1.   SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

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Organization

Caleres, Inc., originally founded as Brown Shoe Company in 1878 and incorporated in 1913, is a global footwear company. The Company’s shares are traded under the “CAL” symbol on the New York Stock Exchange.

The Company provides a broad offering of licensed, branded and private-label athletic, casual and dress footwear products to women, men and children. The footwear is sold at a variety of price points through multiple distribution channels both domestically and internationally. The Company currently operates 1,086 retail shoe stores in the United States, Canada, China and Guam under the Famous Footwear, Naturalizer, Sam Edelman and Allen Edmonds names.  In addition, through its Brand Portfolio segment, the Company designs, sources and markets footwear to retail stores domestically and internationally, including online retailers, national chains, department stores, mass merchandisers and independent retailers.  Refer to Note 3 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information regarding the Company’s revenue by category and Note 8 for discussion of the Company’s business segments.

The Company’s business is seasonal in nature due to consumer spending patterns with higher back-to-school and holiday season sales. Traditionally, the third fiscal quarter accounts for a substantial portion of the Company’s earnings for the year.

Certain prior period amounts in the notes to the consolidated financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.  These reclassifications did not affect net (loss) earnings attributable to Caleres, Inc.

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Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries, after the elimination of intercompany accounts and transactions.

Noncontrolling Interests

Noncontrolling interests in the Company’s consolidated financial statements result from the accounting for noncontrolling interests in partially-owned consolidated subsidiaries or affiliates.  During 2019, the Company entered into a joint venture with Brand Investment Holding Limited ("Brand Investment Holding"), a member of the Gemkell Group.  The Company and Brand Investment Holding are each 50% owners of the joint venture, which is named CLT Brand Solutions ("CLT"). During 2020, CLT was funded with $3.0 million in capital contributions, including $1.5 million from the Company and $1.5 million from Brand Investment Holding.  In 2019, CLT was funded with $5.0 million in capital contributions, including $2.5 million from the Company and $2.5 million from Brand Investment Holding.  Net sales and operating results were immaterial in both 2020 and 2019.

The Company had a joint venture agreement with a subsidiary of C. banner International Holdings Limited (“CBI”) to market Naturalizer footwear in China.  The Company was a 51% owner of the joint venture (“B&H Footwear”), with CBI owning the other 49%.  The license enabling the joint venture to market the footwear expired in August 2017 and the parties are in the process of dissolving their joint venture arrangements.  The Company anticipates the liquidation to be completed in 2021.

The Company consolidates CLT and B&H Footwear into its consolidated financial statements.  Net (loss) earnings attributable to noncontrolling interests represents the share of net earnings or losses that are attributable to CBI and Brand Investment Holding equity.  Transactions between the Company and the joint ventures have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements.  

Accounting Period

The Company’s fiscal year is the 52- or 53-week period ending the Saturday nearest to January 31. Fiscal years 2020, 2019 and 2018, all of which included 52 weeks, ended on January 30, 2021, February 1, 2020 and February 2, 2019, respectively.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes.  Actual results could differ from those estimates.

COVID-19 Pandemic

The United States and global economies continue to be adversely affected by the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic. Although the Company has reopened all its retail stores from the temporary store closures in the first half of 2020, the Company’s financial results were adversely impacted by COVID-19 in 2020. The Company took actions to manage its resources conservatively to mitigate the adverse impact of the pandemic, including reductions in the workforce, associate furloughs for a significant portion of the workforce during the first half of 2020, and reductions in salary for most remaining associates, as well as a reduction in the cash retainers for the Board of Directors through the end of the second quarter; reducing inventory purchases; reducing marketing expenses; and minimizing costs associated with the closed retail facilities.  In addition, as a precautionary measure to increase its cash position and preserve financial flexibility given the uncertainty in the United States and global markets resulting from COVID-19, the Company increased the borrowings on its revolving credit facility in March 2020 to $440.0 million.  In April, the Company entered into an amendment to the Fourth Amended and Restated Credit Agreement to increase its borrowing capacity, as further discussed in Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements.

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On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security ("CARES") Act was enacted.  The CARES Act includes a provision that allows the Company to defer the employer portion of social security payroll tax payments that would have been paid between the enactment date and December 31, 2020, with 50% payable by December 31, 2021 and 50% payable by December 31, 2022.  As of January 30, 2021, the Company has deferred $9.4 million of employer social security payroll taxes, of which $4.7 million are presented in other accrued expenses and $4.7 million are presented in other liabilities on the consolidated balance sheet.  In addition, as further discussed below and in Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements, the CARES Act permits the carryback of certain current operating losses to prior years, which resulted in an incremental tax benefit of $8.2 million.

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Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with maturities of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents.  The Company had an immaterial amount of restricted cash as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020.

Receivables

Prior to the adoption of Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, (“Topic 326”) in 2020, the Company evaluated the collectability of selected accounts receivable on a case-by-case basis and recorded a reserve for incurred losses, considering such factors as ability to pay, bankruptcy, credit ratings and payment history.  As those circumstances changed, estimates of recoverability were further adjusted.  As further discussed below, the Company adopted Topic 326 on a modified retrospective basis during the first quarter of 2020, which replaced the “incurred loss” model with an “expected credit loss” model.  In accordance with Topic 326, the Company estimates and records an expected lifetime credit loss on accounts receivable by utilizing credit ratings and other customer-related information, as well as historical loss experience.  The Company recognized a provision for expected credit losses of $10.6 million in 2020, $0.8 million in 2019 and $0.5 million in 2018.  As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the financial results of many of the Company’s wholesale customers were adversely impacted due to store closures during the first half of 2020.  Many of those customers also experienced deterioration in their credit ratings, which resulted in higher expected credit losses for the Company and an increase in expense in 2020.  

Customer allowances represent reserves against the Company’s wholesale customers’ accounts receivable for margin assistance, product returns, customer deductions and co-op advertising allowances.  The Company estimates the reserves needed for margin assistance by reviewing inventory levels on the retail floors, sell-through rates, historical dilution, current gross margin levels and other performance indicators of our major retail customers.  Product returns and customer deductions are estimated using historical experience and anticipated future trends.  Co-op advertising allowances are estimated based on customer agreements.  The Company recognized a provision for customer allowances of $20.4 million in 2020, $62.7 million in 2019 and $54.2 million in 2018.

Customer discounts represent reserves against the Company’s accounts receivable for discounts that wholesale customers may take based on meeting certain order, payment or return guidelines.  The Company estimates the reserves needed for customer discounts based upon customer net sales and respective agreement terms.  The Company recognized a provision for customer discounts of $11.7 million in 2020, $12.0 million in 2019 and $5.5 million in 2018.

Inventories

All inventories are valued at the lower of cost and net realizable value with approximately 88% of consolidated inventories using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method.  An actual valuation of inventory under the LIFO method can be made only at the end of each year based on the inventory levels and costs at that time.  Accordingly, interim LIFO calculations are based on management’s estimates of expected year-end inventory levels and costs and are subject to the final year-end LIFO inventory valuation.  If the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method had been used, consolidated inventories would have been $0.8 million and $3.8 million higher at January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, respectively.  In the fourth quarter of 2020, a reduction in inventory quantities associated with the ongoing exit of the Naturalizer retail business resulted in a liquidation of LIFO layers and reduction of the LIFO reserve of $2.9 million, with a corresponding reduction of cost of goods sold.  Refer to Note 9 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information related to inventories.

The costs of inventory, inbound freight and duties, markdowns, shrinkage and royalty expense are classified in cost of goods sold.  Costs of warehousing and distribution are classified in selling and administrative expenses and are expensed as incurred.  Such warehousing and distribution costs totaled $84.0 million, $106.0 million and $106.9 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.  Costs of overseas sourcing offices and other inventory procurement costs are reflected in selling and administrative expenses and are expensed as incurred.  Such sourcing and procurement costs totaled $18.6 million, $23.1 million and $22.1 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

The Company applies judgment in valuing inventories by assessing the net realizable value of inventories based on current selling prices.  At the Famous Footwear segment and certain Brand Portfolio operations, markdowns are recognized when it becomes evident that inventory items will be sold at retail prices less than cost, plus the cost to sell the product.  This policy causes the gross profit rates at Famous Footwear and, to a lesser extent, Brand Portfolio to be lower than the initial markup during periods when permanent price reductions are taken to clear product.  For the majority of the Brand Portfolio operations, markdown reserves reduce the carrying values of inventories to a level where, upon sale of the product, the Company will realize its normal gross profit rate.  The Company believes these policies reflect the difference in operating models between the Famous Footwear and Brand Portfolio segments.  Famous Footwear periodically runs promotional events to drive sales to clear seasonal inventories.  The Brand Portfolio segment relies on permanent price reductions to clear slower-moving inventory.

Markdowns are recorded to reflect expected adjustments to sales prices.  In determining markdowns, management considers current and recently recorded sales prices, the length of time the product is held in inventory and quantities of various product styles contained in inventory, among other factors.  The ultimate amount realized from the sale of certain products could differ from management estimates.  The Company performs physical inventory counts or cycle counts on all merchandise inventory on hand throughout the year and adjusts the recorded balance to reflect the results.  The Company records estimated shrinkage between physical inventory counts based on historical results.

Computer Software Costs

The Company capitalizes certain costs in other assets, including internal payroll costs incurred in connection with the development or acquisition of software for internal use. Other assets on the consolidated balance sheets include $15.5 million and $16.2 million of computer software costs as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, respectively, which are net of accumulated amortization of $131.1 million and $126.1 million as of the end of the respective periods.  In addition, other assets on the consolidated balance sheets include $9.6 million and $8.0 million of implementation costs for software as a service as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, respectively, which are net of accumulated amortization of $0.6 million and $0.3 million as of the end of the respective periods.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost.  Depreciation of property and equipment is provided over the estimated useful lives of the assets or the remaining lease terms, where applicable, using the straight-line method.

Interest Expense

Capitalized Interest

Interest costs for major asset additions are capitalized during the construction or development period and amortized over the lives of the related assets.  There was no interest capitalized in 2020.  The Company capitalized interest of $0.6 million and $0.2 million in 2019 and 2018, respectively, related to the new company-operated Brand Portfolio warehouse facilities in California.

Interest Expense

Interest expense includes interest for borrowings under both the Company’s short-term and long-term debt, net of amounts capitalized, as well as accretion and fair value adjustments on the mandatory purchase obligation from the acquisition of Blowfish Malibu, as further described in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements.  Interest expense also includes fees paid under the short-term revolving credit agreement for the unused portion of its line of credit, and the amortization of deferred debt issuance costs and debt discount.

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and intangible assets deemed to have indefinite lives are not amortized but are subject to annual impairment tests.  In accordance with Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”), Intangibles-Goodwill and Other (ASC Topic 350), the Company is permitted, but not required, to qualitatively assess indicators of a reporting unit’s fair value when it is unlikely that a reporting unit is impaired.  If a quantitative test is deemed necessary, a discounted cash flow analysis is prepared to estimate fair value.  A fair value-based test is applied at the reporting unit level, which is generally at or one level below the operating segment level.  The test compares the fair value of the Company’s reporting units to the carrying value of those reporting units.  This test requires significant assumptions, estimates and judgments by management, and is subject to inherent uncertainties and subjectivity.  The fair value of the reporting unit is determined using both a market approach and discounted cash flow analysis.  The market approach method includes the use of multiples of comparable publicly-traded companies.  The discounted cash flow approach estimates the fair value of the reporting unit using projected cash flows of the reporting unit and a risk-adjusted discount rate to compute a net present value of future cash flows.  Projected net sales, gross profit, selling and administrative expense, capital expenditures and working capital requirements are based on the Company’s internal projections.  Discount rates reflect market-based estimates of the risks associated with the projected cash flows of the reporting units directly resulting from the use of its assets in its operations.  Assumptions that market participants may use are also considered.  The estimate of the fair values of the Company’s reporting units is based on the best information available to the Company’s management as of the date of the assessment.  The Company has adopted ASU 2017-04, Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment, which eliminates the requirement to calculate the implied fair value of goodwill.  Goodwill impairment is recorded if the fair value of the tangible and intangible assets exceeds the fair value of the reporting unit, not to exceed the carrying value of goodwill.

The Company performs its goodwill impairment assessment as of the first day of the fourth quarter of each fiscal year unless events indicate an interim test is required.  During the first quarter of 2020, as a result of the significant decline in the Company’s share price and market capitalization, and the impact of COVID-19 on business operations, the Company determined that an interim assessment of goodwill was required and performed the quantitative assessment for all reporting units.   The interim assessment indicated that the carrying value of the goodwill associated with the Brand Portfolio and Vionic reporting units exceeded the carrying value, resulting in non-cash goodwill impairment charges totaling $240.3 million in the first quarter of 2020.   In addition to the interim assessment, an impairment review of the goodwill associated with the Blowfish Malibu reporting unit was performed as of the first day of the fourth fiscal quarter, which indicated no impairment.  In 2019, the Company elected to perform the quantitative assessment for all reporting units and determined that the fair values of the reporting units exceeded the carrying values, resulting in no impairment. During 2018, the Company recorded a non-cash impairment charge of $38.0 million for the impairment of goodwill of the Allen Edmonds reporting unit.  Refer to Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of goodwill and intangible assets.

The Company performs impairment tests on its indefinite-lived intangible assets as of the first day of the fourth quarter of each fiscal year unless events indicate an interim test is required.  Definite-lived intangible assets, other than goodwill, are amortized over their useful lives and are reviewed for impairment if and when impairment indicators are present.  During the first quarter of 2020, as a result of the triggering event from the economic impacts of COVID-19, an interim assessment of the Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets was performed as of May 2, 2020.  The impairment review resulted in

total impairment charges of $22.4 million in the first quarter of 2020, including $12.2 million associated with the indefinite-lived Allen Edmonds trade name and $10.2 million of impairment associated with the indefinite-lived Via Spiga trade name.  The carrying value of the Via Spiga trade name of $0.5 million is being amortized over approximately two years.  In addition to the interim assessment, the Company evaluated the indefinite-lived intangible assets and the definite-lived Allen Edmonds customer relationship intangible asset as of the first day of the fourth fiscal quarter.  These impairment reviews resulted in additional impairment totaling $23.8 million, consisting of $19.8 million associated with the Allen Edmonds tradename and $4.0 million associated with the Allen Edmonds customer relationships intangible asset. The indefinite-lived intangible asset impairment reviews performed as of the first day of the Company’s fourth fiscal quarter in 2019 and 2018 resulted in no impairment charges in 2019 and a non-cash impairment charge of $60.0 million in 2018 for the impairment the Allen Edmonds indefinite-lived trade name.  Refer to Note 11 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion.

Self-Insurance Reserves

The Company is self-insured and/or retains high deductibles for a significant portion of its workers’ compensation, health, disability, cyber risk, general liability, automobile and property programs, among others.  Liabilities associated with the risks that are retained by the Company are estimated by considering historical claims experience, trends of the Company and the industry and other actuarial assumptions.  The estimated accruals for these liabilities could be affected if development of costs on claims differ from these assumptions and historical trends.  Based on available information as of January 30, 2021, the Company believes it has provided adequate reserves for its self-insurance exposure.  As of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, self-insurance reserves were $10.4 million and $10.0 million, respectively.

Revenue Recognition

Retail sales, recognized at the point of sale, are recorded net of returns and exclude sales tax.   Wholesale sales are recorded, net of returns, allowances and discounts, when obligations under the terms of a contract with the consumer are satisfied. This generally occurs at the time of transfer of control of merchandise.  The Company considers several control indicators in its assessment of the timing of the transfer of control, including significant risks and rewards of ownership, physical possession and the Company’s right to receive payment.  Revenue is measured as the amount of consideration the Company expects to receive in exchange for transferring merchandise.  Reserves for projected merchandise returns, discounts and allowances are determined based on historical experience and current expectations.  Revenue is recognized on license fees related to Company-owned brand names, where the Company is the licensor, when the related sales of the licensee are made.  The Company applies the guidance using the portfolio approach in ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers, because this methodology would not differ materially from applying the guidance to the individual contracts within the portfolio.  The Company excludes sales and similar taxes collected from customers from the measurement of the transaction price for its retail sales.

Gift Cards

The Company sells gift cards to its customers in its retail stores, through its e-commerce sites and at other retailers. The Company’s gift cards do not have expiration dates or inactivity fees.  The Company recognizes revenue from gift cards when (i) the gift card is redeemed by the consumer or (ii) the likelihood of the gift card being redeemed by the consumer is remote (“gift card breakage”) and the Company determines that it does not have a legal obligation to remit the value of unredeemed gift cards to the relevant jurisdictions.  The gift card breakage rate is determined based upon historical redemption patterns.  Gift card breakage is recognized during the 24-month period following the sale of the gift card, according to the Company’s historical redemption pattern.  Gift card breakage income is included in net sales in the consolidated statements of earnings (loss) and the liability established upon the sale of a gift card is included in other accrued expenses within the consolidated balance sheets.  The Company recognized gift card breakage of $0.7 million, $1.1 million and $0.9 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Loyalty Program

The Company maintains a loyalty program at Famous Footwear, through which consumers earn points toward savings certificates for qualifying purchases.  Upon reaching specified point values, consumers are issued a savings certificate that may be redeemed for purchases at Famous Footwear.  Savings certificates earned must be redeemed within stated expiration dates.  In addition to the savings certificates, the Company also offers exclusive member discounts.  The value of points and rewards earned by Famous Footwear’s loyalty program members are recorded as a reduction of net sales and a liability is established within other accrued expenses at the time the points are earned based on historical conversion and

redemption rates.  Approximately 79% of net sales in the Famous Footwear segment were made to its loyalty program members in 2020, compared to 78% in 2019.  As of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, the Company had a loyalty program liability of $14.0 million and $16.4 million, respectively, which is included in other accrued expenses on the consolidated balance sheets.

Store Impairment Charges

The Company regularly analyzes the results of all of its stores and assesses the viability of underperforming stores to determine whether events or circumstances exist that indicate the stores should be closed or whether the carrying amount of their long-lived assets may not be recoverable.  After allowing for an appropriate start-up period, unusual nonrecurring events or favorable trends, property and equipment at stores and, beginning in 2019, the lease right-of-use asset, indicated as impaired are written down to fair value as calculated using a discounted cash flow method.  The Company recorded asset impairment charges, primarily related to underperforming retail stores, of $56.3 million in 2020, $5.9 million in 2019 and $3.7 million in 2018.  Impairment charges in 2019 were higher as a result of the adoption of ASC 842, Leases, in the first quarter of 2019, as further discussed in Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements.  In addition, the Company’s impairment charges were impacted in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Advertising and Marketing Expense

Advertising and marketing costs are expensed as incurred, except for the costs of direct response advertising that relate primarily to the production and distribution of the Company’s catalogs and coupon mailers.  Direct response advertising costs are capitalized and amortized over the expected future revenue stream, which is generally one to three months from the date the materials are mailed.  External production costs of advertising are expensed when the advertising first appears in the media or in the store.

In addition, the Company participates in co-op advertising programs with certain of its wholesale customers.  For those co-op advertising programs where the Company has validated the fair value of the advertising received, co-op advertising costs are reflected as advertising expense within selling and administrative expenses.  Otherwise, co-op advertising costs are reflected as a reduction of net sales.

Total advertising and marketing expense was $77.9 million, $100.9 million and $84.8 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.  These costs were offset by co-op advertising allowances recovered by the Company’s retail business of $3.4 million, $7.8 million and $7.6 million in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.  Total co-op advertising costs reflected as a reduction of net sales were $7.2 million in 2020, $13.3 million in 2019 and $9.4 million in 2018.  Total advertising costs attributable to future periods that are deferred and recognized as a component of prepaid expenses and other current assets were $4.6 million and $2.8 million at January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, respectively.

Income Taxes

The Company recognizes deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of temporary differences between the consolidated financial statement carrying amounts and the tax bases of its assets and liabilities. The Company establishes valuation allowances if it believes that it is more-likely-than-not that some or all of its deferred tax assets will not be realized.  The Company does not recognize a tax benefit unless it concludes that it is more-likely-than-not that the benefit will be sustained on audit by the taxing authority based solely on the technical merits of the associated tax position.  If the recognition threshold is met, the Company recognizes a tax benefit measured at the largest amount of the tax benefit that, in its judgment, is greater than 50% likely to be realized.  The Company records interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax positions within the income tax benefit (provision) on the consolidated statements of earnings (loss).  As further discussed in Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements, the CARES Act was signed into law in March 2020.  The CARES Act modified certain provisions of the Internal Revenue Code, including the five-year carryback period for net operating losses incurred in 2018, 2019 and 2020 tax years, which permits the Company to carry back net operating losses from years with a statutory 21% federal tax rate to years when the rate was 35%.  During 2020, the Company recorded a net income tax benefit of $8.2 million related to the carryback of the 2020 net operating loss.

Operating Leases

The Company leases all of its retail locations, a manufacturing facility and certain office locations, distribution centers and equipment under operating leases. Approximately 40% of the leases entered into by the Company include options that

allow the Company to extend the lease term beyond the initial commitment period, subject to terms agreed to at lease inception. Some leases also include early termination options that can be exercised under specific conditions. As further discussed in Note 13 to the consolidated financial statements, during the first quarter of 2019, the Company adopted ASC 842 using the modified retrospective transition method. In accordance with ASC 842, lease right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are recognized based on the present value of the future minimum lease payments over the lease term. The majority of the Company’s leases do not provide an implicit rate and therefore, the Company uses an incremental borrowing rate based on the information available at the commencement date, including implied traded debt yield and seniority adjustments, to determine the present value of future payments. Lease expense for the minimum lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Variable lease payments are expensed as incurred.  As further discussed below, the Company has elected to account for COVID-19-related lease concessions as though the enforceable rights and obligations existed in the original lease and accordingly, has treated these lease concessions as variable rent.  

Contingent Rentals

Many of the leases covering retail stores require contingent rental payments in addition to the minimum monthly rental charge based on retail sales volume. Subsequent to the adoption of ASC 842 in the first quarter of 2019, the Company excludes from lease payments any variable payments that are not based on an index or market. If payment for a lease is fully contingent on sales, such as a percentage of sales gross rent lease, none of the lease payments are included in the lease right-of-use asset or the lease liability. In accordance with ASC 840, the Company recorded expense for contingent rentals during the period in which the retail sales volume exceeded the respective targets.

Construction Allowances Received From Landlords

At the time its retail facilities are initially leased, the Company often receives consideration from landlords to be applied against the cost of leasehold improvements necessary to open the store. The Company treats these construction allowances as a lease incentive. In accordance with ASC 842, the allowances are recorded within the lease right-of-use asset and amortized to income over the lease term as a reduction of rent expense.

Straight-Line Rents and Rent Holidays

The Company records rent expense on a straight-line basis over the lease term for all of its leased facilities. For leases that have predetermined fixed escalations of the minimum rentals, the Company recognizes the related rental expense on a straight-line basis and records the difference between the recognized rental expense and amounts payable under the lease as the lease right-of-use asset, or under the guidance in ASC 840, as deferred rent. At the time its retail facilities are leased, the Company is frequently not charged rent for a specified period of time, typically 30 to 60 days, while the store is being prepared for opening. This rent-free period is referred to as a rent holiday. The Company recognizes rent expense over the lease term, including any rent holiday, within selling and administrative expenses on the consolidated statements of earnings (loss).

Pre-opening Costs

Pre-opening costs associated with opening retail stores, including payroll, supplies and facility costs, are expensed as incurred.

(Loss) Earnings Per Common Share Attributable to Caleres, Inc. Shareholders

The Company uses the two-class method to calculate basic and diluted (loss) earnings per common share attributable to Caleres, Inc. shareholders. Unvested restricted stock awards are considered participating units because they entitle holders to non-forfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents during the vesting term. Under the two-class method, basic (loss) earnings per common share attributable to Caleres, Inc. shareholders is computed by dividing the net (loss) earnings attributable to Caleres, Inc. after allocation of earnings to participating securities by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding during the year.  Diluted (loss) earnings per common share attributable to Caleres, Inc. shareholders is computed by dividing the net (loss) earnings attributable to Caleres, Inc. after allocation of earnings to participating securities by the weighted-average number of common shares and potential dilutive securities outstanding during the year.  Potential dilutive securities consist of outstanding stock options and contingently issuable shares for the Company’s performance share awards. Refer to Note 4 to the consolidated financial statements for additional information related to the calculation of (loss) earnings per common share attributable to Caleres, Inc. shareholders.

Comprehensive (Loss) Income

Comprehensive (loss) income includes the effect of foreign currency translation adjustments, pension and other postretirement benefits adjustments and unrealized gains or losses from derivatives used for hedging activities.

Foreign Currency Translation Adjustment

For certain of the Company’s international subsidiaries, the local currency is the functional currency. Assets and liabilities of these subsidiaries are translated into United States dollars at the period-end exchange rate or historical rates as appropriate. Consolidated statements of earnings (loss) amounts are translated at average exchange rates for the period. The cumulative translation adjustments resulting from changes in exchange rates are included in the consolidated balance sheets as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in total Caleres, Inc. shareholders’ equity. Transaction gains and losses are included in the consolidated statements of earnings (loss).

Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Adjustments

The Company determines the expense and obligations for retirement and other benefit plans using assumptions related to discount rates, expected long-term rates of return on invested plan assets, expected salary increases and certain employee-related factors. The Company determines the fair value of plan assets and benefit obligations as of the January 31 measurement date. The unrecognized portion of the gain or loss on plan assets is included in the consolidated balance sheets as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss in total Caleres, Inc. shareholders’ equity and is recognized into the plans’ expense over time. Refer to additional information related to pension and other postretirement benefits in Note 6 and Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements.

Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company recognizes all derivative financial instruments as either assets or liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets and measures those instruments at fair value. The Company evaluates its exposure to volatility in foreign currency rates and may enter into derivative transactions. These derivative financial instruments are viewed as risk management tools and are not used for trading or speculative purposes. Refer to additional information related to derivative financial instruments in Note 14, Note 15 and Note 16 to the consolidated financial statements.

Litigation Contingencies

The Company is the defendant in several claims and lawsuits arising in the ordinary course of business. The Company believes the outcome of such proceedings and litigation currently pending will not have a material adverse effect on the consolidated financial position or results of operations. The Company accrues its best estimate of the cost of resolution of these claims. Legal defense costs of such claims are recognized in the period in which the costs are incurred. Refer to Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion of commitments and contingencies.

Environmental Matters

The Company is involved in environmental remediation and ongoing compliance activities at several sites. The Company is remediating, under the oversight of Colorado authorities, the groundwater and indoor air at its owned facility and residential neighborhoods adjacent to and near the property, which have been affected by solvents previously used at the facility. In addition, various federal and state authorities have identified the Company as a potentially responsible party for remediation at certain other sites. The Company’s prior operations included numerous manufacturing and other facilities for which the Company may have responsibility under various environmental laws to address conditions that may be identified in the future. Refer to Note 18 to the consolidated financial statements for a further description of specific properties.

Environmental expenditures relating to an existing condition caused by past operations and that do not contribute to current or future revenue generation are expensed.  Based upon independent environmental assessments, liabilities are recorded when remedial action is considered probable and the costs can be reasonably estimated and are evaluated independently of any future claims recovery. Generally, the timing of these accruals coincides with completion of a feasibility study or our commitment to a formal plan of action, and our estimates of cost are subject to change as new information becomes available. Costs of future expenditures for environmental remediation obligations are discounted to their present value in those situations requiring only continuing maintenance and monitoring based upon a schedule of fixed payments.

Share-Based Compensation

The Company has share-based incentive compensation plans under which certain officers, employees and members of the Board of Directors are participants and may be granted restricted stock, stock performance awards and stock options. Additionally, share-based grants may be made to non-employee members of the Board of Directors in the form of restricted stock units (“RSUs”) payable in cash or the Company’s common stock. The Company accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with the fair value recognition provisions of ASC 718, Compensation – Stock Compensation, and ASC 505, Equity, which require all share-based payments to employees and members of the Board of Directors, including grants of employee stock options, to be recognized as expense in the consolidated financial statements based on their fair values. The fair value of stock options is estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing formula that requires assumptions for expected volatility, expected dividends, the risk-free interest rate and the expected term of the option. Stock options generally vest over four years, with 25% vesting annually and expense is recognized on a straight-line basis separately for each vesting portion of the stock option award. Expense for restricted stock is based on the fair value of the restricted stock on the date of grant. Expense for graded-vesting grants is recognized ratably over the respective vesting periods and expense for cliff-vesting grants is recognized on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, which is generally four years. Expense for stock performance awards is recognized based upon the fair value of the awards on the date of grant and the anticipated number of shares or units to be awarded on a straight-line basis over the respective term of the award, or individual vesting portion of an award. Expense for the initial grant of RSUs is recognized ratably over the one-year vesting period based upon the fair value of the RSUs, and for cash-equivalent RSUs, is remeasured at the end of each period. The Company accounts for forfeitures of share-based grants as they occur. If any of the assumptions used in the Black-Scholes model or the anticipated number of shares to be awarded change significantly, share-based compensation expense may differ materially in the future from that recorded in the current period. Refer to additional information related to share-based compensation in Note 17 to the consolidated financial statements.

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Supplemental Disclosures

The Company had refunds for federal, state and international taxes, net of payments, of $0.6 million in 2020 and made payments, net of refunds, of $10.2 million, and $21.3 million in 2019 and 2018, respectively.  Refer to Note 7 to the consolidated financial statements for further information regarding income taxes.

Cash payments of interest for the Company’s borrowings under the revolving credit agreement and long-term debt during 2020, 2019 and 2018 were $23.6 million, $26.8 million and $17.4 million, respectively. Refer to Note 12 to the consolidated financial statements for further discussion regarding the Company’s financing arrangements.

Impact of Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements

In June 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326), which significantly changes how entities measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income.  The ASU replaces the "incurred loss" model with an "expected credit loss" model that requires entities to estimate an expected lifetime credit loss on financial assets, including trade accounts receivable.  The Company adopted the ASU in the first quarter of 2020 on a modified retrospective basis.  Upon adoption, the Company recorded a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings of $2.1 million, net of $0.4 million in deferred taxes.  The Company recorded a provision for expected credit losses of $10.6 million during 2020, primarily as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and deteriorating financial conditions at many of the Company’s wholesale customers.

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The following table summarizes the activity in the Company’s allowance for expected credit losses for the year ended January 30, 2021:

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In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820): Disclosure Framework — Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Fair Value Measurement.  ASU 2018-13 modifies disclosure requirements on fair value measurements, removing and modifying certain disclosures, while adding other disclosures.  The Company adopted the ASU during the first quarter of 2020, which did not have a material impact on the Company’s financial statement disclosures. Refer to Note 15 to the consolidated financial statements for detail regarding the Company’s fair value measurements.

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In March 2020, the SEC issued SEC Release No. 33-10762, Financial Disclosures about Guarantors and Issuers of Guaranteed Securities and Affiliates Whose Securities Collateralize a Registrant’s Securities, which is effective for filings on or after January 4, 2021, with early application permitted. The final rule amends the disclosure requirements in SEC Regulation S-X, Rule 3-10, which required entities to separately present financial statements for subsidiary issuers and guarantors of registered debt securities unless certain exceptions are met.  The rule permits entities to provide summarized financial information of the parent company and its issuers and guarantors on a combined basis in either a note to the financial statements or in management’s discussion and analysis.  The Company adopted the rule during the second quarter of 2020 and elected to provide the summarized financial information in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.  In October 2020, the FASB issued ASU 2020-09, Debt (Topic 470): Amendments to SEC Paragraphs Pursuant to SEC Release No. 33-10762, to reflect the new disclosure requirements in the FASB Accounting Standards Codification.

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In April 2020, the FASB issued interpretive guidance indicating that entities may elect not to evaluate whether a concession provided by lessors is a lease modification. Under existing lease guidance, an entity would be required to determine if a lease concession was the result of a new arrangement reached with the landlord, which would be accounted for under the lease modification framework, or if the concession was under the enforceable rights and obligations that existed in the original lease, it would be accounted for outside the lease modification framework.  The FASB guidance provides entities with the option to elect to account for COVID-19-related lease concessions as though the enforceable rights and obligations existed in the original lease. The Company has elected to treat these lease concessions as variable rent.  Accordingly, COVID-19-related lease concessions totaling $5.4 million for the year ended January 30, 2021 were recorded as a reduction of rent expense within selling and administrative expenses in the consolidated statements of earnings (loss). Refer to Note 13 to the condensed consolidated financial statements for further discussion regarding the Company’s leases.

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In November 2020, the SEC issued SEC Release No. 33-10890, Management’s Discussion and Analysis, Selected Financial Data and Supplementary Financial Information.  The rule amends existing requirements in Regulation S-K for disclosures related to management’s discussion and analysis and certain financial disclosure requirements.  The rule is effective for filings after August 9, 2021, with early adoption permitted on an item-by-item basis.  The Company has adopted the amendments associated with Items 301 and 302 of the rule and accordingly, has eliminated the selected financial data in Item 6 as well as the supplementary financial information that was previously included in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.

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Impact of Prospective Accounting Pronouncements

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-14, Compensation — Retirement Benefits — Defined Benefit Plans — General (Subtopic 715-20), Disclosure Framework — Changes to the Disclosure Requirements for Defined Benefit Plans. The guidance changes the disclosure requirements for employers that sponsor defined benefit pension or other postretirement benefit plans, eliminating the requirements for certain disclosures that are no longer considered cost beneficial and requiring new disclosures that the FASB considers pertinent. The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted.  The adoption of ASU 2018-14 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statement disclosures.

In December 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-12, Simplifying the Accounting for Income Taxes. ASU 2019-12 eliminates certain exceptions related to intraperiod tax allocation, simplifies certain elements of accounting for basis differences and deferred tax liabilities during a business combination, and standardizes the classification of franchise taxes.  The ASU is effective for fiscal years, and interim periods within those fiscal years, beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted.  The adoption of ASU 2019-12 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s financial statements.