Commitments and Contingencies |
12 Months Ended |
|---|---|
Feb. 03, 2024 | |
| Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract] | |
| Commitments and Contingencies | Commitments and Contingencies Purchase Obligations
At February 3, 2024, we have commitments totaling $190.9 million through fiscal 2025 related to ocean shipping contracts and commitments of $364.2 million through fiscal 2034 related to agreements for software licenses and support, telecommunication services and store technology assets and maintenance for our stores.
Letters of Credit
We have $425.0 million in trade letters of credit with various financial institutions, under which $133.2 million was committed to these letters of credit issued for routine purchases of imported merchandise at February 3, 2024.
Surety Bonds
We have issued various surety bonds that primarily serve as collateral for utility payments at our stores and self-insured insurance programs. These bonds total $159.1 million and are committed through various dates through fiscal 2029.
Contingencies
We are defendants in ordinary, routine litigation or proceedings incidental to our business, including employment-related matters; infringement of intellectual property rights; personal injury/wrongful death claims; real estate matters; environmental and safety issues; and product safety matters. Legal proceedings may also include class, collective, representative and large cases and arbitrations, including those described below. We will vigorously defend ourselves in these matters. We do not believe that any of these matters will, individually or in the aggregate, have a material effect on our business, financial condition, or liquidity. We cannot give assurance, however, that one or more of these matters will not have a material effect on our results of operations for the quarter or year in which they are reserved or resolved.
We assess our legal proceedings monthly and reserves are established if a loss is probable and the amount of such loss can be reasonably estimated. Many, if not substantially all, of our legal proceedings are subject to significant uncertainties and, therefore, determining the likelihood of a loss and the measurement of any loss can be complex and subject to judgment. With respect to the matters noted below where we have determined that a loss is reasonably possible but not probable, we are unable to reasonably estimate the amount or range of the possible loss at this time due to the inherent difficulty of predicting the outcome of and uncertainties regarding legal proceedings. Our assessments are based on estimates and assumptions that have been deemed reasonable by management, but that may prove to be incomplete or inaccurate, and unanticipated events and circumstances may occur that might cause us to change those estimates and assumptions. Management’s assessment of legal proceedings could change because of future determinations or the discovery of facts which are not presently known. Accordingly, the ultimate costs of resolving these proceedings may be substantially higher or lower than currently estimated.
Active Matters
DC 202-related Matters
On February 11, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) issued Form 483 observations primarily regarding rodent infestation at Family Dollar’s West Memphis, Arkansas distribution center (“DC 202”) and the related distribution of adulterated product, as well as other processes and procedures that required remediation. In connection therewith, we initiated a retail-level product recall of FDA and U.S. Department of Agriculture-regulated products stored and shipped from DC 202 from January 1, 2021 through February 18, 2022 (the “Recall”), temporarily closed DC 202 for extensive cleaning, temporarily closed the affected stores to permit the removal and destruction of inventory subject to the Recall, ceased sales of relevant inventory subject to the Recall, ceased the direct shipment of FDA-regulated products from DC 202, and initiated corrective actions. In June 2022, we stopped shipping to stores from DC 202 and have since disposed of all of the subject inventory that was in the facility.
Beginning in February 2022, 14 putative class actions were filed against us primarily related to issues associated with DC 202 described above. The lawsuits are proceeding in federal court in Tennessee using the federal court’s multi-district litigation process, sought class action status, and allege violations of the Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, Tennessee, Alabama and Missouri consumer protection laws, breach of warranty, negligence, misrepresentation, deception and unjust enrichment related to the sale of products that were alleged to be contaminated by virtue of rodent infestation and other unsanitary conditions at DC 202. Plaintiffs sought damages, attorney fees and costs, punitive damages and replacement or refund of money paid to purchase the relevant products, and any other legal relief available for their claims (in each case in unspecified amounts), including equitable and injunctive relief. As a result of a mediation held in April 2023, the parties reached a claims made settlement whereby one class member per household may receive a $25 Family Dollar gift certificate. On October 27, 2023, the court granted preliminary approval of the settlement. Notice of the settlement and how to submit a claim was given beginning November 10, 2023. The period for filing a claim, opting out of the settlement or filing an objection to the settlement ended on January 9, 2024. A hearing on final approval of the settlement is scheduled for April 5, 2024.
On March 1, 2022, a federal grand jury subpoena was issued to us by the Eastern District of Arkansas requesting the production of information, documents and records pertaining to pests, sanitation and compliance with law regarding certain of our procedures and products. In connection with this matter, we investigated the condition of FDA-regulated product shipped from DC 202 and related matters and cooperated fully with the U.S. Department of Justice (“DOJ”) investigation, including producing documents and providing additional information. As previously reported by the company on its Current Report on Form 8-K filed February 26, 2024, Family Dollar Stores, LLC (“Family Dollar”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company, has entered into a Plea Agreement (the “Plea Agreement”) in connection with the DOJ investigation. Subject to the terms and conditions of the Plea Agreement, Family Dollar pled guilty to a one count misdemeanor violation of the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act for causing FDA-regulated products to become adulterated while such articles were held in DC 202. Under the Plea Agreement, Family Dollar agreed to pay $200,000 in fines and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $41,475,000, which relates to the value of the adulterated FDA-regulated products that were held in DC 202.
The Plea Agreement was approved by the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas at a hearing on February 26, 2024, and resolves the federal criminal investigation of Family Dollar. Subject to Family Dollar’s compliance with the terms and conditions of the Plea Agreement, the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas and the DOJ have agreed not to bring further criminal charges against Family Dollar for any acts or conduct arising out of the events covered by the Plea Agreement. No criminal charges were brought against Dollar Tree in connection with this matter. As part of the Plea Agreement, Dollar Tree and Family Dollar agreed to adopt a new or to modify their existing compliance program as it relates to the warehousing and distribution to stores of food, drugs, devices and cosmetics. In addition, the company has agreed to make certain reports to the DOJ in connection with its compliance program during the three-year term.
On April 28, 2022, the Attorney General for the State of Arkansas filed a complaint in state court alleging violations of the Arkansas Deceptive Trade Practices Act, gross negligence and negligence, strict liability in tort, unjust enrichment and civil conspiracy related to the sale of products that may have been contaminated by virtue of rodent infestation and other unsanitary conditions at DC 202. The State of Arkansas is seeking injunctive relief, restitution, disgorgement, damages, civil penalties, punitive damages and suspension or revocation of our authorization to do business in Arkansas. We filed a motion to dismiss the State's claims, and it is too early to determine a likely outcome in the matter.
As previously disclosed, we recorded a charge of $30.0 million in the first quarter of fiscal 2023 with respect to DC 202-related matters which included a proposed settlement of 14 putative consumer class actions and a potential resolution of the DOJ investigation. As a result of Family Dollar entering into the Plea Agreement, we recorded an additional charge of $26.7 million in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2023 bringing the accrual to $56.7 million. At the present time, we are unable to estimate the amount of additional incremental loss, if any, which may result when the remaining matters are finally resolved. However, we do not believe the resolution of the State of Arkansas complaint or the final settlement of private civil litigation related to DC 202 will have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or liquidity.
Talc Product Matters
Multiple personal injury lawsuits are pending in state court in Illinois, New York, Texas, and New Jersey against Dollar Tree, Family Dollar or both alleging that certain talc products that we sold caused cancer. The plaintiffs seek compensatory, punitive and exemplary damages, damages for loss of consortium, and attorneys’ fees and costs. Although we have been able to resolve previous talc lawsuits against us without material loss, given the inherent uncertainties of litigation there can be no assurances regarding the outcome of pending or future cases. Future costs to litigate these cases are not known but may be material, and it is uncertain whether our costs will be covered by insurance. In addition, although we have indemnification rights against our vendors in several of these cases, it is uncertain whether the vendors will have the financial ability to fulfill their obligations to us.
Acetaminophen Matters
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