Receivables and Revenue Recognition

3 Months Ended

Apr. 30, 2020

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

RECEIVABLES AND REVENUE RECOGNITION

Receivables. The Company's Accounts receivable, net primarily consists of amounts due from Credit Receivables (defined below), department store operators that host TIFFANY & CO. boutiques in their stores, third-party credit card issuers and wholesale customers. The Company maintains an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses associated with outstanding accounts receivable. The allowance is determined based on a combination of factors including, but not limited to, the length of time that the receivables are past due, management's knowledge of the customer, economic and market conditions and historical write-off experiences.

For the receivables associated with Tiffany & Co. credit cards ("Credit Card Receivables"), management uses various indicators to determine whether to extend credit to customers and the amount of credit. Such indicators include reviewing prior experience with the customer, including sales and collection history, and using applicants' credit reports and scores provided by credit rating agencies. Certain customers may be granted payment terms which permit purchases above a minimum amount to be paid for in equal monthly installments over a period not to exceed 12 months (together with Credit Card Receivables, "Credit Receivables"). Credit Receivables require minimum balance payments. An account is classified as overdue if a minimum balance payment has not been received within the allotted time frame (generally 30 days), after which internal collection efforts commence. In order for the account to return to current status, full payment on all past due amounts must be received by the Company. For all Credit Receivables, once all internal collection efforts have been exhausted and management has reviewed the account, the account balance is written off and may be sent for external collection or legal action. At April 30, 2020 and 2019, the carrying amount of the Credit Receivables (recorded in Accounts receivable, net) was $73.3 million and $83.7 million, respectively, of which 96% was considered current at April 30, 2020 and 97% was considered current at April 30, 2019. Finance charges earned on Credit Receivables accounts were not significant.

At April 30, 2020, accounts receivable allowances totaled $34.2 million, compared to $33.0 million at January 31, 2020 and $31.5 million at April 30, 2019.

Revenue Recognition. The following table disaggregates the Company's net sales by major source:



	Three Months Ended April 30,
(in millions)	2020		2019
Net sales:
Jewelry collections	$	296.7	$	532.3
Engagement jewelry	142.5		280.4
Designer jewelry	67.6		110.9
All other	48.7		79.5
	$	555.5	$	1,003.1

The Company's performance obligations consist primarily of transferring control of merchandise to customers. Sales are recognized upon transfer of control, which occurs when merchandise is taken in an

"over-the-counter" transaction or upon receipt by a customer in a shipped transaction, such as through the Internet and catalog channels. Sales are reported net of returns, sales tax and other similar taxes. The Company excludes from the measurement of the transaction price all taxes assessed by a governmental authority and collected by the entity from a customer.

Shipping and handling fees billed to customers are recognized in net sales when control of the underlying merchandise is transferred to the customer. The related shipping and handling charges incurred by the Company represent fulfillment activities and are included in Cost of sales.

The Company maintains a reserve for potential product returns and records (as a reduction to sales and cost of sales) its provision for estimated product returns, which is determined based on historical experience.

As a practical expedient, the Company does not adjust the promised amount of consideration for the effects of a significant financing component when management expects, at contract inception, that the period between the transfer of a product to a customer and when the customer pays for that product is one year or less.

Additionally, outside of the U.S., the Company operates certain TIFFANY & CO. stores within various department stores. Sales transacted at these store locations are recognized upon transfer of control, which occurs when merchandise is taken in an "over-the-counter" transaction. The Company and these department store operators have distinct responsibilities and risks in the operation of such TIFFANY & CO. stores. The Company (i) owns and manages the merchandise; (ii) establishes retail prices; (iii) has merchandising, marketing and display responsibilities; and (iv) in almost all locations provides retail staff and bears the risk of inventory loss. The department store operators (i) provide and maintain store facilities; (ii) in almost all locations assume retail credit and certain other risks; and (iii) act for the Company in the sale of merchandise. In return for their services and use of their facilities, the department store operators retain a portion of net retail sales made in TIFFANY & CO. stores, which is recorded as rent expense within Selling, general and administrative expenses.

Merchandise Credits and Deferred Revenue. Merchandise credits and deferred revenue primarily represent outstanding gift cards sold to customers and outstanding credits issued to customers for returned merchandise. All such outstanding items may be tendered for future merchandise purchases. A gift card liability is established when the gift card is sold. A merchandise credit liability is established when a merchandise credit is issued to a customer for a returned item and the original sale is reversed. These liabilities are relieved when revenue is recognized for transactions in which a merchandise credit or gift card is used as a form of payment.

If merchandise credits or gift cards are not redeemed over an extended period of time (for example, approximately three to five years in the U.S.), the value associated with the merchandise credits or gift cards may be subject to remittance to the applicable jurisdiction in accordance with unclaimed property laws. The Company determines the amount of breakage income to be recognized on gift cards and merchandise credits using historical experience to estimate amounts that will ultimately not be redeemed. The Company recognizes such breakage income in proportion to redemption rates of the overall population of gift cards and merchandise credits.

In the three months ended April 30, 2020, the Company recognized net sales of approximately $13.0 million related to the Merchandise credits and deferred revenue balance that existed at January 31, 2020.