Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)

6 Months Ended

Jun. 15, 2013

Nature of Operations

Wolverine World Wide, Inc. is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of a broad range of quality casual footwear and apparel; performance outdoor and athletic footwear and apparel; children’s footwear, industrial work shoes; boots and apparel; and uniform shoes and boots. The Company’s portfolio of owned and licensed brands includes: Bates^®, Cat^® Footwear, Chaco^®, Cushe^®, Harley-Davidson^® Footwear, Hush Puppies^®, HyTest^®, Keds^®, Merrell^®, Patagonia^® Footwear, Saucony^®, Sebago^®, Soft Style^®, Sperry Top-Sider^®, Stride Rite^® and Wolverine^®. Licensing and distribution arrangements with third-parties extend the global reach of the Company’s brand portfolio.

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated condensed financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. GAAP for a complete presentation of the financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for fair presentation have been included in the accompanying financial statements. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2012.

Correction of Immaterial Error

Correction of Immaterial Error

The Company made a correction to an immaterial error, related to certain accounts receivable allowances disclosed in the consolidated financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2012 (the “2012 Form 10-K”). In the consolidated balance sheets in the 2012 Form 10-K, the amount parenthetically disclosed for allowances at December 29, 2012 in the “Accounts receivable, less allowances” line item should have been $26.7 million. The Company has corrected this parenthetical disclosure of accounts receivable allowances prospectively in the consolidated condensed balance sheet for the current quarter in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. This correction had no impact on the fiscal 2012 net earnings, cash flows or the amount of “Accounts receivable, less allowances.”

Revenue Recognition

Revenue Recognition

Revenue is recognized on the sale of products manufactured or sourced by the Company when the related goods have been shipped, legal title has passed to the customer and collectability is reasonably assured. Revenue generated from licensees and distributors involving products bearing the Company’s trademarks is recognized as earned according to stated contractual terms upon either the purchase or shipment of branded products by licensees and distributors.

The Company records provisions for estimated sales returns and allowances at the time of sale based on historical rates of returns and allowances and specific identification of outstanding returns not yet received from customers. However, estimates of actual returns and allowances in any future period are inherently uncertain and actual returns and allowances may differ from these estimates. If actual or expected future returns and allowances were significantly greater or lower than established reserves, a reduction or increase to net revenues would be recorded in the period this determination was made.

Cost of Goods Sold

Cost of Goods Sold

Cost of goods sold includes the actual product costs, including inbound and certain outbound freight charges, purchasing, sourcing, inspection and receiving costs. Warehousing costs are included in selling, general and administrative expenses with the exception of certain consumer direct warehousing costs which are included in cost of goods sold.

Seasonality

Seasonality

The Company’s business is subject to seasonal influences and the Company’s fiscal year has 12 weeks in each of the first three fiscal quarters and, depending on the fiscal calendar, 16 or 17 weeks in the fourth fiscal quarter. Both of these factors can cause significant differences in revenue, earnings and cash flows from quarter to quarter; however, the differences have followed a consistent pattern in previous years.

Comprehensive Income (Topic 220)

In February 2013, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2013-02, Comprehensive Income (Topic 220) Reporting of Amounts Reclassified Out of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (“ASU 2013-02”). ASU 2013-02 requires preparers to report, in one place, information about reclassifications out of accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”). For significant items reclassified out of AOCI to net income in their entirety in the same reporting period, reporting (either on the face of the statement where net income is presented or in the accompanying notes) is required about the effect of the reclassifications on the respective line items in the statement where net income is presented. For items that are not reclassified to net income in their entirety in the same reporting period, a cross reference to other disclosures currently required under U.S. GAAP is required in the accompanying notes. The above information must be presented in one place (parenthetically on the face of the financial statements by income statement line item or in a note). The ASU is effective prospectively for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2012. The Company adopted ASU 2012-02 in the first quarter of fiscal 2013, and the adoption did not affect the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Goodwill and Other (ASU 350)

In July 2012, FASB issued ASU 2012-02, Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (ASC Topic 350) Testing Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets for Impairment (“ASU 2012-02”). ASU 2012-02 amends prior indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment testing guidance. Under ASU 2012-02, the Company has the option to first assess qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not (a likelihood of more than 50%) that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is impaired. If, after considering the totality of events and circumstances, an entity determines it is more likely than not that an indefinite-lived intangible asset is not impaired, then calculating the fair value of such asset is unnecessary. The Company adopted the ASU in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, and the adoption did not affect the Company’s consolidated financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Earnings Per Share (ASC 260)

The Company calculates earnings per share in accordance with FASB Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic 260, Earnings Per Share (“ASC 260”). ASC 260 addresses whether instruments granted in share-based payment transactions are participating securities prior to vesting, and, therefore, need to be included in the earnings allocation in computing earnings per share under the two-class method. Under the guidance in ASC 260, the Company’s unvested share-based payment awards that contain non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents, whether paid or unpaid, are participating securities and must be included in the computation of earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method.

Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures

The Company follows FASB ASC Topic 820, Fair Value Measurements and Disclosures (“ASC 820”), which provides a consistent definition of fair value, focuses on exit price, prioritizes the use of market-based inputs over entity-specific inputs for measuring fair value and establishes a three-tier hierarchy for fair value measurements. ASC 820 requires fair value measurements to be classified and disclosed in one of the following three categories:


Level 1:		Fair value is measured using quoted prices (unadjusted) in active markets for identical assets and liabilities.

Level 2:		Fair value is measured using either direct or indirect inputs, other than quoted prices included within Level 1, which are observable for similar assets or liabilities.

Level 3:		Fair value is measured using valuation techniques in which one or more significant inputs are unobservable.

The Company’s financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, accounts and notes receivable, accounts payable, foreign currency forward exchange contracts, an interest rate swap agreement, borrowings under the Company’s Revolving Credit Facility and long-term debt. The carrying amount of the Company’s financial instruments is historical cost, which approximates their fair value, except for the interest rate swap and foreign currency forward exchange contracts, which are carried at fair value. As of June 15, 2013 the carrying value and the fair value of the Company’s long-term debt, including current maturities, were $1,184.7 million and $1,228.6 million, respectively. As of December 29, 2012, the carrying value and the fair value of the Company’s long-term debt, including current maturities, were $1,250.0 million and $1,308.9 million, respectively. Fair values were calculated by discounting the future cash flows of the financial instruments to their present value, using interest rates currently offered for borrowings and deposits of similar nature and remaining maturities. The Company does not hold or issue financial instruments for trading purposes.

Derivatives and Hedging

The Company follows FASB ASC Topic 815, Derivatives and Hedging (“ASC 815”), which is intended to improve transparency in financial reporting and requires that all derivative instruments be recorded on the consolidated balance sheets at fair value by establishing criteria for designation and effectiveness of hedging relationships. The Company utilizes foreign currency forward exchange contracts to manage the volatility associated with U.S. dollar inventory purchases made by non-U.S. wholesale operations in the normal course of business. At June 15, 2013 and June 16, 2012, foreign exchange contracts with a notional value of $106.9 million and $109.0 million, respectively were outstanding to purchase U.S. dollars with maturities ranging up to 336 days for both periods. These contracts have been designated as cash flow hedges.

The following table sets forth financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value in the consolidated condensed balance sheets and the respective pricing levels to which the fair value measurements are classified within the fair value hierarchy as of June 15, 2013 and June 16, 2012.


	Fair Value Measurements
(In millions)	June 15, 2013		June 16, 2012
Financial assets	Quoted Prices With Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)		Quoted Prices With Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Foreign exchange contracts asset	$	—	$	0.6

Financial liabilities
Foreign exchange contracts liability	$	2.0	$	—
Interest rate swap liability	$	0.1	$	—

The fair value of the foreign currency forward exchange contracts represents the estimated receipts or payments necessary to terminate the contracts. Hedge effectiveness is evaluated by the hypothetical derivative method. Any hedge ineffectiveness is reported within the cost of goods sold caption of the consolidated condensed statements of operations and comprehensive income. Hedge ineffectiveness was not material to the Company’s consolidated condensed financial statements for the 12 and 24 weeks ended June 15, 2013 and June 16, 2012. If, in the future, the foreign exchange contracts are determined to be ineffective hedges or terminated before their contractual termination dates, the Company would be required to reclassify into earnings all or a portion of the unrealized amounts related to the cash flow hedges that are currently included in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) within stockholders’ equity.

The Company has one interest rate swap agreement which exchanges floating rate for fixed rate interest payments over the life of the agreement without the exchange of the underlying notional amounts. The notional amounts of the interest rate swap agreement are used to measure interest to be paid or received and do not represent the amount of exposure to credit loss. The differential paid or received on the interest rate swap agreements is recognized as interest expense. The Company’s interest rate swap arrangement, which reduces the Company’s exposure to fluctuations in interest rates on its variable rate debt, has a notional amount of $462.2 million. This derivative instrument, which, unless otherwise terminated, will expire on October 6, 2017, has been designated as a cash flow hedge of the debt. In accordance with ASC 815, the Company formally documented the relationship between the interest rate swap and the variable rate borrowings, as well as its risk management objective and strategy for undertaking the hedge transaction. This process included linking the derivative to the specific liability or asset on the balance sheet. The Company also assesses, both at the hedge’s inception and on an ongoing basis, whether the derivative used in the hedging transaction is highly effective in offsetting changes in the cash flows of the hedged item. The effective portion of unrealized gains (losses) is deferred as a component of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) and will be recognized in earnings at the time the hedged item affects earnings. Any ineffective portion of the change in fair value will be immediately recognized in earnings.

Compensation - Stock Compensation (ASC 718)

The Company accounts for stock-based compensation in accordance with the fair value recognition provisions of FASB ASC Topic 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation (“ASC 718”). The Company recognized compensation expense of $6.5 million and $13.7 million, and related income tax benefits of $2.1 million and $4.5 million, for grants under its stock-based compensation plans for the 12 and 24 weeks ended June 15, 2013, respectively.

The Company recognized compensation expense of $4.2 million and $7.9 million, and related income tax benefits of $1.4 million and $2.5 million, for grants under its stock-based compensation plans for the 12 and 24 weeks ended June 16, 2012, respectively.

Stock-based compensation expense recognized in the consolidated condensed statements of operations and comprehensive income is based on awards ultimately expected to vest and, as such, has been reduced for estimated forfeitures. ASC 718 requires forfeitures to be estimated at the time of grant and revised, if necessary, in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. Forfeitures were estimated based on historical experience.