The Company finances a portion of its store development program through sale-leaseback transactions. The properties are generally sold at net book value, which approximates fair value, and the resulting leases generally qualify and are accounted for as operating leases. The Company does not have any retained or contingent interests in the stores and does not provide any guarantees, other than a guarantee of lease payments, in connection with the sale-leaseback transactions.
Between 1995 and 1997, the Company sold or spun off a number of subsidiaries, including Bob’s Stores and Linens ‘n Things, each of which subsequently filed for bankruptcy, and Marshalls. In many cases, when a former subsidiary leased a store, the Company provided a guarantee of the former subsidiary’s lease obligations for the initial lease term and any extension thereof pursuant to a renewal option provided for in the lease prior to the time of the disposition. When the subsidiaries were disposed of and accounted for as discontinued operations, the Company’s guarantees remained in place, although each initial purchaser agreed to indemnify the Company for any lease obligations the Company was required to satisfy. If any of the purchasers or any of the former subsidiaries fail to make the required payments under a store lease, the Company could be required to satisfy those obligations, and any significant adverse impact of COVID-19 on such purchasers and/or former subsidiaries increases the risk that the Company will be required to satisfy those obligations.
As of March 31, 2021, the Company guaranteed 74 such store leases (excluding the lease guarantees related to Linens ‘n Things, which have been recorded as a liability on the unaudited condensed consolidated balance sheets), with the maximum remaining lease term extending through 2030.