SEC Company Response from BED BATH & BEYOND, INC. (NXH, BBBYW) (CIK 0001130713) (NXH) — Dec 4, 2009
BED BATH & BEYOND, INC. (NXH, BBBYW) (CIK 0001130713)
Date: Dec. 4, 2009 · CIK: 0001130713 · Accession: 0001104659-09-068593
AI Filing Summary & Sentiment
File numbers found in text: 000-49799
Referenced dates: December 14, 2007, November 3, 2009, October 1, 2009
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CORRESP 1 filename1.htm December 4, 2009 DIVISION OF CORPORATION FINANCE Mail Stop 3561 UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549-0404 Attention: Andrew Mew Accounting Branch Chief Division of Corporation Finance Re: Overstock.com, Inc. SEC Comment Letter dated November 3, 2009 Form 10-K Amendment No. 1 for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2008 Filed March 5, 2009 Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarters ended June 30, 2009 Filed July 31, 2009 File No. 000-49799 Dear Mr. Mew: We write in response to your letter dated November 3, 2009 regarding the above-referenced filings. The following responses are numbered to correspond to the Staff’s comments: Form 10-K/A Amendment No. 1 for the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2008 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, page 47 Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates page 49 Revenue recognition, page 49 1. We note your response to comment one of our letter dated October 1, 2009. Please address the following: · We note you generally randomly select the shipment tracking numbers for approximately 1200 orders. Please explain to us what you mean by generally. If your sample size is not random, then please explain to us how your sample is statistically valid. Our use of “generally” was in reference to the number of orders we desire to sample, not our methodology. We have applied a consistent methodology to determine our revenue deferral — with variations related to sample size. We sample at least 300 shipments in each of our four 1 shipment types (core LTL and NON-LTL shipments and partner LTL and NON-LTL shipments) on a judgmental, non-statistical basis, except in cases in which the underlying population size does not necessitate such a large sample (see discussion and table below in response to your second bullet point comment). We use a random number generator to determine which items to select for our sample of shipments. Consequently, we believe that our sampling methodology is valid. · Of the orders shipped per month, please explain to us how many are core versus partner shipments. Of the core and partner shipments tell us approximately how many are Core Less-than-Truck Load (“LTL”) and Core UPS, and Partner LTL and Partner UPS. If your core and partner orders are not distributed on a 25% LTL and UPS basis, then please explain to us how your sample size is sufficiently designed to produce a reasonably acceptable confidence interval. Further, for the six months ended June 30, 2009 you derived approximately 82% of your net revenues from partner sales, although it appears your sample size of 1200 was evenly distributed between your partner and direct shipments. In this regard, tell us the confidence interval your sample size provides and explain how you concluded your sample size is statistically sufficient. When we make our quarterly estimate of average shipment transit time, we treat each of our four shipment types (core LTL and NON-LTL shipments and partner LTL and NON-LTL shipments) as a separate population to which the results of the applicable sample are applied. We sample an adequate number of shipments in each of these populations to arrive at an average transit time for the respective population. The table shown below outlines the shipment population and sample size for our four shipment type populations for June and September 2009, which we used to arrive at our estimate of average shipment transit times in our Q2 and unreviewed Q3 2009 Form 10-Q’s: Shipment Type Actual Shipments and Sample Sizes Core Partner by Shipment Type LTL NON-LTL LTL NON-LTL Total No. of Shipments in June 2009 784 120,770 3,530 529,420 654,504 Sample size used in June 2009 325 554 415 543 1,837 No. of Shipments in September 2009 427 119,490 4,876 622,885 747,678 Sample size used in September 2009 182 920 539 720 2,361 We do not use a purely statistical model to determine our average transit time. However, we apply various statistical concepts in determining our sample sizes. Consequently, we believe that our sample sizes are sufficient to estimate average transit times. 2 2. We note your response to comment three of our letter dated October 1, 2009. Please provide to us your entire SAB 104 revenue recognition analysis with respect to your international sales. Please advise if your customers specifically acknowledge that, upon delivery to the third party, you have no further obligation and the customer must look solely to the third party to obtain final delivery of the products. The following is our SAB 104 revenue recognition analysis with respect to our international sales: Background We use E4X, Inc. (“E4X”), a US-based third party logistics company, to provide the payment and fulfillment logistics for all international orders. Our webpage (see https://help.overstock.com/cgi-bin/overstock.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=63&) includes a section entitled “Special Terms for Our Non-U.S. Customers” which includes the following points relating to international orders: · We use a third party provider to assist us with international orders; · At check-out the international customer is redirected to a checkout page hosted by E4X; · Payment and shipping information is provided to E4X and E4X approves the order, prior to submitting this approval to us; · Once notified by E4X of the approval, we process the order and ship the product directly from our warehouse; or cause one of our third party fulfillment providers to ship the product directly from their warehouse, to E4X; · E4X thereupon purchases the product from us, taking title to the product, E4X bills the customer’s credit card, collects and remits any duties and taxes to the appropriate taxing authority and arranges for the product to be delivered to the customer’s doorstep by common carrier; and · When ordering, the customer is presented with E4X’s terms and conditions to which they must agree in order to receive the product they ordered. The following are several of E4X’s significant terms and conditions which are presented to the international customer at check out: · Nature of Transaction. E4X, Inc. (“E4X”) contracts with suppliers in the U.S. (“suppliers”) to avail their merchandise to consumers living outside of the U.S. (“you”) through the FiftyOne network, and to provide you with an opportunity to purchase such merchandise at a price in a currency selected by you, inclusive of international shipping costs, brokerage costs, import duty and sales taxes. By placing an order with E4X, you acknowledge that your transaction will be with E4X, not with the supplier, and that upon successful verification by E4X of the authenticity and sufficiency of the payment information you provide, that E4X will purchase the merchandise from the supplier for the sole purpose of immediately reselling it to you for the amounts presented to and 3 agreed-upon by you. (Emphasis added.) · Title to Goods. After E4X purchases and takes title of merchandise from a supplier to fulfill an order you have placed, title of merchandise shall transfer from E4X to you at the time of shipment of the merchandise from E4X’s facility in the U.S. · Returns. You agree to contact the Supplier whose merchandise you have purchased for any returns authorization. If authorized by the Supplier, pursuant to their international returns policy, Supplier will provide you with information on credit available to you and instructions on where to ship your return parcel. Analysis and Discussion The following is the SAB 104 revenue recognition analysis based upon our agreement with E4X and between E4X and our international customers: · Persuasive evidence of an arrangement does exists — At final check-out, our international customers are directed to the international “Shipping, Billing & Final Order Review” page where we make it clear that by placing the order the customer is confirming that the customer is bound to the terms of the sale. This page includes a link to E4X’s terms and conditions which make it clear that the international customer is the customer of E4X. Once the buyer accepts these terms and upon successful verification by E4X, E4X purchases the merchandise from us per our agreement with E4X. · The seller’s price to the buyer is fixed and determinable — In accordance with the terms of our agreement with E4X, our price to E4X is fixed at the time the customer places the order. The “Shipping, Billing & Final Order Review” page shows the customer the order’s unit price with applicable shipping charges, applicable taxes and the total cost, which the customer reviews, before confirming the order as detailed above. The price to the international customer is calculated by E4X and is inclusive of currency exchange rates, international shipping costs, brokerage costs, import duty and sales taxes. · Collectability is reasonably assured — Upon approval of the international customer’s order, E4X pays us via its own credit card. We then verify, approve and collect E4X’s payment through our merchant account processor. E4X is responsible for authenticity and sufficiency of the payment information of our international customers. · Delivery has occurred or services have been rendered — In accordance with Section 11.1 of our E4X agreement and the “Title of Goods” paragraph in E4X’s terms and conditions, title to our products transfers from us to E4X at the time E4X takes possession of the products at its US hub facility. E4X purchases the merchandise originally ordered by the international customer from us and resells the merchandise to the international customer (see the “Nature of Transaction” paragraph in E4X’s terms and conditions above). E4X then ships the product to the international customer. Section 5.6 of our E4X agreement (“Risk of Loss While in E4X Care”), states that “from the time that E4X takes possession of the product at the US hub until the time of receipt by the delivery carrier E4X is liable for any loss.” With regard to final delivery and return of purchased products, our international customer may contact our customer service department for resolution of 4 their issues and we coordinate with E4X on the appropriate action to take on their behalf. Conclusion Based on our SAB 104 analysis, we conclude that it is appropriate to recognize revenue for sales to our international customers upon delivery of the merchandise to E4X’s hub facility. However, we have also determined, based on our past and current levels of international sales, that if we deferred the revenue related to our international sales until delivery to the final customer (instead of upon delivery to E4X) the impact would be immaterial. For example, the impact of deferring revenue related to our international sales until final delivery would increase our net loss for the year ended 2008 and the nine months ended September 30, 2009 by $22,000 and $40,000, respectively or approximately 0.2% and 1.6% of 2008’s annual net loss and 2009 Q3 year to date net loss, respectively (see Exhibit B). Commentary — Gross Profit and Gross Profit Percentage, page 57 3. We note your response to comment seven of our letter dated October 1, 2009. Please address the following: · It appears you had an agreement already in place with respect to how you recover costs associated with the return of products. Please refer to Section 3 of your Supplier Agreement provided to us in your response letter dated December 14, 2007. Further, we note you negotiated a settlement in early November 2008 based on a current existing agreement in place which specified how return costs were to be recovered from your partners; and, Section 1.11 of the agreement, provided for a contractual right of offset. It appears you provided return processing services for your partners under contractual agreements, which resulted in net cash inflows to you. The cash inflows were directly related to your past activities associated with the returns of your partner’s products. See paragraph 28 of Statement of Financial Accounting Concepts No. 6. Absent further substantial evidence, we are uncertain how you reached the conclusion that an asset did not previously exist or had not been earned. Please explain in detail or revise your accounting. Although we had an agreement in place with respect to the recovery costs associated with the return of fulfillment partner products and we had a contractual right to recover the negotiated amount through the right of offset, we concluded that an asset did not exist or an amount had not been earned at any time during 2007 or 2008, as detailed within Issue No. 1 of Exhibit A, “Complete Partner Under Billings and Overpayment Background, Discussion and Conclusion Memo” attached hereto. · Please explain the basis for your statement that the amounts had not been earned as they were dependent on future sales; and, the accounting principle underlying your recognition of a past transaction based on a future sale. 5 Given the facts surrounding the transactions, our past practices and our resulting conclusions detailed in Exhibit A, “Complete Partner Under Billing and Overpayment Background, Discussion and Conclusion Memo”, we concluded that an asset did not exist at any time during 2007 or 2008 as detailed in Issue No. 2 of Exhibit A, “Complete Partner Under Billings and Overpayment Background, Discussion and Conclusion Memo.” · We also noted approximately half of your total 2008 under billings were comprised of 28 partners with balances in excess of $20,000. We assume you had historical revenue data from these partners which would have afforded you the ability to determine how long it would have taken to recover these under billings or assess the realization of the amounts owed to you, assuming you closely track sales data for your largest partners. We calculated you recovered approximately 67% of the 2008 under billings in the fourth quarter of 2008, and by the end of the first quarter of 2009 you collected approximately 84% of the under billings related to 2008. Notwithstanding the above comments, it appears the collection of under billings was reasonably assured as of December 31, 2008. If our reasoning and calculations are valid, explain to us why such recoveries were not considered previously realizable, especially from your largest partners, with a reserve established for any amounts considered doubtful. Please advise or revise. We concluded that an asset did not exist at any time during 2007 or 2008 as detailed in Issue Nos. 1 and 2 of Exhibit A, “Complete Partner Under Billings and Overpayment Background, Discussion and Conclusion Memo.” While we recognize that reasonable individuals may have different views regarding the interpretation of the facts and circumstances and the related accounting model, we concluded that, due to the factors explained in Exhibit A, an acceptable accounting model was fundamentally based upon an evaluation of whether an asset existed at any time subsequent to our billing error but prior to recovery of under billed amounts via renegotiated future pricing with our fulfillment partners. · Reference is made to the issue involving the overpayment of costs of $787,000 to your partner. Similar to the under billing issue, it would appear an asset existed for the overpayment of the partn