XML 51 R17.htm IDEA: XBRL DOCUMENT v2.4.0.8
Gift Cards
3 Months Ended
Aug. 02, 2014
Gift Cards

(7) Gift Cards

The Company sells gift cards, which can be used in its stores, on barnesandnoble.com and on NOOK® devices. The Company does not charge administrative or dormancy fees on gift cards and gift cards have no expiration dates. Upon the purchase of a gift card, a liability is established for its cash value. Revenue associated with gift cards is deferred until redemption of the gift card. Over time, a portion of the gift cards issued is typically not redeemed. The Company estimates the portion of the gift card liability for which the likelihood of redemption is remote based upon the Company’s historical redemption patterns. The Company records this amount in income on a straight-line basis over a 12-month period beginning in the 13th month after the month the gift card was originally sold. The Company does not believe there is a reasonable likelihood that there will be a material change in the estimates or assumptions used to recognize revenue associated with gift cards. However, additional revenue associated with the additional breakage may be required if gift card redemptions continue to run lower than historical patterns.

The Company recognized gift card breakage of $5,671 and $5,832 during the 13 weeks ended August 2, 2014 and July 27, 2013, respectively. The Company had gift card liabilities of $338,555 and $329,038 as of August 2, 2014 and July 27, 2013, respectively.