credit  Facility  (collectively  defined  as  the  “Senior
Secured Credit Facilities”), are at variable rates;

restricting us from making strategic acquisitions or causing us to make non-strategic divestitures;

limiting our ability to obtain additional financing for working capital, capital expenditures, product development, debt service
requirements, acquisitions, and general corporate or other purposes; or

limiting our ability to plan for, or adjust to, changing market conditions and placing us at a competitive disadvantage compared
to our competitors who may be less highly leveraged.

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The occurrence of any one of these events could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations,

and ability to satisfy our obligations under our indebtedness.

Further,  a  substantial  portion  of  our  long-term  indebtedness  bears  interest  at  fluctuating  interest  rates,  primarily  based  on  the
London  interbank  offered  rate  (“LIBOR”).  On  July  27,  2017,  the  Financial  Conduct  Authority  (the  authority  that  regulates  LIBOR)
announced  that  it  intends  to  stop  compelling  banks  to  submit  rates  for  the  calculation  of  LIBOR  after  2021.  It  is  unclear  whether  new
methods of calculating LIBOR will be established such that it continues to exist after 2021. The Alternative Reference Rates Committee has
proposed the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as its recommended alternative to LIBOR, and the Federal Reserve Bank of New
York  began  publishing  SOFR  rates  in  April  2018.  SOFR  is  intended  to  be  a  broad  measure  of  the  cost  of  borrowing  cash  overnight
collateralized  by  U.S.  Treasury  securities.  It  is  unknown  whether  SOFR  or  any  potential  alternative  reference  rate  will  attain  market
acceptance as replacements for LIBOR and, as such, the potential effect on our results from operations is unknown.

We  and  our  subsidiaries  may  be  able  to  incur  substantial  additional  indebtedness  in  the  future,  subject,  in  the  case  of  MSI  and
Michaels  Funding,  Inc.  (“Holdings”)  and  their  subsidiaries,  to  the  restrictions  contained  in  our  Senior  Secured  Credit  Facilities  and  the
indenture governing our 2027 senior notes. In addition, our Senior Secured Credit Facilities and indenture governing our 2027 senior notes
do not restrict us from creating new holding companies that may be able to incur indebtedness without regard to the restrictions set forth in
our Senior Secured Credit Facilities and indenture governing our 2027 senior notes. If new indebtedness is added to our current debt levels,
the related risks that we now face could intensify.

Our debt agreements contain restrictions that limit our flexibility in operating our business.

Our Senior Secured Credit Facilities and the indenture governing our 2027 senior notes contain various covenants that limit our
ability to engage in specified types of transactions. These covenants limit the ability of the relevant borrowers, issuers, guarantors and their
restricted subsidiaries to, among other things:

●

●

●

incur or guarantee additional debt;

pay dividends or distributions on their capital stock or redeem, repurchase or retire their capital stock or indebtedness;

issue stock of subsidiaries;

● make certain investments, loans, advances and acquisitions;

●

●

create liens on their assets;

enter into transactions with affiliates;

● merge or consolidate with another company; or

●

sell or otherwise transfer assets.

In  addition,  under  the Amended  and  Restated  Term  Loan  Credit  Facility  and  the Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility,  MSI  is
required to meet specified financial ratios in order to undertake certain actions, and under certain circumstances, MSI may be required to
maintain a specified fixed charge coverage ratio under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility. Our ability to meet those requirements can
be affected by events beyond our control, and we cannot assure you we will meet them. A breach of any of these covenants could result in a
default under our Senior Secured Credit Facilities, which could also lead to an event of default under our 2027 senior notes if any of the
Senior Secured Credit Facilities were accelerated. Upon the occurrence of an event of default under our Senior Secured Credit Facilities, the
lenders could elect to declare all amounts outstanding under our Senior Secured Credit Facilities to be immediately due and payable and
terminate all commitments to extend further credit. If we were unable to repay those amounts, the lenders under our Senior Secured Credit
Facilities could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure such indebtedness. Holdings, MSI and certain of MSI’s subsidiaries
have pledged substantially all of their assets, including the capital stock

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of MSI and certain of its subsidiaries, as collateral under our Senior Secured Credit Facilities. If the indebtedness under our Senior Secured
Credit Facilities or our 2027 senior notes were to be accelerated, our assets may not be sufficient to repay such indebtedness in full.

Changes in customer demand could materially adversely affect our sales, results of operations and cash flow.

Our success depends on our ability to anticipate and respond in a timely manner to changing customer demands and preferences for
products  and  supplies  used  in  creative  activities.  If  we  misjudge  the  market,  we  may  significantly  overstock  unpopular  products  and  be
forced to take significant inventory markdowns, or experience shortages of key items, either of which could have a material adverse impact
on  our  operating  results  and  cash  flow.  In  addition,  adverse  weather  conditions,  economic  instability  and  consumer  confidence  volatility
could have material adverse impacts on our sales and operating results.

Competition, including internet-based competition, could negatively impact our business.

The retail arts and crafts industry, including custom framing, is competitive, which could result in pressure to reduce prices and
losses  in  our  market  share.  We  must  remain  competitive  in  the  areas  of  quality,  price,  breadth  of  selection,  customer  service  and
convenience to retain and grow our market share. We compete with mass merchants, which dedicate a portion of their selling space to a
limited selection of craft supplies and seasonal and holiday merchandise, along with national and regional chains and local merchants. We
also  compete  with  specialty  retailers,  which  include  Hobby  Lobby  Stores,  Inc.  and  Jo-Ann  Stores,  Inc.,  among  others.  Some  of  our
competitors,  particularly  the  mass  merchants,  are  larger  and  have  greater  financial  resources  than  we  do.  We  also  face  competition  from
internet-based retailers, such as Amazon.com, Inc., among others, in addition to traditional store-based retailers, who may be larger, more
experienced and able to offer products we cannot. This could result in increased price competition since our customers could more readily
search and compare non-private brand products. Furthermore, we ultimately compete with alternative sources of entertainment and leisure
for our customers.

A weak fourth quarter would materially adversely affect our result of operations.

Our business is highly seasonal. Our inventories and short-term borrowings may grow in the third fiscal quarter as we prepare for
our peak selling season in the third and fourth fiscal quarters. Our most important quarter in terms of sales, profitability and cash flow has
historically  been  the  fourth  fiscal  quarter.  If  for  any  reason  our  fourth  fiscal  quarter  results  were  substantially  below  expectations,  our
operating  results  for  the  full  year  would  be  materially  adversely  affected,  and  we  could  have  substantial  excess  inventory,  especially  in
seasonal merchandise, that is difficult to liquidate.

Unexpected or unfavorable consumer responses to our promotional or merchandising programs could have a materially adverse effect
on our sales, results of operations, cash flow and financial condition.

Brand recognition, quality and price have a significant influence on consumers’ choices among competing products and brands.
Advertising, promotion, merchandising and the cadence of new product introductions also have a significant impact on consumers’ buying
decisions. If we misjudge consumer responses to our existing or future promotional activities, this could have a material adverse impact on
our sales, results of operations, cash flow and financial condition.

We believe improvements in our merchandise offering help drive sales at our stores. If we experience poor execution of changes to
our  merchandise  offering  or  experience  unexpected  consumer  responses  to  changes  in  our  merchandise  offering,  our  sales,  results  of
operations and cash flow could be materially adversely affected.

Evolving foreign trade policy (including tariffs imposed on certain foreign-made goods) may adversely affect our business.

Our products are sourced from a wide variety of suppliers, including from suppliers overseas, particularly in China. In addition,
some of the products that we purchase from vendors in the U.S. also depend, in whole or in part, on suppliers located outside the U.S. In
2018 and 2019, the U.S. imposed significant tariffs on various products imported from China, including certain products we source from
China. The U.S. has also stated that further tariffs may be imposed on additional products imported from China if a trade agreement is not
reached. On January 15, 2020, a “phase one” trade deal was signed between the U.S. and China and was accompanied by a decision from
the U.S. to cancel a plan to increase

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tariffs on an additional list of Chinese products. However, given the limited scope of the phase one agreement, concerns over the stability of
bilateral trade relations remain. At this time, there is no assurance that a broader trade agreement will be successfully negotiated between
the U.S. and China to reduce or eliminate the existing tariffs.

If additional tariffs are imposed on our products, or other retaliatory trade measures are taken, our costs could increase and we may
be required to raise our prices. Further, efforts to mitigate this tariff risk, including a shift of production to outside of China, could result in
increased  costs  and  disruption  to  our  operations.  These  potential  outcomes  could  result  in  the  loss  of  customers  and  adversely  affect  our
operating  performance.  To  mitigate  tariff  risks  with  China,  we  may  also  seek  to  shift  production  outside  of  China,  which  could  result  in
increased costs and disruption to our operations.

Our reliance on foreign suppliers increases our risk of not obtaining adequate, timely and cost-effective product supplies.

To  a  significant  extent,  we  rely  on  foreign  manufacturers  for  our  merchandise,  particularly  manufacturers  located  in  China.  In
addition, many of our domestic suppliers purchase a portion of their products from foreign sources. This reliance increases the risk that we
will  not  have  adequate  and  timely  supplies  of  various  products  due  to  local  political,  economic,  social  or  environmental  conditions
(including acts of terrorism, the outbreak of war or the occurrence of a natural disaster), transportation delays (including dock strikes and
other work stoppages), restrictive actions by foreign governments, or changes in U.S. laws and regulations affecting imports or domestic
distribution. Reliance on foreign manufacturers also increases our exposure to trade infringement claims and reduces our ability to return
product for various reasons.

We are at a risk for higher costs associated with goods manufactured in China. Significant increases in wages or wage taxes paid
by contract facilities may increase the cost of goods manufactured, which could have a material adverse effect on our profit margins and
profitability.

All of our products manufactured overseas and imported into the U.S. are subject to duties collected by the U.S. Customs Service.
We  may  be  subjected  to  additional  duties  or  tariffs,  significant  monetary  penalties,  the  seizure  and  forfeiture  of  the  products  we  are
attempting  to  import,  or  the  loss  of  import  privileges  if  we  or  our  suppliers  are  found  to  be  in  violation  of  U.S.  laws  and  regulations
applicable to the importation of our products.

Our results may be adversely affected by serious disruptions or catastrophic events, including public health issues, geo-political events
and weather.

Unforeseen public health issues, such as pandemics and epidemics, and geo-political events, such as civil unrest in a country in
which  our  suppliers  are  located  or  terrorist  or  military  activities  disrupting  transportation,  communication  or  utility  systems,  as  well  as
natural disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, earthquakes and other adverse weather and climate conditions, whether occurring in
the U.S. or abroad, particularly during peak seasonal periods, could disrupt our operations or the operations of one or more of our vendors,
or could severely damage or destroy one or more of our stores or distribution facilities located in the affected areas. For example, day-to-
day operations, particularly our ability to receive products from our vendors or transport products to our stores, could be adversely affected,
or  we  could  be  required  to  close  stores  or  distribution  centers  in  the  affected  areas  or  in  areas  served  by  the  affected  distribution  center.
These factors could also cause consumer confidence and spending to decrease or result in increased volatility in the U.S. and global financial
markets and economy. These or other occurrences could significantly impact our operating results and financial performance.

Our business may be adversely affected by the recent coronavirus outbreak.

In  late  2019,  a  new  strain  of  the  coronavirus  was  detected  in  Wuhan,  China  and  other  jurisdictions,  prompting  the  Chinese
government to quarantine certain affected regions and impose both internal and external travel restrictions within the country. The virus has
since spread to other parts of the world, including the U.S. In an effort to mitigate the continued spread of the virus, federal, state and local
governments,  as  well  as  certain  private  entities  have  mandated  various  restrictions,  including  travel  restrictions,  restrictions  on  public
gatherings and quarantining of people who may have been exposed to the virus. As a result of these restrictions, together with a general fear
of  the  impact  on  the  global  economy  and  financial  markets,  there  is  significant  uncertainty  surrounding  the  potential  impact  on  our
business. While too early to quantify, we have recently experienced some impact on our sales. The virus could negatively impact our results
of

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operations  by  continuing  to  weaken  demand  for  our  products  or  by  disrupting  our  supply  chain. As  events  are  rapidly  changing,  we  are
unable to accurately predict the impact that the coronavirus will have on our results of operations due to uncertainties including, but not
limited  to,  the  duration  of  quarantines  and  other  travel  restrictions  within  China,  the  U.S.  and  other  affected  countries,  the  ultimate
geographical spread of the virus, the severity of the disease, the duration of the outbreak and the public’s response to the outbreak.  

We have experienced a data breach in the past and any future failure to adequately maintain security and prevent unauthorized access to
electronic  and  other  confidential  information  could  result  in  an  additional  data  breach  which  could  materially  adversely  affect  our
reputation, financial condition and operating results.

The protection of our customer, team members and Company data is critically important to us. Our customers and team members
have a high expectation that we will adequately safeguard and protect their sensitive personal information. We have become increasingly
centralized  and  dependent  upon  automated  information  technology  processes.  In  addition,  a  large  portion  of  our  business  operations  is
conducted electronically, increasing the risk of attack or interception that could cause loss or misuse of data, system failures or disruption of
operations.  Improper  activities  by  third  parties,  exploitation  of  encryption  technology,  new  data-hacking  tools  and  discoveries  and  other
events or developments may result in a future compromise or breach of our networks, payment card terminals or other payment systems. In
particular, the techniques used by criminals to obtain unauthorized access to sensitive data change frequently and often are not recognized
until launched against a target; accordingly, we may be unable to anticipate these techniques or implement adequate preventative measures.
Any failure to maintain the security of our customers’ sensitive information, or data belonging to ourselves or our suppliers, could put us at
a competitive disadvantage, result in deterioration of our customers’ confidence in us, and subject us to potential litigation, liability, fines
and  penalties,  resulting  in  a  possible  material  adverse  impact  on  our  financial  condition  and  results  of  operations.  While  we  maintain
insurance coverage that may, subject to policy terms and conditions, cover certain aspects of cyber risks, such insurance coverage may be
insufficient to cover all losses and would not remedy damage to our reputation. There can be no assurance that we will not suffer a criminal
attack in the future, that unauthorized parties will not gain access to personal information, or that any such incident will be discovered in a
timely manner.

We may be subject to information technology system failures or network disruptions, or our information systems may prove inadequate,
resulting in damage to our reputation, business operations and financial condition.

We  depend  on  our  management  information  systems  for  many  aspects  of  our  business,  including  our  perpetual  inventory,
automated replenishment and weighted-average cost stock ledger systems which are necessary to properly forecast, manage, analyze and
record  our  inventory.  The  Company  may  be  subject  to  information  technology  system  failures  and  network  disruptions.  These  may  be
caused by natural disasters, accidents, power disruptions, telecommunications failures, acts of terrorism or war, denial-of-service attacks,
computer viruses, physical or electronic break-ins, or similar events or disruptions. System redundancy may be ineffective or inadequate,
and the Company’s disaster recovery planning may not be sufficient for all eventualities. Such failures or disruptions could prevent access to
our online services and preclude store transactions. System failures and disruptions could also impede the manufacturing and shipping of
products,  transactions  processing  and  financial  reporting.  Additionally,  we  may  be  materially  adversely  affected  if  we  are  unable  to
adequately upgrade, maintain and expand our systems.

Our growth depends on our ability to increase comparable store sales and to optimize our store portfolio.

We anticipate our sales growth will primarily come from increasing comparable store sales. Profitable growth would then depend
significantly on our ability to improve gross margin. Another business strategy is to continue to optimize our portfolio of retail stores. We
may  be  unable  to  continue  our  store  growth  strategy  if  we  cannot  identify  suitable  sites  for  additional  or  relocating  stores,  negotiate
acceptable leases, access sufficient capital to support store growth, or hire and train a sufficient number of qualified team members. If we are
unable to accomplish these strategies, our ability to increase our sales, profitability and cash flow could be impaired.

Damage to the reputation of the Michaels brand or our private and exclusive brands could adversely affect our sales.

We believe the Michaels brand name and many of our private and exclusive brand names are powerful sales and marketing tools
and we devote significant resources to promoting and protecting them. To be successful in the future, we must continue to preserve, grow
and  utilize  the  value  of  Michaels  reputation.  Reputational  value  is  based  in  large  part  on  perceptions  of  subjective  qualities,  and  even
isolated incidents may erode trust and confidence. In addition, we develop

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and promote private and exclusive brands, which we believe have national recognition. Our Michaels private brands totaled approximately
60% of net sales in fiscal 2019. Damage to the reputations (whether or not justified) of our brand names could arise from product failures,
data  privacy  or  security  incidents,  litigation  or  various  forms  of  adverse  publicity  (including  adverse  publicity  generated  as  a  result  of  a
vendor’s or a supplier’s failure to comply with general social accountability practices), especially in social media outlets, and may generate
negative customer sentiment, potentially resulting in a reduction in our sales and earnings.

We  face  risks  associated  with  the  suppliers  from  whom  our  products  are  sourced  and  transitioning  to  other  qualified  vendors  could
materially adversely affect our revenue and profit growth.

The  products  we  sell  are  sourced  from  a  wide  variety  of  domestic  and  international  vendors.  Global  sourcing  has  become  an
increasingly  important  part  of  our  business,  as  we  have  undertaken  efforts  to  increase  the  amount  of  product  we  source  directly  from
overseas manufacturers. Our ability to find qualified vendors who meet our standards and supply products in a timely and efficient manner
is a significant challenge, especially with respect to goods sourced from outside the U.S. Any issues related to transitioning vendors could
adversely affect our revenue and gross profit.

Many  of  our  suppliers  are  small  firms  that  produce  a  limited  number  of  items.  Given  their  limited  resources,  these  firms  are
susceptible  to  cash  flow  issues,  access  to  capital,  production  difficulties,  quality  control  issues  and  problems  in  delivering  agreed-upon
quantities on schedule. We may not be able, if necessary, to return products to these suppliers and obtain refunds of our purchase price or
obtain reimbursement or indemnification from them if their products prove defective. These suppliers may also be unable to withstand a
downturn in economic conditions. Significant failures on the part of our key suppliers could have a material adverse effect on our results of
operations.

In addition, many of these suppliers require extensive advance notice of our requirements to supply products in the quantities we

desire. This long lead time may limit our ability to respond timely to shifts in demand.

Changes in regulations or enforcement, or our failure to comply with existing or future regulations, may adversely impact our business.

We are subject to federal, state and local regulations with respect to our operations in the U.S. We are further subject to federal,
provincial and local regulations internationally, including in Canada and China, each of which are distinct from those in the U.S., and may
be subject to greater international regulation as our business expands. There are a number of legislative and regulatory initiatives that could
adversely impact our business if they are enacted or enforced. Those initiatives include wage or workforce issues (such as minimum-wage
requirements,  overtime  and  other  working  conditions  and  citizenship  requirements),  collective  bargaining  matters,  environmental
regulation, price and promotion regulation, trade regulations and others.

Changes in tax regulations may also change our effective tax rate as our business is subject to a combination of applicable tax rates
in the various countries, states and other jurisdictions in which we operate. New accounting pronouncements and interpretations of existing
accounting rules and practices have occurred and may occur in the future. A change in accounting standards or tax regulations can have a
significant effect on our reported results of operations.

Failure  to  comply  with  legal  requirements  could  result  in,  among  other  things,  increased  litigation  risk  that  could  affect  us
adversely  by  subjecting  us  to  significant  monetary  damages  and  other  remedies  or  by  increasing  our  litigation  expenses,  administrative
enforcement actions, fines and civil and criminal liability. We are currently subject to various class action lawsuits alleging violations of
wage and workforce laws and similar matters. If such issues become more expensive to address, or if new issues arise, they could increase
our expenses, generate negative publicity, or otherwise adversely affect us.

Significant increases in inflation or commodity prices, such as petroleum, natural gas, electricity, steel, wood and paper, may adversely
affect our costs, including cost of merchandise.

Significant future increases in commodity prices or inflation could adversely affect our costs, including cost of merchandise and
distribution costs. Furthermore, the transportation industry may experience a shortage or reduction of capacity, which could be exacerbated
by  higher  fuel  prices.  Our  results  of  operations  may  be  adversely  affected  if  we  are  unable  to  secure,  or  are  able  to  secure  only  at
significantly higher costs, adequate transportation resources to fulfill our receipt of goods or delivery schedules to the stores.

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Improvements to our supply chain may not be fully successful.

An important part of our efforts to achieve efficiencies, cost reductions and sales and cash flow growth is the identification and
implementation of improvements to our supply chain, including merchandise ordering, transportation, direct sourcing initiatives and receipt
processing. We continue to implement enhancements to our distribution systems and processes, which are designed to improve efficiency
throughout the supply chain and at our stores. If we are unable to successfully implement significant changes, this could disrupt our supply
chain, which could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.

We  are  exposed  to  fluctuations  in  exchange  rates  between  the  U.S.  and  Canadian  dollar,  which  is  the  functional  currency  of  our
Canadian subsidiaries.

Our Canadian operating subsidiaries purchase inventory in U.S. dollars, which is sold in Canadian dollars and exposes us to foreign
exchange  rate  fluctuations.  In  addition,  our  customers  at  border  locations  can  be  sensitive  to  cross-border  price  differences.  Substantial
foreign currency fluctuations could adversely affect our business. In fiscal 2019, exchange rates had a negative impact on our consolidated
operating results due to a 1% decrease in the Canadian exchange rate.

The Company’s ability to execute its strategic initiatives could be impaired if it fails to replace and retain its senior management team.

We are dependent on the services, abilities and experience of our senior management team. In fiscal 2019, there were changes to
our senior management team, including the departure of our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, and the appointment of a
new  Chief  Executive  Officer.  Leadership  transitions  can  be  inherently  difficult  to  manage,  and  an  inadequate  transition  may  cause
disruption to our business. In addition, if we are unable to attract new and retain our key senior executives, our ability to meet our financial
and operational goals and strategic plans may be adversely impacted, as well as our financial performance.

Any difficulty executing or integrating an acquisition, a business combination or a major business initiative could adversely affect our
business or results of operations.

Any difficulty in executing or integrating an acquisition, a business combination or a major business initiative may result in our
inability to achieve anticipated benefits from these transactions in the time frame that we anticipate, or at all, which could adversely affect
our  business  or  results  of  operations.  Such  transactions  may  also  disrupt  the  operation  of  our  current  activities  and  divert  management's
attention from other business matters. In addition, the Company’s current credit agreements place certain limited constraints on our ability
to make an acquisition or enter into a business combination, and future borrowing agreements could place tighter constraints on such actions.

Our  marketing  programs,  e-commerce  initiatives  and  use  of  consumer  information  are  governed  by  an  evolving  set  of  laws  and
enforcement  trends  and  unfavorable  changes  in  those  laws  or  trends,  or  our  failure  to  comply  with  existing  or  future  laws,  could
substantially harm our business and results of operations.

We collect, maintain and use data provided to us through our loyalty program, online activities and other customer interactions in
our business. Our current and future marketing programs depend on our ability to collect, maintain and use this information, and our ability
to  do  so  is  subject  to  certain  contractual  restrictions  in  third-party  contracts  as  well  as  evolving  international,  federal  and  state  laws  and
enforcement  trends.  We  strive  to  comply  with  all  applicable  laws  and  other  legal  obligations  relating  to  privacy,  data  protection  and
consumer protection, including those relating to the use of data for marketing purposes. It is possible, however, that these requirements may
be interpreted and applied in a manner that is inconsistent from one jurisdiction to another, may conflict with other rules or may conflict
with  our  practices.  If  so,  we  may  suffer  damage  to  our  reputation  and  be  subject  to  proceedings  or  actions  against  us  by  governmental
entities or others. Any such proceeding or action could hurt our reputation, force us to spend significant amounts to defend our practices,
distract our management, increase our costs of doing business and result in monetary liability.

In addition, as data privacy and marketing laws change, we may incur additional costs to ensure we remain in compliance with such
laws. If applicable data privacy and marketing laws become more restrictive at the international, federal or state level, our compliance costs
may increase, our ability to effectively engage customers via personalized

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marketing  may  decrease,  our  investment  in  our  e-commerce  platform  may  not  be  fully  realized,  our  opportunities  for  growth  may  be
curtailed by our compliance capabilities or reputational harm and our potential liability for security breaches may increase.

Product recalls and/or product liability, as well as changes in product safety and other consumer protection laws, may adversely impact
our operations, merchandise offerings, reputation, results of operations, cash flow and financial condition.

We are subject to regulations by a variety of federal, state and international regulatory authorities, including the Consumer Product
Safety Commission. In fiscal 2019,  we  purchased  merchandise  from  approximately  700  vendors.  Since  a  majority  of  our  merchandise  is
manufactured  in  foreign  countries,  one  or  more  of  our  vendors  may  not  adhere  to  product  safety  requirements  or  our  quality  control
standards, and we may not identify the deficiency before merchandise ships to our stores. Any issues of product safety, including but not
limited to those manufactured in foreign countries, could cause us to recall some of those products. If our vendors fail to manufacture or
import  merchandise  that  adheres  to  our  quality  control  standards,  our  reputation  and  brands  could  be  damaged,  potentially  leading  to
increases in customer litigation against us. Furthermore, to the extent we are unable to replace any recalled products, we may have to reduce
our merchandise offerings, resulting in a decrease in sales, especially if a recall occurs near or during a seasonal period. If our vendors are
unable or unwilling to recall products failing to meet our quality standards, we may be required to recall those products at a substantial cost
to us. Moreover, changes in product safety or other consumer protection laws could lead to increased costs to us for certain merchandise, or
additional labor costs associated with readying merchandise for sale. Long lead times on merchandise ordering cycles increase the difficulty
for  us  to  plan  and  prepare  for  potential  changes  to  applicable  laws.  The  Consumer  Product  Safety  Improvement Act  of  2008  imposes
significant requirements on manufacturing, importing, testing and labeling requirements for our products. In the event that we are unable to
timely comply with regulatory changes or regulators do not believe we are complying with current regulations applicable to us, significant
fines or penalties could result and could adversely affect our reputation, results of operations, cash flow and financial condition.

Our  total  assets  include  intangible  assets,  goodwill  and  substantial  amounts  of  property  and  equipment.  Changes  in  estimates  or
projections used to assess the fair value of these assets, or operating results that are lower than our current estimates at certain store
locations, may cause us to incur impairment charges that could adversely affect our results of operation.

Our total assets include intangible assets, goodwill and substantial amounts of property and equipment. We make certain estimates
and  projections  in  connection  with  impairment  analyses  for  these  long-lived  assets,  in  accordance  with  Financial Accounting  Standards
Board  Accounting  Standards  Codification  ("ASC")  360,  " Property,  Plant  and  Equipment",  and  ASC  350,  "Intangibles—Goodwill  and
Other".  We  also  review  the  carrying  value  of  these  assets  for  impairment  on  an  annual  basis  and  whenever  events  or  changes  in
circumstances indicate that the carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable. We will record an impairment loss when the carrying
value  of  the  underlying  asset,  asset  group  or  reporting  unit  exceeds  its  fair  value.  These  calculations  require  us  to  make  a  number  of
estimates  and  projections  of  future  results.  If  these  estimates  or  projections  change,  we  may  be  required  to  record  additional  impairment
charges on certain of these assets. If these impairment charges are significant, our results of operations would be adversely affected.

Disruptions in the capital markets could increase our costs of doing business.

Any  disruption  in  the  capital  markets  could  make  it  difficult  for  us  to  raise  additional  capital  when  needed,  or  to  eventually
refinance our existing indebtedness on acceptable terms or at all. Similarly, if our suppliers face challenges in obtaining credit when needed,
or otherwise face difficult business conditions, they may become unable to offer us the merchandise we use in our business thereby causing
reductions  in  our  revenues,  or  they  may  demand  more  favorable  payment  terms,  all  of  which  could  adversely  affect  our  results  of
operations, cash flow and financial condition.

Our real estate leases generally obligate us for long periods, which subject us to various financial risks.

We lease virtually all of our store, distribution center and administrative locations, generally for long terms. While we have the
right to terminate some of our leases under specified conditions by making specified payments, we may not be able to terminate a particular
lease  if  or  when  we  would  like  to  do  so.  If  we  decide  to  close  stores,  we  are  generally  required  to  continue  paying  rent  and  operating
expenses for the balance of the lease term, or pay to exercise rights to terminate, and the performance of any of these obligations may be
costly. When we assign or sublease vacated locations,

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we may remain liable on the lease obligations if the assignee or sublessee does not perform. In addition, when leases for the stores in our
ongoing operations expire, we may be unable to negotiate renewals, either on commercially acceptable terms, or at all, which could cause us
to close stores. Accordingly, we are subject to the risks associated with leasing real estate, which can have a material adverse effect on our
results.

We have co-sourced certain of our information technology, accounts payable, payroll, accounting and human resources functions and
may co-source other administrative functions, which makes us more dependent upon third parties.

We place significant reliance on third-party providers for the co-sourcing of certain of our information technology (“IT”), accounts
payable, payroll, accounting and human resources functions. This co-sourcing initiative is a component of our ongoing strategy to increase
efficiencies,  increase  our  IT  capabilities,  manage  our  costs  and  seek  additional  cost  savings.  These  functions  are  generally  performed  in
offshore locations. As a result, we rely on third parties to ensure that certain functional needs are sufficiently met. This reliance subjects us
to  risks  arising  from  the  loss  of  control  over  these  processes,  changes  in  pricing  that  may  affect  our  operating  results,  and  potentially,
termination of provision of these services by our suppliers. If our service providers fail to perform, we may have difficulty arranging for an
alternate supplier or rebuilding our own internal resources, and we could incur significant costs, all of which may have a significant adverse
effect on our business. We may co-source other administrative functions in the future, which would further increase our reliance on third
parties. Further, the use of offshore service providers may expose us to risks related to local political, economic, social or environmental
conditions (including acts of terrorism, the outbreak of war, or the occurrence of natural disaster), restrictive actions by foreign governments
or changes in U.S. laws and regulations.

Failure to attract and retain quality sales, distribution center and other team members in appropriate numbers as well as experienced
buying and management personnel could adversely affect our performance.

Our  performance  depends  on  recruiting,  developing,  training  and  retaining  quality  sales,  distribution  center  and  other  team
members in large numbers as well as experienced buying and management personnel. Many of our store level team members are in entry
level  or  part-time  positions  with  historically  high  rates  of  turnover.  Our  ability  to  meet  our  labor  needs  while  controlling  labor  costs  is
subject to external factors such as unemployment levels, prevailing wage rates, minimum wage legislation, changing demographics, health
and other insurance costs and governmental labor and employment requirements. In the event of increasing wage rates, if we fail to increase
our wages competitively, the quality of our workforce could decline, causing our customer service to suffer, while increasing our wages
could  cause  our  earnings  to  decrease.  The  market  for  retail  management  is  highly  competitive  and,  similar  to  other  retailers,  we  face
challenges  in  securing  sufficient  management  talent.  If  we  do  not  continue  to  attract,  train  and  retain  quality  team  members,  our
performance could be adversely affected.

Certain  stockholders  have  the  ability  to  strongly  influence  our  decisions  and  their  interest  may  conflict  with  yours  or  those  of  our
Company.

Affiliates of, or funds advised by, Bain Capital Private Equity, L.P. (“Bain Capital”) beneficially owned approximately 36% of the
outstanding  shares  of  our  common  stock  as  of  February  1,  2020. As  long  as  Bain  Capital  continues  to  hold  a  significant  portion  of  our
outstanding common stock, they will be able to strongly influence our decisions, and their interests may conflict with yours or those of our
Company.

Because our executive officers hold or may hold restricted shares or option awards that will vest upon a change of control, these officers
may have interests in us that conflict with yours.

Our  executive  officers  hold  or  may  hold  restricted  shares  and  options  to  purchase  shares  that  would  automatically  vest  upon  a
change of control. As a result, these officers may view certain change of control transactions more favorably than an investor due to the
vesting opportunities available to them and, as a result, may have an economic incentive to support a transaction that may not be viewed as
favorable by other stockholders.

Our holding company structure makes us, and certain of our direct and indirect subsidiaries, dependent on the operations of our, and
their, subsidiaries to meet our financial obligations.

We,  and  certain  of  our  direct  and  indirect  subsidiaries,  have  no  significant  assets  other  than  the  interest  in  direct  and  indirect
subsidiaries, including MSI. As a result, we, and certain of our direct and indirect subsidiaries, rely exclusively upon payments, dividends
and distributions from direct and indirect subsidiaries’ cash flows. Our ability to pay dividends,

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Table of Contents

if any are declared, to our shareholders is dependent on the ability of our subsidiaries to generate sufficient net income and cash flows to pay
upstream dividends and make loans or loan repayments.

Our common stock price has been and may continue to be volatile, which may result in losses to our stockholders.

The stock market in general has been extremely volatile and companies have experienced sharp share price and trading volume
changes. The trading price of our common stock is likely to be volatile and could fluctuate widely in response to, among other things, the
risk factors described in this report and other factors beyond our control such as fluctuations in the operations or valuations of companies
perceived  by  investors  to  be  comparable  to  us,  our  ability  to  meet  analysts’  expectations,  our  trading  volume,  the  impact  of  any  stock
repurchase program or conditions or trends in the retail industry. General economic and political conditions unrelated to our performance
may also adversely affect the price of our common stock. As a result, the market price of our common stock is likely to be similarly volatile
and investors in our common stock may experience a decrease, which could be substantial, in the value of their stock, including decreases
unrelated to our operating performance or prospects, and could lose part or all of their investment. 

In the past, securities class action litigation has often been initiated against companies following periods of volatility in their stock
price. This type of litigation could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention and resources, and could also require us
to make substantial payments to satisfy judgments or to settle litigation.

Provisions in our charter documents and Delaware law may deter takeover efforts that may be beneficial to stockholder value.

Delaware law and provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws could make it harder for a third party to acquire us, even
if  doing  so  might  be  beneficial  to  our  stockholders.  These  provisions  include  limitations  on  our  stockholders’  ability  to  act  by  written
consent. In addition, our Board has the right to issue preferred stock without stockholder approval that could be used to dilute a potential
hostile acquirer. Our certificate of incorporation imposes some restrictions on mergers and other business combinations between us and any
holder  of  15%  or  more  of  our  outstanding  common  stock  other  than  Bain  Capital  and  The  Blackstone  Group  L.P.,  who  owned
approximately 36% and 14% of our outstanding common stock, respectively, as of February 1, 2020. As a result, you may lose your ability
to sell your stock for a price in excess of the prevailing market price due to these protective measures and efforts by stockholders to change
the direction or management of the Company may be unsuccessful.

Our certificate of incorporation designates the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware as the sole and exclusive forum for certain
types  of  actions  and  proceedings  that  may  be  initiated  by  our  stockholders,  which  could  limit  our  stockholders’  ability  to  obtain  a
favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.

Our certificate of incorporation provides that, subject to limited exceptions, the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware will be
the sole and exclusive forum for (i) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a
fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other employee to us or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against us arising
pursuant  to  any  provision  of  the  Delaware  General  Corporation  Law  or  our  certificate  of  incorporation  or  the  bylaws  or  (iv)  any  action
asserting a claim against us governed by the internal affairs doctrine. Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in
shares  of  our  capital  stock  shall  be  deemed  to  have  notice  of  and  to  have  consented  to  the  provisions  of  our  certificate  of  incorporation
described above. This choice of forum provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that it finds favorable
for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage such lawsuits against us and our directors, officers
and employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find these provisions of our certificate of incorporation inapplicable to, or unenforceable in
respect  of,  one  or  more  of  the  specified  types  of  actions  or  proceedings,  we  may  incur  additional  costs  associated  with  resolving  such
matters in other jurisdictions, which could adversely affect our business and financial condition.

Because  we  have  no  current  plans  to  pay  cash  dividends  on  our  common  stock  for  the  foreseeable  future,  you  may  not  receive  any
return on investment unless you sell your common stock for a price greater than you paid.

We plan to retain future earnings, if any, for future operation, expansion and debt repayment and have no current plans to pay any
cash dividends for the foreseeable future. Any decision to declare and pay dividends in the future will be made at the discretion of our Board
and will depend on, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, cash requirements, contractual restrictions and other
factors that our Board may deem relevant. In addition, our ability to

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pay dividends may be limited by covenants of any existing and future outstanding indebtedness we or our subsidiaries incur, including our
Senior Secured Credit Facilities. As a result, you may not receive any return on an investment in our common stock unless you sell our
common stock for a price greater than you paid.

ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS.

None.

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Table of Contents

ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES

We lease substantially all of the sites for our stores, with the majority of our stores having initial lease terms of approximately 10
years. The leases are generally renewable, with increases in lease rental rates. Lessors have made leasehold improvements to prepare our
stores for opening under a majority of our existing leases. As of February 1, 2020, in connection with stores that we plan to open or relocate
in future fiscal years, we have signed 30 leases. Management believes our facilities are suitable and adequate for our business as presently
conducted.

As of February 1, 2020, we leased the following non-store facilities:

Locations

Square Footage

Distribution centers:

Hazleton, Pennsylvania
Jacksonville, Florida
Lancaster, California
Centralia, Washington
New Lenox, Illinois
Haslet, Texas
Strongsville, Ohio (two Darice warehouses)
Berlin, New Jersey

Artistree:

DFW Airport, Texas (regional processing and fulfillment operations center)
Kernersville, North Carolina (manufacturing plant and regional processing center)
Mississauga, Ontario (regional processing center)

Office space:

Irving, Texas (corporate office support center)
Strongsville, Ohio (Lamrite office support center)
Atlanta, Georgia (Darice showroom)
Mississauga, Ontario (Canadian regional office)
Kowloon Bay, Hong Kong (regional sourcing office)
Ningbo, China (regional sourcing office)

Coppell, Texas (new store staging warehouse)

20

 692,000
 506,000
 763,000
 718,000
 693,000
 433,000
 681,000
 750,000
 5,236,000

 271,000
 156,000
 62,000
 489,000

 296,000
 90,000
 6,000
 3,000
 4,000
 22,000
 421,000

 82,000
 6,228,000

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents

The following table indicates the number of our retail stores located in each state or province as of February 1, 2020:

State/Province

Number of Michaels
Stores

Alabama
Alaska
Alberta
Arizona
Arkansas
British Columbia
California
Colorado
Connecticut
Delaware
District of Columbia
Florida
Georgia
Idaho
Illinois
Indiana
Iowa
Kansas
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Manitoba
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Mississippi
Missouri
Montana
Nebraska
Nevada
New Brunswick
New Hampshire
New Jersey
New Mexico
New York
Newfoundland and Labrador
North Carolina
North Dakota
Nova Scotia
Ohio
Oklahoma
Ontario
Oregon
Pennsylvania
Prince Edward Island
Quebec
Rhode Island
Saskatchewan
South Carolina
South Dakota
Tennessee
Texas
Utah
Vermont
Virginia
Washington
West Virginia
Wisconsin
Wyoming
Total

21

 13
 4
 23
 28
 5
 17
 136
 23
 22
 5
 1
 84
 35
 7
 43
 18
 8
 8
 12
 15
 3
 4
 28
 32
 35
 23
 7
 21
 5
 6
 10
 3
 11
 32
 4
 65
 1
 37
 3
 7
 39
 8
 59
 15
 55
 1
 16
 4
 3
 16
 2
 16
 92
 14
 2
 39
 26
 5
 16
 2
 1,274

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

We  are  now,  and  may  be  in  the  future,  involved  in  various  lawsuits,  claims  and  proceedings  incident  to  the  ordinary  course  of
business. Although the results of these legal proceedings cannot be predicted with certainty, management believes that the final outcome of
such proceedings will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations or financial condition.

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

Not applicable.

PART II

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

Common Stock

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MIK”. As of February 1, 2020, there were

approximately 379 holders of record of our common stock.

Dividends

The  Company  does  not  anticipate  paying  any  cash  dividends  in  the  near  future.  We  anticipate  that  all  of  our  earnings  for  the
foreseeable future will be used to repay debt, to repurchase outstanding shares, for working capital, to support our operations and to finance
the growth and development of our business. Any future determination to pay dividends will be at the discretion of our Board, subject to
compliance with applicable law and any contractual provisions, including under agreements for indebtedness, that restrict or limit our ability
to pay dividends, and will depend upon, among other factors, our results of operations, financial condition, earnings, capital requirements
and  other  factors  that  our  Board  may  deem  relevant.  For  additional  information  concerning  restrictions  relating  to  agreements  for
indebtedness, see Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements.

Unregistered Sales of Securities

The following table provides certain information with respect to our purchases of shares of the Company’s common stock during

the fourth quarter of fiscal 2019:

Period
November 3, 2019 - November 30, 2019
December 1, 2019 - January 4, 2020
January 5, 2020 - February 1, 2020
Total

Total Number of
Shares Purchased
as Part of Publicly
  Average Price
     Shares Purchased (1)      Paid per Share      Announced Plan (2)

Total Number of

Approximate Dollar Value
of Shares That May
Yet Be Purchased
Under the Plan  (2)
(in thousands)

 5,233
 2,693
 5,792
 13,718

$

$

 7.89
 7.29
 4.93
 6.52

 — $
 —
 —
 — $

 293,524
 293,524
 293,524
 293,524

(1) These amounts reflect the surrender of shares of common stock to the Company to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting

(2)

of employee restricted stock equity awards during the fourth quarter of 2019.
In September 2018, the Board of Directors authorized the Company to purchase up to $500 million of the Company’s common stock on the open
market  or  through  accelerated  share  repurchase  transactions.  The  share  repurchase  program  does  not  have  an  expiration  date.  The  Company  has
retired and intends to continue to retire shares repurchased under the program.

22

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
    
Table of Contents

Performance Graph

The following graph shows a comparison of cumulative total return to holders of The Michaels Companies, Inc.’s common shares
against the cumulative total return of the S&P 500 Index and S&P 500 Retail Index for the five-year period beginning January 31, 2015 and
ending  February  1,  2020.  The  comparison  of  the  cumulative  total  returns  for  each  investment  assumes  that  $100  was  invested  in  The
Michaels Companies, Inc. common shares and the respective indices on January 31, 2015 through February 1, 2020 including reinvestment
of any dividends. Historical share price performance should not be relied upon as an indication of future share price performance.

The Michaels Companies, Inc.
S&P 500 Index
S&P 500 Retail Index

$

1/31/2015
 100.00
 100.00
 100.00

$

1/30/2016
 84.50
 99.33
 89.56

$

1/28/2017
 75.81
 120.06
 94.57

2/3/2018

2/2/2019

2/1/2020

$

$

 101.28
 147.48
 102.40

$

52.75
147.40
100.16

19.11
179.17
99.81

23

Table of Contents

ITEM 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA.

The  following  financial  information  for  the  five  most  recent  fiscal  years  has  been  derived  from  our  consolidated  financial
statements.  This  information  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  the  consolidated  financial  statements  and  related  notes  thereto  included
elsewhere herein.

Fiscal Year (1)
2019
2015
2017
(in thousands, except earnings per share, other operating and store count data)

2016 (2)

2018

Results of Operations Data:
Net sales
Restructure and impairment charges (3)
Operating income
Interest expense
Losses on early extinguishments of debt and refinancing costs
Net income (4)
Earnings per common share:

Basic
Diluted

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:

Basic
Diluted

Balance Sheet Data:
Cash and equivalents
Merchandise inventories
Total current assets
Operating lease assets (5)
Total assets
Current portion of operating lease liabilities  (5)
Current portion of long-term debt
Total current liabilities
Long-term debt
Long-term operating lease liabilities (5)
Total liabilities
Stockholders’ deficit
Other Operating Data:
Average net sales per selling square foot (6)
Comparable store sales
Comparable store sales, at constant currency
Total selling square footage (in thousands)
Stores Open at End of Year:
Michaels
Aaron Brothers
Pat Catan's
Total stores open at end of year

$

$
$

$

$

 5,072,037
 48,332
 515,037
 154,090
 1,316
 272,595

 1.78
 1.78

 153,134
 153,202

 409,964
 1,097,109
 1,599,802
 1,610,013
 3,838,095
 306,796
 24,900
 1,196,366
 2,644,460
 1,357,821
 5,284,559
 (1,446,464)

$

$
$

$

 5,271,944
 104,238
 563,612
 147,085
 1,835
 319,545

 1.87
 1.86

 170,610
 171,378

 245,887
 1,108,715
 1,515,524
 —
 2,128,336
 —
 24,900
 932,553
 2,681,000
 —
 3,754,531
 (1,626,195)

$

$
$

$

 5,361,960
 —
 735,390
 129,116
 —
 390,498

 2.11
 2.10

 184,281
 185,566

 425,896
 1,123,288
 1,676,982
 —
 2,300,215
 —
 24,900
 957,945
 2,701,764
 —
 3,809,710
 (1,509,495)

$

$
$

$

 5,197,292
 —
 715,280
 126,270
 7,292
 378,159

 1.84
 1.82

 204,735
 206,354

 298,813
 1,127,777
 1,542,805
 —
 2,147,640
 —
 31,125
 1,024,224
 2,723,187
 —
 3,846,066
 (1,698,426)

$

$
$

$

 4,912,782
 —
 720,604
 139,405
 8,485
 362,912

 1.75
 1.72

 206,845
 209,346

 409,391
 1,002,607
 1,507,723
 —
 2,031,287
 —
 24,900
 912,860
 2,744,942
 —
 3,755,382
 (1,724,095)

$

 221
 (1.9)%
 (1.8)%

$

 227
 0.8 %
 0.9 %

$

 224
 0.9 %
 0.7 %

$

 223
 (0.5)%
 (0.4)%

 223
 1.8 %
 3.2 %

 22,877

 22,339

 23,749

 23,539

 22,068

 1,274
 —
 —

 1,274

 1,258
 —
 —

 1,258

 1,238
 97
 36

 1,371

 1,223
 109
 35

 1,367

 1,196
 117
 —

 1,313

(1)

(2)

Fiscal 2017 consisted of 53 weeks while all other periods presented consisted of 52 weeks.
Fiscal  2016  results  of  operations  includes  $11.4  million  of  non-recurring  purchase  accounting  adjustments  and  integration  costs  related  to  the
acquisition of Lamrite West, Inc. and certain of its affiliates and subsidiaries (“Lamrite”) on February 2, 2016.

(3) The restructure and impairment charges in fiscal 2019 primarily relate to the closure of our Pat Catan’s stores and impairments taken on our Darice
wholesale  business.  The  restructure  and  impairment  charges  in  fiscal  2018  primarily  relate  to  the  closure  of  our Aaron  Brothers  and  Pat  Catan’s
stores.

(4) Net income for fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 includes $1.0 million and $8.5 million, respectively, of net additional income tax expense as a result of

the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017.

(5) On  February  3,  2019,  we  adopted Accounting  Standards  Update  2016-02,  Leases (Topic 842),  which  resulted  in  the  recording  of  operating  lease

assets and operating lease liabilities on our consolidated balance sheet.

(6) The calculation of average net sales per selling square foot only includes Michaels comparable stores.

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

The following discussion and analysis of our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity generally discusses fiscal 2019
compared to fiscal 2018. For a discussion of our financial condition, results of operations and liquidity for fiscal 2018 compared to fiscal
2017, see “Part II, Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report
on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 2, 2019, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 19, 2019.

We report on the basis of a 52-week or 53-week fiscal year, which ends on the Saturday closest to January 31. All references to
fiscal  year  mean  the  year  in  which  that  fiscal  year  began.  References  to  “fiscal  2019”  relate  to  the  52  weeks  ended  February  1,  2020,
references  to  “fiscal  2018”  relate  to  the  52  weeks  ended  February  2,  2019  and  references  to  “fiscal  2017”  relate  to  the  53  weeks  ended
February 3, 2018.

Michaels  Stores,  Inc.  (“MSI”)  is  headquartered  in  Irving,  Texas  and  was  incorporated  in  the  state  of  Delaware  in  1983.  In  July
2013, MSI was reorganized into a holding company structure and The Michaels Companies, Inc. (the “Company”) was incorporated in the
state of Delaware in connection with the reorganization.

Fiscal 2019 Overview

With $5,072.0 million in net sales in fiscal 2019, we are the largest arts and crafts specialty retailer in North America (based on
store  count)  providing  materials,  project  ideas  and  education  for  creative  activities,  primarily  under  the  Michaels  retail  brand.  We  also
operate a wholesale business under the Darice brand name and a market-leading vertically-integrated custom framing business under the
Artistree brand name. At February 1, 2020, we operated 1,274 Michaels stores.

Financial highlights for fiscal 2019 include the following:

● Net sales decreased to $5,072.0 million, a 3.8% decrease compared to last year, primarily due to the closure of our Pat Catan’s

stores and a decrease in comparable store sales.

● Comparable store sales decreased 1.9%, or 1.8% at constant exchange rates.

● We recorded restructure and impairment charges totaling $48.3 million, consisting of $40.1 million of impairment charges as a
result of lower than expected operating performance in our Darice wholesale business and $8.2 million related to the closure of
our Pat Catan’s stores.

● On  November  22,  2019,  we  acquired  certain  intangible  assets  from A.C.  Moore  Incorporated  for  $62.1  million,  including
customer relationships and tradenames totaling $56.0 million and $5.2 million, respectively. In connection with the transaction,
we also leased a distribution facility in New Jersey and 19 store locations.

● We reported operating income of $515.0 million, a decrease of 8.6% from the prior year and net income of $272.6 million, a

decrease of 14.7% from the prior year.

● Adjusted  EBITDA,  a  non-GAAP  measure  that  is  a  required  calculation  in  our  debt  agreements,  decreased  by  12.1%,  from
$834.6  million  in  fiscal  2018  to  $733.9  million  in  fiscal  2019  (see  “Management  Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial
Condition and Results of Operations - Non-GAAP Measures”).

● We redeemed our 2020 senior subordinated notes with proceeds from the issuance of our 2027 senior notes, together with cash

on hand, and extended the due date for our senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility to August 30, 2024.

● We repurchased 11.6 million shares for an aggregate amount of $105.1 million.

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In fiscal 2019, we continued to make progress implementing our strategic initiatives, including:

●

●

●

●

●

altering our assortments, including technology, craft storage and fine art, to better align with our customers needs;

pivoting  to  a  more  customer  centric  selling  model  by  shifting  our  store  culture  from  being  task-oriented  to  a  more  customer
service culture;

improving profitability in our e-commerce business and launching e-commerce in Canada;

focusing  on  our  customer  relationship  management  (“CRM”)  strategy  through  the  use  of  personalized  customer  emails  to
improve customer engagement and drive incremental trips to our stores and website;

leveraging  new  data  analytical  capabilities  to  help  us  identify  actionable  customer  insights,  create  more  effective  customer
communications and enhance our assortment; and

●

generating meaningful cost savings through our ongoing sourcing efforts.

Fiscal 2020 Outlook

In fiscal 2020, we intend to continue to expand our industry leadership through innovation and strategic initiatives such as:

●

●

●

●

●

●

leveraging our improved category management process to ensure the mix within each category is appropriate and aligned with
the needs of our customer;

strengthening our CRM capabilities by continuing to develop a more personalized e-commerce experience, including targeted
promotional offerings;

expanding our Michaels Rewards loyalty program by enabling customers to earn rewards on purchases that can be redeemed for
discounts on future purchases;

enhancing our pricing and promotion programs by leveraging data to define optimal pricing levels and promotional offers to
drive profitability;

expanding our assortment to include more bulk merchandise for customers who create items to resell; and

continuing to maximize our marketing productivity by shifting to more productive media options, including digital and targeted
television advertising.

Comparable Store Sales

Comparable store sales represents the change in net sales for stores open the same number of months in the comparable period of
the previous year, including stores that were relocated or expanded during either period, as well as e-commerce sales. A store is deemed to
become comparable in its 14th month of operation in order to eliminate grand opening sales distortions. A store temporarily closed more
than two weeks is not considered comparable during the month it is closed. If a store is closed longer than two weeks but less than two
months, it becomes comparable in the month in which it reopens, subject to a mid-month convention. A store closed longer than two months
becomes comparable in its 14th month of operation after its reopening.

Coronavirus

In  late  2019,  a  new  strain  of  the  coronavirus  was  detected  in  Wuhan,  China  and  other  jurisdictions,  prompting  the  Chinese
government to quarantine certain affected regions and impose both internal and external travel restrictions within the country. The virus has
since spread to other parts of the world, including the U.S. In an effort to mitigate the continued spread of the virus, federal, state and local
governments, as well as certain private entities have mandated various

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restrictions, including travel restrictions, restrictions on public gatherings and quarantining of people who may have been exposed to the
virus. As  a  result  of  these  restrictions,  together  with  a  general  fear  of  the  impact  on  the  global  economy  and  financial  markets,  there  is
significant uncertainty surrounding the potential impact on our business. While too early to quantify, we have recently experienced some
impact on our sales. The virus could negatively impact our results of operations by continuing to weaken demand for our products or by
disrupting our supply chain. As events are rapidly changing, we are unable to accurately predict the impact that the coronavirus will have on
our results of operations due to uncertainties including, but not limited to, the duration of quarantines and other travel restrictions within
China, the U.S. and other affected countries, the ultimate geographical spread of the virus, the severity of the disease, the duration of the
outbreak and the public’s response to the outbreak.

Tariffs

Certain products that we import from China have been impacted by tariffs. During fiscal 2019, we mitigated a substantial amount
of the financial impact of these tariffs. Our mitigation efforts included, among other things, selectively increasing prices on certain of our
products,  sourcing  products  from  alternative  countries  and  negotiating  lower  prices  with  our  suppliers  in  China.  If  additional  tariffs  are
implemented,  we  cannot  provide  any  assurances  that  our  mitigation  efforts  will  be  successful  and,  as  a  result,  such  tariffs  could  have  a
material impact on our business.

Results of Operations

The  following  table  sets  forth  the  percentage  relationship  to  net  sales  of  line  items  in  our  consolidated  statements  of
comprehensive  income.  This  table  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  the  following  discussion  and  with  our  consolidated  financial
statements, including the related notes.

Net sales
Cost of sales and occupancy expense

Gross profit

Selling, general and administrative
Restructure and impairment charges
Store pre-opening costs
Operating income

Interest expense
Losses on early extinguishments of debt and refinancing costs
Other expense (income), net

Income before income taxes

Income taxes
Net income

Fiscal 2019 Compared to Fiscal 2018

2019
 100.0 %  

Fiscal Year
2018
 100.0 %  

 63.1
 36.9
 25.7
 1.0
 0.1
 10.2
 3.0
 —
 —
 7.1
 1.7
 5.4 %  

 61.6
 38.4
 25.6
 2.0
 0.1
 10.7
 2.8
 —
 —
 7.9
 1.8
 6.1 %  

2017

 100.0 %
 60.3
 39.7
 25.9
 —
 0.1
 13.7
 2.4
 —
 —
 11.3
 4.0
 7.3 %

Net Sales. Net sales decreased $199.9 million in fiscal 2019, or 3.8%, compared to fiscal 2018. The decrease in net sales was due to
a $122.6 million decrease related to the closure of our Pat Catan’s and Aaron Brothers stores during fiscal 2018, a $96.9 million decrease in
comparable store sales and a $26.9 million decrease in wholesale revenue. The decrease was partially offset by $45.5 million of net sales
related to 16 additional Michaels stores opened (net of closures) since February 2, 2019. Comparable store sales decreased 1.9%, or 1.8% at
constant exchange rates, compared to fiscal 2018 due to a decrease in customer transactions, partially offset by an increase in average ticket.

Gross Profit. Gross profit was 36.9% of net sales in fiscal 2019 compared to 38.4% in fiscal 2018. The 150 basis point decrease
was  primarily  due  to  an  increase  in  promotional  activity,  the  impact  of  tariffs  on  inventory  we  purchase  from  China,  higher  distribution
related costs, a change in sales mix and the deleveraging of occupancy costs. The decrease was partially offset by benefits from our ongoing
pricing and sourcing initiatives.

Selling,  General  and  Administrative.  Selling,  general  and  administrative  (“SG&A”)  was  25.7%  of  net  sales  in  fiscal  2019
compared to 25.6% in fiscal 2018. SG&A decreased $47.1 million to $1,304.3 million in fiscal 2019. The decrease was primarily due to a
$33.6 million decrease in performance-based compensation and other payroll-related costs,

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a $32.8 million decrease related to the closure of our Pat Catan’s and Aaron Brothers stores during fiscal 2018 and a $2.8 million decrease
in marketing expenses. The decrease was partially offset by $9.2 million of CEO transition costs, $5.6 million of higher legal-related costs
and $4.5 million associated with operating 16 additional Michaels stores (net of closures) since February 2, 2019.

Restructure and Impairment Charges. We recorded restructure and impairment charges of $48.3 million in fiscal 2019, consisting
of $40.1 million of impairment charges as a result of lower than expected operating performance in our wholesale business and a restructure
charge of $8.2 million related to the closure of our Pat Catan’s stores during fiscal 2018. In fiscal 2018, we recorded a restructure charge of
$104.2 million, consisting of $57.2 million related to the closure of our Pat Catan’s stores, $41.7 million related to the closure of our Aaron
Brothers stores and $5.3 million of employee-related charges as a result of certain organizational changes made to streamline our operations
at our support center.  

Interest Expense. Interest expense increased $7.0 million to $154.1 million in fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018. The increase
was  primarily  due  to  $5.7  million  related  to  a  higher  interest  rate  on  our  2027  senior  notes,  $1.7  million  of  interest  paid  on  our  senior
subordinated notes during the period between the issuance of our 2027 senior notes and the redemption of the senior subordinated notes and
a $1.2 million increase in settlement payments associated with our interest rate swaps. The increase was partially offset by a $1.3 million
decrease related to reduced borrowings on our senior secured asset-based revolving credit facility.

Losses on Early Extinguishments of Debt and Refinancing Costs. We recorded a loss on the early extinguishment of debt of $1.3
million during fiscal 2019 related to the redemption of our senior subordinated notes and the refinancing of our senior secured asset-based
revolving credit facility. We recorded a loss on the early extinguishment of debt of $1.8 million during fiscal 2018 related to the refinancing
of our term loan credit facility.

Other Expense (Income). Other expense increased $3.6 million in fiscal 2019 compared to fiscal 2018. The increase was primarily

due to a $5.0 million charge related to the write-off of an investment in a liquidated business in fiscal 2019.

Income Taxes. The effective tax rate was 23.9% for fiscal 2019 compared to 23.4% for fiscal 2018. The increase in the effective
tax rate in fiscal 2019 is primarily due to tax expense related to the vesting and expiration of share-based compensation awards. The increase
was partially offset by a $2.5 million tax benefit associated with a state income tax settlement in fiscal 2019.  

Liquidity and Capital Resources

We  require  cash  principally  for  day-to-day  operations,  to  finance  capital  investments  (including  possible  acquisitions),  purchase
inventory, service our outstanding debt and for seasonal working capital needs. We expect that our available cash, cash flow generated from
operating  activities  and  funds  available  under  our  Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  will  be  sufficient  to  fund  planned  capital
expenditures, working capital requirements, debt repayments, debt service requirements and anticipated growth for the foreseeable future.
Our ability to satisfy our liquidity needs and continue to refinance or reduce debt could be adversely affected by the occurrence of any of the
events described under “Item 1A. Risk Factors” or our failure to meet our debt covenants as described below. As a result of the coronavirus
outbreak, there is significant uncertainty surrounding the potential impact on our results of operations and cash flows. We are proactively
taking  steps  to  increase  available  cash  on-hand  including,  but  not  limited  to,  targeted  reductions  in  discretionary  operating  expenses  and
capital expenditures, and utilizing funds available under our Amended Revolving Credit Facility.  

Our Amended Revolving Credit Facility provides senior secured financing of up to $850 million, subject to a borrowing base. As
of  February  1,  2020,  the  borrowing  base  was  $850  million,  of  which  we  had  no  outstanding  borrowings,  $81.9  million  of  outstanding
standby letters of credit and $768.1 million of unused borrowing capacity. Our cash and cash equivalents totaled $410.0 million at February
1, 2020.

On  November  22,  2019,  the  Company  acquired  certain  intangible  assets  from  A.C.  Moore  Incorporated  for  $62.1  million,
including customer relationships and tradenames totaling $56.0 million and $5.2 million, respectively. In connection with the transaction,
we also leased a distribution facility in New Jersey and 19 store locations. The store locations will be reopened under the Michaels brand
name in fiscal 2020 and will include the relocation of certain existing Michaels stores. We believe the transaction will enable us to expand
our presence in strategic markets and better serve our customers both online and in stores.

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In September 2018, the Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program for the Company to purchase $500 million
of the Company’s common stock on the open market or through accelerated share repurchase transactions. The share repurchase program
does  not  have  an  expiration  date,  and  the  timing  and  number  of  repurchase  transactions  under  the  program  will  depend  on  market
conditions,  corporate  considerations,  debt  agreements  and  regulatory  requirements.  Shares  repurchased  under  the  program  are  held  as
treasury shares until retired. During the year ended February 1, 2020, we repurchased 11.6 million shares for an aggregate amount of $105.1
million. As of February 1, 2020, we had $293.5 million of availability remaining under our current share repurchase program.

We had total outstanding debt of $2,682.6 million at February 1, 2020, of which $2,182.6 million was subject to variable interest
rates and $500.0 million was subject to fixed interest rates. In April 2018, we executed two interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional
value  of  $1  billion  associated  with  our  outstanding Amended  and  Restated  Term  Loan  Credit  Facility  (as  defined  below).  The  swaps
replaced the one-month LIBOR with a fixed interest rate of 2.7765%.

Our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our ability to raise additional capital, limit our ability to react to changes in the
economy or our industry, expose us to interest rate risk and prevent us from meeting our obligations. Management reacts strategically to
changes  in  economic  conditions  and  monitors  compliance  with  debt  covenants  to  seek  to  mitigate  any  potential  material  impacts  to  our
financial condition and flexibility.

We  intend  to  use  excess  operating  cash  flows  to  invest  in  growth  opportunities  (including  possible  acquisitions),  repurchase
outstanding shares and repay portions of our indebtedness, depending on prevailing market conditions, liquidity requirements, contractual
restrictions and other factors. As such, we and our subsidiaries, affiliates and significant shareholders may, from time to time, seek to retire
or  purchase  our  outstanding  debt  (including  publicly  issued  debt)  through  cash  purchases  and/or  exchanges,  in  open  market  purchases,
privately negotiated transactions, by tender offer or otherwise. If we use our excess cash flows to repay our debt, it will reduce the amount
of excess cash available for additional capital expenditures.

Cash Flow from Operating Activities

Cash flows provided by operating activities were $493.2 million in fiscal 2019, an increase of $48.9 million from fiscal 2018. The
increase was primarily due to additional collections of outstanding receivables and lower tax payments, partially offset by lower operating
income in fiscal 2019.

Inventory  decreased  1.0%  to  $1,097.1  million  at  February  1,  2020,  from  $1,108.7  million  at  February  2,  2019.  The  decrease  in
inventory  was  primarily  due  to  a  decrease  in  wholesale  inventory  as  a  result  of  declining  demand  from  customers.  The  decrease  was
partially offset by tariffs enacted on product that we purchase from China, lower sales and additional inventory associated with the operation
of 16 additional Michaels stores (net of closures) since February 2, 2019. Average inventory per Michaels store (inclusive of distribution
centers, in-transit and inventory for the Company’s e-commerce site) decreased 1.9% to $816,000 at February 1, 2020, from $832,000 at
February 2, 2019.

Cash Flow from Investing Activities

The following table includes capital expenditures paid during the periods presented (in thousands):

New and relocated stores (including stores not yet opened) (1)
Existing stores
Information systems
Corporate and other

$

2019

 11,110   $
 34,998  
 54,222  
 20,215  

$

 120,545

$

Fiscal Year
2018

 32,153
 39,524
 54,794
 18,916
 145,387

$

$

2017

 19,419
 35,940
 47,894
 24,577
 127,830

(1)

In fiscal 2019, we incurred capital expenditures related to the opening of 34 Michaels stores, including the relocation of 13 stores.  In fiscal 2018, we
incurred capital expenditures related to the opening of 45 Michaels stores, including the relocation of 21 stores. In fiscal 2017, we incurred capital
expenditures related to the opening of 29 Michaels stores, including the relocation of 12 stores, and the opening of one Pat Catan’s store.

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In fiscal 2020, we plan to invest in the infrastructure necessary to support the further development of our business, including the
buildout  of  our  new  distribution  center  in  New  Jersey,  investments  in  information  technology  related  to  our  e-commerce  business,
enhancing our digital platforms and tools, and improving our data analytical capabilities to gain additional customer insights. In addition, we
will  continue  to  invest  in  new  store  openings  and  store  remodels.  In  fiscal  2020,  we  plan  to  open  approximately  45  Michaels  stores,
including approximately 16 relocations.

Term Loan Credit Facility

On  May  23,  2018,  MSI  entered  into  an  amendment  with  JPMorgan,  as  successor  administrative  agent  and  successor  collateral
agent,  and  other  lenders  to  amend  and  restate  our  then-existing  term  loan  credit  facility.  The  amended  and  restated  credit  agreement,
together with the related security, guarantee and other agreements, is referred to as the “Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility”.
Borrowings under the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility bear interest at a rate per annum, at MSI’s option, of either (a) a
margin of 1.50% plus a base rate defined as the highest of (1) the prime rate of JPMorgan, (2) the federal funds effective rate plus 0.5%,
and  (3)  the  one-month  London  Interbank  Offered  Rate  (“LIBOR”)  plus  1%  or  (b)  a  margin  of  2.50%  plus  the  applicable  LIBOR.  The
Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility matures on January 28, 2023.

As of February 1, 2020, the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility provides for senior secured financing of $2,182.6
million. MSI has the right under the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility to request additional term loans (a) in the aggregate
amount of up to $750 million or (b) at MSI’s election, an amount of additional term loans if the consolidated secured debt ratio (as defined
in the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility) is no more than 3.25 to 1.00 on a pro forma basis as of the last day of the most
recently ended four quarter period, subject to certain adjustments. The lenders under the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility
will not be under any obligation to provide any such additional term loans, and the incurrence of any such additional term loans is subject to
customary conditions.

There are no limitations on dividends and certain other restricted payments so long as (a) no event of default shall have occurred
and be continuing and (b) immediately after giving pro forma effect to such restricted payment(s) and the application of proceeds therefrom,
the consolidated total leverage ratio is less than or equal to 3.75 to 1.00.

MSI must offer to prepay outstanding term loans at 100% of the principal amount, plus any unpaid interest, with the proceeds of
certain asset sales or casualty events under certain circumstances. MSI may voluntarily prepay outstanding loans under the Amended and
Restated Term Loan Credit Facility at any time without premium or penalty other than customary breakage costs with respect to LIBOR
loans.

MSI is required to make scheduled quarterly payments equal to 0.25% of the original principal amount of the term loans (subject to

adjustments relating to the incurrence of additional term loans), with the balance to be paid on January 28, 2023.

All obligations under the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility are unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally,
by  Michaels  Funding,  Inc.  (“Holdings”)  and  all  of  MSI’s  existing  domestic  material  subsidiaries  and  are  required  to  be  guaranteed  by
certain of MSI’s future domestic wholly-owned material subsidiaries (the “Subsidiary Guarantors”). All obligations under the Amended and
Restated Term Loan Credit Facility, and the guarantees of those obligations, are secured, subject to certain exceptions, by substantially all of
the assets of Holdings, MSI and the Subsidiary Guarantors, including:

●

●

a first-priority pledge of MSI’s capital stock and all of the capital stock held directly by MSI and the Subsidiary Guarantors
(which  pledge,  in  the  case  of  any  foreign  subsidiary  or  foreign  subsidiary  holding  company,  is  limited  to  65%  of  the  voting
stock of such foreign subsidiary or foreign subsidiary holding company and 100% of the non-voting stock of such subsidiary);

a first-priority security interest in, and mortgages on, substantially all other tangible and intangible assets of Holdings, MSI and
each  Subsidiary  Guarantor,  including  substantially  all  of  MSI’s  and  the  Subsidiary  Guarantors  owned  real  property  and
equipment, but excluding, among other things, the collateral described below; and

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●

a second-priority security interest in personal property consisting of inventory and related accounts, cash, deposit accounts, all
payments received by Holdings, MSI or the Subsidiary Guarantors from credit card clearinghouses and processors or otherwise
in  respect  of  all  credit  card  charges  and  debit  card  charges  for  sales  of  inventory  by  Holdings,  MSI  and  the  Subsidiary
Guarantors, and certain related assets and proceeds of the foregoing.

The Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility contains a number of negative covenants that are substantially similar to,
but more restrictive in certain respects than, those governing the 2027 Senior Notes (as defined below), as well as certain other customary
representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants and events of default. As of February 1, 2020, MSI was in compliance
with all covenants.

Interest Rate Swaps

In April 2018, we executed two interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional value of $1 billion associated with our outstanding
Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility. The interest rate swaps have a maturity date of April 30, 2021 and were executed for risk
management and are not held for trading purposes. The objective of the interest rate swaps is to hedge the variability of cash flows resulting
from fluctuations in the one-month LIBOR. The swaps replaced the one-month LIBOR with a fixed interest rate of 2.7765% and payments
are settled monthly. The swaps qualify as cash flow hedges and changes in the fair values are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive
income  in  the  consolidated  balance  sheet.  The  changes  in  fair  value  are  reclassified  from  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  to
interest expense in the same period that the hedged items affect earnings.

8% Senior Notes due 2027

On July 8, 2019, MSI issued $500 million in principal amount of senior notes maturing in 2027 (“2027 Senior Notes”). The 2027
Senior  Notes  were  issued  pursuant  to  an  indenture  among  MSI,  certain  subsidiaries  of  MSI,  as  guarantors,  and  U.S.  Bank  National
Association, as trustee (the “2027 Senior Notes Indenture”). The 2027 Senior Notes mature on July 15, 2027 and bear interest at a rate of
8% per year, with interest payable semi-annually on January 15 and July 15 of each year, beginning on January 15, 2020.

The net proceeds from the offering and sale of the 2027 Senior Notes, together with cash on hand, were used to redeem MSI’s

outstanding 2020 Senior Subordinated Notes (as defined below).

The  2027  Senior  Notes  are  fully  and  unconditionally  guaranteed,  jointly  and  severally,  on  a  senior  unsecured  basis  by  each  of
MSI’s subsidiaries that guarantee indebtedness under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility and the Amended and Restated Term Loan
Credit Facility (collectively defined as the “Senior Secured Credit Facilities”).

The  2027  Senior  Notes  are  general,  unsecured  obligations  of  MSI,  and  the  guarantees  of  the  2027  Senior  Notes  are  general,
unsecured obligations of the guarantors. They (i) rank equally in right of payment with all of MSI’s and the guarantors’ existing and future
senior debt, including the Senior Secured Credit Facilities, (ii) are effectively subordinated to any of MSI’s and the guarantors’ existing and
future  secured  debt  to  the  extent  of  the  value  of  the  assets  securing  such  debt,  including  the  Senior  Secured  Credit  Facilities,  (iii)  are
structurally subordinated to all of the liabilities of MSI’s subsidiaries that are not guaranteeing the 2027 Senior Notes, and (iv) are senior in
right of payment with all of MSI’s and the guarantors’ existing and future subordinated debt.

At any time prior to July 15, 2022, MSI may redeem (a) up to 40% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2027 Senior Notes
with the gross proceeds from one or more Equity Offerings, as defined in the 2027 Senior Notes Indenture, at a redemption price of 108% of
the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date and/or (b) all or part of the 2027 Senior
Notes at 100% of the principal amount plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date plus a make-
whole premium. Thereafter, MSI may redeem all or part of the 2027 Senior Notes at the redemption prices set forth below (expressed as
percentages  of  the  principal  amount  of  the  2027  Senior  Notes  to  be  redeemed)  plus  any  accrued  and  unpaid  interest  thereon  to,  but
excluding, the

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applicable date of redemption, if redeemed during the twelve month period beginning on July 15 of each of the years indicated below:

Year
2022
2023
2024 and thereafter

Percentage

104 %
102 %
100 %

Upon a change in control, MSI is required to offer to purchase the 2027 Senior Notes at 101% of the aggregate principal amount,

plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the date of purchase.

Subject  to  certain  exceptions  and  qualifications,  the  2027  Senior  Notes  Indenture  contains  covenants  that,  among  other  things,

limit MSI’s ability and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries, including the guarantors, to:

●

●

●

●

●

●

incur additional indebtedness or issue certain disqualified stock or preferred stock;

create liens;

pay dividends on MSI’s capital stock or make distributions or redeem or repurchase MSI’s capital stock;

prepay subordinated debt or make certain investments, loans, advances, and acquisitions;

transfer or sell assets;

engage in consolidations, amalgamations or mergers, or sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of their
assets; and

●

enter into certain transactions with affiliates.

The covenants also limit MSI’s ability, and the ability of MSI’s restricted subsidiaries, to pay dividends or distributions on MSI’s
capital stock or repurchase MSI’s capital stock, subject to certain exceptions, including dividends, distributions and repurchases up to (i) an
amount equal to the greater of $200.0 million and 25% of MSI’s consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the 2027 Senior Notes Indenture) and
(ii) a basket that builds based on 50% of MSI’s consolidated net income (as defined in the 2027 Senior Notes Indenture) and certain other
amounts, in each case, to the extent such payment capacity is not applied as otherwise permitted under the 2027 Senior Notes Indenture and
subject to certain conditions. However, there are no limitations on dividends and certain other restricted payments so long as (a) no event of
default  shall  have  occurred  and  be  continuing  and  (b)  immediately  after  giving  pro  forma  effect  to  such  restricted  payment(s)  and  the
application of proceeds therefrom, the total net leverage ratio is less than or equal to 3.25 to 1.00. As of February 1, 2020, the permitted
restricted payment amount was $356.8 million. The 2027 Senior Notes Indenture also provides for customary events of default which, if any
of them occurs, would require or permit the principal of and accrued interest on the 2027 Senior Notes to become or to be declared due and
payable. As of February 1, 2020, MSI was in compliance with all covenants.

Revolving Credit Facility

On August  30,  2019,  MSI  entered  into  an  amendment  with  Wells  Fargo  Bank,  National Association  (“Wells  Fargo”)  and  other
lenders  to,  among  other  things,  extend  the  maturity  date  of  our  then-existing  senior  secured  asset-based  revolving  credit  facility  (the
“Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility”).  The Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  matures  in August  2024,  subject  to  an  earlier  springing
maturity date if certain of our outstanding indebtedness has not been repaid, redeemed, refinanced, or cash collateralized or if the necessary
availability reserves have not been established prior to such time (the “ABL Maturity Date”).

The Amended Revolving Credit Facility provides for senior secured financing of up to $850 million, subject to a borrowing base.
The borrowing base under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility equals the sum of: (i) 90% of eligible credit card receivables, (ii) 85% of
eligible trade receivables, (iii) 90% to 92.5% of the appraised value of eligible

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inventory, plus (iv) 90% to 92.5% of the lesser of (a) the appraised value of eligible inventory supported by letters of credit, and (b) the face
amount of the letters of credit, less (v) certain reserves.

As of February 1, 2020, the borrowing base was $850 million of which MSI had availability of $768.1 million. Borrowing capacity
is  available  for  letters  of  credit  and  borrowings  on  same-day  notice.  Outstanding  standby  letters  of  credit  as  of  February  1,  2020  totaled
$81.9 million.

The Amended Revolving Credit Facility also provides MSI with the right to request up to $200 million of additional commitments.
The lenders will not be under any obligation to provide any such additional commitments, and any increase in commitments is subject to
customary  conditions.  If  we  were  to  request  additional  commitments,  and  the  lenders  were  to  agree  to  provide  such  commitments,  the
facility size could be increased up to $1,050 million, however, MSI’s ability to borrow would still be limited by the borrowing base.

Borrowings under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at a rate per annum equal to, at our option, either (a) a base
rate  determined  by  reference  to  the  highest  of  (1)  the  prime  rate  of  Wells  Fargo,  (2)  the  federal  funds  effective  rate  plus  0.50%  and
(3) LIBOR subject to certain adjustments plus 1.00% or (b) LIBOR subject to certain adjustments, in each case plus an applicable margin.
The initial applicable margin is (a) 0.25% for prime rate borrowings and 1.25% for LIBOR borrowings. The applicable margin is subject to
adjustment each fiscal quarter based on the excess availability under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility. Excess availability is defined
as  the  Loan  Cap  (as  defined  below)  plus  certain  unrestricted  cash  of  Holdings,  MSI  and  the  Subsidiary  Guarantors,  less  the  outstanding
credit extensions. Same-day borrowings bear interest at the base rate plus the applicable margin.

MSI is required to pay a commitment fee on the unutilized commitments under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility, which is
0.25% per annum, subject to reduction to 0.20% when excess availability is less than 50% of the Loan Cap (as defined below). In addition,
MSI must pay customary letter of credit fees and agency fees.

All obligations under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility are unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, by Holdings
and the Subsidiary Guarantors. All obligations under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility, and the guarantees of those obligations, are
secured, subject to certain exceptions, by substantially all of the assets of Holdings, MSI and the Subsidiary Guarantors, including:

●

●

●

a  first-priority  security  interest  in  personal  property  consisting  of  inventory  and  related  accounts,  cash,  deposit  accounts,  all
payments received by Holdings, MSI or the Subsidiary Guarantors from credit card clearinghouses and processors or otherwise
in  respect  of  all  credit  card  charges  and  debit  card  charges  for  sales  of  inventory  by  Holdings,  MSI  and  the  Subsidiary
Guarantors, and certain related assets and proceeds of the foregoing;

a second-priority pledge of all of MSI’s capital stock and the capital stock held directly by MSI and the Subsidiary Guarantors
(which pledge, in the case of the capital stock of any foreign subsidiary or foreign subsidiary holding company, is limited to
65% of the voting stock of such foreign subsidiary or foreign subsidiary holding company and 100% of the non-voting stock of
such subsidiary); and

a second-priority security interest in, and mortgages on, substantially all other tangible and intangible assets of Holdings, MSI
and  each  Subsidiary  Guarantor,  including  substantially  all  of  MSI’s  and  the  Subsidiary  Guarantors  owned  real  property  and
equipment.

If,  at  any  time,  the  aggregate  amount  of  outstanding  loans,  unreimbursed  letter  of  credit  drawings  and  undrawn  letters  of  credit
under  the Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  exceeds  the  lesser  of  (i)  the  commitment  amount  and  (ii)  the  borrowing  base  (the  “Loan
Cap”), MSI will be required to repay outstanding loans and cash collateralize letters of credit in an aggregate amount equal to such excess,
with no reduction of the commitment amount. If availability under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility is less than the greater of (i) 10%
of the Loan Cap and (ii) $50 million for five consecutive business days, or, if certain events of default have occurred, MSI will be required
to  repay  outstanding  loans  and  cash  collateralize  letters  of  credit  with  the  cash  MSI  would  be  required  to  deposit  daily  in  a  collection
account maintained with the agent under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility. Availability under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility
means the Loan Cap minus the outstanding credit extensions. MSI may voluntarily reduce the unutilized portion of the commitment amount
and repay outstanding loans at any time without premium or penalty, other than

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customary breakage costs with respect to LIBOR loans. The principal amount of the loans outstanding is due and payable in full on the ABL
Maturity Date.

The covenants limiting dividends and other restricted payments, investments, loans, advances and acquisitions, and prepayments
or  redemptions  of  indebtedness,  each  permit  the  restricted  actions  in  an  unlimited  amount,  subject  to  the  satisfaction  of  certain  payment
conditions,  principally  that  MSI  must  meet  specified  excess  availability  requirements  and  minimum  consolidated  fixed  charge  coverage
ratios, to be tested on a pro forma basis as of the date of the restricted action and for the 30-day period preceding such restricted action.
Adjusted  EBITDA,  as  defined  in  the  Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility,  is  used  in  the  calculation  of  the  consolidated  fixed  charge
coverage ratios.

From the time when MSI has excess availability less than the greater of (a) 10% of the Loan Cap and (b) $50 million, until the time
when  MSI  has  excess  availability  more  than  the  greater  of  (a)  10%  of  the  Loan  Cap  and  (b)  $50  million  for  30  consecutive  days,  the
Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  will  require  MSI  to  maintain  a  consolidated  fixed  charge  coverage  ratio  of  at  least  1.0  to  1.0.  The
Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  also  contains  certain  customary  representations  and  warranties,  affirmative  covenants  and  provisions
relating to events of default (including change of control and cross-default to material indebtedness).

The  Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  contains  a  number  of  covenants  that,  among  other  things  and  subject  to  certain

exceptions, restrict MSI’s ability, and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries, to:

●

●

incur or guarantee additional indebtedness;

pay dividends on MSI’s capital stock or redeem, repurchase or retire MSI’s capital stock;

● make investments, loans, advances and acquisitions;

●

●

●

●

●

●

create restrictions on the payment of dividends or other amounts to MSI from its restricted subsidiaries;

engage in transactions with MSI’s affiliates;

sell assets, including capital stock of MSI’s subsidiaries;

prepay or redeem indebtedness;

consolidate or merge; and

create liens.

5.875% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2020

On  December  19,  2013,  MSI  issued  $260  million  in  principal  amount  of  5.875%  senior  subordinated  notes  maturing  in  2020
(“2020 Senior Subordinated Notes”). On June 16, 2014, MSI issued an additional $250 million of the 2020 Senior Subordinated Notes at
102% of face value, resulting in an effective interest rate of 5.76%.

On  July  29,  2019,  the  Company  redeemed  the  2020  Senior  Subordinated  Notes  in  the  aggregate  principal  amount  of  $510.0
million plus accrued interest. This payment retired the 2020 Senior Subordinated Notes and discharged the obligations under the indenture
governing the 2020 Senior Subordinated Notes.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We  have  no  material  off-balance  sheet  arrangements  as  defined  in  Item  303(a)(4)(ii)  of  Regulation  S-K.  Neither  we  nor  our

subsidiaries typically guarantee the obligations of unrelated parties.

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Contractual Obligations

As of February 1, 2020, our contractual obligations were as follows (in thousands):

Total debt (1)
Operating lease commitments (2)
Interest payments (3)
Other commitments (4)

Payments Due By Fiscal Year

Total
 2,682,550
 2,003,795
 563,939
 119,061
 5,369,345

$

$

$

$

Less Than
1 Year

 24,900
 395,672
 119,460
 87,839
 627,871

$

$

     More Than

1-3 Years
 2,157,650
 714,336
 259,857
 26,647
 3,158,490

$

$

3-5 Years

 — $

 466,035
 84,622
 4,575
 555,232

$

5 Years

 500,000
 427,752
 100,000
 —
 1,027,752

(1)

Total debt only includes principal payments owed on the 2027 Senior Notes and the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility. The amounts shown above
do  not  include  unamortized  discounts  and  deferred  debt  issuance  costs  reflected  in  the  Company’s  consolidated  balance  sheets  since  they  do  not  represent
contractual obligations.

(2) Our operating lease commitments generally include non-cancelable leases for property and equipment used in our operations. Excluded from our operating lease
commitments  are  amounts  related  to  insurance,  taxes  and  common  area  maintenance  associated  with  property  and  equipment.  Such  amounts  historically
represented approximately 35% of the total lease obligation over the previous three fiscal years.

(3) Debt associated with our Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility was  $2,182.6 million at February 1, 2020 and is subject to variable interest rates. The
amounts included in interest payments in the table for the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility were based on the indexed interest rate in effect at
February 1, 2020. In April 2018, we executed two interest rate swap agreements with an aggregate notional value of $1 billion which are intended to mitigate
interest rate risk associated with future changes in interest rates for borrowings under our Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility. Debt associated with
the 2027 Senior Notes was $500.0 million at February 1, 2020 and was subject to fixed interest rates. We had no outstanding borrowings under our Amended
Revolving Credit Facility at February 1, 2020. Under our Amended  Revolving Credit Facility, we are required to pay a commitment fee of 0.25% per year on the
unutilized commitments, subject to reduction to 0.20% when excess availability is less than 50% of the Loan Cap. The amounts included in interest payments for
the Amended Revolving Credit Facility were based on this annual commitment fee.

(4) Other  commitments  include  trade  letters  of  credit  and  service  contract  obligations.  Our  service  contract  obligations  were  calculated  based  on  the  time  period

remaining in the contract or to the earliest possible date of termination, if permitted to be terminated by Michaels upon notice, whichever is shorter.

Non-GAAP Measures

The  following  table  sets  forth  certain  non-GAAP  measures  used  by  the  Company  to  manage  our  performance  and  measure
compliance  with  certain  debt  covenants.  The  Company  defines  “EBITDA”  as  net  income  before  interest,  income  taxes,  depreciation  and
amortization.  The  Company  defines  “Adjusted  EBITDA”  as  EBITDA  adjusted  for  certain  defined  amounts  in  accordance  with  the
Company’s Senior Secured Credit Facilities.

The  Company  has  presented  EBITDA  and Adjusted  EBITDA  to  provide  investors  with  additional  information  to  evaluate  our
operating performance and our ability to service our debt. Adjusted EBITDA is a required calculation under the Company’s Senior Secured
Credit Facilities that is used in the calculations of fixed charge coverage and leverage ratios, which, under certain circumstances determine
mandatory  repayments  or  maintenance  covenants  and  may  restrict  the  Company’s  ability  to  make  certain  payments  (characterized  as
restricted payments), investments (including acquisitions) and debt repayments.

As  EBITDA  and  Adjusted  EBITDA  are  not  measures  of  liquidity  calculated  in  accordance  with  U.S.  generally  accepted
accounting  principles  (“GAAP”),  these  measures  should  not  be  considered  in  isolation  of,  or  as  substitutes  for,  net  cash  provided  by
operating  activities  as  an  indicator  of  liquidity.  Our  computation  of  EBITDA  and  Adjusted  EBITDA  may  differ  from  similarly  titled
measures used by other companies.

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The following table shows a reconciliation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to net income and net cash provided by operating

activities (in thousands):

Net cash provided by operating activities
Non-cash operating lease expense
Depreciation and amortization
Share-based compensation
Debt issuance costs amortization
Loss on write-off of investment
Accretion of long-term debt, net
Restructure and impairment charges
Deferred income taxes
Losses on early extinguishments of debt and refinancing costs
Changes in assets and liabilities
Net income
Interest expense
Income taxes
Depreciation and amortization
Interest income
EBITDA
Adjustments:

Losses on early extinguishments of debt and refinancing costs
Share-based compensation
Restructure and impairment charges
Severance costs
Store pre-opening costs
Store remodel costs
Foreign currency transaction losses (gains)
Store closing costs
CEO transition costs(1)
Other (2)

Adjusted EBITDA

2019
 493,175
 (325,962)
 (125,499)
 (22,910)
 (4,451)
 (5,036)
 129
 (48,332)
 (9,455)
 (1,316)
 322,252
 272,595
 154,090
 85,776
 125,499
 (3,185)
 634,775

 1,316
 22,910
 48,332
 5,607
 4,608
 337
 276
 (156)
 9,236
 6,661
 733,902

$

$

Fiscal Year
2018
 444,256

$
 —  

$

 (124,271)
 (27,082)
 (4,997)

 —  

 518
 (104,238)
 (8,131)
 (1,835)
 145,325
 319,545
 147,085
 97,509
 124,271
 (3,160)
 685,250

 1,835
 27,082
 104,238
 902
 4,417
 5,153
 (278)
 3,134
 —
 2,916
 834,649

$

$

2017
 523,610
 —
 (118,912)
 (24,264)
 (5,098)
 —
 505
 —
 (4,348)
 —
 19,005
 390,498
 129,116
 215,243
 118,912
 (1,326)
 852,443

 —
 24,264
 —
 1,274
 2,999
 1,773
 1,486
 1,382
 —
 2,920
 888,541

(1) CEO transition costs includes $5.6 million of severance paid to our previous CEO and a $3.7 million sign-on bonus for our new CEO Designate.
(2) Other  adjustments  primarily  relate  to  items  such  as  moving  and  relocation  expenses,  franchise  taxes,  sign-on  bonuses,  director’s  fees  and  search

costs.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

We have prepared our consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP. These consolidated financial statements
include some amounts that are based on our informed judgments and estimates. Our significant accounting policies are discussed in Note 1
to  the  consolidated  financial  statements.  Our  critical  accounting  policies  represent  those  policies  that  are  subject  to  judgments  and
uncertainties.  The  following  discussion  addresses  our  most  critical  accounting  policies,  which  are  those  that  are  both  important  to  the
portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations and that require significant judgment or use of complex estimates.  

Merchandise Inventories. Merchandise inventories are valued at the lower of cost or net realizable value, with cost determined
using  a  weighted-average  method.  Cost  is  calculated  based  upon  the  purchase  price  of  an  item  at  the  time  it  is  received  by  us  and  also
includes  the  cost  of  warehousing,  handling,  purchasing,  and  importing,  as  well  as  inbound  and  outbound  transportation,  net  of  vendor
allowances. Inventory cost is recognized through cost of sales when it is sold. It is impractical for us to assign overhead costs and vendor
allowances  to  individual  units  of  inventory. As  such,  to  match  inventory  costs  against  the  related  revenues,  we  estimate  the  amount  of
overhead costs and vendor allowances to be deferred and recognized each period as the inventory is sold.

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We utilize perpetual inventory records to value inventory in our stores. Physical inventory counts are performed in a significant
number of stores during each fiscal quarter by a third-party inventory counting service, with substantially all stores open longer than one
year subject to at least one count each fiscal year. We adjust our perpetual records based on the results of the physical counts. We maintain a
provision for estimated shrinkage based on the actual historical results of our physical inventories. We compare our estimates to the actual
results  of  the  physical  inventory  counts  as  they  are  taken  and  adjust  the  shrink  estimates  accordingly. A  10%  change  in  our  estimated
shrinkage  reserve  would  have  affected  net  income  by  $1.5  million  for  fiscal  2019.  We  also  evaluate  our  merchandise  to  ensure  that  the
expected net realizable value of the merchandise held at the end of a fiscal period exceeds cost. In the event that the expected net realizable
value is less than cost, we reduce the value of that inventory accordingly. A  10%  change  in  our  inventory  valuation  reserve  would  have
affected net income by $1.0 million in fiscal 2019.

Vendor allowances, which primarily represent volume rebates and cooperative advertising funds, are recorded as a reduction of the
cost  of  the  merchandise  inventories  and  a  subsequent  reduction  in  cost  of  sales  when  the  inventory  is  sold.  We  generally  earn  vendor
allowances as a percentage of certain merchandise purchases with no minimum purchase requirements.

Long-Lived  Assets. Long-lived  assets  (other  than  goodwill  and  assets  with  indefinite  lives),  such  as  property  and  equipment,
operating lease assets and intangible assets subject to amortization, are evaluated for indicators of impairment whenever events or changes in
circumstances indicate their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. For store assets, we evaluate the performance of individual stores for
indicators  of  impairment  and  underperforming  stores  are  selected  for  further  evaluation  to  determine  whether  their  carrying  amounts  are
recoverable.

Our  initial  indicator  that  store  assets,  including  operating  lease  assets,  are  considered  to  be  recoverable  is  that  the  estimated
undiscounted cash flows for the remaining lease term exceed the carrying value of the assets. If the evaluation indicates that the carrying
value of the asset may not be recoverable, the potential impairment is measured based on a projected discounted cash flow method using
assumptions about key store variables, including sales, growth rate, gross margin, payroll and other controllable expenses. The fair value of
our  operating  lease  assets  are  based  on  the  present  value  of  comparable  market  rents.  Furthermore,  management  considers  other  factors
when evaluating stores for impairment, including the individual store’s execution of its operating plan and other local market conditions. If
the carrying value exceeds the fair value, an impairment is recorded.

Our  evaluation  requires  consideration  of  a  number  of  factors  including  changes  in  consumer  demographics,  key  store  level
assumptions  and  other  uncertain  future  events. Accordingly,  our  accounting  estimates  may  change  from  period  to  period.  These  factors
could cause management to conclude impairment indicators exist and require that tests be performed, which could result in a determination
that the value of long-lived assets, including operating lease assets, is impaired, resulting in a write down to fair value.

Goodwill  and  Other  Indefinite-Lived  Intangible  Assets.  We  review  goodwill  and  other  indefinite-lived  intangible  assets  for
impairment each year in the fourth quarter, or more frequently if events occur which indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. We
performed a qualitative assessment for our Michaels-U.S. reporting unit to determine whether it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood
of  more  than  50  percent)  that  the  fair  value  of  the  reporting  unit  is  less  than  its  carrying  value,  including  goodwill.  Factors  used  in  our
qualitative  assessment  include,  but  are  not  limited  to,  macroeconomic  conditions,  industry  and  market  conditions,  cost  factors,  overall
financial performance and Company and reporting unit specific events. If, based on our qualitative assessment, we determine that it is more
likely than not that the estimated fair value of the reporting unit is less than the carrying amount, including goodwill, we will calculate the
fair value of the Michaels-U.S. reporting unit using the present value of future cash flows expected to be generated by the reporting unit. If
the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value, an impairment loss will be recognized not to exceed the total amount
of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit.

For all other reporting units, we estimated the fair value of each reporting unit using the present value of future cash flows expected
to be generated by the reporting units. If the carrying value of the reporting unit or indefinite-lived intangible assets exceeds the estimated
fair value, an impairment charge is recorded to write the assets down to their estimated fair value. We estimate fair value using the present
value  of  future  cash  flows  expected  to  be  generated  by  the  reporting  unit  using  a  weighted-average  cost  of  capital,  terminal  values  and
updated  financial  projections  for  the  next  five  years.  If  our  actual  results  are  not  consistent  with  the  estimates  and  assumptions  used  to
calculate fair value, we could be required to recognize additional impairments in a future period.

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Income Taxes. Deferred tax assets, including the benefit of net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards, are evaluated based on
the  guidelines  for  realization  and  are  reduced  by  a  valuation  allowance  if  it  is  deemed  more  likely  than  not  that  such  assets  will  not  be
realized. We consider several factors in evaluating the realizability of our deferred tax assets, including the nature, frequency and severity of
recent  losses,  the  remaining  years  available  for  carryforwards,  changes  in  tax  laws,  the  future  profitability  of  the  operations  in  the
jurisdiction, and tax planning strategies. Our judgments and estimates concerning realizability of deferred tax assets could change if any of
the evaluation factors change, resulting in an increase or decrease to income tax expense in any period.

We record a liability for uncertain tax positions to the extent a tax position taken or expected to be taken in a tax return does not
meet  certain  recognition  or  measurement  criteria.  Considerable  management  judgment  is  necessary  to  assess  the  inherent  uncertainties
related  to  the  interpretations  of  complex  tax  laws,  regulations  and  taxing  authority  rulings,  as  well  as  to  the  expiration  of  statutes  of
limitations in the numerous and varied jurisdictions in which we operate. Our judgments and estimates may change as a result of evaluation
of new information, such as the outcome of tax audits or changes to or further interpretations of tax laws and regulations, resulting in an
increase or decrease to income tax expense in any period.

ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

Foreign Currency Risk

We are exposed to fluctuations in exchange rates between the U.S. and Canadian dollar, which is the functional currency of our
Canadian subsidiaries. Our sales, costs and expenses of our Canadian subsidiaries, when translated into U.S. dollars, can fluctuate due to
exchange rate movement. A 10% increase or decrease in the exchange rate of the Canadian dollar would have increased or decreased net
income by approximately $15 million for fiscal 2019.

Interest Rate Risk

We have market risk exposure arising from changes in interest rates on our Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility and
our  Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility.  See  “Item  7.  Management’s  Discussion  and  Analysis  of  Financial  Condition  and  Results  of
Operations  —  Liquidity  and  Capital  Resources  —  Debt”  for  further  detail.  The  interest  rates  on  our Amended  and  Restated  Term  Loan
Credit Facility and our Amended Revolving Credit Facility will reprice periodically, which will impact our earnings and cash flow. In April
2018, we executed two interest rate swap agreements with an aggregate notional value of $1 billion which are intended to mitigate interest
rate risk associated with future changes in interest rates for borrowings under our Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility. As a
result  of  these  interest  rate  swaps,  our  exposure  to  interest  rate  volatility  for  $1  billion  of  our Amended  and  Restated  Term  Loan  Credit
Facility was eliminated beginning in the second quarter of fiscal 2018. The interest rate on our 2027 Senior Notes is fixed. Based on our
overall  interest  rate  exposure  to  variable  rate  debt  outstanding  as  of  February  1,  2020,  a  100  basis  point  change  in  interest  rates  would
impact income before income taxes by approximately $12 million for fiscal 2019. A 100 basis point change in interest rates would impact
the fair value of our long-term fixed rate debt by approximately $12 million. A change in interest rates would not materially affect the fair
value of our variable rate debt as the debt reprices periodically.

ITEM 8. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA.

See the Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data on page F-1. The Consolidated Financial Statements

and Supplementary Data are included on pages F-2 through F-35 and are incorporated herein by reference.

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

None.

ITEM 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

Included  in  this Annual  Report  on  Form  10-K  are  certifications  by  our  principal  executive  officer  and  our  principal  financial

officer, which are required in accordance with Rule 13a-14 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as

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amended. This section includes information concerning the controls and controls evaluation referred to in the certifications. Page F - 2 of this
Report includes the attestation report of Ernst & Young LLP, our independent registered public accounting firm, regarding its audit of the
effectiveness  of  our  internal  control  over  financial  reporting.  This  section  should  be  read  in  conjunction  with  the  Ernst  &  Young  LLP
attestation for a complete understanding of this section.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

We maintain a set of disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) promulgated by the SEC
under  the  Securities  Exchange Act  of  1934)  designed  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  that  information,  which  is  required  to  be  timely
disclosed, is accumulated and communicated to management in a timely fashion. We note the design of any system of controls is based in
part upon certain assumptions about the likelihood of future events, and there can be no assurance that any design will succeed in achieving
its stated goals under all potential future conditions.

An  evaluation  was  carried  out  under  the  supervision  and  with  the  participation  of  our  management,  including  our  principal
executive officer and our principal financial officer, of the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the period
covered  by  this  report.  Based  on  that  evaluation,  our  principal  executive  officer  and  our  principal  financial  officer  concluded  that  our
disclosure  controls  are  effective  to  provide  reasonable  assurance  that  information  required  to  be  disclosed  in  the  reports  that  we  file  or
submit  under  the  Securities  and  Exchange Act  of  1934,  as  amended,  is  accumulated  and  communicated  to  management,  including  our
principal executive officer and our principal financial officer, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure and are effective to
provide reasonable assurance that such information is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified by
the SEC’s rules and forms.  

Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

There  have  been  no  changes  in  our  internal  controls  over  financial  reporting  during  the  quarter  ended  February  1,  2020  that

materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.  

Management Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in
Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. 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  U.S.  generally  accepted  accounting  principles,  and  that  receipts  and
expenditures  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.

Due to its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements and, even when
determined  to  be  effective,  can  only  provide  reasonable,  not  absolute,  assurance  with  respect  to  financial  statement  preparation  and
presentation. Projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to risk that controls may become inadequate as a
result of changes in conditions or deterioration in the degree of compliance.

Management assessed the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting as of February 1, 2020. Management used
the  criteria  set  forth  by  the  Committee  of  Sponsoring  Organizations  of  the  Treadway  Commission  (COSO)  in  its Internal  Control—
Integrated Framework (2013). Management’s assessment included the evaluation of such elements as the design and operating effectiveness
of  financial  reporting  controls,  process  documentation,  accounting  policies  and  the  overall  control  environment.  This  assessment  is
supported by testing and monitoring performed or supervised by our Internal Audit organization.

Based on management’s assessment, management has concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was

effective as of February 1, 2020. The independent registered public accounting firm, Ernst & Young

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LLP,  issued  an  attestation  report  on  the  effectiveness  of  our  internal  control  over  financial  reporting.  The  Ernst  &  Young  LLP  report  is
included on Page F-2 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE.

PART III

The information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION.

The information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

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

The information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

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

The information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES.

The information required by this item will be contained in our Definitive Proxy Statement and is incorporated herein by reference.

PART IV

ITEM 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES.

The following documents are filed as part of this report:

(1) Consolidated Financial Statements:

See Index to Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data on page F-1.

(2) Financial Statement Schedules:

All financial statement schedules are omitted because they are not required or are not applicable, or the required information is

provided in the consolidated financial statements or notes described in 15(1) above.

(3) Exhibits:

The exhibits listed in the accompanying Index to Exhibits attached hereto are filed or incorporated by reference into this Annual

Report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY.

None.

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THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the fiscal years ended February 1, 2020, February 2, 2019 and

February 3, 2018

Consolidated Balance Sheets at February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal years ended February 1, 2020, February 2, 2019 and February 3, 2018

Consolidated Statements of Stockholders’ Deficit for the fiscal years ended February 1, 2020, February 2, 2019 and

February 3, 2018

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

F-1

Page

F-2

F-6

F-7

F-8

F-9

F-10

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors and Stockholders
The Michaels Companies, Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited The Michaels Companies, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of February 1, 2020, based on criteria
established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission
(2013 framework) (the COSO  criteria). In our opinion, The Michaels Companies, Inc. (the Company) maintained, in all material respects,
effective internal control over financial reporting as of February 1, 2020, based on the COSO criteria.

We  also  have  audited,  in  accordance  with  the  standards  of  the  Public  Company Accounting  Oversight  Board  (United  States)
(PCAOB),  the  consolidated  balance  sheets  of  The  Michaels  Companies,  Inc.  as  of  February  1,  2020  and  February  2,  2019,  the  related
consolidated  statements  of  comprehensive  income,  stockholders’  deficit  and  cash  flows  for  each  of  the  three  years  in  the  period  ended
February 1, 2020, and the related notes and our report dated March 17, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

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/ Ernst & Young LLP

Dallas, Texas
March 17, 2020

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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

The Board of Directors and Stockholders
The Michaels Companies, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of The Michaels Companies, Inc. (the Company) as of February 1,
2020 and February 2, 2019, and the related consolidated statements of comprehensive income, stockholders’ deficit and cash flows for each
of  the  three  years  in  the  period  ended  February  1,  2020  and  the  related  notes  (collectively  referred  to  as  the  “consolidated  financial
statements”).  In  our  opinion,  the  consolidated  financial  statements  referred  to  above  present  fairly,  in  all  material  respects,  the  financial
position of the Company at February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three
years in the period ended February 1, 2020, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We  also  have  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 1, 2020, based on criteria established in Internal Control
—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our
report dated March 17, 2020 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Adoption of ASU No. 2016-02

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company changed its method for accounting for leases in 2019

due to the adoption of ASU No. 2016-02, Leases.

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.

Critical Audit Matters

The critical audit matters communicated  below  are  matters  arising  from  the  current  period  audit  of  the  financial  statements  that
were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to
the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit
matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating
the  critical  audit  matters  below,  providing  separate  opinions  on  the  critical  audit  matters  or  on  the  accounts  or  disclosures  to  which  they
relate.

Completeness and valuation of uncertain tax positions

Description of the
Matter

As discussed in Note 8 of the financial statements, the Company operates in a number of tax jurisdictions
in which the tax authorities may challenge income tax positions. Because the matters challenged by tax authorities
are  typically  complex  and  open  to  subjective  interpretation,  the  ultimate  outcome  may  differ  from  the  amounts
recognized.  The  Company  uses  significant  judgment  in  (1)  assessing  the  inherent  uncertainties  related  to  the
interpretations of complex tax laws, regulations and taxing authority rulings, as well as the expiration of statutes of
limitations in the numerous and varied jurisdictions in which they operate and (2) measuring the amount of tax
benefit that qualifies for

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recognition. As of February 1, 2020, the Company accrued liabilities of $68.4 million for uncertain tax positions,
including penalties and interest.

Auditing the measurement of tax positions related to certain intercompany transactions was challenging
because  the  measurement  of  the  tax  position  is  complex,  highly  judgmental  and  based  on  interpretations  of  tax
laws and legal rulings.

How We Addressed
the Matter in Our
Audit

We  obtained  an  understanding,  evaluated  the  design  and  tested  the  operating  effectiveness  of  controls
over the Company’s process to identify and measure the benefits of the uncertain tax positions. For example, we
tested controls over management’s identification of uncertain tax positions and its application of the recognition
and  measurement  principles,  including  management’s  review  of  the  inputs  and  calculations  for  uncertain  tax
positions.

Description of the
Matter

We  involved  our  tax  professionals  to  assess  the  technical  merits  and  the  amounts  of  the  benefit
recognized related to the Company’s tax positions. Our procedures included, among others, evaluating changes in
tax  law  that  occurred  during  the  year  and  assessing  the  Company’s  interpretation  of  those  changes  under  the
relevant jurisdiction’s tax law.  We also inspected correspondence, assessments and settlements with the relevant
tax  authorities.  In  addition,  we  evaluated  third-party  advice  obtained  by  the  Company  in  relation  to  specific
income tax law, as appropriate. We tested the underlying data used by the Company to calculate its uncertain tax
positions. We have also evaluated the adequacy of the Company’s income tax disclosures included in Note 8 in
relation to these matters.

Impairment of the Darice wholesale business

As discussed in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company reviews goodwill and other
indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually in the fourth quarter, or more frequently if events occur
which  indicate  the  carrying  value  of  these  assets  may  not  be  recoverable.  In  addition,  long-lived  assets  and
definite-lived  intangible  assets  that  are  subject  to  amortization  are  evaluated  for  indicators  of  impairment
whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate their carrying value may not be recoverable. During fiscal
2019, the Company identified impairment indicators within its Darice wholesale business that were primarily due
to  a  deterioration  in  sales  associated  with  overall  declining  demand  from  customers.  These  indicators  led  the
Company  to  revise  Darice’s  forecasted  sales  downward,  and  resulted  in  a  significantly  lower  operating  plan  in
fiscal 2019. As a result, the Company performed interim impairment tests as of November 2, 2019 and recorded
impairments totaling $40.1 million on the Darice wholesale business. The impairments consisted of $17.8 million
related to goodwill, $14.4 million related to long-lived assets, including operating lease assets, and $7.9 million
related to indefinite and definite-lived intangible assets.

Auditing management’s interim impairment test related to the Darice wholesale business was especially
challenging  due  to  the  complexity  of  forecasting  the  long-term  cash  flows  of  this  business  and  the  significant
estimation  uncertainty  of  the  assumptions  included  within  such  forecast.  The  significant  estimation  uncertainty
was  primarily  due  to  the  sensitivity  of  the  reporting  unit’s  fair  value  to  changes  in  the  underlying  assumptions
used, including forecasted revenue, forecasted working capital levels, long-term growth and discount rates. These
significant assumptions are inherently uncertain and require a high degree of estimation and judgment based on an
evaluation  of  historical  performance,  current  industry  and  economic  conditions,  and  the  Company’s  ability  to
implement strategic initiatives.

How We Addressed
the Matter in Our
Audit

We  obtained  an  understanding,  evaluated  the  design  and  tested  the  operating  effectiveness  of  controls
over the Company’s impairment review process, including controls over management’s review of the significant
assumptions described above and controls over management’s review of its annual financial forecasts.

To test the estimated fair value of the Darice reporting unit, we performed audit procedures that included,
among  others,  involving  a  specialist  to  assist  in  assessing  the  Company’s  fair  value  methodologies  and  its
development and calculation of the long-term growth and discount rates. We assessed the reasonableness of the
Company’s  assumptions  around  forecasted  revenue,  forecasted  working  capital  levels,  long-term  growth  and
discount  rates  by  comparing  those  assumptions  to  recent  historical  performance,  current  economic  and  industry
trends.  We  also  performed  various  sensitivity  analyses  around  these  significant  assumptions  to  understand  the
effect on the fair value calculation.

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Table of Contents

Valuation of asset acquisition

Description of the
Matter

As  described  in  Note  5  to  the  consolidated  financial  statements,  the  Company  acquired  certain
intangibles  from  A.C.  Moore  Incorporated  (A.C.  Moore)  during  the  year  ended  February  1,  2020  for  $62.1
million.  This  transaction  included  customer  relationships  and  a  tradename  of  $56.0  million  and  $5.2  million,
respectively.

Auditing  the  Company's  accounting  for  these  acquired  intangible  assets  was  complex  due  to  the
significant  estimation  required  in  management’s  determination  of  the  fair  value  of  intangible  assets.  The
significant  estimation  was  primarily  due  to  the  sensitivity  of  the  respective  fair  values  to  the  underlying
assumptions, including discount rates, projected revenue growth rates and profit margins.

How We Addressed
the Matter in Our
Audit

We  obtained  an  understanding,  evaluated  the  design  and  tested  the  operating  effectiveness  of  controls
over the Company’s process for accounting for the acquired intangible assets.  For example, we tested controls
over management’s review of the valuation of intangible assets, including the review of the valuation model and
significant assumptions used in the valuation.

To test the fair value of these acquired intangible assets, our audit procedures included, among others,
evaluating  the  Company's  use  of  valuation  methodologies,  evaluating  the  prospective  financial  information  and
testing the completeness and accuracy of underlying data. We involved our valuation specialists to assist in testing
the significant assumptions used to value the acquired intangible assets.  For example, we compared the significant
assumptions to current industry, market and economic trends, historical results of the acquired businesses and to
other  relevant  factors.  We  also  performed  sensitivity  analyses  of  the  significant  assumptions  to  evaluate  the
change in the fair value resulting from changes in the assumptions.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 1984.

Dallas, Texas
March 17, 2020

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THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(in thousands, except per share data)

Net sales
Cost of sales and occupancy expense

Gross profit

Selling, general and administrative
Restructure and impairment charges
Store pre-opening costs
Operating income

Interest expense
Losses on early extinguishments of debt and refinancing costs
Other expense (income), net

Income before income taxes

Income taxes
Net income

Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
Foreign currency and interest rate swaps

Comprehensive income

Earnings per common share:

Basic
Diluted

Weighted-average common shares outstanding:

Basic
Diluted

     $

$

$

$
$

2019
5,072,037      $
3,199,780
1,872,257
1,304,280
48,332
4,608
515,037
154,090
1,316
1,260
358,371
85,776
272,595

$

Fiscal Year
2018
5,271,944      $
3,248,276
2,023,668
1,351,401
104,238
4,417
563,612
147,085
1,835
(2,362)
417,054
97,509
319,545

$

$

$
$

(8,273)
264,322

1.78
1.78

153,134
153,202

$

$
$

(10,898)
308,647

1.87
1.86

170,610
171,378

2017
5,361,960
3,233,171
2,128,789
1,390,400
—
2,999
735,390
129,116
—
533
605,741
215,243
390,498

10,564
401,062

2.11
2.10

184,281
185,566

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

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Current Assets:

Cash and equivalents
Merchandise inventories
Prepaid expenses and other
Accounts receivable, net
Total current assets
Property and equipment, net
Operating lease assets
Goodwill
Other intangible assets, net
Deferred income taxes
Other assets

Total assets

THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(in thousands, except per share data)

ASSETS

February 1,
2020

February 2,
2019

$

$

$

$

409,964
1,097,109
62,287
30,442
1,599,802
430,432
1,610,013
94,290
66,417
18,201
18,940
3,838,095

476,298
347,136
306,796
24,900
41,236
1,196,366
2,644,460
1,357,821
85,912
5,284,559

9,852
4,872
(1,438,357)
(22,831)
(1,446,464)
3,838,095

$

$

$

$

245,887
1,108,715
98,659
62,263
1,515,524
439,077
—
112,069
17,238
25,005
19,423
2,128,336

485,004
378,742
—
24,900
43,907
932,553
2,681,000
—
140,978
3,754,531

10,594
5,954
(1,628,185)
(14,558)
(1,626,195)
2,128,336

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

Current Liabilities:
Accounts payable
Accrued liabilities and other
Current portion of operating lease liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt
Income taxes payable

Total current liabilities

Long-term debt
Long-term operating lease liabilities
Other liabilities

Total liabilities

Commitments and contingencies

Stockholders’ Deficit:

Common stock, $0.06775 par value, 350,000 shares authorized; 146,803 shares issued and
outstanding at February 1, 2020 and 157,774 shares issued and outstanding at February 2, 2019
Additional paid-in-capital
Accumulated deficit
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Total stockholders’ deficit
Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
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THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, 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:

Non-cash operating lease expense
Depreciation and amortization
Share-based compensation
Debt issuance costs amortization
Loss on write-off of investment
Accretion of long-term debt, net
Restructure and impairment charges
Deferred income taxes
Losses on early extinguishments of debt and refinancing costs
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Merchandise inventories
Prepaid expenses and other
Accounts receivable
Other assets
Operating lease liabilities
Accounts payable
Accrued interest
Accrued liabilities and other
Income taxes
Other liabilities

Net cash provided by operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities:

Additions to property and equipment
Acquisition of intangible assets

Net cash used in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities:

Common stock repurchased
Payments on term loan credit facility
Payment of 2020 senior subordinated notes
Issuance of 2027 senior notes
Borrowings on asset-based revolving credit facility
Payments on asset-based revolving credit facility
Payment of debt refinancing costs
Payment of dividends
Proceeds from stock options exercised

Net cash used in financing activities

Net change in cash and equivalents
Cash and equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and equivalents at end of period

2019

Fiscal Year
2018

2017

$

272,595

$

319,545

$

390,498

325,962
125,499
22,910
4,451
5,036
(129)
48,332
9,455
1,316

9,504
1,671
29,516
(3,562)
(323,010)
(14,787)
(2,192)
(36,020)
17,647
(1,019)
493,175

(120,545)
(58,000)
(178,545)

(107,997)
(24,900)
(510,000)
500,000
23,200
(23,200)
(8,162)
—
506
(150,553)

—
124,271
27,082
4,997
—
(518)
104,238
8,131
1,835

(63,890)
3,576
(14,100)
(1,497)
—
(10,461)
(691)
(17,225)
(44,532)
3,495
444,256

(145,387)
—
(145,387)

(456,585)
(24,900)
—
—
355,400
(355,400)
(1,117)
(317)
4,041
(478,878)

—
118,912
24,264
5,098
—
(505)
—
4,348
—

5,281
(7,785)
(2,992)
(1,765)
—
(38,025)
(12,040)
3,174
28,388
6,759
523,610

(127,830)
—
(127,830)

(253,752)
(31,125)
—
—
382,200
(382,200)
—
(408)
16,588
(268,697)

164,077
245,887
409,964

$

(180,009)
425,896
245,887

$

127,083
298,813
425,896

$

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.
F-8

  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents

THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
For the Three Years Ended February 1, 2020
(in thousands)

Balance at January 28, 2017
Net income
Foreign currency and other
Share-based compensation
Exercise of stock options and other awards
Repurchase of stock and retirements
Balance at February 3, 2018
Net income
Foreign currency and interest rate swaps
Share-based compensation
Exercise of stock options and other awards
Repurchase of stock and retirements
Balance at February 2, 2019
Net income
Foreign currency and interest rate swaps
Share-based compensation
Exercise of stock options and other awards
Repurchase of stock and retirements
Issuance of restricted stock awards
Balance at February 1, 2020

Common
Stock

—  
—  
—  

Number of
Common
Shares
193,311 $ 12,948 $
—  
—  
—  
131
(873)  
12,206  
—  
—  
—  
72
(1,684)  
10,594

1,930
(13,322)  
181,919  
—  
—  
—  

1,066
(25,211)  
157,774

—  
—  
—  

886
(12,019)  
162
146,803 $

—  
—  
—  
60
(802)  
—
9,852 $

Additional
Paid-in
Capital
233,129 $
—  
—  
25,033  
16,457
(252,879)  
21,740  
—  
—  
27,197  
3,969
(46,952)  
5,954

—  
—  
22,900  
446
(24,428)  

—
4,872 $

See accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements.

F-9

Accumulated
Deficit

(1,930,279) $
390,498

—  
—  
—
—  

(1,539,781)
319,545

—  
—  
—
(407,949)
(1,628,185)
272,595

—  
—  
—
(82,767)
—

(1,438,357) $

Accumulated
Other

Comprehensive   

Loss
(14,224) $
—  
10,564  
—  
—
—  
(3,660)  
—  
(10,898)  
—  
—
—  

(14,558)

—  
(8,273)  
—  
—
—  
—
(22,831) $

Total

(1,698,426)
390,498
10,564
25,033
16,588
(253,752)
(1,509,495)
319,545
(10,898)
27,197
4,041
(456,585)
(1,626,195)
272,595
(8,273)
22,900
506
(107,997)
—
(1,446,464)

  
  
  
  
  
 
 
 
 
 
 
Table of Contents

THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

1. SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Description of Business

The  Michaels  Companies,  Inc.  owns  and  operates  specialty  retail  stores  in 49  states  and  Canada  featuring  arts,  crafts,  framing,
floral, home décor and seasonal merchandise for the hobbyist and do-it-yourself home decorator. All expressions of the “Company”, “us”,
“we”, “our”, and all similar expressions are references to The Michaels Companies, Inc. and our consolidated, wholly-owned subsidiaries,
unless  otherwise  expressly  stated  or  the  context  otherwise  requires.  Our  consolidated  financial  statements  include  the  accounts  of  The
Michaels Companies, Inc. and our wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated.

Michaels  Stores,  Inc.  (“MSI”)  is  headquartered  in  Irving,  Texas  and  was  incorporated  in  the  state  of  Delaware  in  1983.  In  July
2013, MSI was reorganized into a holding company structure and The Michaels Companies, Inc. was incorporated in the state of Delaware
in connection with the reorganization.

Fiscal Year

We report on the basis of a 52-week  or 53-week fiscal year, which ends on the Saturday closest to January 31. All references to
fiscal  year  mean  the  year  in  which  that  fiscal  year  began.  References  to  “fiscal  2019”  relate  to  the 52  weeks  ended  February  1,  2020,
references  to  “fiscal  2018”  relate  to  the 52  weeks  ended  February  2,  2019  and  references  to  “fiscal  2017”  relate  to  the 53  weeks  ended
February 3, 2018.

Preferred Shares

The  Company’s  Board  of  Directors  has  authorized  the  issuance  of 50  million  shares  of  preferred  stock  under  The  Michaels

Companies, Inc. Certificate of Incorporation. No preferred shares have been issued as of February 1, 2020.

Share Repurchase Program

In September 2018, the Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program for the Company to purchase $500 million
of the Company’s common stock on the open market or through accelerated share repurchase transactions. The share repurchase program
does  not  have  an  expiration  date,  and  the  timing  and  number  of  repurchase  transactions  under  the  program  will  depend  on  market
conditions,  corporate  considerations,  debt  agreements  and  regulatory  requirements.  Shares  repurchased  under  the  program  are  held  as
treasury  shares  until  retired.  During  fiscal  2019,  we  repurchased 11.6  million  shares  for  an  aggregate  amount  of $105.1  million. As  of
February 1, 2020, we had $293.5 million of availability remaining under our current share repurchase program.

Foreign Currency

The  functional  currency  of  our  Canadian  operations  is  the  Canadian  dollar.  Translation  adjustments  result  from  translating  our
Canadian subsidiaries’ financial statements into U.S. dollars. Balance sheet accounts are generally translated at exchange rates in effect at
the  balance  sheet  date.  Income  statement  accounts  are  translated  at  average  exchange  rates  during  the  year.  Translation  adjustments  are
recorded  as  a  component  of  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  in  our  consolidated  statements  of  stockholders’  deficit.  The
translation  adjustments  recorded  in  accumulated  other  comprehensive  loss,  net  of  taxes,  were  losses  of  $0.7  million  and  $6.2  million  in
fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018, respectively, and a gain of $10.6 million in fiscal 2017. Transaction gains and losses are recorded as a part of
other expense (income), net in our consolidated statements of comprehensive income and were immaterial for all fiscal periods presented.

Cash and Equivalents

Cash and equivalents are comprised of cash, money market mutual funds and short-term interest bearing securities with original
maturities of three months or less. Cash and equivalents also include proceeds due from credit card transactions with settlement terms of
less than five days. The carrying amount of cash equivalents approximates fair value due to the short-term maturity of those instruments.

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Merchandise Inventories

Merchandise  inventories  are  valued  at  the  lower  of  cost  or  net  realizable  value,  with  cost  determined  using  a  weighted-average
method.  Cost  is  calculated  based  upon  the  purchase  price  of  an  item  at  the  time  it  is  received  by  us  and  also  includes  the  cost  of
warehousing,  handling,  purchasing,  and  importing,  as  well  as  inbound  and  outbound  transportation,  net  of  vendor  allowances.  Inventory
cost is recognized through cost of sales when it is sold. It is impractical for us to assign overhead costs and vendor allowances to individual
units of inventory. As such, to match inventory costs against the related revenues, we estimate the amount of overhead costs and vendor
allowances to be deferred and recognized each period as the inventory is sold.

We utilize perpetual inventory records to value inventory in our stores. Physical inventory counts are performed in a significant
number of stores during each fiscal quarter by a third-party inventory counting service, with substantially all stores open longer than one
year subject to at least one count each fiscal year. We adjust our perpetual records based on the results of the physical counts. We maintain a
provision for estimated shrinkage based on the actual historical results of our physical inventories. We compare our estimates to the actual
results of the physical inventory counts as they are taken and adjust the shrink estimates accordingly.

Vendor allowances, which primarily represent volume rebates and cooperative advertising funds, are recorded as a reduction to the
cost  of  the  merchandise  inventories  and  a  subsequent  reduction  in  cost  of  sales  when  the  inventory  is  sold.  We  generally  earn  vendor
allowances as a percentage of certain merchandise purchases with no minimum purchase requirements. We recognized vendor allowances of
$70.6 million, or 1.4% of net sales, in fiscal 2019, $74.6 million, or 1.4% of net sales, in fiscal 2018, and $84.9 million, or 1.6% of net sales,
in fiscal 2017.

We routinely identify merchandise that requires some price reduction to accelerate sales of the product. The need for this reduction
is generally attributable to clearance of seasonal merchandise or product that is being displaced from its assigned location in the store to
make  room  for  new  merchandise.  Additional  stock  keeping  units  (“SKUs”)  that  are  candidates  for  repricing  are  identified  using  our
perpetual  inventory  data.  In  each  case,  the  appropriate  repricing  is  determined  centrally  at  our  store  support  center.  Price  changes  are
transmitted electronically to the store and instructions are provided to our stores regarding product placement, signage and display to ensure
the product is effectively cleared.

We also evaluate our merchandise to ensure that the expected net realizable value of the merchandise held at the end of a fiscal

period exceeds cost. In the event that the expected net realizable value is less than cost, we reduce the value of that inventory accordingly.

Accounts Receivable, net

Accounts  receivable  consist  primarily  of  trade  receivables  related  to  our  international  wholesale  business,  amounts  due  from
certain service providers and amounts due from taxing authorities. The Company assesses the collectability of all receivables on an ongoing
basis  and  establishes  an  allowance  for  doubtful  accounts,  if  necessary.  Factors  such  as  payment  terms,  historical  loss  experience  and
economic conditions are generally considered in determining the allowance for doubtful accounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts was
immaterial for all fiscal periods presented in the consolidated financial statements.

As of February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019, receivables from customers, which consist primarily of trade receivables related to

our Darice wholesale business (“Darice”), were approximately $13.3 million and $32.1 million, respectively.

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Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is recorded at cost. Depreciation is recorded on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful lives of the
assets.  We  expense  repairs  and  maintenance  costs  as  incurred.  We  capitalize  and  depreciate  significant  renewals  or  betterments  that
substantially extend the life of the asset. Useful lives are generally estimated as follows:

Buildings
Leasehold improvements (1)
Fixtures and equipment
Computer equipment and software

Years

30
10
8-10
3-7

(1) We amortize leasehold improvements over the lesser of the useful life of the asset or the remaining lease term of the underlying facility.

Capitalized Software Costs

We capitalize certain costs related to the acquisition and development of internal use software that is expected to benefit future
periods.  We  also  capitalize  certain  implementation  costs  related  to  the  development  of  hosting  arrangements.  These  costs  are  being
amortized on a straight-line basis over the estimated useful life or the term of the hosting arrangement. As of February 1, 2020 and February
2,  2019,  we  had  unamortized  capitalized  software  costs  of  $93.6  million  and  $96.3  million,  respectively.  These  amounts  are  included  in
property  and  equipment,  net  in  the  consolidated  balance  sheets. Amortization  expense  related  to  capitalized  software  costs  totaled  $ 31.6
million, $31.2 million and $29.1 million in fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017, respectively.

Long-Lived Assets

Long-lived assets (other than goodwill and assets with indefinite lives), such as property and equipment, operating lease assets and
intangible assets subject to amortization, are evaluated for indicators of impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate
their  carrying  amounts  may  not  be  recoverable.  Our  evaluation  compares  the  carrying  value  of  the  assets  with  their  estimated  future
undiscounted cash flows. Our initial indicator that store assets, including operating lease assets, are considered to be recoverable is that the
estimated undiscounted cash flows for the remaining lease term exceed the carrying value of the assets. If the evaluation indicates that the
carrying value of the asset may not be recoverable, the potential impairment is measured based on a projected discounted cash flow method
using assumptions about key store variables, including sales, growth rate, gross margin, payroll and other controllable expenses. The fair
value of our operating lease assets are based on the present value of comparable market rents. If actual results differ from these estimates,
we may be exposed to additional impairment losses that may be material.

Goodwill and Other Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets

We review goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment each year in the fourth quarter, or more frequently
if  events  occur  which  indicate  the  carrying  value  may  not  be  recoverable.  We  performed  a  qualitative  assessment  for  our  Michaels-U.S.
reporting  unit  to  determine  whether  it  is  more  likely  than  not  (that  is,  a  likelihood  of  more  than  50  percent)  that  the  fair  value  of  the
reporting unit is less than its carrying value, including goodwill. Factors used in our qualitative assessment include, but are not limited to,
macroeconomic  conditions,  industry  and  market  conditions,  cost  factors,  overall  financial  performance  and  Company  and  reporting  unit
specific events. For all other reporting units, we estimated the fair value of each reporting unit using the present value of future cash flows
expected to be generated using a weighted-average cost of capital, terminal values and updated financial projections for the next five years,
all of which are Level 3 fair value inputs. If our actual results are not consistent with the estimates and assumptions used to calculate fair
value, we could be required to recognize additional impairments in a future period.

Restructure and Impairment Charges

In  January  2019  and  March  2018,  we  closed  our  Pat  Catan’s  and Aaron  Brothers  stores,  respectively. As  a  result  of  the  store
closures,  we  recorded  restructure  charges  of  $8.2  million  and  $98.9  million  in  fiscal  2019  and  fiscal  2018,  respectively.  The  restructure
charges in fiscal 2019 are  primarily  related  to  employee-related  expenses  and  the  impairment  of  an  indefinite-lived  intangible  asset.  The
restructure charges in fiscal 2018 primarily related to the transfer of the rights

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Table of Contents

to  sell  inventory  and  other  assets  to  a  third  party  to  facilitate  the  store  closures  and  assist  with  the  disposition  of  our  remaining  lease
obligations, the impairment of goodwill and employee-related expenses.

In addition, we recorded $5.3 million of employee-related charges in fiscal 2018 as a result of certain organizational changes made

to streamline our operations at our corporate support center.

During  fiscal  2018  and  fiscal  2017,  Aaron  Brothers  net  sales  totaled  $12.9  million  and  $110.4  million,  respectively,  and  Pat
Catan’s net sales totaled $109.6 million and $113.4 million, respectively. Excluding the restructure charges, Aaron Brothers and Pat Catan’s
did not have a material impact on the Company’s operating income in all fiscal periods presented in the consolidated financial statements.

During  fiscal  2019,  we  identified  impairment  indicators  within  our  Darice  wholesale  business  that  were  primarily  due  to  a
deterioration in sales associated with overall declining demand from customers. These indicators led us to revise Darice’s forecasted sales
downward  and  resulted  in  a  significantly  lower  operating  plan  in  fiscal  2019. As  a  result,  we  performed  impairment  tests  on  Darice’s
goodwill, indefinite and definite-lived intangible assets and long-lived assets, including operating lease assets. As a result of this impairment
testing, Darice recorded impairment charges of  $40.1 million, consisting of $17.8 million related to goodwill, $14.4 million related to long-
lived assets, including operating lease assets, and $7.9 million related to indefinite and definite-lived intangible assets. As of February 1,
2020, the carrying value of Darice’s operating lease assets, adjusted for the impairment charge, totaled $ 31.9 million. The carrying value of
the remaining long-lived assets related to Darice, including intangible assets, are not material.

Self-Insurance

We  have  insurance  coverage  for  losses  in  excess  of  self-insurance  limits  for  medical  claims,  general  liability  and  workers’
compensation claims. Our liability represents an estimate of the ultimate cost of claims incurred as of the balance sheet dates. The estimated
liability is not discounted and is established based upon analysis of historical data and actuarial estimates. While we believe these estimates
are  reasonable  based  on  the  information  currently  available,  if  actual  trends,  including  the  severity  or  frequency  of  claims,  medical  cost
inflation, or fluctuations in premiums differ from our estimates, our results of operations could be impacted.

Revenue Recognition

Our revenue is primarily associated with sales of merchandise to customers within our stores, customers utilizing our e-commerce
platforms  and  through  our  Darice  wholesale  business.  Revenue  from  sales  of  our  merchandise  is  recognized  when  the  customer  takes
possession of the merchandise. Revenue is measured based on the amount of consideration that we expect to receive, reduced by estimates
for  return  allowances,  point-of-sale  coupons  and  discounts.  Revenue  also  excludes  any  amounts  collected  on  behalf  of  third  parties,
including sales tax. Sales related to custom framing are recognized when the order is picked up by the customer. Payment for our retail sales
is typically due at the time of the sale.

We  allow  for  merchandise  to  be  returned  under  most  circumstances  up  to 180  days  after  purchase  and  provide  a  reserve  for
estimated  returns.  The  sales  return  reserve  is  established  using  historical  customer  return  behavior  and  reduces  both  revenue  and  cost  of
goods  sold.  The  Company  presents  the  gross  sales  return  reserve  in  other  current  liabilities  and  the  estimated  value  of  the  merchandise
expected to be returned in prepaid expenses and other in the consolidated balance sheets.

We  record  a  gift  card  liability  on  the  date  we  issue  the  gift  card  to  the  customer.  We  record  revenue  and  reduce  the  gift  card
liability as the customer redeems the gift card or when the likelihood of redemption by the customer is remote (“gift card breakage”). We
estimate  gift  card  breakage  using  the  expected  value  method  based  on  customers’  historical  redemption  rates  and  patterns.  Gift  card
breakage income is recorded in net sales in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income over the estimated redemption period. The
gift card liability is included in accrued liabilities and other in the consolidated balance sheets.

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Table of Contents

The following table includes activity related to gift cards (in thousands):

Balance at beginning of period

Issuance of gift cards
Revenue recognized (1)
Gift card breakage

Balance at end of period

Fiscal Years

2019

2018

$

$

61,071
76,941
(69,322)
(4,560)
64,130

$

$

56,729
76,854
(67,912)
(4,600)
61,071

(1) Revenue recognized from the beginning liability during fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018 totaled $26.0 million and $23.8 million, respectively.

Costs of Sales and Occupancy Expense

The costs of merchandise sales are expensed as the merchandise is sold. Included in our costs of sales are the following:

●

●

●

purchase price of merchandise, net of vendor allowances and rebates;

costs associated with our international direct sourcing business;

inbound freight, inspection costs, tariffs, duties and import agent commissions;

● warehousing,  handling,  transportation  (including  internal  transfer  costs  such  as  distribution  center-to-store  freight  costs),

purchasing and receiving costs; and

●

payroll-related costs for those employees involved in preparing inventory for sale.

Occupancy  expenses  are  recognized  in  the  period  in  which  they  are  incurred.  Included  in  our  occupancy  expenses  are  the

following:

●

●

●

●

store expenses such as rent, insurance, taxes, common area maintenance, utilities, repairs and maintenance;

amortization of leasehold improvements;

store closure costs; and

store remodel costs.

Selling, General and Administrative

Included  in  selling,  general  and  administrative  (“SG&A”)  are  store  personnel  costs,  store  operating  expenses,  advertising,  store
depreciation and corporate overhead costs. Advertising costs are expensed in the period in which the advertising first occurs. Advertising
costs totaled $190.0 million, $194.9 million and $200.1 million in fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017, respectively.

Store Pre-Opening Costs

We expense all start-up activity costs as incurred. Store pre-opening costs consist primarily of payroll-related costs incurred prior

to the store opening.

Income Taxes

We record income tax expense using the liability method and are subject to income tax in many jurisdictions, including the U.S.,
numerous states and localities, Canada, and other foreign countries. Income taxes payable or receivable are recorded for tax liabilities or
refunds reflected on filed, or expected to be filed, tax returns. Deferred income taxes arise

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from temporary differences between amounts recorded in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income and the tax bases of assets
and liabilities measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the years in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change
in tax rates is recognized as income tax expense or benefit in the period of the enactment date. Deferred tax assets, including the benefit of
net  operating  loss  and  tax  credit  carryforwards,  are  evaluated  based  on  the  guidelines  for  realization  and  are  reduced  by  a  valuation
allowance if it is deemed more likely than not that such assets will not be realized.

We recognize the income tax expense on global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”) earned by our foreign subsidiaries in the
year the tax is incurred. We recognize the income tax benefit from an uncertain tax position when it is more likely than not that, based on
technical merits, the position will be sustained upon examination, including resolutions of any related appeals or litigation processes. We
recognize accrued interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions as a component of income tax expense.

Share-Based Compensation

ASC 718, Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”), requires all share-based compensation to employees, including grants of employee
stock options and restricted shares, to be recognized using the fair value method of accounting. Share-based awards are recognized ratably
over the requisite service period or over the estimated time to achieve predetermined financial and operational performance targets.

Estimates

The  preparation  of  financial  statements  in  conformity  with  U.S.  generally  accepted  accounting  principles  requires  us  to  make
estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results
could differ from those estimates.

Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02,
"Leases (Topic 842)” ("ASU 2016-02"). Under ASU 2016-02, an entity is required to recognize right-of-use assets and lease liabilities on
its balance sheet and disclose key information about leasing arrangements. ASU 2016-02 offers specific accounting guidance for a lessee, a
lessor and sale and leaseback transactions. Lessees and lessors are required to disclose qualitative and quantitative information about leasing
arrangements to enable a user of the financial statements to assess the amount, timing and uncertainty of cash flows arising from leases. The
lease standard requires companies to use a modified retrospective transition approach as of the beginning of the earliest comparable period
presented  in  the  company’s  financial  statements.  In  July  2018,  the  FASB  issued  ASU  2018-11,  “ Leases  (Topic  842):  Targeted
Improvements” which provided an additional transition option that allows companies to continue applying the guidance under the previous
lease standard in the comparative periods presented in the consolidated financial statements. We utilized the additional transition option to
adopt ASU 2016-02 in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. As a result, the standard was applied starting February 3, 2019 and prior periods were
not restated. We also elected the practical expedient permitted under the transition guidance which permits companies not to reassess prior
conclusions  on  lease  identification,  historical  lease  classification  and  initial  direct  costs.  The  adoption  of  the  standard  resulted  in  the
recognition of operating lease assets and liabilities  of  approximately $1.7 billion as of February 3, 2019. The adoption did not result in a
material impact on our consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements Not Yet Adopted

In  December  2019,  the  FASB  issued ASU  2019-12,  “Income  Taxes  (Topic  740):  Simplifying  the  Accounting  for  Income  Taxes”
(“ASU 2019-12”), which simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740
and also clarifies and amends existing guidance to improve consistent application. ASU 2019-12 is effective for annual reporting periods
beginning after December 15, 2020, including interim periods within those fiscal years, with early adoption permitted. We do not anticipate
a material impact to the consolidated financial statements once implemented.

In  June  2016,  the  FASB  issued ASU  2016-13,  “Financial  Instruments  -  Credit  Losses  (Topic  326)”  (“ASU  2016-13”)  which
makes  significant  changes  to  the  accounting  for  credit  losses  on  financial  assets  and  disclosures.  The  standard  requires  immediate
recognition of management’s estimates of current expected credit losses. ASU 2016-13 is effective for

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annual  reporting  periods  beginning  after  December  15,  2019,  including  interim  periods  within  those  fiscal  years,  with  early  adoption
permitted. ASU 2016-13 permits only a modified retrospective approach without restatement. We do not anticipate a material impact to the
consolidated financial statements once implemented.

2. FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS

Fair value is the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market
participants at the measurement date. ASC 820 establishes a three-level valuation hierarchy for fair value measurements. These valuation
techniques are based upon observable and unobservable inputs. Observable inputs reflect market data obtained from independent sources,
while unobservable inputs reflect less transparent active market data, as well as internal assumptions. These two types of inputs create the
following fair value hierarchy:

●

●

Level 1—Quoted prices for identical instruments in active markets;

Level 2—Quoted prices for similar instruments in active markets; quoted prices for identical or similar instruments in markets
that are not active; and model-derived valuations whose significant inputs are observable; and

●

Level 3—Instruments with significant unobservable inputs.

Impairment  losses  related  to  property  and  equipment  are  calculated  using  significant  unobservable  inputs  including  the  present
value of future cash flows expected to be generated using a risk-adjusted weighted-average cost of capital and comparable store sales growth
assumptions,  and  therefore,  are  classified  as  a  Level  3  measurement  in  the  fair  value  hierarchy.  Impairment  losses  related  to  store-level
operating  lease  assets  are  calculated  using  rent  per  square  foot  derived  from  observable  market  data,  and  therefore,  are  classified  as  a
Level 2 measurement in the fair value hierarchy.

Impairment losses related to goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets are calculated based on the estimated fair value of
each reporting unit, which is determined using significant unobservable inputs including the present value of future cash flows expected to
be generated by the reporting unit using a weighted-average cost of capital, terminal values and updated financial projections for the next
five years and are classified as Level 3 measurements in the fair value hierarchy.

The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable and accounts payable approximates their estimated fair values

due to the short maturities of these instruments.

The following table below provides the fair values of our term loan credit facility, our senior notes, our senior subordinated notes

and our interest rate swaps (in thousands).

Term loan credit facility
Senior notes
Senior subordinated notes
Short-term portion of interest rate swaps
Long-term portion of interest rate swaps

February 1,
2020
2,119,802
449,675

$

$

—  

13,007
3,555

February 2,
2019
2,177,098
—
511,913
2,557
3,809

The  fair  values  of  our  term  loan  credit  facility,  our  senior  notes  and  our  senior  subordinated  notes  were  determined  based  on

quoted market prices which are considered Level 1 inputs within the fair value hierarchy.

The fair value of our interest rate swaps was calculated using significant observable inputs including the present value of estimated

future cash flows using the applicable interest rate curves, and therefore, were classified as Level 2 inputs within the fair value hierarchy.

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3. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, NET

Property and equipment consists of the following (in thousands):

Buildings and leasehold improvements
Fixtures and equipment
Capitalized software
Construction in progress

Less accumulated depreciation and amortization

February 1,
2020

February 2,
2019

$

$

531,580
910,450
227,123
37,367
1,706,520
(1,276,088)
430,432

$

$

534,578
847,356
234,711
39,453
1,656,098
(1,217,021)
439,077

During fiscal 2019, we retired approximately $54.5 million of fully depreciated assets that were no longer in service.

4. LEASES

We  lease  our  retail  store  locations,  distribution  centers,  office  facilities  and  certain  equipment  under  non-cancelable  operating
leases. Substantially all store leases have initial lease terms of approximately 10 years, the majority of which provide for one or more five-
year renewal options. The exercise of lease renewal options is at the Company’s sole discretion. We include the lease renewal option periods
in the calculation of our operating lease assets and liabilities when it is reasonably certain that we will renew the lease.

Our  operating  lease  assets  represent  our  right  to  use  an  underlying  asset  for  the  lease  term  and  our  operating  lease  liabilities
represent  our  obligation  to  make  lease  payments  arising  from  the  lease.  Operating  lease  assets  and  liabilities  are  recognized  at  the
commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The commencement date is the earlier of the date
when we become legally obligated for the rent payments or the date when we take possession of the building for construction purposes. In
addition,  operating  lease  assets  are  net  of  lease  incentives  received. As  our  leases  do  not  contain  an  implicit  rate  of  return,  we  use  our
estimated incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the lease commencement date in determining the present value
of  lease  payments.  For  operating  leases  that  commenced  prior  to  the  adoption  date  of  the  new  lease  accounting  standard,  we  used  the
incremental borrowing rate as of the adoption date. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease
term.

We have lease agreements with lease and non-lease components, which are generally accounted for as a single lease component.
Our short-term non-real estate leases, which have a non-cancelable lease term of less than one year, are not included in the operating lease
assets or liabilities. Short-term lease expense is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.

The components of lease costs are as follows (in thousands):

Operating lease cost (1)
Variable lease cost (2)
Total lease cost

Fiscal Year
2019

422,857
149,643
572,500

$

$

(1)

(2)

Includes an immaterial amount related to short-term non-real estate leases.
Includes taxes, insurance and common areas maintenance costs for our leased facilities which are paid based on actual cost incurred by the lessor.
Also includes contingent rent which is immaterial in the periods presented.

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Additional information related to our operating leases is as follows (in thousands, except weighted-average data):

Operating cash outflows included in the measurement of lease liabilities
Operating lease assets obtained in exchange for new operating lease liabilities
Weighted-average remaining lease term
Weighted-average discount rate

Maturities of our lease liabilities are as follows as of February 1, 2020 (in thousands):

Fiscal Year
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Thereafter

Total lease payments
Less: Interest

Present value of lease liabilities

Fiscal Year
2019

430,871
296,289
6.0 years
5.9%

395,672
388,112
326,224
263,431
202,604
427,752
2,003,795
(339,178)
1,664,617

$
$

$

$

$

Lease  payments  exclude $71.1  million  related  to 21  leases  that  have  been  signed  as  of  February  1,  2020  but  have  not  yet

commenced.

Rent Commitments Under Previous Lease Accounting Standard

Future  minimum  annual  rental  commitments  for  all  non-cancelable  operating  leases  as  of  February  2,  2019  are  as  follows  (in

thousands):

Fiscal Year
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Thereafter

Total minimum rental commitments

$

$

428,698
386,466
331,032
268,667
206,424
508,178
2,129,465

Rent expense applicable to non-cancelable operating leases was $423.8 million and $425.5 million in fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017,

respectively.

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5. GOODWILL AND INTANGIBLE ASSETS

The gross carrying amounts and accumulated amortization of our intangible assets are as follows (in thousands):

February 1, 2020

Definite-lived intangible assets:

Customer relationships
Proprietary product designs
Other intangible assets

Indefinite-lived intangible assets:

Product tradenames

Total intangible assets

Definite-lived intangible assets:

Customer relationships
Proprietary product designs
Other intangible assets

Indefinite-lived intangible assets:

Product tradenames

Total intangible assets

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Amortization
Period
(in years)

14.81
—
5.74

Amortization
Period
(in years)

15-18
7
3-19

Gross
Carrying
Amount

Accumulated
Amortization/
Impairment
Charges (1)

Net
Carrying
Value

$

$

61,610
3,400
10,540
75,550

$

(6,309)
(3,400)
(4,249)
(13,958)

55,301
—
6,291
61,592

13,725

(8,900)

4,825

$

89,275

$

(22,858)

$

66,417

February 2, 2019

Weighted
Average
Remaining
Amortization
Period
(in years)

14.95
3.99
11.71

Amortization
Period
(in years)

16-18
7
4-21

Gross
Carrying
Amount

Accumulated
Amortization/
Impairment
Charges (1)

Net
Carrying
Value

$

$

5,600
3,400
4,229
13,229

$

(1,789)
(2,633)
(2,794)
(7,216)

3,811
767
1,435
6,013

13,725

(2,500)

11,225

$

26,954

$

(9,716)

$

17,238

(1)

In  fiscal  2019,  impairment  charges  of $6.4  million  and $4.1  million  were  recorded  on  indefinite-lived  and  definite-lived  intangible  assets,
respectively.  In  fiscal  2018,  impairment  charges  of  $2.5  million  and $0.5  million  were  recorded  on  indefinite-lived  and  definite-lived  intangible
assets, respectively (see Note 1 for further explanation).

In  fiscal  2019,  fiscal  2018  and  fiscal  2017,  we  recognized  amortization  expense  of $1.7 million, $1.6  million  and $1.9  million,
respectively,  related  to  definite-lived  intangible  assets.  As  of  February  1,  2020,  the  amortization  expense  related  to  our definite-lived
intangible assets for the next five years will be approximately $4.0 million to $5.0 million each year.

On  November  22,  2019,  the  Company  acquired  certain  intangible  assets  from  A.C.  Moore  Incorporated  for  $62.1  million,
including customer relationships and tradenames totaling $56.0 million and $5.2 million, respectively. In connection with the transaction,
we also leased a distribution facility in New Jersey and 19 store locations. The fair values of the intangible assets acquired were determined
by using the income approach. The income approach indicates value for a subject based on the present value of cash flows expected to be
generated  by  the  asset.  Projected  cash  flows  are  discounted  at  a  market  rate  of  return  that  reflects  the  relative  risk  of  achieving  the  cash
flows and the time value of money.

As of February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019, goodwill totaled $94.3 million and $112.1 million, respectively.  As a result of our
impairment  testing  in  fiscal  2019,  we  fully  impaired  goodwill  of $17.8  million  related  to  our  Darice  wholesale  business  (see  Note  1  for
further explanation). The remaining goodwill balance as of February 1, 2020 is related to our Michaels brand.  

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Table of Contents

6. ACCRUED LIABILITIES AND OTHER

Accrued liabilities and other consists of the following (in thousands):

Accrued payroll
Self-insurance
Property, sales and use taxes
Gift card liability
Accrued occupancy costs
Accrued advertising
Interest rate swap
Other (1)

February 1,
2020

February 2,
2019

$

$

49,252
67,176
72,245
64,130
12,330
9,342
13,007
59,654
347,136

$

$

$

$

73,180
70,200
68,182
61,071
19,506
14,093
2,557
69,953
378,742

February 2,
2019
2,207,450
—
510,000
2,717,450
(11,550)
2,705,900
(24,900)
2,681,000

$

$

24,900
18,675
2,138,975
—
—
500,000
2,682,550

(1)

Fiscal 2018 includes $10.8 million of deferred rent and landlord incentives.

7. DEBT

Long-term debt consists of the following (in thousands):

Term loan credit facility
Senior notes
Senior subordinated notes
Total debt
Less unamortized discount/premium and debt costs
Total debt, net
Less current portion
Long-term debt

Interest Rate

Variable

$
8.00 %  
5.875 %  

$

February 1,
2020
2,182,550
500,000
—
2,682,550
(13,190)
2,669,360
(24,900)
2,644,460

The aggregate amount of scheduled debt payments through maturity are as follows (in thousands):

Fiscal Year
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
Thereafter
Total debt payments

As  of  February  1,  2020  and  February  2,  2019,  the  weighted-average  interest  rate  of  the  variable  debt  was 4.16%  and 5.00%,
respectively. Cash paid for interest totaled $152.9 million, $144.3 million and $137.6  million  in  fiscal  2019,  fiscal  2018  and  fiscal  2017,
respectively.

As  of  February  1,  2020,  net  debt  issuance  costs  totaled $15.9  million.  We  amortize  debt  issuance  costs  using  the  straight-line
method  over  the  terms  of  the  respective  debt  agreements  (which  range  from five  to eight  years). Amortization  expense  related  to  debt
issuance  costs  is  recorded  in  interest  expense  in  the  accompanying  consolidated  statements  of  comprehensive  income.  The  straight-line
method  produces  results  materially  consistent  with  the  effective  interest  method.  Our expected amortization  expense  related  to  the debt
issuance costs will range between $1.2 million and $3.8 million each year, over the next five years.

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Term Loan Credit Facility

On May 23, 2018, MSI entered into an amendment with JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. (“JPMorgan”), as successor administrative
agent and successor collateral agent, and other lenders to amend and restate our then-existing term loan credit facility. The amended and
restated credit agreement, together with the related security, guarantee and other agreements, is referred to as the “Amended and Restated
Term Loan Credit Facility”. Borrowings under the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility bear interest at a rate per annum, at
MSI’s option, of either (a) a margin of 1.50% plus a base rate defined as the highest of (1) the prime rate of JPMorgan, (2) the federal funds
effective  rate  plus 0.5%,  and  (3)  the  one-month  London  Interbank  Offered  Rate  (“LIBOR”)  plus 1%  or  (b)  a  margin  of 2.50%  plus  the
applicable LIBOR. The Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility matures on January 28, 2023.

As of February 1, 2020, the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility provides for senior secured financing of $2,182.6
million. MSI has the right under the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility to request additional term loans (a) in the aggregate
amount of up to $750 million or (b) at MSI’s election, an amount of additional term loans if the consolidated secured debt ratio (as defined
in the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility) is no more than  3.25 to 1.00 on a pro forma basis as of the last day of the most
recently ended four quarter period, subject to certain adjustments. The lenders under the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility
will not be under any obligation to provide any such additional term loans, and the incurrence of any such additional term loans is subject to
customary conditions.

There are no limitations on dividends and certain other restricted payments so long as (a) no event of default shall have occurred
and be continuing and (b) immediately after giving pro forma effect to such restricted payment(s) and the application of proceeds therefrom,
the consolidated total leverage ratio is less than or equal to 3.75 to 1.00.

MSI must offer to prepay outstanding term loans at 100% of the principal amount, plus any unpaid interest, with the proceeds of
certain asset sales or casualty events under certain circumstances. MSI may voluntarily prepay outstanding loans under the Amended and
Restated Term Loan Credit Facility at any time without premium or penalty other than customary breakage costs with respect to LIBOR
loans.

MSI is required to make scheduled quarterly payments equal to 0.25% of the original principal amount of the term loans (subject to

adjustments relating to the incurrence of additional term loans), with the balance to be paid on January 28, 2023.

All obligations under the Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility are unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally,
by  Michaels  Funding,  Inc.  (“Holdings”)  and  all  of  MSI’s  existing  domestic  material  subsidiaries  and  are  required  to  be  guaranteed  by
certain of MSI’s future domestic wholly-owned material subsidiaries (the “Subsidiary Guarantors”). All obligations under the Amended and
Restated Term Loan Credit Facility, and the guarantees of those obligations, are secured, subject to certain exceptions, by substantially all of
the assets of Holdings, MSI and the Subsidiary Guarantors, including:

●

●

●

a first-priority pledge of MSI’s capital stock and all of the capital stock held directly by MSI and the Subsidiary Guarantors
(which  pledge,  in  the  case  of  any  foreign  subsidiary  or  foreign  subsidiary  holding  company,  is  limited  to 65%  of  the  voting
stock of such foreign subsidiary or foreign subsidiary holding company and 100% of the non-voting stock of such subsidiary);

a first-priority security interest in, and mortgages on, substantially all other tangible and intangible assets of Holdings, MSI and
each  Subsidiary  Guarantor,  including  substantially  all  of  MSI’s  and  the  Subsidiary  Guarantors  owned  real  property  and
equipment, but excluding, among other things, the collateral described below; and

a second-priority security interest in personal property consisting of inventory and related accounts, cash, deposit accounts, all
payments received by Holdings, MSI or the Subsidiary Guarantors from credit card clearinghouses and processors or otherwise
in  respect  of  all  credit  card  charges  and  debit  card  charges  for  sales  of  inventory  by  Holdings,  MSI  and  the  Subsidiary
Guarantors, and certain related assets and proceeds of the foregoing.

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Table of Contents

The Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility contains a number of negative covenants that are substantially similar to,
but more restrictive in certain respects than, those governing the 2027 Senior Notes (as defined below), as well as certain other customary
representations and warranties, affirmative and negative covenants and events of default. As of February 1, 2020, MSI was in compliance
with all covenants.

As of February 1, 2020, net debt issuance costs totaled $6.7 million and are being amortized as interest expense over the life of the
Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility. Debt issuance costs related to this facility are reflected as a reduction from the carrying
value of debt in the consolidated balance sheets. As a result of the refinancing of our Amended Term Loan Credit Facility on May 23, 2018,
MSI recorded a loss on the early extinguishment of debt of $1.8 million in fiscal 2018.

Interest Rate Swaps

In April 2018, we executed two interest rate swaps with an aggregate notional value of $1 billion associated with our outstanding
Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility. The interest rate swaps have a maturity date of April 30, 2021 and were executed for risk
management and are not held for trading purposes. The objective of the interest rate swaps is to hedge the variability of cash flows resulting
from fluctuations in the one-month LIBOR. The swaps replaced the one-month LIBOR with a fixed interest rate of 2.7765% and payments
are settled monthly. The swaps qualify as cash flow hedges and changes in the fair values are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive
income  in  the  consolidated  balance  sheet.  The  changes  in  fair  value  are  reclassified  from  accumulated  other  comprehensive  income  to
interest expense in the same period that the hedged items affect earnings. We reclassified $5.8 million and $4.6 million from accumulated
other comprehensive income to interest expense during fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018, respectively. As of February 1, 2020, the fair value of
the interest rate swaps was a liability of $16.6 million, consisting of $13.0 million recorded in accrued liabilities and $3.6 million recorded
in other liabilities in our consolidated balance sheet. As of February 2, 2019, the fair value of the interest rate swaps was a liability of $6.4
million, consisting of $3.8 million recorded in other liabilities and $2.6 million recorded in accrued liabilities in our consolidated balance
sheet.

8% Senior Notes due 2027

On July 8, 2019, MSI issued $500 million in principal amount of senior notes maturing in 2027 (“2027 Senior Notes”). The 2027
Senior  Notes  were  issued  pursuant  to  an  indenture  among  MSI,  certain  subsidiaries  of  MSI,  as  guarantors,  and  U.S.  Bank  National
Association, as trustee (the “2027 Senior Notes Indenture”). The 2027 Senior Notes mature on July 15, 2027 and bear interest at a rate of
8% per year, with interest payable semi-annually on January 15 and July 15 of each year, beginning on January 15, 2020.

The net proceeds from the offering and sale of the 2027 Senior Notes, together with cash on hand, were used to redeem MSI’s

outstanding 2020 Senior Subordinated Notes (as defined below).

The  2027  Senior  Notes  are  fully  and  unconditionally  guaranteed,  jointly  and  severally,  on  a  senior  unsecured  basis  by  each  of
MSI’s  subsidiaries  that  guarantee  indebtedness  under  the Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  (as  defined  below)  and  the Amended  and
Restated Term Loan Credit Facility (collectively defined as the “Senior Secured Credit Facilities”).

The  2027  Senior  Notes  are  general,  unsecured  obligations  of  MSI,  and  the  guarantees  of  the  2027  Senior  Notes  are  general,
unsecured obligations of the guarantors. They (i) rank equally in right of payment with all of MSI’s and the guarantors’ existing and future
senior debt, including the Senior Secured Credit Facilities, (ii) are effectively subordinated to any of MSI’s and the guarantors’ existing and
future  secured  debt  to  the  extent  of  the  value  of  the  assets  securing  such  debt,  including  the  Senior  Secured  Credit  Facilities,  (iii)  are
structurally subordinated to all of the liabilities of MSI’s subsidiaries that are not guaranteeing the 2027 Senior Notes, and (iv) are senior in
right of payment with all of MSI’s and the guarantors’ existing and future subordinated debt.

At any time prior to July 15, 2022, MSI may redeem (a) up to 40% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2027 Senior Notes
with the gross proceeds from one or more Equity Offerings, as defined in the 2027 Senior Notes Indenture, at a redemption price of 108% of
the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date and/or (b) all or part of the 2027 Senior
Notes  at 100% of the principal amount plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the redemption date plus a make-
whole premium. Thereafter, MSI may redeem all or part of the 2027 Senior Notes at the redemption prices set forth below (expressed as
percentages of the principal

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Table of Contents

amount of the 2027 Senior Notes to be redeemed) plus any accrued and  unpaid  interest  thereon  to,  but  excluding,  the  applicable  date  of
redemption, if redeemed during the twelve month period beginning on July 15 of each of the years indicated below:

Year
2022
2023
2024 and thereafter

Percentage

104 %
102 %
100 %

Upon a change in control, MSI is required to offer to purchase the 2027 Senior Notes at 101% of the aggregate principal amount,

plus any accrued and unpaid interest thereon to, but excluding, the date of purchase.

Subject  to  certain  exceptions  and  qualifications,  the  2027  Senior  Notes  Indenture  contains  covenants  that,  among  other  things,

limit MSI’s ability and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries, including the guarantors, to:

●

●

●

●

●

●

incur additional indebtedness or issue certain disqualified stock or preferred stock;

create liens;

pay dividends on MSI’s capital stock or make distributions or redeem or repurchase MSI’s capital stock;

prepay subordinated debt or make certain investments, loans, advances, and acquisitions;

transfer or sell assets;

engage in consolidations, amalgamations or mergers, or sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of all or substantially all of their
assets; and

●

enter into certain transactions with affiliates.

The covenants also limit MSI’s ability, and the ability of MSI’s restricted subsidiaries, to pay dividends or distributions on MSI’s
capital stock or repurchase MSI’s capital stock, subject to certain exceptions, including dividends, distributions and repurchases up to (i) an
amount equal to the greater of $200.0 million and 25% of MSI’s consolidated EBITDA (as defined in the 2027 Senior Notes Indenture) and
(ii) a basket that builds based on 50% of MSI’s consolidated net income (as defined in the 2027 Senior Notes Indenture) and certain other
amounts, in each case, to the extent such payment capacity is not applied as otherwise permitted under the 2027 Senior Notes Indenture and
subject to certain conditions. However, there are no limitations on dividends and certain other restricted payments so long as (a) no event of
default  shall  have  occurred  and  be  continuing  and  (b)  immediately  after  giving  pro  forma  effect  to  such  restricted  payment(s)  and  the
application of proceeds therefrom, the total net leverage ratio is less than or equal to 3.25 to 1.00. As of February 1, 2020, the permitted
restricted payment amount was $356.8 million. The 2027 Senior Notes Indenture also provides for customary events of default which, if any
of them occurs, would require or permit the principal of and accrued interest on the 2027 Senior Notes to become or to be declared due and
payable. As of February 1, 2020, MSI was in compliance with all covenants.

As of February 1, 2020, net debt issuance costs totaled $5.7 million and are being amortized as interest expense over the life of the
2027 Senior Notes. Debt issuance costs related to this facility are reflected as a reduction from the carrying value of debt in the consolidated
balance sheets.

Revolving Credit Facility

On August  30,  2019,  MSI  entered  into  an  amendment  with  Wells  Fargo  Bank,  National Association  (“Wells  Fargo”)  and  other
lenders  to,  among  other  things,  extend  the  maturity  date  of  our  then-existing  senior  secured  asset-based  revolving  credit  facility  (the
“Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility”).  The Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  matures  in August  2024,  subject  to  an  earlier  springing
maturity date if certain of our outstanding indebtedness has not been repaid, redeemed, refinanced, or cash collateralized or if the necessary
availability reserves have not been established prior to such time (the “ABL Maturity Date”).

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Table of Contents

The Amended Revolving Credit Facility provides for senior secured financing of up to $850 million, subject to a borrowing base.
The borrowing base under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility equals the sum of: (i)  90% of eligible credit card receivables, (ii) 85% of
eligible  trade  receivables,  (iii) 90%  to 92.5%  of  the  appraised  value  of  eligible  inventory,  plus  (iv) 90%  to 92.5%  of  the  lesser  of  (a)  the
appraised value of eligible inventory supported by letters of credit, and (b) the face amount of the letters of credit, less (v) certain reserves.

As of February 1, 2020, the borrowing base was $850 million of which MSI had availability of $768.1 million. Borrowing capacity
is  available  for  letters  of  credit  and  borrowings  on  same-day  notice.  Outstanding  standby  letters  of  credit  as  of  February  1,  2020  totaled
$81.9 million.

The Amended Revolving Credit Facility also provides MSI with the right to request up to $200 million of additional commitments.
The lenders will not be under any obligation to provide any such additional commitments, and any increase in commitments is subject to
customary  conditions.  If  we  were  to  request  additional  commitments,  and  the  lenders  were  to  agree  to  provide  such  commitments,  the
facility size could be increased up to $1,050 million, however, MSI’s ability to borrow would still be limited by the borrowing base.

Borrowings under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility bear interest at a rate per annum equal to, at our option, either (a) a base
rate  determined  by  reference  to  the  highest  of  (1)  the  prime  rate  of  Wells  Fargo,  (2)  the  federal  funds  effective  rate  plus 0.50%  and
(3) LIBOR subject to certain adjustments plus 1.00% or (b) LIBOR subject to certain adjustments, in each case plus an applicable margin.
The initial applicable margin is (a) 0.25% for prime rate borrowings and 1.25% for LIBOR borrowings. The applicable margin is subject to
adjustment each fiscal quarter based on the excess availability under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility. Excess availability is defined
as  the  Loan  Cap  (as  defined  below)  plus  certain  unrestricted  cash  of  Holdings,  MSI  and  the  Subsidiary  Guarantors,  less  the  outstanding
credit extensions. Same-day borrowings bear interest at the base rate plus the applicable margin.

MSI is required to pay a commitment fee on the unutilized commitments under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility, which is
0.25% per annum, subject to reduction to 0.20% when excess availability is less than 50% of the Loan Cap (as defined below). In addition,
MSI must pay customary letter of credit fees and agency fees.

All obligations under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility are unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, by Holdings
and the Subsidiary Guarantors. All obligations under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility, and the guarantees of those obligations, are
secured, subject to certain exceptions, by substantially all of the assets of Holdings, MSI and the Subsidiary Guarantors, including:

●

●

●

a  first-priority  security  interest  in  personal  property  consisting  of  inventory  and  related  accounts,  cash,  deposit  accounts,  all
payments received by Holdings, MSI or the Subsidiary Guarantors from credit card clearinghouses and processors or otherwise
in  respect  of  all  credit  card  charges  and  debit  card  charges  for  sales  of  inventory  by  Holdings,  MSI  and  the  Subsidiary
Guarantors, and certain related assets and proceeds of the foregoing;

a second-priority pledge of all of MSI’s capital stock and the capital stock held directly by MSI and the Subsidiary Guarantors
(which pledge, in the case of the capital stock of any foreign subsidiary or foreign subsidiary holding company, is limited to
65% of the voting stock of such foreign subsidiary or foreign subsidiary holding company and 100% of the non-voting stock of
such subsidiary); and

a second-priority security interest in, and mortgages on, substantially all other tangible and intangible assets of Holdings, MSI
and  each  Subsidiary  Guarantor,  including  substantially  all  of  MSI’s  and  the  Subsidiary  Guarantors  owned  real  property  and
equipment.

If,  at  any  time,  the  aggregate  amount  of  outstanding  loans,  unreimbursed  letter  of  credit  drawings  and  undrawn  letters  of  credit
under  the Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  exceeds  the  lesser  of  (i)  the  commitment  amount  and  (ii)  the  borrowing  base  (the  “Loan
Cap”), MSI will be required to repay outstanding loans and cash collateralize letters of credit in an aggregate amount equal to such excess,
with no reduction of the commitment amount. If availability under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility is less than the greater of (i) 10%
of the Loan Cap and (ii) $50 million for five consecutive business days, or, if certain events of default have occurred, MSI will be required
to  repay  outstanding  loans  and  cash  collateralize  letters  of  credit  with  the  cash  MSI  would  be  required  to  deposit  daily  in  a  collection
account maintained with the agent under the Amended Revolving Credit Facility. Availability under the Amended Revolving

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Credit  Facility  means  the  Loan  Cap  minus  the  outstanding  credit  extensions.  MSI  may  voluntarily  reduce  the  unutilized  portion  of  the
commitment amount and repay outstanding loans at any time without premium or penalty, other than customary breakage costs with respect
to LIBOR loans. The principal amount of the loans outstanding is due and payable in full on the ABL Maturity Date.

The covenants limiting dividends and other restricted payments, investments, loans, advances and acquisitions, and prepayments
or  redemptions  of  indebtedness,  each  permit  the  restricted  actions  in  an  unlimited  amount,  subject  to  the  satisfaction  of  certain  payment
conditions,  principally  that  MSI  must  meet  specified  excess  availability  requirements  and  minimum  consolidated  fixed  charge  coverage
ratios, to be tested on a pro forma basis as of the date of the restricted action and for the 30-day period preceding such restricted action.
Adjusted  EBITDA,  as  defined  in  the  Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility,  is  used  in  the  calculation  of  the  consolidated  fixed  charge
coverage ratios.

From the time when MSI has excess availability less than the greater of (a) 10% of the Loan Cap and (b) $50 million, until the time
when  MSI  has  excess  availability  more  than  the  greater  of  (a) 10%  of  the  Loan  Cap  and  (b) $50  million  for 30  consecutive  days,  the
Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  will  require  MSI  to  maintain  a  consolidated  fixed  charge  coverage  ratio  of  at  least 1.0  to  1.0.  The
Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  also  contains  certain  customary  representations  and  warranties,  affirmative  covenants  and  provisions
relating to events of default (including change of control and cross-default to material indebtedness).

The  Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  contains  a  number  of  covenants  that,  among  other  things  and  subject  to  certain

exceptions, restrict MSI’s ability, and the ability of its restricted subsidiaries, to:

●

●

incur or guarantee additional indebtedness;

pay dividends on MSI’s capital stock or redeem, repurchase or retire MSI’s capital stock;

● make investments, loans, advances and acquisitions;

●

●

●

●

●

●

create restrictions on the payment of dividends or other amounts to MSI from its restricted subsidiaries;

engage in transactions with MSI’s affiliates;

sell assets, including capital stock of MSI’s subsidiaries;

prepay or redeem indebtedness;

consolidate or merge; and

create liens.

As of February 1, 2020, net debt issuance costs totaled $3.5 million and are being amortized as interest expense over the life of the
Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility.  Debt  issuance  costs  related  to  this  facility  are  reflected  as  an  asset  within  the  consolidated  balance
sheets. As  a  result  of  the  refinancing  of  our Amended  Revolving  Credit  Facility  on August  30,  2019,  MSI  recorded  a  loss  on  the  early
extinguishment of debt of $0.2 million related to the write-off of net debt issuance costs.

5.875% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2020

On  December  19,  2013,  MSI  issued  $260  million  in  principal  amount  of 5.875%  senior  subordinated  notes  maturing  in  2020
(“2020 Senior Subordinated Notes”). On June 16, 2014, MSI issued an additional $250 million of the 2020 Senior Subordinated Notes at
102% of face value, resulting in an effective interest rate of 5.76%.

On July 29, 2019, the Company redeemed the 2020 Senior Subordinated Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $510 million
plus  accrued  interest.  This  payment  retired  the  2020  Senior  Subordinated  Notes  and  discharged  the  obligations  under  the  indenture
governing  the  2020  Senior  Subordinated  Notes.  In  fiscal  2019,  we  recorded  a  loss  on  the  early  extinguishment  of  debt  of  $1.2  million
related  to  the  redemption  of  the  2020  Senior  Subordinated  Notes,  consisting  of  the  write-off  of  debt  issuance  costs  and  unamortized
premium.

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8. INCOME TAXES

The  reconciliation  of  income  tax  expense  computed  at  the  U.S.  federal  statutory  tax  rate  to  income  tax  expense  reported  in  our

consolidated statements of comprehensive income is as follows (in thousands):

Income taxes at statutory rate
State income taxes, net of federal benefit
Foreign tax rate differential
Tax Act adjustments
Tax on GILTI, net
Share-based compensation
Taxing authority examinations
Other
Total

2019
75,258
14,716
(22,740)
—
7,865
4,225
—
6,452
85,776

$

$

21.0 % $

4.1
(6.4)
—
2.2
1.2
—
1.8

23.9 % $

Fiscal Year
2018
87,581
13,095
(22,718)
987
3,799
843
5,861
8,061
97,509

21.0 % $

3.1
(5.4)
0.2
0.9
0.2
1.4
2.0

23.4 % $

2017
204,256
18,224
(31,570)
14,557
—
(2,685)
—
12,461
215,243

33.7 %
3.0
(5.2)
2.4
—
(0.4)
—
2.0
35.5 %

On  December  22,  2017,  the  Tax  Cuts  and  Jobs Act  of  2017  (the  “Tax Act”)  was  enacted  in  the  U.S.  The  Tax Act  included  a
number of changes to U.S. tax laws that impact the Company, including the reduction of the federal statutory tax rate from 35%  to 21%
effective January 1, 2018. As a result of the Tax Act, we recorded an $ 8.5 million charge in fiscal 2017. The charge consists of adjustments
totaling $14.6 million related to repatriation taxes for accumulated earnings of foreign subsidiaries and the revaluation of net deferred tax
assets,  partially  offset  by  a  $6.1  million  benefit  due  to  the  decrease  in  the  federal  statutory  tax  rate.  The  Tax Act  adjustments  were  not
material to the consolidated financial statements in fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018.

The components of our income tax expense are as follows (in thousands):

Current:
Federal
State
Foreign

Total current income tax expense

Deferred:
Federal
State
Foreign

Total deferred income tax expense

Income taxes

2019

Fiscal Year
2018

   $

58,966    $
12,995
4,596
76,557

61,910    $
15,502
12,626
90,038

2,762
5,632
825
9,219

9,200
1,073
(2,802)
7,471

2017

186,784
26,434
(2,027)
211,191

3,961
(966)
1,057
4,052

$

85,776

$

97,509

$

215,243

The pretax income from foreign operations for fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 totaled $131.2 million, $109.9 million and
$119.9 million, respectively. Cash paid for income taxes totaled $58.7 million, $134.4 million and $181.3 million in fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018
and fiscal 2017, respectively.

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Significant components of deferred income tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in thousands):

Deferred income tax assets:
Operating lease liabilities
Accrued liabilities
Self-insurance
Gift cards
Share-based compensation
Interest rate swaps
Goodwill
Other intangible assets
State income taxes
State and foreign net operating losses
Tax credits
Other

Total gross deferred income tax assets
Valuation allowance
Total deferred income tax assets, net of valuation allowance

Deferred income tax liabilities:

Operating lease assets
Property and equipment
Merchandise inventories
Prepaid expenses

Total deferred income tax liabilities

Net deferred income tax assets

February 1,
2020

February 2,
2019

$

$

367,390
13,804
14,028
10,225
6,760
4,306
4,760
3,305
4,540
7,843
4,184
2,664
443,809
(9,209)
434,600

(351,964)
(49,604)
(9,866)
(4,965)
(416,399)

14,529
13,031
14,028
8,784
8,255
1,655
678
638
3,949
7,286
3,833
768
77,434
(5,430)
72,004

—
(39,046)
(3,198)
(4,755)
(46,999)

$

18,201

$

25,005

A valuation allowance is recorded to reduce the carrying amounts of deferred tax assets unless it is more likely than not that such
assets will be realized. In evaluating our ability to realize our deferred tax assets we considered sources of future taxable income, including
future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, forecast of future profitability and tax planning strategies.

At February 1, 2020, we had state net operating loss carryforwards to reduce future taxable income of $7.5 million, net of federal

tax benefits, and $0.3 million of foreign net operating loss carryforwards expiring at various dates between fiscal 2020 and fiscal 2039.

Unrecognized Tax Benefits Resulting from Uncertain Tax Positions

We operate in a number of tax jurisdictions and are subject to examination of our income tax returns by tax authorities in those
jurisdictions who may challenge any item on these tax returns. Because the tax matters challenged by tax authorities are typically complex,
the ultimate outcome of these challenges is uncertain. We recognize these tax benefits in our consolidated financial statements only after
determining that it is more likely than not that the tax positions will be sustained.

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A  reconciliation  of  unrecognized  tax  benefits  from  the  end  of  fiscal  2018  through  the  end  of  fiscal  2019  is  as  follows  (in

thousands):

Balance at beginning of year
Additions related to the current year
Additions related to prior years
Reductions related to prior years
Expiration of applicable statute of limitations
Settlement of tax positions
Balance at end of year

$

$

58,820
7,076
5,837
(2,972)
(336)
(8)
68,417

Included  in  the  balance  of  unrecognized  tax  benefits  resulting  from  uncertain  tax  positions  at  February  1,  2020  is  $44.7  million
which, if recognized, would affect income tax expense. We do not expect any material changes to our liability for uncertain tax positions
during the next 12 months. At February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019, the total amount of interest accrued within the tax liability was $6.6
million  and  $4.9  million,  respectively.  There  was  no  material  interest  or  penalty  expense  recognized  in  the  consolidated  statements  of
comprehensive income in fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 or fiscal 2017.

Our  income  tax  returns  are  subject  to  examination  by  taxing  authorities  in  the  jurisdictions  in  which  we  operate.  The  periods
subject to examination for our U.S. federal returns are fiscal 2013 to fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2011 to fiscal 2018 for our Canadian returns. State
and provincial income tax returns are generally subject to examination for a period of three to seven years after filing. We have various state
and provincial income tax returns in the process of examination, appeals, litigation or settlement. Our income tax returns for fiscal 2011 and
fiscal 2012 are currently under examination by the Canadian tax authorities. Our U.S. federal returns for fiscal 2013 through fiscal 2017 are
currently under examination by the Internal Revenue Service. We are not aware of any issues which would result in a material assessment of
net tax obligations.

9. ACCUMULATED OTHER COMPREHENSIVE LOSS

The following table includes detail regarding changes in the composition of accumulated other comprehensive loss (in thousands):

Beginning of period

Foreign currency translation adjustment
Interest rate swaps

End of period

10. SHARE-BASED COMPENSATION

Fiscal Years Ended

February 1,
2020
(14,558)
(727)
(7,546)
(22,831)

$

$

February 2,
2019

$

$

(3,660)
(6,188)
(4,710)
(14,558)

The Michaels Companies, Inc. Second Amended and Restated 2014 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan provides for the grant of
share-based awards for up to 28.6 million shares of common stock. As of February 1, 2020, there were 6.5 million shares of common stock
remaining  available  for  grant.  Generally,  time-based  share  awards  vest  ratably  over four years  and  stock  options  expire eight  to ten  years
from the grant date. Restricted awards that are performance-based are expected to vest between one to four years from the grant date. As of
February  1,  2020,  unrecognized  compensation  cost  for  all  unvested  share-based  awards  totaled $62.6  million  and  is  expected  to  be
recognized over a weighted-average period of 2.5 years. Share-based compensation expense totaled $22.9 million, $27.1 million and $24.3
million in fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017, respectively, and is recorded in cost of sales and occupancy expense and SG&A in the
consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

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Stock Options

The fair value of each stock option is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. The following table presents the

weighted-average assumptions used during fiscal years 2019, 2018 and 2017:

Risk-free interest rates (1)
Expected dividend yield
Expected volatility (2)
Expected life of options in years (3)

2019

Fiscal Year
2018

2017

1.9 %
0.0 %
37.9 %
4.3

2.5 %
0.0 %
32.8 %
4.1

1.7 %
0.0 %
29.9 %
4.1

(1) Based on interest rates for U.S. Treasury instruments with terms consistent with the expected lives of the awards.
(2) We considered our historical and implied volatility as well as the implied volatilities for exchange-traded options of a peer group of companies.
(3) Expected lives were based on an analysis of historical exercises and post-vesting employment termination.

The stock option activity during the fiscal year ended February 1, 2020 was as follows:

Outstanding at beginning of year

Granted
Exercised
Expired/Forfeited

Outstanding at end of year

Shares exercisable at end of year

     Weighted-
Average
Remaining
Contractual
Term
(in years)

Weighted-
Average Exercise
Price

Aggregate
Intrinsic
Value
(in thousands)

19.73
10.37
7.83
19.10
16.32  

19.58  

7.0

4.9

$

$

—

—

Number of
Shares
(in thousands)
8,544
3,109
(65)
(4,016)
7,572

3,602

$

$

$

The total grant date fair value of options that vested during fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 was $7.0 million, $9.5 million
and $8.3 million, respectively. There was no intrinsic value for options that vested during fiscal 2019. The intrinsic value for options that
vested during fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 was $4.1 million and $5.4 million, respectively. The intrinsic value for options exercised during
fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 was $0.3 million, $2.6 million and $15.7 million, respectively. As of the beginning of fiscal 2019,
there  were 4.0 million nonvested options with a weighted-average fair value of $5.93 per share. As of the end  of  fiscal  2019,  there  were
4.0  million  nonvested  options  with  a  weighted-average  fair  value  of  $4.15  per  share.  The  weighted-average  fair  value  of  options  granted
during fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 was $3.45, $5.85 and $5.88, respectively. During fiscal 2019, there were 1.2 million options
that vested and 4.0 million options that were cancelled with a weighted-average fair value of $5.94 and $5.31 per share, respectively.

Restricted Shares

The  Company  issues  restricted  shares  to  certain  key  employees  and  its  Board  of  Directors.  Restricted  share  units  awarded  to
employees that are time-based vest ratably over four years. Restricted share units that are performance-based vest based on predetermined
financial and operational targets and are expected to vest between one to four years from the grant date. Restricted shares awarded to Board
of Director members vest ratably over one year. Compensation expense for all time-based restricted stock awards and restricted stock units
is based on the amortization of the fair market value at the date of grant over the vesting period. Compensation expense for performance-
based restricted share units is based on the estimated timing of the achievement of predetermined financial and operational targets.

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Restricted stock unit activity during the fiscal year ended February 1, 2020 was as follows:

Outstanding at beginning of year

Granted
Vested
Forfeited

Outstanding at end of year

Number of
Shares (1)

(in thousands)     

Weighted-
Average Fair
Value

3,298
3,578
(662)
(1,551)
4,663

$

$

19.53
10.09
20.86
16.66
13.05

(1)

Includes 1.1 million of awards with vesting subject to performance conditions outstanding at the beginning of the year,  0.7 million forfeited during
the year and 0.4 million outstanding at the end of the year,  with a weighted average fair value of $17.38 per share, respectively.

Restricted stock award activity during the fiscal year ended February 1, 2020 was as follows:

Outstanding at beginning of year

Granted
Vested
Forfeited

Outstanding at end of year

11. EARNINGS PER SHARE

Number of
Shares

(in thousands)     

Weighted-
Average Fair
Value

172
162
(160)
(31)
143

$

$

24.60
9.44
21.26
24.77
11.11

The Company’s unvested restricted stock awards contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends and meet the criteria of a participating
security  as  defined  by ASC  260,  “Earnings Per Share”.  In  applying  the  two-class  method,  net  income  is  allocated  to  both  common  and
participating securities based on their respective weighted-average shares outstanding for the period. Basic earnings per share is computed
by dividing net income allocated to common shareholders by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period.
Diluted  earnings  per  share  is  computed  by  dividing  income  available  to  common  shareholders  by  the  weighted-average  common  shares
outstanding plus the potential dilutive impact from the exercise of stock options and restricted stock units. Common equivalent shares are
excluded  from  the  computation  if  their  effect  is  anti-dilutive.  There  were 10.6  million, 7.2  million  and 5.5  million  anti-dilutive  shares  in
fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017, respectively.

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The following table sets forth the computation of basic and diluted earnings per share (in thousands, except per share data):

Basic earnings per common share:

Net income
Less income related to unvested restricted shares
Income available to common shareholders - Basic

Weighted-average common shares outstanding - Basic

Basic earnings per common share

Diluted earnings per common share:

Net income
Less income related to unvested restricted shares
Income available to common shareholders - Diluted

Weighted-average common shares outstanding - Basic
Effect of dilutive stock options and restricted stock units
Weighted-average common shares outstanding - Diluted

   $

$

$

$

$

2019

Fiscal Year
2018

2017

272,595    $
(318)
272,277

$

319,545    $
(595)
318,950

$

390,498
(1,519)
388,979

153,134

170,610

184,281

$

$

$

1.78

272,595
(317)
272,278

153,134
68
153,202

$

$

$

1.87

319,545
(593)
318,952

170,610
768
171,378

2.11

390,498
(1,508)
388,990

184,281
1,285
185,566

Diluted earnings per common share

$

1.78

$

1.86

$

2.10

12. SEGMENTS AND GEOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

In fiscal 2019, we consider Michaels-U.S., Michaels-Canada and Darice to be our operating segments for purposes of determining
reportable  segments  based  on  the  criteria  of ASC  280, Segment  Reporting (“ASC  280”).  In  fiscal  2018  and  fiscal  2017,  our  operating
segments  also  included Aaron  Brothers  and  Pat  Catan’s.  We  determined  that  Michaels-U.S.,  Michaels-Canada, Aaron  Brothers  and  Pat
Catan’s  have  similar  economic  characteristics  and  meet  the  aggregation  criteria  set  forth  in  ASC  280.  Therefore,  we  combine  these
operating  segments  into one  reporting  segment.  Darice  does  not  meet  the  materiality  criteria  in ASC  280  and,  therefore,  is  not  disclosed
separately  as  a  reportable  segment.  Our  chief  operating  decision  makers  evaluate  historical  operating  performance  and  forecast  future
periods’ operating performance based on operating income.

Our net sales by country and sales by product category are as follows (in thousands):

Net Sales:
United States (1)
Canada
Total

Sales by Product Category:
General crafts
Home décor and seasonal
Custom and ready-made framing
Papercrafting
Total

2019

4,597,262
474,775
5,072,037

2,389,745
1,167,418
816,869
698,005
5,072,037

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

$

Fiscal Year
2018

4,783,903
488,041
5,271,944

2,604,905
1,230,054
801,075
635,910
5,271,944

$

$

$

$

2017

4,856,275
505,685
5,361,960

2,685,787
1,177,069
875,944
623,160
5,361,960

(1)

In March 2018 we closed our Aaron Brothers stores and in January 2019 we closed our Pat Catan’s stores. For fiscal 2018 and 2017, Pat Catan’s net
sales  totaled  approximately $109.6  million  and $113.4  million,  respectively.  For  fiscal  2018  and  fiscal  2017  Aaron  Brothers  net  sales  totaled
approximately $12.9 million and $110.4 million, respectively.  

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Our total assets by country are as follows (in thousands):

Total Assets:
United States (1)
Canada
Total

Fiscal Year

2019

2018

$

$

3,527,374
310,721
3,838,095

$

$

1,949,836
178,500
2,128,336

(1)

In fiscal 2019, we wrote-off $40.1 million of assets in connection with the impairments taken on our Darice wholesale business and $2.6 million of
assets in connection with the closure our Pat Catan’s stores. In fiscal 2018, we wrote-off  $97.8 million of assets in connection with the closure of
our Aaron Brothers and Pat Catan’s stores.

Assets are categorized based on their geographic location. Certain assets located in the U.S. are also used to support our Canadian

operations but are not allocated to Canada.

13. RETIREMENT PLANS

We sponsor a 401(k) Savings Plan for our eligible employees and certain of our subsidiaries. Participation in the 401(k) Savings
Plan is voluntary and available to any employee who is at least 21 years of age and has completed three months of full-time service or one
year of part-time service. Participants may elect to contribute up to 80% of their compensation on a pre-tax basis and up to 10% on an after-
tax  basis.  In  accordance  with  the  provisions  of  the  401(k)  Savings  Plan,  we  make  a  matching  cash  contribution  to  the  account  of  each
participant in an amount equal to 50% of the participant’s pre-tax contributions that do not exceed 6% of the participant’s compensation for
the  year.  Matching  contributions  vest  to  the  participants  based  on  years  of  service,  with 100%  vesting  after three  years.  Our  matching
contribution expense was $4.4 million, $4.8 million and $4.7 million in fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017, respectively.

We also sponsor a nonqualified deferred compensation plan for certain executives and other highly compensated employees. The
deferred compensation plan provides participants with the opportunity to defer up to 75% of their base salary and up to 100% of their annual
earned bonus. Participants are 100% vested in these deferrals and the associated investment returns. The Company does not currently make
any matching cash contributions to the participant accounts. As of February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019, liabilities associated with the
deferred compensation plan, which are included in long-term other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets, were $5.4 million and $4.7
million, respectively. The Company established a rabbi trust to fund the deferred compensation plan’s obligations. As of February 1, 2020
and February 2, 2019, assets of the rabbi trust, which consist primarily of mutual funds and are subject to the claims of our creditors, were
$5.3 million and $4.0 million, respectively, and are included in other assets in the consolidated balance sheets.

14. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS

Affiliates of, or funds advised by, The Blackstone Group, Inc. owned approximately 14% of our outstanding common stock as of
February 1, 2020. Affiliates of The Blackstone Group, Inc. also held $ 19.9 million of our Amended and Restated Term Loan Credit Facility
as of February 1, 2020.

The Blackstone Group, Inc. owns a majority equity position in RGIS, a vendor we utilized until February 2018 to count our store
inventory. Payments associated with this vendor during fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 were $0.7 million and $6.3 million, respectively, and are
included in SG&A in the consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

The  Blackstone  Group,  Inc.  owns  a  majority  equity  position  in  ShopCore  Properties,  LP,  Blackstone  Real  Estate  DDR  Retail
Holdings  III,  LLC  and  Blackstone  Real  Estate  RC  Retail  Holdings,  LLC  and  has  significant  influence  over  Edens  Limited  Partnership,
vendors we utilize to lease certain properties. Payments associated with these vendors during fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal 2017 were
$10.0 million, $11.5 million and $12.5  million,  respectively.  These  expenses  are  included  in  cost  of  sales  and  occupancy  expense  in  the
consolidated statements of comprehensive income.

The Blackstone Group, Inc. owns a majority equity position in JDA Software Group, Inc., a vendor we utilize for transportation

and supply chain software. Payments associated with this vendor during fiscal 2019, fiscal 2018 and fiscal

F-32

    
    
 
 
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2017 were $2.3 million, $3.0 million and $1.3 million, respectively. These expenses are included in SG&A in the consolidated statements of
comprehensive income.

15. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Our  debt  covenants  restrict  MSI,  and  certain  subsidiaries  of  MSI,  from  various  activities  including  the  incurrence  of  additional
debt, payment of dividends and the repurchase of MSI’s capital stock (subject to certain exceptions), among other things. The following
condensed  consolidated  financial  information  represents  the  financial  information  of  MSI  and  its  wholly-owned  subsidiaries  subject  to
these restrictions. The information is presented in accordance with the requirements of Rule 12-04 under the SEC’s Regulation S-X.

Michaels Stores, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets
(in thousands)

Current assets:

Cash and equivalents
Merchandise inventories
Prepaid expenses and other current assets

ASSETS

Total current assets
Property and equipment, net
Operating lease assets
Goodwill
Other intangible assets, net
Other assets

Total assets

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT

Current liabilities:
Accounts payable
Accrued liabilities and other
Current portion of operating lease liabilities
Current portion of long-term debt
Other current liabilities
Total current liabilities

Long-term debt
Long-term operating lease liabilities
Other liabilities
Total stockholders’ deficit

Total liabilities and stockholders’ deficit

F-33

February 1,
2020

February 2,
2019

$

$

$

$

409,173
1,097,109
92,601
1,598,883
430,432
1,610,013
94,290
66,417
37,146
3,837,181

476,298
346,657
306,796
24,900
41,236
1,195,887
2,644,460
1,357,821
141,582
(1,502,569)
3,837,181

$

$

$

$

245,108
1,108,715
160,767
1,514,590
439,077
—
112,069
17,238
44,429
2,127,403

485,004
378,313
—
24,900
43,907
932,124
2,681,000
—
199,705
(1,685,426)
2,127,403

    
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Michaels Stores, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income
(in thousands)

Net sales
Cost of sales and occupancy expense

Gross profit

Selling, general and administrative
Restructure and impairment charges
Store pre-opening costs
Operating income
Interest and other expense

Income before income taxes

Income taxes

Net income

Other comprehensive income, net of tax:
Foreign currency and interest rate swaps

Comprehensive income

2019
5,072,037
3,199,780
1,872,257
1,303,350
48,332
4,608
515,967
156,682
359,285
85,995
273,290

(8,273)
265,017

$

$

$

Fiscal Year
2018
5,271,944
3,248,276
2,023,668
1,350,371
104,238
4,417
564,642
146,572
418,070
97,751
320,319

(10,898)
309,421

$

$

$

$

$

$

2017
5,361,960
3,233,171
2,128,789
1,389,334
—
2,999
736,456
129,657
606,799
215,820
390,979

10,564
401,543

Michaels Stores, Inc.
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
(in thousands)

Cash flows from operating activities:

Net cash provided by operating activities

Cash flows from investing activities:

Additions to property and equipment
Acquisition of intangible assets

Net cash used in investing activities

Cash flows from financing activities:

Net repayments of debt
Net borrowings of debt
Payment of dividend to Michaels Funding, Inc.
Payment of debt refinancing costs

Net cash used in financing activities

Net change in cash and equivalents
Cash and equivalents at beginning of period
Cash and equivalents at end of period

2019

Fiscal Year
2018

2017

$

490,732

$

443,275

$

535,544

(120,545)
(58,000)
(178,545)

(558,100)
523,200
(105,060)
(8,162)
(148,122)

(145,387)
—
(145,387)

(380,300)
355,400
(451,892)
(1,117)
(477,909)

(127,830)
—
(127,830)

(413,325)
382,200
(245,514)
—
(276,639)

164,065
245,108
409,173

$

(180,021)
425,129
245,108

$

131,075
294,054
425,129

$

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16. QUARTERLY RESULTS OF OPERATIONS (UNAUDITED)

Unaudited quarterly results of operations for fiscal 2019 and fiscal 2018 were as follows (in thousands, except per share data):

Net sales
Cost of sales and occupancy expense
Gross profit
Selling, general and administrative
Restructure and impairment charges (1)
Operating income
Net income
Diluted earnings per common share

Net sales (4)
Cost of sales and occupancy expense
Gross profit
Selling, general and administrative
Restructure charges (5)
Operating income
Net income
Diluted earnings per common share

Fiscal 2019

First
Quarter
1,093,720 $
676,080
417,640
320,597
3,087
92,730
37,691

0.24 $

Second
Quarter
1,033,689 $
666,703
366,986
290,074
3,869
71,300
24,547

0.16 $

Third
Quarter
1,222,021 $
780,387
441,634
322,807
41,376
76,049
28,705

0.19 $

Fourth
Quarter
1,722,608
1,076,610
645,998
370,803
—
274,957
181,651
1.24

First
Quarter (2)

1,155,511 $
698,948
456,563
328,617
47,498
78,943
26,885

0.15 $

Fiscal 2018

Second
Quarter
1,053,267 $
679,938
373,329
300,981
(3,220)
74,273
27,488

0.15 $

Third
Quarter (3)

1,274,058 $
795,104
478,954
340,593
 —
137,165
83,769

0.50 $

Fourth
Quarter
1,789,109
1,074,285
714,824
381,211
59,960
273,230
181,403
1.15

  $

$

  $

$

(1)

Includes restructure charges related to the closure of our Pat Catan’s stores in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. The third quarter of fiscal 2019 also
includes $40.1 million of impairment charges primarily related to our Darice wholesale business.

(2) Net income for the first quarter of fiscal 2018 includes $8.1 million of additional income tax expense as a result of the Tax Act.
(3) Net income for the third quarter of fiscal 2018 includes an income tax benefit of $7.1 million as a result of the Tax Act.
(4) Net sales for Aaron Brothers were $12.9 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2018. There were no Aaron Brothers net sales in the second, third and
fourth quarters of fiscal 2018. Net Sales for Pat Catan’s were  $25.8 million, $22.9 million, $26.7 million and $34.2 million in the first, second, third
and fourth quarters of fiscal 2018, respectively.
Includes restructure charges primarily related to the closure of our Aaron Brothers stores in the first quarter of fiscal 2018 and our Pat Catan’s stores
in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018.

(5)

We report on the basis of a 52-week or 53-week fiscal year, which ends on the Saturday closest to January 31. Our interim periods

each contain 13 weeks ending on the Saturday closest to April 30, July 31 and October 31.

F-35

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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Exhibit
Number
3.1

3.2

4.1

4.2

4.3

4.4

4.5

10.1

10.2

10.3

10.4

EXHIBIT INDEX

Description of Exhibit
Second  Amended  and  Restated  Certificate  of  Incorporation  of  The  Michaels  Companies,  Inc.  (previously  filed  as
Exhibit 3.2 to Form S-1 filed by the Company on June 9, 2014, SEC File No. 333-193000).

Amended and Restated Bylaws of The Michaels Companies, Inc. (previously filed as Exhibit 3.4 to Form S-1 filed by the
Company on June 2, 2014, SEC File No. 333-193000).

Form of Specimen Common Stock Certificate of The Michaels Companies, Inc. (previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to Form
S-1 filed by the Company on June 16, 2014, SEC File No. 333-193000).

Form of Amended and Restated Registration Rights Agreement (previously filed as Exhibit 4.2 to Form S-1 filed by the
Company on June 2, 2014, SEC File No. 333-193000).

Form of Investor Agreement (previously filed as Exhibit 4.3 to Form S-1 filed by the Company on June 2, 2014, SEC File
No. 333-193000).

Indenture, dated July 8, 2019, by and among Michaels Stores, Inc., as Issuer, the guarantors party thereto and U.S.
National Bank Association, as trustee (previously filed as Exhibit 4.1 to Form 8-K filed by the Company on July 9, 2019,
SEC File No. 001-36501).

Description of Securities (filed herewith).

Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of May 27, 2016, by and among Michaels Stores, Inc., the other
borrowers party thereto, the facility guarantors party thereto, Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as administrative
agent,  collateral  agent,  issuing  bank  and  swingline  lender,  the  other  lenders  party  thereto  and  the  other  agents  named
therein (previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed by the Company on May 27, 2016, SEC File No. 001-36501).

First  Amendment  to  Third  Amended  and  Restated  Credit  Agreement,  dated  as  of  August  30,  2019,  by  and  among
Michaels Stores, Inc., Michaels Funding, Inc., various subsidiaries of Michaels Stores, Inc., Wells Fargo Bank, National
Association,  as  administrative  agent  and  collateral  agent,  the  lenders  party  thereto  and  the  other  agents  named  therein
(previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed by the Company on September 4, 2019, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated as of January 28, 2013, by and among Michaels Stores, Inc., Deutsche
Bank AG  New  York  Branch,  as  administrative  agent,  and  Barclays  Bank,  PLC,  Credit  Suisse  Securities  (USA),  LLC,
Goldman Sachs Bank USA, J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Morgan
Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as co-documentation agents, and Deutsche Bank Securities
Inc., Barclays Bank PLC, Credit Suisse Securities (USA), LLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC,
Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. and Wells Fargo  Securities,
LLC,  as  co-lead  arrangers  and  joint  bookrunners  (previously  filed  as  Exhibit  10.1  to  Form  8-K  filed  by  Michaels
Stores, Inc. on February 1, 2013, SEC File No. 001-09338).

Exhibits  and  Schedules  to  Amended  and  Restated  Credit  Agreement,  dated  as  of  January  28,  2013,  by  and  among
Michaels  Stores,  Inc.,  Deutsche  Bank AG  New  York  Branch,  as  administrative  agent,  and  Barclays  Bank  PLC,  Credit
Suisse Securities (USA), LLC, Goldman Sachs Bank USA, J.P. Morgan Securities, LLC, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner &
Smith Incorporated, Morgan Stanley Senior Funding, Inc. and Wells Fargo Securities, LLC, as co-documentation agents,
and  Deutsche  Bank  Securities  Inc.,  Barclays  Bank  PLC,  Credit  Suisse  Securities  (USA),  LLC,  Goldman  Sachs  Bank
USA,  J.P.  Morgan  Securities,  LLC,  Merrill  Lynch,  Pierce,  Fenner  &  Smith  Incorporated,  Morgan  Stanley  Senior
Funding,  Inc.  and  Wells  Fargo  Securities,  LLC,  as  co-lead  arrangers  and  joint  bookrunners  (previously  filed  as
Exhibit 10.29 to Form 10-K filed by Michaels Stores, Inc. on March 15, 2013, SEC File No. 001-09338).

    
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Exhibit
Number
10.5

10.6

10.7

10.8

10.9*

10.10*

10.11*

10.12*

10.13*

10.14*

10.15*

10.16*

Description of Exhibit
First Amendment to Amended and Restated Credit Agreement, dated June 10, 2014, to the Amended and Restated Credit
Agreement,  dated  January  28,  2013,  by  and  among  Michaels  Stores,  Inc.,  Deutsche  Bank AG  New  York  Branch,  as
administrative agent, and the guarantors named therein (previously filed as Exhibit 10.3 to Form 8-K filed by Michaels
Stores, Inc. on June 11, 2014, SEC File No. 001-09338).

Second  Amendment  to  Amended  and  Restated  Credit  Agreement,  dated  as  of  September  28,  2016,  by  and    among
Michaels Stores, Inc., Michaels Funding, Inc., various subsidiary of Michaels Stores, Inc., Deutsche Bank AG New York
Branch,  as  administrative  agent  and  collateral  agent,  the  2016  Converting  Replacement  Term  B-1  Loan  Lenders  (as
defined  therein),  the  2016  New  Replacement  Term  B-1  Loan  Lenders  (as  defined  therein),  the  2016  Converting
Replacement  Term  B-2  Loan  Lenders  (as  defined  therein),  the  2016  New  Replacement  Term  B-2  Loan  Lenders  (as
defined therein), certain lenders constituting the New Required Lenders (as defined therein) and the other agents named
therein (previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed by the Company on September 30, 2016, SEC File No. 001-
36501).

Third Amendment  to Amended  and  Restated  Credit Agreement,  dated  as  of  May  23,  2018,  by  and  among  Michaels
Stores,  Inc.,  Michaels  Funding,  Inc.,  various  subsidiaries  of  Michaels  Stores,  Inc.,  JPMorgan  Chase  Bank,  N.A.,  as
successor  administrative  agent  and  successor  collateral  agent,  Deutsche  Bank  AG  New  York  Branch,  as  resigning
administrative agent and resigning collateral agent, the 2018 Converting Replacement Term B Loan Lenders (as defined
therein), the 2018 New Replacement Term B Loan Lenders (as defined therein), the lenders party thereto and the other
agents named therein (previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed by the Company on May 24, 2018, SEC File No.
001-36501).

Form  of  Director  and  Officer  Indemnification Agreement  (previously  filed  as  Exhibit  10.29  to  Form  S-1  filed  by  the
Company on June 9, 2014 SEC File No. 333-193000).

The  Michaels  Companies,  Inc.  Equity  Incentive  Plan  (previously  filed  as  Exhibit  10.1  to  Form  10-Q  filed  by  Michaels
Stores, Inc. on August 30, 2013, SEC File No. 001-09338).

Form  of  Stock  Option  Agreement  under  The  Michaels  Companies,  Inc.  Equity  Incentive  Plan  (previously  filed  as
Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-Q filed by Michaels Stores, Inc. on August 30, 2013, SEC File No. 001-09338).

Amended and Restated 2014 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form S-1 filed by
the Company on June 16, 2014, SEC File No. 333-193000).

Form of Stock Option Agreement under the Amended and Restated 2014 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (previously
filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form S-1 filed by the Company on June 2, 2014, SEC File No. 333-193000).

Form of Stock Option Agreement under the Amended and Restated 2014 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (previously
filed as Exhibit 10.11 to Form 10-K filed by the Company on March 17, 2016, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Form of Stock Option Agreement under the Amended and Restated 2014 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (previously
filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-Q filed by the Company on June 6, 2017, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Form of Stock Option Agreement under the Amended and Restated 2014 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (previously
filed as Exhibit 10.4 to Form 10-Q filed by the Company on June 7, 2019, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement under the Amended and Restated 2014 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan
(previously filed as Exhibit 10.3 to Form 10-Q filed by the Company on June 6, 2017, SEC File No. 001-36501).

    
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Exhibit
Number
10.17*

10.18*

10.19*

10.20*

10.21*

10.22*

10.23*

10.24*

10.25*

10.26*

10.27*

10.28*

10.29*

10.30*

10.31*

Description of Exhibit
The Michaels Companies, Inc. Second Amended and Restated 2014 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (previously filed
as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-k filed by the Company on June 8, 2017, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for Employees under the Second Amended and Restated 2014 Omnibus Long-
Term Incentive Plan (previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q filed by the Company on December 7, 2018, SEC File
No. 001-36501).

Michaels Stores, Inc. Employees 401(k) Plan, effective March 1, 2009 (previously filed as Exhibit 10.30 to Form 10-K
filed by Michaels Stores, Inc., on April 2, 2009, SEC File No. 001-09338).

The Michaels Companies, Inc. Annual Incentive Plan (previously filed as Exhibit 10.14 to Form S-1 filed by the Company
on June 2, 2014, SEC File No. 333-193000).

Michaels Stores, Inc. Amended and Restated Officer Severance Pay Plan (previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q
filed by the Company on June 6, 2017, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Employment Agreement, dated February 13, 2013, by and between Michaels Stores, Inc. and Carl S. Rubin (previously
filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q filed by Michaels Stores, Inc. on May 24, 2013, SEC File No. 001-09338).

Separation Agreement, dated February 27, 2019, by and among The Michaels Companies, Inc., Michaels Stores, Inc. and
Carl S. Rubin (previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K filed by the Company on February 28, 2019, SEC File No.
001-36501).

Addendum and Amendment to Separation Letter, dated March 20, 2019, by and among  The  Michaels  Companies,  Inc.,
Michaels Stores, Inc. and Carl S. Rubin (previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed by the Company on March 22,
2019, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Restricted  Stock Award Agreements,  dated  March  18,  2013,  by  and  between  Michaels  Stores,  Inc.  and  Carl  S.  Rubin
(previously filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 10-Q filed by Michaels Stores, Inc. on May 24, 2013, SEC File No. 001-09338).

Stock Option Agreement, dated March 18, 2013, by and between Michaels Stores, Inc. and Carl S. Rubin (previously filed
as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 10-Q filed by Michaels Stores, Inc. on May 24, 2013, SEC File No. 001-09338).

Letter Agreement, dated February 28, 2019, by and among The Michaels Companies, Inc., Michaels Stores, Inc. and Mark
Cosby  (previously  filed  as  Exhibit  10.1  to  Form  8-K  filed  by  the  Company  on  February  28,  2019,  SEC  File  No.  001-
36501).

Amendment to Letter Agreement, effective October 21, 2019, by and between Michaels Stores, Inc. and Mark S. Cosby
(previously filed as Exhibit 10.3 to Form 10-Q filed by the Company on December 6, 2019, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Second Amendment  to  the  Letter Agreement,  effective  December  26,  2019,  by  and  among  Mark  Cosby,  The  Michaels
Stores, Inc. and The Michaels Companies, Inc. (previously filed as Exhibit 10.6 to Form 8-K filed by the Company on
December 27, 2019, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Form  of  Restricted  Stock Award Agreement,  by  and  between  The  Michaels  Companies,  Inc.  and  Mark  S.  Cosby  (filed
herewith).

Amended and Restated Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, effective December 26, 2019, by and between Mark Cosby and
The  Michaels  Companies,  Inc.  (previously  filed  as  Exhibit  10.5  to  Form  8-K  filed  by  the  Company  on  December  27,
2019, SEC File No. 001-36501).

    
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Exhibit
Number
10.32*

10.33*

10.34*

10.35*

10.36*

10.37

21.1

23.1

31.1

31.2

32.1

Description of Exhibit
Amended  and  Restated  Non-Statutory  Stock  Option Agreement,  effective  December  26,  2019,  by  and  between  Mark
Cosby  and  The  Michaels  Companies,  Inc.  (previously  filed  as  Exhibit  10.4  to  Form  8-K  filed  by  the  Company  on
December 27, 2019, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Letter  Agreement,  dated  December  26,  2019,  by  and  among  Ashley  Buchanan,  The  Michaels  Companies,  Inc.,  and
Michaels Stores, Inc. (previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form 8-K filed by the Company on December 27, 2019, SEC
File No. 001-36501).

Non-Statutory Stock Option Agreement, by and between Ashley Buchanan and The Michaels Companies, Inc. (previously
filed as Exhibit 10.2 to Form 8-K filed by the Company on December 27, 2019, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Restricted Stock Unit Agreement, by and between Ashley Buchanan and The Michaels Companies, Inc. (previously filed
as Exhibit 10.3 to Form 8-K filed by the Company on December 27, 2019, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Form of Restricted Stock Award Agreement, by and between The Michaels Companies, Inc. and Philo T. Pappas (filed
herewith).

Letter Agreement,  dated  October  11,  2019,  by  and  among  The  Michaels  Companies,  Inc.  and  certain  investment  funds
affiliated with The Blackstone Group Inc. and Bain Capital Private Equity, L.P. (previously filed as Exhibit 10.1 to Form
8-K filed by the Company on October 11, 2019, SEC File No. 001-36501).

Subsidiaries of the Company (filed herewith).

Consent of Ernst & Young LLP (filed herewith).

Certifications of Mark S. Cosby pursuant to §302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).

Certifications of James E. Sullivan pursuant to §302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (filed herewith).

Certification  pursuant  to  18  U.S.C.  §1350,  as  adopted  pursuant  to  §906  of  the  Sarbanes-Oxley  Act  of  2002  (filed
herewith).

101.INS

Inline XBRL Instance Document

101.SCH

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema

101.CAL

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase

101.DEF

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase

101.LAB

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase

101.PRE

Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as Inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)

* Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.

    
Table of Contents

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: March 17, 2020

THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.

By:

/s/ James E. Sullivan
James E. Sullivan
Chief Accounting Officer and Controller
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting 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.

/s/ Mark S. Cosby
Mark S. Cosby

/s/ James E. Sullivan
James E. Sullivan

/s/ Joshua Bekenstein
Joshua Bekenstein

/s/ Ryan Cotton
 Ryan Cotton

/s/ Monte E. Ford
Monte E. Ford

/s/ Karen Kaplan
Karen Kaplan

/s/Matthew S. Levin
Matthew S. Levin

/s/ John J. Mahoney
John J. Mahoney

/s/James A. Quella
James A. Quella

/s/ Beryl B. Raff
Beryl B. Raff

Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)

Chief Accounting Officer and Controller
(Principal Financial Officer and Principal Accounting Officer)

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

Director

March 17, 2020

March 17, 2020

March 17, 2020

March 17, 2020

March 17, 2020

March 17, 2020

March 17, 2020

March 17, 2020

March 17, 2020

March 17, 2020

DESCRIPTION OF THE REGISTRANT’S SECURITIES
REGISTERED PURSUANT TO SECTION 12 OF THE SECURITIES
EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Exhibit 4.5

The following summary of the terms of our common stock is based upon our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation,
as amended (our “Certificate of Incorporation”), and our amended and restated bylaws (our “Bylaws”). The summary is not
complete, and is qualified by reference to our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws, which are filed as exhibits to this Annual
Report on Form 10-K and are incorporated by reference herein. We encourage you to read our Certificate of Incorporation, our
Bylaws, and the applicable provisions of the Delaware General Corporation Law for additional information.

The Michaels Companies, Inc. (“Michaels,” “we,” “our,” or “us”) has one class of securities registered under Section 12 of the

Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended: our common stock, $0.06775 par value per share.

Authorized Shares of Capital Stock

Our total amount of our authorized capital stock consists of 350,000,000 shares of our common stock, par value $0.06775 per

share, and 50,000,000 shares of preferred stock, par value $0.10 per share.

Listing

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MIK.”

Voting Rights

Except as required by law or matters relating solely to the terms of preferred stock, each outstanding share of common stock is
entitled to one vote on all matters submitted to a vote of stockholders. Holders of shares of our common stock have no cumulative
voting rights.

Preferences

Our board of directors (the “Board”) may, without further action by our stockholders, from time to time, direct the issuance of

shares of preferred stock in series and may, at the time of issuance, determine the designations, powers, preferences, privileges, and
relative participating, optional or special rights as well as the qualifications, limitations or restrictions thereof, including dividend
rights, conversion rights, voting rights, terms of redemption and liquidation preferences, any or all of which may be greater than the
rights of the common stock. Satisfaction of any dividend preferences of outstanding shares of preferred stock would reduce the amount
of funds available for the payment of dividends on shares of our common stock. Holders of shares of preferred stock may be entitled to
receive a preference payment in the event of our liquidation before any payment is made to the holders of shares of our common stock.
Under specified circumstances, the issuance of shares of preferred stock may render more difficult or tend to discourage a merger,
tender offer or proxy contest, the assumption of control by a holder of a large block of our securities or the removal of incumbent
management. Our Board, without stockholder approval, may issue shares of preferred stock with voting and conversion rights, which
could adversely affect the holders of shares of our common stock and the market value of our common stock. Subject to the rights of
the holders of shares of preferred stock, the number of authorized shares of preferred stock may be increased or decreased (but not
below the number of shares thereof

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
then outstanding) by the affirmative vote of the holders of a majority of the voting power of the outstanding shares of capital stock of
the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class. There are no shares of preferred
stock currently outstanding.

Anti-takeover effects of our Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws

Our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws contain additional provisions that may delay, defer or discourage another

party from acquiring control of us. We expect that these provisions, which are summarized below, will discourage coercive takeover
practices or inadequate takeover bids. These provisions are also designed to encourage persons seeking to acquire control of us to first
negotiate with the Board, which we believe may result in an improvement of the terms of any such acquisition in favor of our
stockholders; however, these provisions also give the Board the power to discourage acquisitions that some stockholders may favor.

Authorized but unissued capital stock .  The General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware (the “DGCL”) does not

require stockholder approval for any issuance of authorized shares. However, the listing requirements of The Nasdaq Stock
Market, which would apply as long as our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Select Market, require stockholder
approval of certain issuances equal to or exceeding 20% of the then outstanding voting power or then outstanding number of
shares of common stock. These additional shares may be used for a variety of corporate purposes, including future public
offerings, to raise additional capital or to facilitate acquisitions.

One of the effects of the existence of authorized but unissued common stock or preferred stock may be to enable our
Board to issue shares to persons friendly to current management, which issuance could render more difficult or discourage an
attempt to obtain control of our company by means of a merger, tender offer, proxy contest or otherwise, and thereby protect the
continuity of our management and possibly deprive the stockholder of opportunities to sell their shares of common stock at prices
higher than prevailing market prices.

Board of Directors. Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that the authorized number of directors may be changed only

by resolution of the Board. Our Certificate of Incorporation also states that a director may be removed only for cause by the
affirmative vote of the holders of at least 75% of our voting stock. Any vacancy on our Board, including a vacancy resulting from
an enlargement of our Board, may be filled only by vote of a majority of our directors then in office.

Action by written consent.  Any action required or permitted to be taken by our stockholders may be effected only at a

duly called annual or special meeting of our stockholders and may not be effected by any consent in writing by our stockholders.

Special meeting of stockholders and advance notice requirements for stockholder proposals. Our Certificate of
Incorporation provides that, except as otherwise required by law and subject to any rights of the holders of preferred stock, special
meetings of the stockholders can only be called by (a) our chairman or any vice chairman of the Board or (b) the Board pursuant to
a written resolution adopted by a majority of the total number of directors that our Board would have if there were no vacancies.

In addition, our Bylaws require advance notice procedures for stockholder proposals to be brought before an annual
meeting of the stockholders, including the nomination of directors. Stockholders at an annual meeting may only consider the
proposals specified in the notice of

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meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the Board, or by a stockholder of record on the record date for the
meeting who is entitled to vote at the meeting, who has delivered a timely written notice in proper form to our secretary of the
stockholder’s intention to bring such business before the meeting, who attends (or has a qualified representative attend) the
stockholder meeting and who has otherwise complied with the provisions of our Bylaws and applicable law.

These provisions could have the effect of delaying any stockholder actions until the next stockholder meeting, even if they

are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting stock.

Amendment to Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws.  The DGCL provides generally that the affirmative vote of a

majority of the outstanding stock entitled to vote on amendments to a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws is
required to approve such amendment, unless a corporation’s certificate of incorporation or bylaws, as the case may be, requires a
greater percentage. Our Bylaws may be altered, amended or repealed by a majority vote of our Board or, in addition to any other
vote otherwise required by law, the affirmative vote of at least 75% of our outstanding common stock. Additionally, the
affirmative vote of at least 75% of the voting power of our outstanding shares of common stock entitled to vote on the adoption,
alteration, amendment or repeal of our Certificate of Incorporation, voting as a single class, is required to amend or repeal or to
adopt any provision inconsistent with the “Board of Directors”, “Director Liability”, “Action by Written Consent”, “Special
Meetings of Stockholders”, “Amendments to the Certificate of Incorporation and Bylaws”, “Business Combinations”,
“Renouncement of Corporate Opportunity” and “Exclusive Jurisdiction of Certain Actions” provisions described in our Certificate
of Incorporation. These provisions may have the effect of deferring, delaying or discouraging the removal of any anti-takeover
defenses provided for in our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws.

Business combinations.  We have elected in our Certificate of Incorporation not to be subject to Section 203 of the DGCL,

an antitakeover law. In general, Section 203 prohibits a publicly held Delaware corporation from engaging in a business
combination, such as a merger, with a person or group owning 15% or more of the corporation’s voting stock for a period of three
years following the date the person became an interested stockholder, unless (with certain exceptions) the business combination or
the transaction in which the person became an interested stockholder is approved in a prescribed manner. Accordingly, we are not
subject to any anti-takeover effects of Section 203. However, our Certificate of Incorporation contains provisions that have the
same effect as Section 203, except that they provide that investment funds affiliated with Bain Capital Partners, LLC and The
Blackstone Group L.P., and their respective successors and affiliates (collectively, the “Sponsors”), will not be deemed to be
“interested stockholders”, regardless of the percentage of our voting stock owned by them and accordingly will not be subject to
such restrictions.

Renouncement of corporate opportunity

Our Certificate of Incorporation provides that we renounce any interest or expectancy in, or in being offered an opportunity to

participate in, any business opportunity that may from time to time be presented to the Sponsors or any of their respective officers,
directors, agents, stockholders, members, partners, affiliates and subsidiaries (other than us and our subsidiaries) and that may be a
business opportunity for the Sponsors, even if the opportunity is one that we might reasonably have pursued or had the ability or desire
to pursue if granted the opportunity to do so. No such person will be liable to us for breach of any fiduciary or other duty, as a director
or officer or otherwise, by reason of the fact that such

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person, acting in good faith, pursues or acquires any such business opportunity, directs any such business opportunity to another
person or fails to present any such business opportunity, or information regarding any such business opportunity, to us unless, in the
case of any such person who is our director or officer, any such business opportunity is expressly offered to such director or officer
solely in his or her capacity as our director or officer. None of the Sponsors, any of the investment funds associated with the Sponsors
or any of their respective representatives has any duty to refrain from engaging directly or indirectly in the same or similar business
activities or lines of business as us or any of our subsidiaries.

Exclusive jurisdiction of certain actions

Our Certificate of Incorporation requires, to the fullest extent permitted by law, that (i) any derivative action or proceeding

brought on behalf of the Company, (ii) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any director, officer or other
employee of the Company to the Company or our stockholders, (iii) any action asserting a claim against the Company arising pursuant
to any provision of the DGCL or our Certificate of Incorporation or our Bylaws or (iv) any action asserting a claim against the
Company governed by the internal affairs doctrine will have to be brought only in the Court of Chancery in the State of Delaware.
Although we believe this provision benefits the Company by providing increased consistency in the application of Delaware law in the
types of lawsuits to which it applies, the provision may have the effect of discouraging lawsuits against our directors and officers.

Limitations on liability and indemnification of officers and directors

Our Certificate of Incorporation and our Bylaws limit the liability of our directors to the fullest extent permitted by applicable

law and provide that we will indemnify them to the fullest extent permitted by such law. We have entered into indemnification
agreements with our current directors and executive officers and expect to enter into a similar agreement with any new directors or
executive officers.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

The transfer agent and registrar for our common stock is Computershare Trust Company, N.A. Its address is P.O. Box 30170,

College Station, TX 77842-3170.

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Exhibit 10.30

Name: 
Number of Shares of Restricted Stock:  
Date of Grant:

Mark Cosby
[··]
[··]

THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.
2014 OMNIBUS LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

RESTRICTED STOCK AGREEMENT

This agreement (this “Agreement”) evidences the grant of restricted shares of Stock by The Michaels Companies, Inc.

(the “Company”) to the individual named above (the “Grantee”), pursuant to and subject to the terms of The Michaels
Companies, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”), which is incorporated
herein by reference.  Except as otherwise defined herein, each initially capitalized term used herein has the meaning assigned
to such term in the Plan.

1.         Grant of Restricted Stock.  The Company hereby grants to the Grantee on the date of grant set forth above (the
“Date of Grant”) the number of shares of restricted Stock set forth above (the “Restricted Stock”) on the terms provided herein
and in the Plan.

2.         Meaning of Certain Terms.  Each initially capitalized term used but not separately defined herein has the

meaning assigned to such term in the Plan.  The following terms have the following meanings:

(a)        “Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following: (i) any consolidation or merger of the

Company with or into any other corporation or other Person, or any other corporate reorganization or transaction
(including the acquisition of capital stock of the Company), whether or not the Company is a party thereto, in
which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such consolidation, merger, reorganization or
transaction, own capital stock either (A) representing directly, or indirectly through one or more entities, less
than fifty percent (50%) of the economic interests in or voting power of the Company or other surviving entity
immediately after such consolidation, merger, reorganization or transaction or (B) that does not directly, or
indirectly through one or more entities, have the power to elect a majority of the entire board of directors of the
Company or other surviving entity immediately after such consolidation, merger, reorganization or transaction;
(ii) any stock sale or other transaction or series of related transactions, whether or not the Company is a party
thereto, after giving effect to which in excess of fifty percent (50%) of the Company’s voting power is owned
directly, or indirectly through one or more entities, by any Person and its “affiliates” or “associates” (as such
terms are defined in the rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as in effect from time to time), other

 
 
than the Investors and their respective affiliated funds, excluding, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) an
initial public offering or any bona fide primary or secondary public offering following the occurrence of an
initial public offering; or (iii) a sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company.

(b)        “Investors” means Bain Capital Partners, LLC and The Blackstone Group L.P.

(c)        “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, company, association, trust, joint venture, limited

liability company, unincorporated organization, entity or division, or any government, governmental department
or agency or political subdivision thereof.

3.         Vesting.  The term “vest” as used herein with respect to any share of Restricted Stock means the lapsing of the

restrictions described herein with respect to such share.  Unless earlier terminated, forfeited, relinquished or expired, the
Restricted Stock shall vest as follows:

(a)        Twelve and a half percent (12.5%) of the Restricted Stock shall vest beginning on the last day of the fiscal

quarter of the Company (each, a “Fiscal Quarter”) in which the grant is made and on each subsequent Fiscal
Quarter-end of the Company, provided that, through each such vesting date, (i) the Grantee has remained in
continuous Employment either (x) as interim Chief Executive Officer pursuant to the offer letter agreement
between the Grantee, Michaels Stores, Inc. and the Company, made and entered into as of February 28, 2019
(the “Offer Letter”), or (y) through his service as a member of the Company’s board of directors (the “Board”)
(each of clauses (x) and (y), “Qualifying Service”) and (ii) has not breached the covenants set forth in Section 11
herein.

(b)        In the event (i) the Grantee’s Employment as interim Chief Executive Officer pursuant to the Offer Letter is
terminated by the Company without Cause prior to the appointment of a new Chief Executive Officer of the
Company, (ii) the Grantee’s service on the Board is terminated without Cause, or (iii) the Grantee is not re-
elected to the Board and circumstances constituting Cause do not exist (each of clauses (i), (ii), and (iii), a
“Qualifying Termination”): (x) if such Qualifying Termination occurs before [current quarter end date], a pro-
rata portion of the initial twelve and a half percent (12.5%) of the Restricted Stock eligible to vest (based on the
number of days the Grantee has provided Qualifying Service in the current Fiscal Quarter), will vest in full on
the date of the Grantee’s Qualifying Termination and the remainder of the Restricted Stock award granted to the
Grantee hereunder will be forfeited on the date of the Grantee’s Qualifying Termination; and (y) if such
Qualifying Termination occurs on or after [current quarter end date], any unvested shares of Restricted Stock that
are outstanding as of immediately prior to the

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Qualifying Termination will vest in full on the date of the Grantee’s Qualifying Termination.

(c)        In the event the Grantee’s Qualifying Service terminates for any reason other than a Qualifying Termination (a

“Non-Qualifying Termination”): (x) if such Non-Qualifying Termination occurs before [current quarter end
date], a pro-rata portion of the initial twelve and a half percent (12.5%) of the Restricted Stock (based on the
number of days the Grantee has provided Qualifying Service in the current Fiscal Quarter), will remain
outstanding and eligible to vest according to its original vesting schedule set forth in Section 3(a) and  the
remainder of the Restricted Stock will be forfeited on the date of Grantee’s Non-Qualifying Termination; and (y)
if such Qualifying Termination occurs on or after [current quarter end date], any unvested shares of Restricted
Stock that are outstanding as of immediately prior to the Non-Qualifying Termination, will vest according to the
original vesting schedule set forth in Section 3(a). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the Grantee
breaches any of the restrictive covenants set forth in Section 11 below, the Grantee will immediately forfeit the
unvested portion of the Restricted Stock award that the Grantee then holds.

(d)        In the event (i) the Restricted Stock (or any portion thereof) is outstanding as of immediately prior to a Change
of Control and the Administrator provides for the assumption or continuation of, or the substitution of a
substantially equivalent award for, the Restricted Stock (or any portion thereof) in accordance with Section 7(a)
(i) of the Plan (the “Rollover Award”) and (ii) the Grantee’s Employment is terminated by the Company (or its
successor) without Cause within the twelve (12) months following the Change of Control, the Rollover Award
to the extent still outstanding will vest in full on the date of the Grantee’s termination of Employment.

4.         Forfeiture Risk.  If the Grantee’s Qualifying Service ceases for any reason, including death, any then

outstanding and unvested Restricted Stock acquired by the Grantee hereunder shall be treated as provided for in Sections 3(b),
(c) or (d) above, as applicable.  The Grantee hereby (a) appoints the Company as his or her attorney-in-fact to take such
actions as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate a transfer of the record ownership of any such shares that are unvested
and forfeited hereunder, (b) agrees to deliver to the Company, as a precondition to the issuance of any certificate or certificates
with respect to unvested Restricted Stock hereunder, one or more stock powers, endorsed in blank, with respect to such shares,
and (c) agrees to sign such other powers and take such other actions as the Company may reasonably request to accomplish
the transfer or forfeiture of any unvested Restricted Stock that is forfeited hereunder.

5.         Retention of Certificates, etc.  Any certificates representing unvested Restricted Stock shall be held by the

Company.  If unvested Restricted Stock is held in

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book entry form, the Grantee agrees that the Company may give stop transfer instructions to the depository to ensure
compliance with the provisions hereof.

6.         Legend.  All certificates representing unvested Restricted Stock shall contain a legend substantially in the

following form:

THE TRANSFERABILITY OF THIS CERTIFICATE AND THE SHARES OF STOCK REPRESENTED
HEREBY ARE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS (INCLUDING FORFEITURE) OF THE
MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC. 2014 OMNIBUS LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN, AS AMENDED, AND
A RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BETWEEN THE REGISTERED
OWNER AND THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.  COPIES OF SUCH PLAN AND AGREEMENT ARE
ON FILE IN THE OFFICES OF THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.

As soon as practicable following the vesting of any such Restricted Stock, the Company shall cause a certificate or certificates
covering such shares, without the aforesaid legend, to be issued and delivered to the Grantee.  If any shares of Restricted Stock
or Stock are held in book-entry form, the Company may take such steps as it deems necessary or appropriate to record and
manifest the restrictions applicable to such shares.

7.         Dividends, etc.  The Grantee shall be entitled to (a) receive any and all dividends or other distributions paid

with respect to those shares of Stock of which he or she is the record owner on the record date for such dividend or other
distribution, and (b) vote any shares of Stock of which he or she is the record owner on the record date for such vote;
provided, however, that any property (other than cash) distributed with respect to a share of Stock (the “associated share”)
acquired hereunder, including without limitation a distribution of Stock by reason of a stock dividend, stock split or otherwise,
or a distribution of other securities with respect to an associated share, shall be subject to the restrictions of this Agreement in
the same manner and for so long as the associated share remains subject to such restrictions, and shall be promptly forfeited if
and when the associated share is so forfeited; and further provided, that the Administrator may require that any cash
distribution with respect to the shares of Stock be placed in escrow or otherwise made subject to such restrictions as the
Administrator deems appropriate to carry out the intent of the Plan.  References in this Section 7 to Stock shall refer, mutatis
mutandis, to any shares of Restricted Stock.

8.         Sale of Vested Stock.  The Grantee understands that he or she will be free to sell any share of Restricted Stock

once it has vested, subject to (a) satisfaction of any applicable tax withholding requirements with respect to the vesting or
transfer of such share, (b) the completion of any administrative steps (for example, but without limitation, the transfer of
certificates) that the Company may reasonably impose, and (c) applicable requirements of federal and state securities
laws.  Shares of unvested Restricted Stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise encumbered or
disposed of except as the Administrator may provide.

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9.         Certain Tax Matters.  The Grantee expressly acknowledges the following:

(a)        The Grantee has been advised to confer promptly with a professional tax advisor to consider whether he or she

should make a so-called “83(b) election” with respect to the Restricted Stock.  Any such election, to be effective,
must be made in accordance with applicable regulations and within thirty (30) days following the Date of
Grant.  The Company has made no recommendation to the Grantee with respect to the advisability of making
such an election.

(b)        If the Grantee decides to make an “83(b) election,” the Grantee agrees to execute and deliver to the Company a

copy of the Acknowledgement and Statement of Decision Regarding Election Pursuant to Section 83(b) of the
Code, substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A, together with a copy of the Election Pursuant to
Section 83(b) of the Code (the “Election Form”), substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.  The
Election Form shall be filed by the Grantee with the appropriate Internal Revenue Service office no later than
thirty (30) days after the Date of Grant.  The Grantee should consult with his or her tax advisor to determine if
there is a comparable election to file in the state of his or her residence and whether such a filing is desirable
under the circumstances.

(c)        The award or vesting of the Restricted Stock acquired hereunder, and the payment of dividends with respect to
such shares, may give rise to “wages” subject to withholding.  The Grantee expressly acknowledges and agrees
that his or her rights hereunder are subject to the Grantee promptly paying to the Company in cash (or by such
other means as may be acceptable to the Company in its discretion, including, if the Administrator so determines,
by the delivery of previously acquired shares of Stock or shares of Stock acquired hereunder or by the
withholding of amounts from any payment hereunder) all taxes required to be withheld in connection with such
award, vesting or payment.

10.       Forfeiture/Recovery of Compensation.  By accepting the Restricted Stock the Grantee expressly acknowledges

and agrees that his or her rights, and those of any permitted transferee, of the Restricted Stock or of any Stock received
following the vesting of the Restricted Stock or proceeds from the disposition thereof, are subject to Section 6(a)(5) of the
Plan (including any successor provision) and Section 11 of this Agreement.  Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be
construed as limiting the general application of Section 14 of this Agreement.

11.       Non-Competition/Non-Solicitation.  The Grantee hereby acknowledges that the Company and its Affiliates

have invested and continue to invest considerable resources in developing Company Information (as defined below) and trade
secrets, and in establishing and maintaining relationships with customers, employees, and vendors.  The Grantee hereby
further acknowledges that the award of the Restricted Stock is being furnished to the Grantee as good and valuable
consideration, among other consideration,

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in exchange for the below covenants, which are necessary to protect the Company Information, trade secrets, and goodwill of
the Company and its Affiliates:

(a)        Non-Competition.  The Grantee covenants and agrees that during the Grantee’s Employment and for a period of
the longer of (and such period shall be tolled on a day-to-day basis for each day during which the Grantee
participates in any activity in violation of the restrictions set forth in this Section 11(a)) (i) the remaining vesting
period with respect to any Company restricted stock awards held by Grantee or (ii) twelve (12) months following
the Grantee’s termination of Employment, whether such termination occurs at the insistence of the Company or
its Affiliates or the Grantee (for whatever reason), the Grantee will not, directly or indirectly, alone or in
association with others, anywhere in the Territory (as defined below), own, manage, operate, control or
participate in the ownership, management, operation or control of, or be connected as an officer, employee,
investor, principal, joint venturer, shareholder, partner, director, consultant, agent or otherwise with, or have any
financial interest (through stock or other equity ownership, investment of capital, the lending of money or
otherwise) in, any business, venture or activity that directly or indirectly competes, or is in planning, or has
undertaken any preparation, to compete, with the Business of the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates
(any Person who engages in any such business venture or activity, a “Competitor”), except that nothing
contained in this Section 11(a) shall prevent the Grantee’s wholly passive ownership of two percent (2%) or less
of the equity securities of any Competitor that is a publicly-traded company.  For purposes of this Section 11(a),
the “Business of the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates” is that of arts and crafts specialty retailer
providing materials, ideas and education for creative activities, as well as any other business that the Company
or any of its Immediate Affiliates conducts or is actively planning to conduct at any time during the Grantee’s
Employment, or with respect to the Grantee’s obligations following his or her termination of Employment, the
twelve (12) months immediately preceding the Grantee’s termination of Employment; provided, that the term
“Competitor” shall not include any business, venture or activity whose gross receipts derived from the retail sale
of arts and crafts products (aggregated with the gross receipts derived from the retail sale of arts and crafts
projects of any related business, venture or activity) are less than ten percent (10%) of the aggregate gross
receipts of such businesses, ventures or activities. For purposes of this Section 11(a), the “Territory” is
comprised of those states within the United States, those provinces of Canada, and any other geographic area in
which the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates was doing business or actively planning to do business at
any time during the Grantee’s Employment, or with respect to the Grantee’s obligations following his or her
termination of Employment the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the Grantee’s termination of
Employment.   For purposes of this Section, “Immediate Affiliates” means those Affiliates

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which are one of the following: (i) a direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company, (ii) a parent to the Company or
(iii) a direct or indirect subsidiary of such a parent.

(b)        Non-Solicitation. The Grantee covenants and agrees that during the Grantee’s Employment and for a period of
the longer of (and such period shall be tolled on a day-to-day basis for each day during which the Grantee
participates in any activity in violation of the restrictions set forth in this Section 11(b)) (i) the remaining vesting
period with respect to any Company restricted stock awards held by Grantee or (ii) twelve (12) months following
the Grantee’s termination of Employment, whether such termination occurs at the insistence of the Company or
its Affiliates or the Grantee (for whatever reason), the Grantee shall not, and shall not assist any other Person to,
(i) hire or solicit for hire any employee of the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates or seek to persuade any
employee of the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates to discontinue employment or (ii) solicit or
encourage any independent contractor providing services to the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates to
terminate or diminish its relationship with them; provided, however, that after termination of the Grantee’s
Employment these restrictions shall apply only with respect to employees of, and independent contractors
providing services to, the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates who were such on the date that the
Grantee’s Employment terminated or at any time during the nine (9) months immediately preceding such
termination date.

(c)        Goodwill and Company Information.  The Grantee acknowledges the importance to the Company and its

Affiliates of protecting their legitimate business interests, including without limitation the valuable Company
Information and goodwill that they have developed or acquired at considerable expense.  The Grantee
acknowledges and agrees that in the course of the Grantee’s Employment the Grantee has acquired: (i)
confidential information including without limitation information received by the Company (or any of its
Affiliates) from third parties, under confidential conditions, (ii) other technical, product, business, financial or
development information from the Company (or any of its Affiliates), the use or disclosure of which reasonably
might be construed to be contrary to the interest of the Company (or any of its Affiliates), or (iii) any other
proprietary information or data, including but not limited to identities, responsibilities, contact information,
performance and/or compensation levels of employees, costs and methods of doing business, systems, processes,
computer hardware and software, compilations of information, third-party IT service providers and other
Company or its Affiliates’ vendors, records, sales reports, sales procedures, financial information, customer
requirements and confidential negotiated terms, pricing techniques, customer lists, price lists, information about
past, present, pending and/or planned Company or its Affiliates’ transactions not

-7-

 
publically disclosed and other confidential information which the Grantee may have acquired during the
Grantee’s Employment (hereafter collectively referred to as “Company Information”) which are owned by the
Company or  its Affiliates and regularly used in the operation of its business, and as to which precautions are
taken to prevent dissemination to persons other than certain directors, officers and employees and if disclosed,
would assist in competition against the Company or any of its Affiliates.  The Grantee understands and agrees
that such Company Information was and will be disclosed to the Grantee in confidence and for use only in
performing work for the Company or its Affiliates.  The Grantee understands and agrees that the Grantee: (x)
will keep such Company Information confidential at all times, (y) will not disclose or communicate Company
Information to any third party, and (z) will not make use of Company Information on the Grantee’s own behalf,
or on behalf of any third party.  In view of the nature of the Grantee’s Employment and the nature of Company
Information the Grantee receives during the course of the Grantee’s Employment, the Grantee agrees that any
unauthorized disclosure to third parties of Company Information would cause irreparable damage to the
confidential or trade secret status of Company Information. The Grantee further acknowledges and agrees that
the restrictions on his or her activities set forth above are necessary to protect the goodwill, Company
Information and other legitimate interests of the Company and its Affiliates and that the Grantee’s acceptance of
these restrictions is a condition of receipt of the award of the Restricted Stock, to which the Grantee would not
otherwise be entitled, and the award of the Restricted Stock is good and sufficient consideration to support the
Grantee’s agreement to and compliance with these covenants.

(d)        Remedies.  In the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Grantee of any of the covenants contained in in

Section 11(a), 11(b) or 11(c):

(i)         the Grantee hereby consents and agrees that (x) any unvested Shares and (y) all shares of Stock
held by the Grantee following the vesting of the Restricted Stock shall be forfeited effective as of the
date of such breach or threatened breach, unless sooner terminated by operation of another term or
condition of this Agreement or the Plan;

(ii)       the Grantee hereby consents and agrees that if the Grantee has sold any shares of Stock upon or
following the vesting of the Restricted Stock within twelve (12) months prior to the date of such breach
or threatened breach, the Grantee shall pay to the Company the gross proceeds realized by the Grantee in
connection with such sale; and

(iii)      the Grantee hereby consents and agrees that the Company shall be entitled to seek, in addition to
other available remedies, a

-8-

 
temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief against such breach or threatened breach from
any court of competent jurisdiction, without the necessity of showing any actual damages or that money
damages would not afford an adequate remedy, and without the necessity of posting any bond or other
security. The aforementioned equitable relief shall be in addition to, not in lieu of, legal remedies,
monetary damages or other available forms of relief.

(e)        General.  The Grantee agrees that the above restrictive covenants are completely severable and independent
agreements supported by good and valuable consideration and, as such, shall survive the termination of this
Agreement for whatever reason.  The Company and the Grantee agree that any invalidity or unenforceability of
any one or more of such restrictions on competition shall not render invalid or unenforceable any remaining
restrictive covenants. Should a court of competent jurisdiction determine that the scope of any provision of this
Section 11 is too broad to be enforced as written, the Company and the Grantee intend that the court reform the
provision to such narrower scope as it determines to be reasonable and enforceable.

12.       Form S-8 Prospectus.  The Grantee acknowledges that he or she has received and reviewed a copy of the

prospectus required by Part I of Form S-8 relating to shares of Stock that may be issued under the Plan.

13.       Governing Law.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan, Section 11 of this Agreement shall be

governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of
law provision or rule that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction, except where preempted by federal
law.  Both parties hereby consent and submit to the jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in Dallas County, Texas in all
questions and controversies arising out of this Agreement.

14.       Acknowledgments.  By accepting the award of the Restricted Stock, the Grantee agrees to be bound by, and

agrees that the award of the Restricted Stock is subject in all respects to, the terms of the Plan.  The Grantee further
acknowledges and agrees that (i) the signature to this Agreement on behalf of the Company is an electronic signature that will
be treated as an original signature for all purposes hereunder, and (ii) such electronic signature will be binding against the
Company and will create a legally binding agreement when this Agreement is countersigned by the Grantee.

[The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank]

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Executed as of the ___ day of [date].

Company:

THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.

Grantee:

By:
Name:
Title:

Name: Mark Cosby

Address:

[Signature Page to Restricted Stock Agreement]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EXHIBIT A

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND STATEMENT OF DECISION REGARDING ELECTION
PURSUANT TO SECTION 83(b) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE

The undersigned, a purchaser of restricted shares of common stock (the “Restricted Stock”) of The Michaels
Companies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), for cash pursuant to a Restricted Stock Agreement, dated as of
[date], between the undersigned and the Company (the “Restricted Stock Agreement”), hereby states, as of the date of
purchase of the Restricted Stock, as follows:

1.         The undersigned acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Restricted Stock Agreement.  The undersigned

has carefully reviewed the Restricted Stock Agreement.

2.         The undersigned either [check as applicable]:

____ (a) has consulted, and has been fully advised by, the undersigned’s own tax advisor,

__________________________________________, whose business address is _________________________, regarding the
federal, state and local tax consequences of purchasing the Restricted Stock under the Restricted Stock Agreement, and
particularly regarding the advisability of making elections pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the “Code”), and pursuant to the corresponding provisions, if any, of applicable state laws; or

____ (b) has knowingly chosen not to consult such tax advisor.

3.         The undersigned hereby states that the undersigned has decided to make an election pursuant to Section
83(b) of the Code and is submitting to the Company together with the undersigned’s executed Restricted Stock Agreement, a
copy of an executed election form which is attached as Exhibit B to the Restricted Stock Agreement.

4.         Neither the Company nor a representative of the Company has made any warranty or representation to
the undersigned with respect to the tax consequences of his or her purchasing the Restricted Stock pursuant to the Restricted
Stock Agreement or of the making or failure to make an election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code or corresponding
provisions, if any, of applicable state law.

5.         The undersigned is also submitting to the Company, together with the undersigned’s executed

Restricted Stock Agreement, a copy of an executed election form, if an election is made, by the undersigned pursuant to
provisions of state law corresponding to Section 83(b) of the Code, if any, that apply to the purchase of the Restricted Stock
by the undersigned.

Date: _________________

Investor

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EXHIBIT B
ELECTION PURSUANT TO SECTION 83(b) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE

The undersigned taxpayer hereby elects, pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to
include in gross income as compensation for services the excess (if any) of the fair market value of the property described
below over the amount paid for such property.

1.         The name, taxpayer identification number, address of the undersigned, and the taxable year for which this election is

being made are:

Taxpayer’s Name:  _______________________________________________________
Taxpayer’s Social Security Number:
Address:  _______________________________________________________________
Taxable Year:  Calendar Year [··]

2.         The property that is the subject of this election is ___________ unvested shares of common stock (the “ Unvested

Award”) of The Michaels Companies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company”), representing restricted shares of common stock
of the Company (“Restricted Shares”).

3.         The Unvested Award was transferred to the undersigned on ___________.

4.         The Unvested Award is subject to the following restrictions:  (a) restrictions on vesting based on continued service or
compliance with restrictive covenants through the applicable vesting date, (b) immediate forfeiture upon a termination of employment
with the Company or an affiliate for cause or a breach of a restrictive covenant, and (c) restrictions should the undersigned wish to
transfer the Unvested Award (in whole or in part).

5.         The fair market value of the Unvested Award at the time of transfer (determined without regard to any restrictions

other than a nonlapse restriction as defined in Section 1.83-3(h) of the Income Tax Regulations) is $________.

6.         For the Unvested Award transferred, the undersigned paid $___________.

7.         The amount to include in gross income is $_____________.

The undersigned taxpayer will file this election with the Internal Revenue Service office with which taxpayer files his or her
annual income tax return not later than 30 days after the date of transfer of the property.  A copy of the election also will be
furnished to the person for whom the services were performed.  The undersigned is the person performing the services in
connection with which the property was transferred.

Date:  

Taxpayer

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 10.36

Name: 
Number of Shares of Restricted Stock:  
Date of Grant:

Philo Pappas
[··]
[··]

THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.
2014 OMNIBUS LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN

RESTRICTED STOCK AGREEMENT

This agreement (this “Agreement”) evidences the grant of restricted shares of Stock by The Michaels Companies, Inc.

(the “Company”) to the individual named above (the “Grantee”), pursuant to and subject to the terms of The Michaels
Companies, Inc. 2014 Omnibus Long-Term Incentive Plan (as amended from time to time, the “Plan”), which is incorporated
herein by reference.  Except as otherwise defined herein, each initially capitalized term used herein has the meaning assigned
to such term in the Plan.

1.         Grant of Restricted Stock.  The Company hereby grants to the Grantee on the date of grant set forth above (the
“Date of Grant”) the number of shares of restricted Stock set forth above (the “Restricted Stock”) on the terms provided herein
and in the Plan.

2.         Meaning of Certain Terms.  Each initially capitalized term used but not separately defined herein has the

meaning assigned to such term in the Plan.  The following terms have the following meanings:

(a)        “Change of Control” means the occurrence of any of the following: (i) any consolidation or merger of the

Company with or into any other corporation or other Person, or any other corporate reorganization or transaction
(including the acquisition of capital stock of the Company), whether or not the Company is a party thereto, in
which the stockholders of the Company immediately prior to such consolidation, merger, reorganization or
transaction, own capital stock either (A) representing directly, or indirectly through one or more entities, less
than fifty percent (50%) of the economic interests in or voting power of the Company or other surviving entity
immediately after such consolidation, merger, reorganization or transaction or (B) that does not directly, or
indirectly through one or more entities, have the power to elect a majority of the entire board of directors of the
Company or other surviving entity immediately after such consolidation, merger, reorganization or transaction;
(ii) any stock sale or other transaction or series of related transactions, whether or not the Company is a party
thereto, after giving effect to which in excess of fifty percent (50%) of the Company’s voting power is owned
directly, or indirectly through one or more entities, by any Person and its “affiliates” or “associates” (as such
terms are defined in the rules adopted by the Securities and Exchange Commission under the Securities
Exchange Act of 1934, as in effect from time to time), other

 
 
than the Investors and their respective affiliated funds, excluding, in any case referred to in clause (i) or (ii) an
initial public offering or any bona fide primary or secondary public offering following the occurrence of an
initial public offering; or (iii) a sale, lease or other disposition of all or substantially all of the assets of the
Company.

(b)        “Investors” means Bain Capital Partners, LLC and The Blackstone Group L.P.

(c)        “Person” means any individual, partnership, corporation, company, association, trust, joint venture, limited

liability company, unincorporated organization, entity or division, or any government, governmental department
or agency or political subdivision thereof.

3.         Vesting.  The term “vest” as used herein with respect to any share of Restricted Stock means the lapsing of the

restrictions described herein with respect to such share.  Unless earlier terminated, forfeited, relinquished or expired, the
Restricted Stock shall vest as follows:

(a)        One hundred percent (100%) of the Restricted Stock shall vest on the first anniversary of the Date of Grant,

provided that, through such vesting date, the Grantee has (i) remained in continuous Employment as President –
Merchandising and Supply Chain (such employment, “Qualifying Service”) and (ii) has not breached the
covenants set forth in Section 11 herein.

(b)        In the event the Grantee’s Qualifying Service is terminated by the Company without Cause, a “Qualifying

Termination”): (x) if such Qualifying Termination occurs before [current quarter end date], a pro-rata portion of
the Restricted Stock eligible to vest (based on the number of days the Grantee has provided Qualifying Service
in the current fiscal quarter of the Company (each, a “Fiscal Quarter”)), will vest in full on the date of the
Grantee’s Qualifying Termination and the remainder of the Restricted Stock award granted to the Grantee
hereunder will be forfeited on the date of the Grantee’s Qualifying Termination; and (y) if such Qualifying
Termination occurs on or after [current quarter end date], any unvested shares of Restricted Stock that are
outstanding as of immediately prior to the Qualifying Termination will vest in full on the date of the Grantee’s
Qualifying Termination.

(c)        In the event the Grantee’s Qualifying Service terminates for any reason other than a Qualifying Termination (a

“Non-Qualifying Termination”): (x) if such Non-Qualifying Termination occurs before [current quarter end
date], a pro-rata portion of the Restricted Stock eligible to vest (based on the number of days the Grantee has
provided Qualifying Service current Fiscal Quarter), will remain outstanding and eligible to vest according to its
original vesting schedule set forth in Section 3(a) and  the remainder of

-2-

 
 
the Restricted Stock will be forfeited on the date of Grantee’s Non-Qualifying Termination; and (y) if such
Qualifying Termination occurs on or after [current quarter end date], any unvested shares of Restricted Stock that
are outstanding as of immediately prior to the Non-Qualifying Termination, will vest according to the original
vesting schedule set forth in Section 3(a). Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the Grantee breaches any
of the restrictive covenants set forth in Section 11 below, the Grantee will immediately forfeit the unvested
portion of the Restricted Stock award that the Grantee then holds.

(d)        In the event (i) the Restricted Stock (or any portion thereof) is outstanding as of immediately prior to a Change
of Control and the Administrator provides for the assumption or continuation of, or the substitution of a
substantially equivalent award for, the Restricted Stock (or any portion thereof) in accordance with Section 7(a)
(i) of the Plan (the “Rollover Award”) and (ii) the Grantee’s Employment is terminated by the Company (or its
successor) without Cause within the twelve (12) months following the Change of Control, the Rollover Award
to the extent still outstanding will vest in full on the date of the Grantee’s termination of Employment.

4.         Forfeiture Risk.  If the Grantee’s Qualifying Service ceases for any reason, including death, any then

outstanding and unvested Restricted Stock acquired by the Grantee hereunder shall be treated as provided for in Sections 3(b),
(c) or (d) above, as applicable.  The Grantee hereby (a) appoints the Company as his or her attorney-in-fact to take such
actions as may be necessary or appropriate to effectuate a transfer of the record ownership of any such shares that are unvested
and forfeited hereunder, (b) agrees to deliver to the Company, as a precondition to the issuance of any certificate or certificates
with respect to unvested Restricted Stock hereunder, one or more stock powers, endorsed in blank, with respect to such shares,
and (c) agrees to sign such other powers and take such other actions as the Company may reasonably request to accomplish
the transfer or forfeiture of any unvested Restricted Stock that is forfeited hereunder.

5.         Retention of Certificates, etc.  Any certificates representing unvested Restricted Stock shall be held by the

Company.  If unvested Restricted Stock is held in book entry form, the Grantee agrees that the Company may give stop
transfer instructions to the depository to ensure compliance with the provisions hereof.

6.         Legend.  All certificates representing unvested Restricted Stock shall contain a legend substantially in the

following form:

THE TRANSFERABILITY OF THIS CERTIFICATE AND THE SHARES OF STOCK REPRESENTED
HEREBY ARE SUBJECT TO THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS (INCLUDING FORFEITURE) OF THE
MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC. 2014 OMNIBUS LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLAN, AS AMENDED, AND
A RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT ENTERED INTO BETWEEN THE

-3-

 
 
REGISTERED OWNER AND THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.  COPIES OF SUCH PLAN AND
AGREEMENT ARE ON FILE IN THE OFFICES OF THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.

As soon as practicable following the vesting of any such Restricted Stock, the Company shall cause a certificate or certificates
covering such shares, without the aforesaid legend, to be issued and delivered to the Grantee.  If any shares of Restricted Stock
or Stock are held in book-entry form, the Company may take such steps as it deems necessary or appropriate to record and
manifest the restrictions applicable to such shares.

7.         Dividends, etc.  The Grantee shall be entitled to (a) receive any and all dividends or other distributions paid

with respect to those shares of Stock of which he or she is the record owner on the record date for such dividend or other
distribution, and (b) vote any shares of Stock of which he or she is the record owner on the record date for such vote;
provided, however, that any property (other than cash) distributed with respect to a share of Stock (the “associated share”)
acquired hereunder, including without limitation a distribution of Stock by reason of a stock dividend, stock split or otherwise,
or a distribution of other securities with respect to an associated share, shall be subject to the restrictions of this Agreement in
the same manner and for so long as the associated share remains subject to such restrictions, and shall be promptly forfeited if
and when the associated share is so forfeited; and further provided, that the Administrator may require that any cash
distribution with respect to the shares of Stock be placed in escrow or otherwise made subject to such restrictions as the
Administrator deems appropriate to carry out the intent of the Plan.  References in this Section 7 to Stock shall refer, mutatis
mutandis, to any shares of Restricted Stock.

8.         Sale of Vested Stock.  The Grantee understands that he or she will be free to sell any share of Restricted Stock

once it has vested, subject to (a) satisfaction of any applicable tax withholding requirements with respect to the vesting or
transfer of such share, (b) the completion of any administrative steps (for example, but without limitation, the transfer of
certificates) that the Company may reasonably impose, and (c) applicable requirements of federal and state securities
laws.  Shares of unvested Restricted Stock may not be sold, transferred, pledged, assigned or otherwise encumbered or
disposed of except as the Administrator may provide.

9.         Certain Tax Matters.  The Grantee expressly acknowledges the following:

(a)        The Grantee has been advised to confer promptly with a professional tax advisor to consider whether he or she

should make a so-called “83(b) election” with respect to the Restricted Stock.  Any such election, to be effective,
must be made in accordance with applicable regulations and within thirty (30) days following the Date of
Grant.  The Company has made no recommendation to the Grantee with respect to the advisability of making
such an election.

(b)        If the Grantee decides to make an “83(b) election,” the Grantee agrees to execute and deliver to the Company a

copy of the Acknowledgement and

-4-

 
 
Statement of Decision Regarding Election Pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code, substantially in the form
attached hereto as Exhibit A, together with a copy of the Election Pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code (the
“Election Form”), substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit B.  The Election Form shall be filed by the
Grantee with the appropriate Internal Revenue Service office no later than thirty (30) days after the Date of
Grant.  The Grantee should consult with his or her tax advisor to determine if there is a comparable election to
file in the state of his or her residence and whether such a filing is desirable under the circumstances.

(c)        The award or vesting of the Restricted Stock acquired hereunder, and the payment of dividends with respect to
such shares, may give rise to “wages” subject to withholding.  The Grantee expressly acknowledges and agrees
that his or her rights hereunder are subject to the Grantee promptly paying to the Company in cash (or by such
other means as may be acceptable to the Company in its discretion, including, if the Administrator so determines,
by the delivery of previously acquired shares of Stock or shares of Stock acquired hereunder or by the
withholding of amounts from any payment hereunder) all taxes required to be withheld in connection with such
award, vesting or payment.

10.       Forfeiture/Recovery of Compensation.  By accepting the Restricted Stock the Grantee expressly acknowledges

and agrees that his or her rights, and those of any permitted transferee, of the Restricted Stock or of any Stock received
following the vesting of the Restricted Stock or proceeds from the disposition thereof, are subject to Section 6(a)(5) of the
Plan (including any successor provision) and Section 11 of this Agreement.  Nothing in the preceding sentence shall be
construed as limiting the general application of Section 14 of this Agreement.

11.       Non-Competition/Non-Solicitation.  The Grantee hereby acknowledges that the Company and its Affiliates

have invested and continue to invest considerable resources in developing Company Information (as defined below) and trade
secrets, and in establishing and maintaining relationships with customers, employees, and vendors.  The Grantee hereby
further acknowledges that the award of the Restricted Stock is being furnished to the Grantee as good and valuable
consideration, among other consideration, in exchange for the below covenants, which are necessary to protect the Company
Information, trade secrets, and goodwill of the Company and its Affiliates:

(a)        Non-Competition.  The Grantee covenants and agrees that during the Grantee’s Employment and for a period of
the longer of (and such period shall be tolled on a day-to-day basis for each day during which the Grantee
participates in any activity in violation of the restrictions set forth in this Section 11(a)) (i) the remaining vesting
period with respect to any Company restricted stock awards held by Grantee or (ii) twelve (12) months following
the Grantee’s termination of Employment, whether such termination occurs at the insistence of the Company or
its Affiliates or the Grantee (for whatever reason), the Grantee will not, directly or indirectly,

-5-

 
 
alone or in association with others, anywhere in the Territory (as defined below), own, manage, operate, control
or participate in the ownership, management, operation or control of, or be connected as an officer, employee,
investor, principal, joint venturer, shareholder, partner, director, consultant, agent or otherwise with, or have any
financial interest (through stock or other equity ownership, investment of capital, the lending of money or
otherwise) in, any business, venture or activity that directly or indirectly competes, or is in planning, or has
undertaken any preparation, to compete, with the Business of the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates
(any Person who engages in any such business venture or activity, a “Competitor”), except that nothing
contained in this Section 11(a) shall prevent the Grantee’s wholly passive ownership of two percent (2%) or less
of the equity securities of any Competitor that is a publicly-traded company.  For purposes of this Section 11(a),
the “Business of the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates” is that of arts and crafts specialty retailer
providing materials, ideas and education for creative activities, as well as any other business that the Company
or any of its Immediate Affiliates conducts or is actively planning to conduct at any time during the Grantee’s
Employment, or with respect to the Grantee’s obligations following his or her termination of Employment, the
twelve (12) months immediately preceding the Grantee’s termination of Employment; provided, that the term
“Competitor” shall not include any business, venture or activity whose gross receipts derived from the retail sale
of arts and crafts products (aggregated with the gross receipts derived from the retail sale of arts and crafts
projects of any related business, venture or activity) are less than ten percent (10%) of the aggregate gross
receipts of such businesses, ventures or activities. For purposes of this Section 11(a), the “Territory” is
comprised of those states within the United States, those provinces of Canada, and any other geographic area in
which the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates was doing business or actively planning to do business at
any time during the Grantee’s Employment, or with respect to the Grantee’s obligations following his or her
termination of Employment the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the Grantee’s termination of
Employment.   For purposes of this Section, “Immediate Affiliates” means those Affiliates which are one of the
following: (i) a direct or indirect subsidiary of the Company, (ii) a parent to the Company or (iii) a direct or
indirect subsidiary of such a parent.

(b)        Non-Solicitation. The Grantee covenants and agrees that during the Grantee’s Employment and for a period of
the longer of (and such period shall be tolled on a day-to-day basis for each day during which the Grantee
participates in any activity in violation of the restrictions set forth in this Section 11(b)) (i) the remaining vesting
period with respect to any Company restricted stock awards held by Grantee or (ii) twelve (12) months following
the Grantee’s termination of Employment, whether such termination occurs at the insistence of the Company or
its Affiliates or the

-6-

 
 
Grantee (for whatever reason), the Grantee shall not, and shall not assist any other Person to, (i) hire or solicit for
hire any employee of the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates or seek to persuade any employee of the
Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates to discontinue employment or (ii) solicit or encourage any
independent contractor providing services to the Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates to terminate or
diminish its relationship with them; provided, however, that after termination of the Grantee’s Employment these
restrictions shall apply only with respect to employees of, and independent contractors providing services to, the
Company or any of its Immediate Affiliates who were such on the date that the Grantee’s Employment
terminated or at any time during the nine (9) months immediately preceding such termination date.

(c)        Goodwill and Company Information.  The Grantee acknowledges the importance to the Company and its

Affiliates of protecting their legitimate business interests, including without limitation the valuable Company
Information and goodwill that they have developed or acquired at considerable expense.  The Grantee
acknowledges and agrees that in the course of the Grantee’s Employment the Grantee has acquired: (i)
confidential information including without limitation information received by the Company (or any of its
Affiliates) from third parties, under confidential conditions, (ii) other technical, product, business, financial or
development information from the Company (or any of its Affiliates), the use or disclosure of which reasonably
might be construed to be contrary to the interest of the Company (or any of its Affiliates), or (iii) any other
proprietary information or data, including but not limited to identities, responsibilities, contact information,
performance and/or compensation levels of employees, costs and methods of doing business, systems, processes,
computer hardware and software, compilations of information, third-party IT service providers and other
Company or its Affiliates’ vendors, records, sales reports, sales procedures, financial information, customer
requirements and confidential negotiated terms, pricing techniques, customer lists, price lists, information about
past, present, pending and/or planned Company or its Affiliates’ transactions not publically disclosed and other
confidential information which the Grantee may have acquired during the Grantee’s Employment (hereafter
collectively referred to as “Company Information”) which are owned by the Company or  its Affiliates and
regularly used in the operation of its business, and as to which precautions are taken to prevent dissemination to
persons other than certain directors, officers and employees and if disclosed, would assist in competition against
the Company or any of its Affiliates.  The Grantee understands and agrees that such Company Information was
and will be disclosed to the Grantee in confidence and for use only in performing work for the Company or its
Affiliates.  The Grantee understands and agrees that the Grantee: (x) will keep such Company Information
confidential at all times, (y) will not disclose or

-7-

 
 
communicate Company Information to any third party, and (z) will not make use of Company Information on the
Grantee’s own behalf, or on behalf of any third party.  In view of the nature of the Grantee’s Employment and
the nature of Company Information the Grantee receives during the course of the Grantee’s Employment, the
Grantee agrees that any unauthorized disclosure to third parties of Company Information would cause irreparable
damage to the confidential or trade secret status of Company Information. The Grantee further acknowledges and
agrees that the restrictions on his or her activities set forth above are necessary to protect the goodwill, Company
Information and other legitimate interests of the Company and its Affiliates and that the Grantee’s acceptance of
these restrictions is a condition of receipt of the award of the Restricted Stock, to which the Grantee would not
otherwise be entitled, and the award of the Restricted Stock is good and sufficient consideration to support the
Grantee’s agreement to and compliance with these covenants.

(d)        Remedies.  In the event of a breach or threatened breach by the Grantee of any of the covenants contained in in

Section 11(a), 11(b) or 11(c):

(i)         the Grantee hereby consents and agrees that (x) any unvested Shares and (y) all shares of Stock
held by the Grantee following the vesting of the Restricted Stock shall be forfeited effective as of the
date of such breach or threatened breach, unless sooner terminated by operation of another term or
condition of this Agreement or the Plan;

(ii)       the Grantee hereby consents and agrees that if the Grantee has sold any shares of Stock upon or
following the vesting of the Restricted Stock within twelve (12) months prior to the date of such breach
or threatened breach, the Grantee shall pay to the Company the gross proceeds realized by the Grantee in
connection with such sale; and

(iii)      the Grantee hereby consents and agrees that the Company shall be entitled to seek, in addition to
other available remedies, a temporary or permanent injunction or other equitable relief against such
breach or threatened breach from any court of competent jurisdiction, without the necessity of showing
any actual damages or that money damages would not afford an adequate remedy, and without the
necessity of posting any bond or other security. The aforementioned equitable relief shall be in addition
to, not in lieu of, legal remedies, monetary damages or other available forms of relief.

(e)        General.  The Grantee agrees that the above restrictive covenants are completely severable and independent
agreements supported by good and valuable consideration and, as such, shall survive the termination of this

-8-

 
 
Agreement for whatever reason.  The Company and the Grantee agree that any invalidity or unenforceability of
any one or more of such restrictions on competition shall not render invalid or unenforceable any remaining
restrictive covenants. Should a court of competent jurisdiction determine that the scope of any provision of this
Section 11 is too broad to be enforced as written, the Company and the Grantee intend that the court reform the
provision to such narrower scope as it determines to be reasonable and enforceable.

12.       Form S-8 Prospectus.  The Grantee acknowledges that he or she has received and reviewed a copy of the

prospectus required by Part I of Form S-8 relating to shares of Stock that may be issued under the Plan.

13.       Governing Law.  Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in the Plan, Section 11 of this Agreement shall be

governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Texas, without giving effect to any choice or conflict of
law provision or rule that would cause the application of the laws of any other jurisdiction, except where preempted by federal
law.  Both parties hereby consent and submit to the jurisdiction of the state and federal courts in Dallas County, Texas in all
questions and controversies arising out of this Agreement.

14.       Acknowledgments.  By accepting the award of the Restricted Stock, the Grantee agrees to be bound by, and

agrees that the award of the Restricted Stock is subject in all respects to, the terms of the Plan.  The Grantee further
acknowledges and agrees that (i) the signature to this Agreement on behalf of the Company is an electronic signature that will
be treated as an original signature for all purposes hereunder, and (ii) such electronic signature will be binding against the
Company and will create a legally binding agreement when this Agreement is countersigned by the Grantee.

[The remainder of this page is intentionally left blank]

-9-

 
 
 
 
 
Executed as of the ___ day of [date].

Company:

THE MICHAELS COMPANIES, INC.

Grantee:

By:
Name:
Title:

Name: Philo Pappas

Address:

[Signature Page to Restricted Stock Agreement]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EXHIBIT A

ACKNOWLEDGMENT AND STATEMENT OF DECISION REGARDING ELECTION
PURSUANT TO SECTION 83(b) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE

The undersigned, a purchaser of restricted shares of common stock (the “Restricted Stock”) of The Michaels
Companies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), for cash pursuant to a Restricted Stock Agreement, dated as of
[date], between the undersigned and the Company (the “Restricted Stock Agreement”), hereby states, as of the date of
purchase of the Restricted Stock, as follows:

1.         The undersigned acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Restricted Stock Agreement.  The undersigned

has carefully reviewed the Restricted Stock Agreement.

2.         The undersigned either [check as applicable]:

____ (a) has consulted, and has been fully advised by, the undersigned’s own tax advisor,

__________________________________________, whose business address is _________________________, regarding the
federal, state and local tax consequences of purchasing the Restricted Stock under the Restricted Stock Agreement, and
particularly regarding the advisability of making elections pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as
amended (the “Code”), and pursuant to the corresponding provisions, if any, of applicable state laws; or

____ (b) has knowingly chosen not to consult such tax advisor.

3.         The undersigned hereby states that the undersigned has decided to make an election pursuant to Section
83(b) of the Code and is submitting to the Company together with the undersigned’s executed Restricted Stock Agreement, a
copy of an executed election form which is attached as Exhibit B to the Restricted Stock Agreement.

4.         Neither the Company nor a representative of the Company has made any warranty or representation to
the undersigned with respect to the tax consequences of his or her purchasing the Restricted Stock pursuant to the Restricted
Stock Agreement or of the making or failure to make an election pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Code or corresponding
provisions, if any, of applicable state law.

5.         The undersigned is also submitting to the Company, together with the undersigned’s executed

Restricted Stock Agreement, a copy of an executed election form, if an election is made, by the undersigned pursuant to
provisions of state law corresponding to Section 83(b) of the Code, if any, that apply to the purchase of the Restricted Stock
by the undersigned.

Date:  

Investor

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
EXHIBIT B
ELECTION PURSUANT TO SECTION 83(b) OF THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE

The undersigned taxpayer hereby elects, pursuant to Section 83(b) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, to
include in gross income as compensation for services the excess (if any) of the fair market value of the property described
below over the amount paid for such property.

1.         The name, taxpayer identification number, address of the undersigned, and the taxable year for which this election is

being made are:

Taxpayer’s Name:  _______________________________________________________
Taxpayer’s Social Security Number:
Address:  _______________________________________________________________
Taxable Year:  Calendar Year [··]

2.         The property that is the subject of this election is ___________ unvested shares of common stock (the “ Unvested

Award”) of The Michaels Companies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “ Company”), representing restricted shares of common stock
of the Company (“Restricted Shares”).

3.         The Unvested Award was transferred to the undersigned on ___________.

4.         The Unvested Award is subject to the following restrictions:  (a) restrictions on vesting based on continued service or
compliance with restrictive covenants through the applicable vesting date, (b) immediate forfeiture upon a termination of employment
with the Company or an affiliate for cause or a breach of a restrictive covenant, and (c) restrictions should the undersigned wish to
transfer the Unvested Award (in whole or in part).

5.         The fair market value of the Unvested Award at the time of transfer (determined without regard to any restrictions

other than a nonlapse restriction as defined in Section 1.83-3(h) of the Income Tax Regulations) is $________.

6.         For the Unvested Award transferred, the undersigned paid $___________.

7.         The amount to include in gross income is $_____________.

The undersigned taxpayer will file this election with the Internal Revenue Service office with which taxpayer files his or her
annual income tax return not later than 30 days after the date of transfer of the property.  A copy of the election also will be
furnished to the person for whom the services were performed.  The undersigned is the person performing the services in
connection with which the property was transferred.

Date: ___________________

___________________________________

Taxpayer

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 21.1

Subsidiaries of The Michaels Companies, Inc.

Artistree, Inc., a Delaware corporation
Artistree of Canada, ULC, a Nova Scotia unlimited liability company
Darice Global Sourcing, a “société à responsabilité limitée” organized under the laws of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg
Darice Holdings Company Ltd., a Hong Kong company
Darice Holdings I, a “société à responsabilité limitée” organized under the laws of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg
Darice Holdings II, a “société à responsabilité limitée” organized under the laws of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg
Darice Imports, Inc., an Ohio corporation
Darice, Inc., an Ohio corporation
Darice International Sourcing Group, a Chinese business trust
Darice International Sourcing Holdings, a “société à responsabilité limitée” organized under the laws of the Grand-Duchy of
Luxembourg
Darice (Ningbo) Business Consulting Co. Ltd., a Chinese company
Darice Product Development, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
Lamrite West, Inc., an Ohio corporation
Michaels Finance Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation
Michaels FinCo Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
Michaels FinCo, Inc., a Delaware corporation
Michaels Funding, Inc., a Delaware corporation
Michaels of Canada Holdings LP No. 1, an Alberta limited partnership
Michaels of Canada Holdings LP No. 2, an Alberta limited partnership
Michaels of Canada, ULC, a Nova Scotia unlimited liability company
Michaels of Luxembourg S.à r.l., a “société à responsabilité limitée” organized under the laws of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg
Michaels Product Development, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company

Michaels Stores Card Services, LLC, a Virginia limited liability company
Michaels Stores, Inc., a Delaware corporation
Michaels Stores Procurement Company, Inc., a Delaware corporation
Michaels U.S. Holdings 1, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company
Michaels U.S. Holdings 2, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company

 
 
Exhibit 23.1

We consent to the incorporation by reference in the following Registration Statements:

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

1) Registration Statement (Form S-3 No. 333-205583) of The Michaels Companies, Inc. and the related Prospectus and
2) Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-197218) pertaining to the Amended and Restated 2014 Omnibus Long-Term

Incentive Plan of The Michaels Companies, Inc.;

of our reports dated March 17, 2020, with respect to the consolidated financial statements of The Michaels Companies, Inc., and the
effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting of The Michaels Companies, Inc. included in this Annual Report (Form 10-K)
for the year ended February 1, 2020.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Dallas, TX
March 17, 2020

 
 
 
 
Exhibit 31.1

I, Mark S. Cosby, certify that:

1.

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of The Michaels Companies, Inc.;

CERTIFICATIONS

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

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

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

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

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

c.

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

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

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

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

b. Any  fraud,  whether  or  not  material,  that  involves  management  or  other  employees  who  have  a  significant  role  in  the

registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: March 17, 2020

/s/ Mark S. Cosby
Mark S. Cosby
Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Exhibit 31.2

I, James E.  Sullivan, certify that

1.

I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of The Michaels Companies, Inc.;

CERTIFICATIONS

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

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

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

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

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

c.

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

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

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

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

b. Any  fraud,  whether  or  not  material,  that  involves  management  or  other  employees  who  have  a  significant  role  in  the

registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.

Date: March 17, 2020

/s/ James E.  Sullivan
James E.  Sullivan
Chief Accounting Officer and  Controller
(Principal Financial Officer)

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

Exhibit 32.1

In connection with the filing of the Annual Report on Form 10-K of The Michaels Companies, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the
“Company”), for the year ended February 1, 2020, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”),
each of the undersigned officers of the Company certifies, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350, as adopted pursuant to § 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley
Act of 2002, that, to such officer’s knowledge:

1. The Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and

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

operations of the Company.

6

Date: March 17, 2020

/s/ Mark S. Cosby
Mark S. Cosby
Chief Executive Officer and Director
(Principal Executive Officer)

/s/ James E.  Sullivan
James E.  Sullivan
Chief Accounting Officer and  Controller
(Principal Financial Officer)

The foregoing certification is being furnished solely pursuant to 18 U.S.C. § 1350 and is not being filed as part of the Report or as a

separate disclosure document.