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Commitments and Contingencies
 12 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Commitments and Contingencies

15.              COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

The Company leases its retail facilities and certain equipment under various non-cancelable operating leases. Certain of these leases have renewal options. Total rent expense (including related occupancy costs, such as insurance, maintenance and taxes, paid to landlords) under operating leases amounted to $61,253,000, $65,412,000 and $67,496,000 in fiscal 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Such amounts include contingent rentals based upon a percentage of sales totaling $1,574,000, $1,428,000 and $1,563,000 in fiscal 2013, 2012 and 2011, respectively.

In September 2013 the Company announced its plans to relocate its corporate headquarters and distribution operations from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to southern New Jersey. The lease for the new corporate headquarters building was signed September 19, 2013 and is expected to commence in Fall 2014, and the lease for a new build-to-suit distribution center building was signed December 3, 2013 and is expected to commence in early to mid 2015. Future minimum payments for the two leases are included in the table below.

Store, office and distribution facility leases generally provide for payment of direct operating costs in addition to rent.

15.              COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Continued)

Future annual minimum operating lease payments, excluding such direct operating costs, as well as leases for equipment rental as of September 30, 2013 are as follows (in thousands):

 

Fiscal Year

 

 

 

 

 

 

2014             

$

  42,200

  

2015             

 

  33,704

  

2016             

 

  28,360

  

2017             

 

  23,447

  

2018             

 

  18,973

  

2019 and thereafter             

 

  72,732

  

 

$

  219,416

  

From time to time, the Company is named as a defendant in legal actions arising from normal business activities. Litigation is inherently unpredictable and although the amount of any liability that could arise with respect to currently pending actions cannot be accurately predicted, the Company does not believe that the resolution of any pending action will have a material adverse effect on its financial position, results of operations or liquidity.