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Related party transactions | 12 Months Ended
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Mar. 30, 2013
Related Party Transactions [Abstract] |
Related party transactions |
14. | Related party transactions:
(a) | The Company is party to certain related party transactions. Balances related to these related parties are disclosed in the consolidated financial statements except the following:
|  | Fiscal Year Ended |
|  | March 30, 2013 |  |  | March 31, 2012 |  |  | March 26, 2011 |
|  | (In thousands) |
Transactions: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Purchases of inventory from supplier related to shareholder |  | $ | 262 |  |  | $ | 1,803 |  |  | $ | 2,539 |
Management fees to a related party |  |  | 180 |  |  |  | 158 |  |  |  | — |
Consultant fees to a related party |  |  | 165 |  |  |  | 165 |  |  |  | 161 |
Expense reimbursement to a related party |  |  | 241 |  |  |  | 238 |  |  |  | 238 |
Interest expense on cash advance received from controlling shareholder |  |  | 308 |  |  |  | 609 |  |  |  | 797 |
Wholesale distribution service payments to a related party |  |  | 3 |  |  |  | 11 |  |  |  | — |
Balances: |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Accounts payable to supplier related to shareholder |  |  | 31 |  |  |  | 170 |  |  |  | 539 |
Accounts payable to related parties |  |  | 65 |  |  |  | 69 |  |  |  | 32 |
Interest payable on cash advance received from controlling shareholder |  |  | 14 |  |  |  | 47 |  |  |  | 57 |
(b) | On June 8, 2011, the Board of Directors approved the Company entering into a Management Consulting Service Agreement with Montrovest. Under the agreement, the Company pays Montrovest an annual retainer fee of €140,000 (equivalent to approximately $180,000 USD) in exchange for services related to the raising of capital for international expansion projects and such other services relating to merchandising and/or marketing of the Company’s products as the Company may request. The agreement was in effect until June 8, 2012 and will be extended automatically for successive terms of one year unless either party gives a 60 days notice of its intention not to renew. The yearly renewal of the agreement is subject to the review and approval of the Company’s Corporate Governance Committee and the Board of Directors. In fiscal 2013 and fiscal 2012, the Company paid approximately $180,000 and $158,000, respectively, under this agreement to Montrovest. The agreement was renewed for an additional one year period ending June 8, 2014. The Company’s Board of Directors approved entering into the agreement and its renewal with Montrovest in accordance with the Company’s Code of Conduct relating to related party transactions. Mr. Berclaz, one of the Company’s former directors, was the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Directors of Montrovest prior to his death in April 2013 and Mr. Coda Nunziante, the Company’s Vice President, Strategy was a managing director of Montrovest until June 30, 2012.
(c) | In February 2009 and May 2009, the Company received a $2.0 million and a $3 million, respectively, cash advance from Montrovest BV, to finance its working capital needs and for general corporate purposes. This advance and any interest thereon is subordinated to the indebtedness of the Company’s existing senior credit facilities and secured term loans and was convertible into a convertible debenture or Class A voting shares in the event of a private placement or repayable upon demand by Montrovest once conditions stipulated in the Company’s senior credit facilities permit such a payment. The cash advance bore interest at an annual rate of 16%, net of any withholding taxes, representing an effective interest rate of approximately 17.8%. If converted into convertible debentures or Class A voting shares, a fee of 7% of the outstanding principal amount of the cash advance would have been paid to Montrovest. In June 2011, the Company amended it cash advance agreements with Montrovest. Under the terms of the amended agreements, the annual interest rate on the $5.0 million in cash advances outstanding was reduced from 16%, net of withholding taxes to 11%, net of withholding taxes representing an effective interest rate of approximately 12.2%. The amended agreements eliminated the convertibility of the cash advances into convertible debentures or Class A voting shares in the event of a private placement and also eliminated the payment of a 7% fee if the debt was converted into convertible debentures or Class A voting shares. The Company also amended its management subordination agreement with Montrovest and its senior lenders, eliminating the payment of any success fee to Montrovest if the Company receives net cash proceeds of $5 million or more related to an equity issuance. The Company paid a one-time fee of $75,000 to Montrovest associated with the amendment of the cash advance agreements. In August 2012, a partial repayment of $3.5 million was made on these cash advances.
(d) | In August 2012, the Company entered into a Diamond Inventory Supply Agreement with Prime Investments S.A. and a series of conditional sale agreements with companies affiliated with Prime Investments S.A. pursuant to which Prime Investments S.A. or a related party is entitled to supply Birks and its subsidiaries or affiliates with at least 45%, on an annualized cost basis, of such company’s aggregate loose diamond requirements, conditional upon the prices remaining competitive relative to market and needs in terms of quality, cut standards and specifications being satisfied. During fiscal 2013 and 2012, Birks purchased approximately $0.3 million and $1.8 million of diamonds from Prime Investments S.A. and related parties, respectively. As of March 31, 2013, Prime Investments S.A. beneficially owned 21.6% of the Company’s outstanding Class A voting shares.
(e) | On June 30, 2009, the Company’s Board of Directors approved the Company entering into a consulting services agreement with Gestofi S.A. (“Gestofi”) in accordance with the Company’s Code of Conduct relating to related party transactions. Under the agreement, Gestofi undertook to assign Mr. Niccolò Rossi di Montelera as the employee of Gestofi responsible for providing the consulting services related to the development of our Company’s e-commerce, new product development, wholesale business and such other services reasonably requested by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer or Chairman (collectively, the “Consulting Services”). The Consulting Services are provided to the Company for a fee of approximately Cdn$13,700 per month less any applicable taxes plus out of pocket expenses. The initial one-year term of the agreement began on August 1, 2009, and the agreement may be renewed for additional one-year terms. The agreement was renewed in June 2011, April 2012 and April 2013 for an additional one-year term each. Mr. Niccolò Rossi di Montelera is a member of the Board of Directors and the son of Dr. Lorenzo Rossi di Montelera, Birks & Mayors’ Chairman and a director of Gestofi.
(f) | In accordance with the Company’s Code of Conduct related to related party transactions, in April 2011 and February 2012 and April 2013, the Corporate Governance Committee and Board of Directors approved the reimbursement of expenses, such as rent, communication, administrative support and analytical service costs, incurred by Regaluxe in supporting the office of Dr. Lorenzo Rossi di Montelera for work performed on behalf of the Company, up to a yearly maximum of $250,000. During fiscal 2013 and 2012, the Company paid $241,000 and $238,000 to Regaluxe under this agreement, respectively.
(g) | In April 2011, the Corporate Governance Committee and Board of Directors approved the Company’s entering in a Wholesale and Distribution Agreement with Regaluxe S.r.l. Under the agreement, Regaluxe S.r.l. is to provide services to the Company to support the distribution of the Company’s products in Italy through authorized dealers. The initial one-year term of the agreement began on June 1, 2011. Under this agreement the Company pays Regaluxe S.r.l. a net price for the Company’s products equivalent to the price, net of taxes, for the products paid by retailers to Regaluxe S.r.l. less a discount factor of 3.5%. The agreement’s initial term was until May 31, 2012 and may be renewed by mutual agreement for additional one-year terms. In February 2012 and April 2013, this agreement was renewed for an additional one year period and may be renewed by mutual agreement for additional one year terms. During fiscal 2013 and 2012, the Company paid approximately $3,000 and $11,000 to Regaluxe S.r.L. under this agreement, respectively.

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- Definition The entire disclosure for related party transactions. Examples of related party transactions include transactions between (a) a parent company and its subsidiary; (b) subsidiaries of a common parent; (c) and entity and its principal owners; and (d) affiliates. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 850 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39603-107864 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 850 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39622-107864 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 850 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39549-107864 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 04 -Paragraph b -Article 3A Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(k)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6881521&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph k -Article 4 Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 850 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 6 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39691-107864 Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 850 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6457730&loc=d3e39678-107864 Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 57 -Paragraph 1-4 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy. + Details
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