4. Lease Termination and Impairment Charges

Lease termination and impairment charges consist of amounts as follows:


	Thirteen Week Period Ended				Twenty-Six Week Period Ended
	August 30, 2014		August 31, 2013		August 30, 2014		August 31, 2013
Impairment charges	$	132	$	265	$	283	$	4,866
Lease termination charges		6,979		11,125		11,676		17,496


	$	7,111	$	11,390	$	11,959	$	22,362

Impairment Charges

These amounts include the write-down of long-lived assets at locations that were assessed for impairment because of management's intention to relocate or close the location or because of changes in circumstances that indicated the carrying value of an asset may not be recoverable.

Lease Termination Charges

As part of the Company's ongoing business activities, the Company assesses stores and distribution centers for potential closure or relocation. Decisions to close or relocate stores or distribution centers in future periods would result in lease termination charges, lease exit costs and inventory liquidation charges, as well as impairment of assets at these locations. The following table reflects the closed store and distribution center charges that relate to new closures, changes in assumptions and interest accretion:


	Thirteen Week Period Ended						Twenty-Six Week Period Ended
	August 30, 2014			August 31, 2013			August 30, 2014			August 31, 2013
Balance—beginning of period	$	270,322		$	312,011		$	284,270		$	323,758
Provision for present value of noncancellable lease payments of closed stores		294			5,981			436			6,374
Changes in assumptions about future sublease income, terminations and changes in interest rates		1,844			(308	)		1,417			213
Interest accretion		4,845			5,452			9,827			10,909
Cash payments, net of sublease income		(16,175	)		(19,499	)		(34,820	)		(37,617	)


Balance—end of period	$	261,130		$	303,637		$	261,130		$	303,637