Summary by Business Segment

6 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2015

Segment Reporting, Measurement Disclosures [Abstract]

Summary by Business Segment [Text Block]

SUMMARY BY BUSINESS SEGMENT

Business segment information for the Company’s Distribution and All Other Operations business segments is presented in the following table for the three and six months ended September 30, 2015 and 2014.

	Three Months Ended									Three Months Ended
	September 30, 2015									September 30, 2014
(In thousands)	Distribution		All Other Ops.		Eliminations			Total		Distribution		All Other Ops.		Eliminations			Total
Gas and rent	$	734,852	$	171,087	$	(11,789	)	$	894,150	$	718,743	$	147,821	$	(8,049	)	$	858,515
Hardgoods	479,416		1,009		(6		)	480,419		498,267		974		(1		)	499,240
Net sales (a)	1,214,268		172,096		(11,795		)	1,374,569		1,217,010		148,795		(8,050		)	1,357,755
Cost of products sold (excluding depreciation) (a)	530,578		82,390		(11,795		)	601,173		531,867		76,717		(8,050		)	600,534
Selling, distribution and administrative expenses	459,159		56,220		—			515,379		452,467		47,908		—			500,375
Depreciation	71,925		7,326		—			79,251		66,949		6,211		—			73,160
Amortization	7,430		1,191		—			8,621		6,881		1,024		—			7,905
Total costs and expenses	1,069,092		147,127		(11,795		)	1,204,424		1,058,164		131,860		(8,050		)	1,181,974
Operating income	$	145,176	$	24,969	$	—		$	170,145	$	158,846	$	16,935	$	—		$	175,781
	Six Months Ended									Six Months Ended
	September 30, 2015									September 30, 2014
(In thousands)	Distribution		All Other Ops.		Eliminations			Total		Distribution		All Other Ops.		Eliminations			Total
Gas and rent	$	1,452,494	$	331,114	$	(19,385	)	$	1,764,223	$	1,415,308	$	283,913	$	(15,115	)	$	1,684,106
Hardgoods	957,682		2,383		(9		)	960,056		985,314		1,925		(3		)	987,236
Net sales (a)	2,410,176		333,497		(19,394		)	2,724,279		2,400,622		285,838		(15,118		)	2,671,342
Cost of products sold (excluding depreciation) (a)	1,051,818		165,915		(19,394		)	1,198,339		1,052,800		146,258		(15,118		)	1,183,940
Selling, distribution and administrative expenses	923,968		105,187		—			1,029,155		902,106		92,982		—			995,088
Depreciation	142,945		14,381		—			157,326		133,411		12,384		—			145,795
Amortization	14,592		2,144		—			16,736		13,605		2,052		—			15,657
Total costs and expenses	2,133,323		287,627		(19,394		)	2,401,556		2,101,922		253,676		(15,118		)	2,340,480
Operating income	$	276,853	$	45,870	$	—		$	322,723	$	298,700	$	32,162	$	—		$	330,862

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^(a)  Amounts in the “Eliminations” column represent the elimination of intercompany sales and associated gross profit on sales from the Company’s All Other Operations business segment to its Distribution business segment.