Segment Data

9 Months Ended

Jul. 31, 2020

Segment Reporting [Abstract]

Segment Data

3 Segment Data

The company's businesses are organized, managed, and internally grouped into segments based on similarities in products and services. Segment selection is based on the manner in which management organizes segments for making operating and investment decisions and assessing performance. The company has identified eleven operating segments and has aggregated certain of those segments into two reportable segments: Professional and Residential. The aggregation of the company's segments is based on the segments having the following similarities: economic characteristics, types of products and services, types of production processes, type or class of customers, and method of distribution. The company's remaining activities are presented as "Other" due to their insignificance. These Other activities consist of the company's wholly-owned domestic distribution companies, the company's corporate activities, and the elimination of intersegment revenues and expenses.

The following tables present summarized financial information concerning the company’s reportable segments and Other activities:

(Dollars in thousands)
Three Months Ended July 31, 2020	Professional		Residential		Other		Total
Net sales	$	623,615	$	204,961	$	12,396	$	840,972
Intersegment gross sales (eliminations)	12,738		23		(12,761)		—
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	$	113,652	$	28,545	$	(31,204)	$	110,993

(Dollars in thousands)
Nine Months Ended July 31, 2020	Professional		Residential		Other		Total
Net sales	$	1,879,423	$	632,807	$	25,623	$	2,537,853
Intersegment gross sales (eliminations)	38,151		84		(38,235)		—
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	322,385		87,233		(91,115)		318,503
Total assets	$	1,967,882	$	268,562	$	577,419	$	2,813,863

(Dollars in thousands)
Three Months Ended August 2, 2019	Professional		Residential		Other		Total
Net sales	$	676,756	$	148,234	$	13,723	$	838,713
Intersegment gross sales (eliminations)	13,779		78		(13,857)		—
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	$	81,592	$	16,151	$	(26,508)	$	71,235

(Dollars in thousands)
Nine Months Ended August 2, 2019	Professional		Residential		Other		Total
Net sales	$	1,855,268	$	525,539	$	22,898	$	2,403,705
Intersegment gross sales (eliminations)	51,104		257		(51,361)		—
Earnings (loss) before income taxes	319,689		51,253		(92,507)		278,435
Total assets	$	1,784,707	$	218,528	$	306,498	$	2,309,733

The following table presents the details of operating loss before income taxes for the company's Other activities:

	Three Months Ended				Nine Months Ended
(Dollars in thousands)	July 31, 2020		August 2, 2019		July 31, 2020		August 2, 2019
Corporate expenses	$	(29,078)	$	(26,287)	$	(76,961)	$	(88,958)
Interest expense	(8,304)		(9,004)		(25,119)		(20,440)
Earnings from wholly-owned domestic distribution companies and other income, net	6,178		8,783		10,965		16,891
Total operating loss	$	(31,204)	$	(26,508)	$	(91,115)	$	(92,507)