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NOTE 2—ACCOUNTING CHANGES
Prior to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, the Company recognized breakage income when gift card redemptions were deemed remote and the Company determined that there was no legal obligation to remit the unredeemed gift cards to the relevant tax jurisdiction ("Remote Method"), which, based on historical information, the Company concluded to be 18 months after the gift card was issued. At the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012, the Company concluded it had accumulated a sufficient level of historical data from a large pool of homogeneous transactions to allow management to reasonably and objectively determine an estimated gift card breakage rate and the pattern of actual gift card redemptions. Accordingly, the Company changed its method for recognizing gift card breakage income to recognize breakage income and derecognize the gift card liability for unredeemed gift cards in proportion to actual redemptions of gift cards ("Proportional Method"). The Company believes the Proportional Method is preferable to the Remote Method as it better reflects the gift card earnings process resulting in the recognition of gift card breakage income over the period of gift card redemptions (i.e., over the performance period). The Company will continue to review historical gift card redemption information at each reporting period to assess the continued appropriateness of the gift card breakage rates and pattern of redemption.
In accordance with ASC 250, Accounting Changes and Error Corrections, the Company concluded that this accounting change represented a change in accounting estimate effected by a change in accounting principle and accordingly, accounted for the change as a change in estimate following a cumulative catch-up method. As a result, the cumulative catch-up adjustment recorded at the end of the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012 resulted in an additional $14,969,000 of gift card breakage income under the Proportional Method. Inclusive of this cumulative catch-up, the Company recognized $32,633,000 of gift card breakage income in fiscal 2012. Gift card breakage income presented in other theatre revenues that was previously presented in other income during the fiscal years ended March 31, 2011 and April 1, 2010 was $14,131,000 and $13,591,000, respectively.
Additionally, concurrent with the accounting change discussed above, the Company changed the presentation of gift card breakage income from other income to other theatre revenues in the Consolidated Statements of Operations during fiscal 2012, with conforming changes made for all prior periods presented. The Company believes newly adopted presentation of gift card breakage income is preferable in the circumstances because breakage is an expected revenue stream to be earned at the time the cards are issued and is a key element and consideration of the profitability of their gift card sale program, and because it makes the Company's statements more comparable to its primary competitors. |