form10k.htm

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C.  20549
FORM 10-K

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE
SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Fiscal Year Ended January 31, 2009

Commission File No.0-25464
Dollar Tree, Inc. Logo
DOLLAR TREE, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Virginia
26-2018846
(State or other jurisdiction of
(I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)
Identification No.)

500 Volvo Parkway, Chesapeake, VA 23320
(Address of principal executive offices)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (757) 321-5000

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of Each Class
Name of Each Exchange on Which Registered
None
None

Securities Registered Pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:
Common Stock (par value $.01 per share)
(Title of Class)

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes (X)
No (  )

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act.
Yes (  )
No (X)

Indicate by check mark whether Registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the Registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes (X)
No (  )

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of Registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. (X)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company.  See definition of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer (X)
Accelerated filer (  )
Non-accelerated filer (  )
Smaller reporting company (  )

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).
Yes (  )
No (X)


The aggregate market value of Common Stock held by non-affiliates of the Registrant on August 1, 2008, was $3,221,460,151, based on a $37.10 average of the high and low sales prices for the Common Stock on such date. For purposes of this computation, all executive officers and directors have been deemed to be affiliates. Such determination should not be deemed to be an admission that such executive officers and directors are, in fact, affiliates of the Registrant.
 
On March 18, 2009, there were 90,382,086 shares of the Registrant’s Common Stock outstanding.


DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

The information regarding securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans called for in Item 5 of Part II and the information called for in Items 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14 of Part III are incorporated by reference to the definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Stockholders of the Company to be held June 18, 2009, which will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission not later than May 29, 2009.

 
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DOLLAR TREE, INC.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
 
   
Page
 
PART I
 
     
BUSINESS
6
     
RISK FACTORS
10
     
UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
12
     
PROPERTIES
13
     
LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
14
     
SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS
15
     
 
PART II
 
     
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED
 
 
STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
16
     
SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
17
     
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL
 
 
CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
19
     
QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
29
     
FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
30
     
CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON
 
 
ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE
56
     
CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
56
     
OTHER INFORMATION
57
     
 
PART III
 
     
DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS, AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
57
     
EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
57
     
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS
 
 
AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
58
     
CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS, RELATED TRANSACTIONS AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
58
     
PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTING FEES AND SERVICES
58
     
 
PART IV
 
     
EXHIBITS, FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES, AND REPORTS ON FORM 8-K
58
     
 
59


 
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A WARNING ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:  This document contains "forward-looking statements" as that term is used in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements address future events, developments and results.  They include statements preceded by, followed by or including words such as "believe," "anticipate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "view," “target” or "estimate."  For example, our forward-looking statements include statements regarding:
 
· 
our anticipated sales, including comparable store net sales, net sales growth and earnings growth;
· 
costs of pending and possible future legal claims;
· 
our growth plans, including our plans to add, expand or relocate stores, our anticipated square footage increase, and our ability to renew leases at existing store locations;
· 
the average size of our stores to be added in 2009 and beyond;
· 
the effect of a slight shift in merchandise mix to consumables and the increase in freezers and coolers on gross profit margin and sales;
· 
the effect that expanding tender types accepted by our stores will have on sales;
· 
the net sales per square foot, net sales and operating income attributable to smaller and larger stores and store-level cash payback metrics;
· 
the possible effect of the current economic downturn, inflation and other economic changes on our costs and profitability, including the possible effect of future changes in minimum wage rates, shipping rates, domestic and foreign freight costs, fuel costs and wage and benefit costs;
· 
our cash needs, including our ability to fund our future capital expenditures and working capital requirements;
· 
our gross profit margin, earnings, inventory levels and ability to leverage selling, general and administrative and other fixed costs;
· 
our seasonal sales patterns including those relating to the length of the holiday selling seasons and the effect of a later Easter in 2009;
· 
the capabilities of our inventory supply chain technology and other new systems;
· 
the future reliability of, and cost associated with, our sources of supply, particularly imported goods such as those sourced from China;
· 
the capacity, performance and cost of our distribution centers;
· 
our expectations regarding competition and growth in our retail sector;
· 
management's estimates associated with our critical accounting policies, including inventory valuation, accrued expenses, and income taxes;

You should assume that the information appearing in this annual report is accurate only as of the date it was issued.  Our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects may have changed since that date.
 
For a discussion of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could affect our future events, developments or results, you should carefully review the risk factors described in Item 1A “Risk Factors” beginning on page 10, as well as Item 7 "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" beginning on page 19 of this Form 10-K.
 
Our forward-looking statements could be wrong in light of these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions.  The future events, developments or results described in this report could turn out to be materially different.  We have no obligation to publicly update or revise our forward-looking statements after the date of this annual report and you should not expect us to do so.
 
Investors should also be aware that while we do, from time to time, communicate with securities analysts and others, we do not, by policy, selectively disclose to them any material, nonpublic information or other confidential commercial information. Accordingly, shareholders should not assume that we agree with any statement or report issued by any securities analyst regardless of the content of the statement or report.  We do not issue detailed financial forecasts or projections and we do not, by policy, confirm those issued by others.  Thus, to the extent that reports issued by securities analysts contain any projections, forecasts or opinions, such reports are not our responsibility.

 
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INTRODUCTORY NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, references to "we," "our" and "Dollar Tree" generally refer to Dollar Tree, Inc. and its direct and indirect subsidiaries on a consolidated basis.  Unless specifically indicated otherwise, any references to “2009” or “fiscal 2009”, “2008” or “fiscal 2008”, “2007” or “fiscal 2007”, and “2006” or “fiscal 2006,” relate to as of or for the years ended January 30, 2010, January 31, 2009, February 2, 2008 and February 3, 2007, respectively.

On March 2, 2008, we reorganized by creating a new holding company structure.  The new parent company is Dollar Tree, Inc., replacing Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., which is now an operating subsidiary.

AVAILABLE INFORMATION
Our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act are available free of charge on our website at www.dollartree.com as soon as reasonably practicable after electronic filing of such reports with the SEC.

 
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PART I
 
Item 1.  BUSINESS

Overview
We are the leading operator of discount variety stores offering merchandise at the fixed price of $1.00.  We believe the variety and quality of products we sell for $1.00 sets us apart from our competitors.  At January 31, 2009, we operated 3,591 discount variety retail stores.  Approximately 3,450 of these stores sell substantially all items for $1.00 or less.  The remaining stores, operating as Deal$, which were acquired in or opened subsequent to March 2006, sell most items for $1.00 or less but also sell items for more than $1.  Our stores operate under the names of Dollar Tree, Deal$ and Dollar Bills.
 
We believe our optimal store is between 8,000 and 10,000 selling square feet.  This store size reflects our expanded merchandise offerings and improved service to our customers.  As we have been expanding our merchandise offerings, we have added freezers and coolers to approximately 1,200 stores during the past four years to increase traffic and transaction size.  At January 29, 2005, we operated 2,735 stores in 48 states.  At January 31, 2009, we operated 3,591 stores in 48 states.  Our selling square footage increased from approximately 20.4 million square feet in January 2005 to 30.3 million square feet in January 2009.  Our store growth has resulted primarily from opening new stores with additional growth from mergers and acquisitions, such as Deal$.

Business Strategy
Value Merchandise Offering.  We strive to exceed our customers' expectations of the variety and quality of products that they can purchase for $1.00 by offering items that we believe typically sell for higher prices elsewhere.  We buy approximately 55% to 60% of our merchandise domestically and import the remaining 40% to 45%.  Our domestic purchases include closeouts.  We believe our mix of imported and domestic merchandise affords our buyers flexibility that allows them to consistently exceed the customer's expectations.  In addition, direct relationships with manufacturers permit us to select from a broad range of products and customize packaging, product sizes and package quantities that meet our customers' needs.

Mix of Basic Variety and Seasonal Merchandise.  We maintain a balanced selection of products within traditional variety store categories.  We offer a wide selection of everyday basic products and we supplement these basic, everyday items with seasonal and closeout merchandise.  We attempt to keep certain basic consumable merchandise in our stores continuously to establish our stores as a destination and we have slightly increased the mix of consumable merchandise in order to increase the traffic in our stores.  Closeout merchandise is purchased opportunistically and represents less than 10% of our purchases.

Our merchandise mix consists of:
   
· 
consumable merchandise, which includes candy and food, basic health and beauty care, and household consumables such as paper, plastics and household chemicals and in select stores, frozen and refrigerated food;
   
· 
variety merchandise, which includes toys, durable housewares, gifts, fashion health and beauty care, party goods, greeting cards, apparel, and other items; and
   
· 
seasonal goods, which include Easter, Halloween and Christmas merchandise, along with summer toys and lawn and garden merchandise.

We have added freezers and coolers to certain stores and increased consumable merchandise carried by those stores.  We believe this initiative helps drive additional transactions and allows us to appeal to a broader demographic mix.  We have added freezers and coolers to approximately 150 more stores in 2008.  Therefore, as of January 31, 2009, we have freezers and coolers in approximately 1,200 of our stores.  We plan to add them to approximately 175 more stores in 2009.  As a result of the installation of freezers and coolers in select stores, consumable merchandise has grown as a percentage of purchases and sales and we expect this trend to continue. The following table shows the percentage of purchases of each major product group for the years ended January 31, 2009 and February 2, 2008:

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January 31,
February 2,
Merchandise Type
2009
2008
     
Consumable
48.7%
46.0%
Variety categories
45.8%
48.1%
Seasonal
 5.5%
 5.9%

At any point in time, we carry approximately 5,000 items in our stores and as of the end of 2008 approximately 1,300 of the basic, everyday items are on automatic replenishment.  The remaining items are primarily ordered by our store managers on a weekly basis.  Through automatic replenishment and our store managers’ ability to order product, each store manager is able to satisfy the demands of their particular customer base.
 
Customer Payment Methods.  All of our stores accept cash, checks, debit cards, VISA credit cards and Discover and approximately 1,100 stores accept MasterCard credit cards. By the end of 2006 all of our stores accepted debit cards.  We began accepting VISA credit cards at all of our stores in the fourth quarter of 2007.  Along with the shift to more consumables, the rollout of freezers and coolers, and the acceptance of pin-based debit and VISA credit transactions, we increased the number of stores accepting Electronic Benefits Transfer(EBT) cards and food stamps in 2008.  At January 31, 2009, we accept EBT and food stamps at approximately 2,200 stores.  We believe that expanding our tender types has increased both the traffic and the average size of transactions at our stores in the year subsequent to implementation.
 
Convenient Locations and Store Size.  We primarily focus on opening new stores in strip shopping centers anchored by mass merchandisers, whose target customers we believe to be similar to ours.  Our stores have proven successful in metropolitan areas, mid-sized cities and small towns.  The range of our store sizes allows us to target a particular location with a store that best suits that market and takes advantage of available real estate opportunities.  Our stores are attractively designed and create an inviting atmosphere for shoppers by using bright lighting, vibrant colors, decorative signs and background music.  We enhance the store design with attractive merchandise displays.  We believe this design attracts new and repeat customers and enhances our image as both a destination and impulse purchase store.

For more information on retail locations and retail store leases, see Item 2 "Properties” beginning on page 13 of this Form 10-K.
 
Profitable Stores with Strong Cash Flow.  We maintain a disciplined, cost-sensitive approach to store site selection in order to minimize the initial capital investment required and maximize our potential to generate high operating margins and strong cash flows.  We believe that our stores have a relatively small shopping radius, which allows us to profitably concentrate multiple stores within a single market.  Our ability to open new stores is dependent upon, among other factors, locating suitable sites and negotiating favorable lease terms.
 
The strong cash flows generated by our stores allow us to self-fund infrastructure investment and new stores.  Over the past five years, cash flows from operating activities have exceeded capital expenditures.
 
For more information on our results of operations, see Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” beginning on page 19 of this Form 10-K.

Cost Control.  We believe that our substantial buying power at the $1.00 price point and our flexibility in making sourcing decisions contributes to our successful purchasing strategy, which includes disciplined, targeted merchandise margin goals by category.  We also believe our ability to select quality merchandise helps to minimize markdowns.  We buy products on an order-by-order basis and have no material long-term purchase contracts or other assurances of continued product supply or guaranteed product cost.  No vendor accounted for more than 10% of total merchandise purchased in any of the past five years.
 
Our supply chain systems continue to provide us with valuable sales information to assist our buyers and improve merchandise allocation to our stores.  Controlling our inventory levels has resulted in more efficient distribution and store operations.
 
Information Systems.  We believe that investments in technology help us to increase sales and control costs.  Our inventory management system has allowed us to improve the efficiency of our supply chain, improve merchandise flow, increase inventory turnover and control distribution and store operating costs.  Our automatic replenishment system automatically reorders key items, based on actual store level sales and inventory.  At the end of 2008, we had over 1,300 basic, everyday items on automatic replenishment.

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Point-of-sale data allows us to track sales and inventory by merchandise category at the store level and assists us in planning for future purchases of inventory.  We believe that this information allows us to ship the appropriate product to stores at the quantities commensurate with selling patterns.  Using this point-of-sale data for planning purchases of inventory has helped us decrease our inventory per square foot in the current year.  Our inventory turns also increased 5 basis points in 2008 after a 25 basis point increase in 2007.  Inventory turnover has increased in each of the last four years.
 
Corporate Culture and Values.  We believe that honesty and integrity, doing the right things for the right reasons, and treating people fairly and with respect are core values within our corporate culture.  We believe that running a business, and certainly a public company, carries with it a responsibility to be above reproach when making operational and financial decisions.  Our executive management team visits and shops our stores like every customer, and ideas and individual creativity on the part of our associates are encouraged, particularly from our store managers who know their stores and their customers.  We have standards for store displays, merchandise presentation, and store operations. We maintain an open door policy for all associates. Our distribution centers are operated based on objective measures of performance and virtually everyone in our store support center is available to assist associates in the stores and distribution centers.
 
Our disclosure committee meets at least quarterly and monitors our internal controls over financial reporting and ensures that our public filings contain discussions about the risks our business faces.  We believe that we have the controls in place to be able to certify our financial statements.  Additionally, we have complied with the updated listing requirements for the Nasdaq Stock Market.

Growth Strategy
Store Openings and Square Footage Growth.  The primary factors contributing to our net sales growth have been new store openings, an active store expansion and remodel program, and selective mergers and acquisitions.  In the last five years, net sales increased at a compound annual growth rate of 10.4%.  We expect that the majority of our future sales growth will come primarily from new store openings and from our store expansion and relocation program.
 
The following table shows the total selling square footage of our stores and the selling square footage per new store opened over the last five years.  Our growth and productivity statistics are reported based on selling square footage because our management believes the use of selling square footage yields a more accurate measure of store productivity.  The selling square footage statistics for 2004 through 2008 are estimates based on the relationship of selling to gross square footage.

Year
Number of Stores
Average Selling Square Footage Per Store
Average Selling Square Footage Per New Store Opened
2004
2,735
7,475
10,947
2005
2,914
7,900
9,756
2006
3,219
8,160
8,780
2007
3,411
8,300
8,480
2008
3,591
8,440
8,100


We expect to increase our selling square footage in the future by opening new stores in underserved markets and strategically increasing our presence in our existing markets via new store openings and store expansions (expansions include store relocations).  In fiscal 2009 and beyond, we plan to predominantly open stores that are approximately 8,000 - 10,000 selling square feet and we believe this size allows us to achieve our objectives in the markets in which we plan to expand.  At January 31, 2009, 1,680 of our stores, totaling 61.0% of our selling square footage, were 8,100 selling square feet or larger.
 
In addition to new store openings, we plan to continue our store expansion program to increase our net sales per store and take advantage of market opportunities.  We target stores for expansion based on the current sales per selling square foot and changes in market opportunities.  Stores targeted for expansion are generally less than 6,000 selling square feet in size.  Store expansions generally increase the existing store size by approximately 4,000 selling square feet.

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Since 1995, we have added a total of 609 stores through four mergers and several small acquisitions.  Our acquisition strategy has been to target companies that have a similar single-price point concept that has shown success in operations or companies that provide a strategic advantage.  We evaluate potential acquisition opportunities in our retail sector as they become available.
 
On March 25, 2006, we completed our acquisition of 138 Deal$ stores, which included stores that offered an expanded assortment of merchandise including items that sell for more than $1.  These stores provide us an opportunity to leverage our Dollar Tree infrastructure in the testing of new merchandise concepts, including higher price points, without disrupting the single-price point model in our Dollar Tree stores.
Since the acquisition, we have opened new Deal$ stores, including some in new markets, and operate 143 Deal$ stores as of January 31, 2009.
 
From time to time, we also acquire the rights to store leases through bankruptcy proceedings of certain discount retailers.  We will take advantage of these opportunities as they arise in the future.
 
Merchandising and Distribution.  Expanding our customer base is important to our growth plans.  We plan to continue to stock our new stores with the ever-changing merchandise that our current customers have come to appreciate. Consumable merchandise typically leads to more frequent return trips to our stores resulting in increased sales.  The presentation and display of merchandise in our stores are critical to communicating value to our customers and creating a more exciting shopping experience.  We believe our approach to visual merchandising results in higher store traffic, higher sales volume and an environment that encourages impulse purchases.
 
A strong and efficient distribution network is critical to our ability to grow and to maintain a low-cost operating structure.  We believe our distribution centers in total are capable of supporting approximately $6.7 billion in annual sales.  New distribution sites are strategically located to reduce stem miles, maintain flexibility and improve efficiency in our store service areas.
 
Our stores receive approximately 90% of their inventory from our distribution centers via contract carriers.  The remaining store inventory, primarily perishable consumable items and other vendor-maintained display items, are delivered directly to our stores from vendors.  For more information on our distribution center network, see Item 2 “Properties” beginning on page 13 of this Form 10-K.

Competition
The retail industry is highly competitive and we expect competition to increase in the future.  The principal methods of competition include closeout merchandise, convenience and the quality of merchandise offered to the customer.  We operate in the discount retail merchandise business, which is currently and is expected to continue to be highly competitive with respect to price, store location, merchandise quality, assortment and presentation, and customer service.  Our competitors include single-price dollar stores, multi-price dollar stores, mass merchandisers, discount retailers and variety retailers.  In addition, several mass merchandisers and grocery store chains carry "dollar store" or “dollar zone” concepts in their stores, which increases competition.  We believe we differentiate ourselves from other retailers by providing high value, high quality, low cost merchandise in attractively designed stores that are conveniently located. Our sales and profits could be reduced by increases in competition, especially because there are no significant economic barriers for others to enter our retail sector.

Trademarks
We are the owners of several federal service mark registrations including "Dollar Tree," the "Dollar Tree" logo, the Dollar Tree logo with a “1” , and "One Price...One Dollar."  We also own a concurrent use registration for "Dollar Bill$" and the related logo.  During 1997, we acquired the rights to use trade names previously owned by Everything's A Dollar, a former competitor in the $1.00 price point industry.  Several trade names were included in the purchase, including the marks "Everything's $1.00 We Mean Everything," and "Everything's $1.00," the registration of which is pending.  With the acquisition of Deal$, we became the owners of the trademark “Deal$” and we have since registered “Deals $5 and less.”  We have federal trademark registrations for a variety of private labels that we use to market some of our product lines.

Employees
We employed approximately 12,560 full-time and 33,280 part-time associates on January 31, 2009.  Part-time associates work 35 hours per week or less.  The number of part-time associates fluctuates depending on seasonal needs.  We consider our relationship with our associates to be good, and we have not experienced significant interruptions of operations due to labor disagreements. 
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Item 1A.  RISK FACTORS

An investment in our common stock involves a high degree of risk.  Any failure to meet market expectations, including our comparable store sales growth rate, earnings and earnings per share or new store openings, could cause the market price of our stock to decline. You should carefully consider the specific risk factors listed below together with all other information included or incorporated in this report.  Any of the following risks may materialize, and additional risks not known to us, or that we now deem immaterial, may arise.  In such event, our business, financial condition, results of operations or prospects could be materially adversely affected.

A continued downturn in economic conditions could adversely affect our sales.

Further deterioration in economic conditions, such as those caused by the recession, inflation, higher unemployment, consumer debt levels, lack of available credit, cost increases, as well as adverse weather conditions or terrorism, could reduce consumer spending or cause customers to shift their spending to products we either do not sell or do not sell as profitably.  Adverse economic conditions could disrupt consumer spending and significantly reduce our sales, decrease our inventory turnover, cause greater markdowns or reduce our profitability due to lower margins.

Our profitability is especially vulnerable to cost increases.

Future increase in costs such as the cost of merchandise, wage levels, shipping rates, freight costs, fuel costs and store occupancy costs may reduce our profitability.  As a fixed price retailer, we cannot raise the sale price of our merchandise to offset cost increases.  Unlike multi-price retailers, we are primarily dependent on our ability to operate more efficiently or effectively or increase our comparable store net sales in order to offset inflation.  We can give you no assurance that we will be able to operate more efficiently or increase our comparable store net sales in the future.  Please see Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," beginning on page 19 of this Form 10-K for further discussion of the effect of Inflation and Other Economic Factors on our operations.

Changes in federal, state or local law, or our failure to comply with such laws, could increase our expenses and expose us to legal risks

Our business is subject to a wide array of laws and regulations.  Significant legislative changes, such as the proposed Employee Free Choice Act, that impact our relationship with our workforce could increase our expenses and adversely affect our operations.  Changes in other regulatory areas, such as consumer credit, privacy and information security, product safety or environmental protection, among others, could cause our expenses to increase.  In addition, if we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, particularly wage and hour laws, we could be subject to legal risk, including government enforcement action and class action civil litigation, which could adversely affect our results of operations.  Changes in tax laws, the interpretation of existing laws, or our failure to sustain our reporting positions on examination could adversely affect our effective tax rate.

For a discussion of current legal matters, please see Item 3. “Legal Proceedings” beginning on page 14 of this Form 10-K.  Resolution of certain matters described in that item, if decided against the Company, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations, accrued liabilities or cash flows.

We could encounter disruptions or additional costs in obtaining and distributing merchandise.

Our success depends on the ability of our vendors to supply merchandise and our ability to transport merchandise to our distribution centers and then ship it to our stores in a timely and cost-effective manner.  We may not anticipate, respond to or control all of the challenges of operating our receiving and distribution systems.  Additionally, if a vendor fails to deliver on its commitments, we could experience merchandise shortages that could lead to lost sales.   Some of the factors that could have an adverse effect on our supply chain systems or costs are:
 
10


 
§ Economic conditions. Suppliers may encounter financial or other difficulties.
§ Shipping.  Our oceanic shipping schedules may be disrupted or delayed from time to time.  We also have experienced shipping rate increases over the last several years imposed by the trans-Pacific ocean carriers.
§ Diesel fuel costs.  We have experienced increases in diesel fuel costs over the past few years and while they decreased significantly in the second half of 2008, with the current economic situation, the outlook for diesel prices in 2009 is uncertain.
§ Vulnerability to natural or man-made disasters.  A fire, explosion or natural disaster at ports or any of our distribution facilities could result in a loss of merchandise and impair our ability to adequately stock our stores.  Some facilities are especially vulnerable to earthquakes, hurricanes or tornadoes.
§ Labor disagreement.  Labor disagreements or disruptions may result in delays in the delivery of merchandise to our stores and increase costs.
§ War, terrorism and other events.  War and acts of terrorism in the United States, or in China or other parts of Asia, where we buy a significant amount of our imported merchandise, could disrupt our supply chain.
 
Sales below our expectations during peak seasons may cause our operating results to suffer materially.

Our highest sales periods are the Christmas and Easter seasons.  We generally realize a disproportionate amount of our net sales and a substantial majority of our operating and net income during the fourth quarter.  In anticipation, we stock extra inventory and hire many temporary employees to prepare our stores.  A reduction in sales during these periods could adversely affect our operating results, particularly operating and net income, to a greater extent than if a reduction occurred at other times of the year.  Untimely merchandise delays due to receiving or distribution problems could have a similar effect.  Sales during the Easter selling season are materially affected by the timing of the Easter holiday.  Easter in fiscal 2009 is on April 12th, while in fiscal 2008, it was three weeks earlier on March 23rd.  We believe that the later Easter in 2009 could potentially result in $25.0 million of increased sales in the first quarter of 2009 when compared to the first quarter of 2008.

Our sales and profits rely on imported merchandise, which may increase in cost or become unavailable.

Merchandise imported directly from overseas accounts for approximately 40% to 45% of our total purchases at retail.  In addition, we believe that a small portion of our goods purchased from domestic vendors is imported.  China is the source of a substantial majority of our imports.  Imported goods are generally less expensive than domestic goods and increase our profit margins.  A disruption in the flow of our imported merchandise or an increase in the cost of those goods may significantly decrease our profits.  Risks associated with our reliance on imported goods include:

§ disruptions in the flow of imported goods because of factors such as:
o raw material shortages, work stoppages, strikes and political unrest;
o problems with oceanic shipping, including shipping container shortages; and
o economic crises and international disputes.
 
§ increases in the cost of purchasing or shipping foreign merchandise, resulting from:
o increases in shipping rates imposed by the trans-Pacific ocean carriers;
o changes in currency exchange rates or policies and local economic conditions, including inflation in the country of origin;
o failure of the United States to maintain normal trade relations with China; and
o import duties, import quotas and other trade sanctions.

We may be unable to expand our square footage as profitably as planned.

We plan to expand our selling square footage by approximately 6.5% in 2009 to increase our sales and profits.  Expanding our square footage profitably depends on a number of uncertainties, including our ability to locate, lease, build out and open or expand stores in suitable locations on a timely basis under favorable economic terms.  In addition, our expansion is dependent upon third-party developers’ abilities to acquire land, obtain financing, and secure necessary permits and approvals.  Turmoil in the financial markets has made it difficult for third party developers to obtain financing for new projects.  We must also open or expand stores within our established geographic markets, where new or expanded stores may draw sales away from our existing stores.  We may not manage our expansion effectively, and our failure to achieve our expansion plans could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

11

Our profitability is affected by the mix of products we sell.

Our gross profit could decrease if we increase the proportion of higher cost goods we sell in the future.  In recent years, the percentage of our sales from higher cost consumable products has increased and is likely to increase slightly in 2009.  As a result, our gross profit will decrease unless we are able to maintain our current merchandise cost sufficiently to offset any decrease in our product margin percentage.  We can give you no assurance that we will be able to do so.

Pressure from competitors may reduce our sales and profits.

The retail industry is highly competitive.  The marketplace is highly fragmented as many different retailers compete for market share by utilizing a variety of store formats and merchandising strategies.  We expect competition to increase in the future because there are no significant economic barriers for others to enter our retail sector.  Many of our current or potential competitors have greater financial resources than we do.  We cannot guarantee that we will continue to be able to compete successfully against existing or future competitors.  Please see Item 1, “Business,” beginning on page 6 of this Form 10-K for further discussion of the effect of competition on our operations.

Certain provisions in our articles of incorporation and bylaws could delay or discourage a takeover attempt that may be in a shareholder's best interest.

Our articles of incorporation and bylaws currently contain provisions that may delay or discourage a takeover attempt that a shareholder might consider in his best interest. These provisions, among other things:

· classify our Board of Directors into three classes, each of which serves for different three-year periods;
· provide that only the Board of Directors, chairman or president may call special meetings of the shareholders;
· establish certain advance notice procedures for nominations of candidates for election as directors and for shareholder proposals to be considered at shareholders' meetings;
· permit the Board of Directors, without further action of the shareholders, to issue and fix the terms of preferred stock, which may have rights senior to those of the common stock.

However, we believe that these provisions allow our Board of Directors to negotiate a higher price in the event of a takeover attempt which would be in the best interest of our shareholders.

Item 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.

 
12

 

Item 2.  PROPERTIES

Stores
As of January 31, 2009, we operated 3,591 stores in 48 states as detailed below:

Alabama
    81
 
Maine
    19
 
Ohio
   159
Arizona
    65
 
Maryland
    82
 
Oklahoma
    51
Arkansas
    43
 
Massachusetts
    53
 
Oregon
    70
California
   267
 
Michigan
   131
 
Pennsylvania
   194
Colorado
    55
 
Minnesota
    59
 
Rhode Island
    14
Connecticut
    33
 
Mississippi
    46
 
South Carolina
    73
Delaware
    20
 
Missouri
    81
 
South Dakota
     7
Florida
   217
 
Montana
     9
 
Tennessee
    93
Georgia
   135
 
Nebraska
    14
 
Texas
   227
Idaho
    23
 
Nevada
    32
 
Utah
    37
Illinois
   154
 
New Hampshire
    22
 
Vermont
     6
Indiana
   100
 
New Jersey
    81
 
Virginia
   134
Iowa
    28
 
New Mexico
    29
 
Washington
    63
Kansas
    28
 
New York
   158
 
West Virginia
    35
Kentucky
    69
 
North Carolina
   152
 
Wisconsin
    67
Louisiana
    59
 
North Dakota
     5
 
Wyoming
    11

We currently lease our stores and expect to continue to lease new stores as we expand.  Our leases typically provide for a short initial lease term, generally five years, with options to extend, however in some cases we have initial lease terms of seven to ten years.  We believe this leasing strategy enhances our flexibility to pursue various expansion opportunities resulting from changing market conditions.  As current leases expire, we believe that we will be able to obtain lease renewals, if desired, for present store locations, or to obtain leases for equivalent or better locations in the same general area.

Distribution Centers
The following table includes information about the distribution centers that we currently operate.  We believe our distribution center network is capable of supporting approximately $6.7 billion in annual sales.

 
Location
 
Own/Lease
 
Lease Expires
Size in
Square Feet
Chesapeake, Virginia
Own
N/A
400,000
Olive Branch, Mississippi
Own
N/A
425,000
Joliet, Illinois
Own
N/A
1,200,000
Stockton, California
Own
N/A
525,000
Briar Creek, Pennsylvania
Own
N/A
1,003,000
Savannah, Georgia
Own
N/A
603,000
Marietta, Oklahoma
Own
N/A
603,000
Salt Lake City, Utah
Lease
April 2010
385,000
Ridgefield, Washington
Own
N/A
665,000

Each of our distribution centers contains advanced materials handling technologies, including radio-frequency inventory tracking equipment and specialized information systems.  With the exception of our Salt Lake City and Ridgefield facilities each of our distribution centers also contains automated conveyor and sorting systems.
 
For more information on financing of our distribution centers, see Item 7 "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations- Funding Requirements" beginning on page 24 of this Form 10-K.

 
13

 

Item 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

From time to time, we are defendants in ordinary, routine litigation or proceedings incidental to our business, including allegations regarding:
   
· 
employment related matters;
   
· 
infringement of intellectual property rights;
   
· 
product safety matters, which may include product recalls in cooperation with the Consumer Products Safety Commission or other jurisdictions;
   
· 
personal injury/wrongful death claims; and
   
· 
real estate matters related to store leases.
 
In addition, we are defendants in the following class or collective action lawsuits:

·  
In August of 2006, we were served with a lawsuit filed in federal court in the state of Alabama by a former store manager.  As a collective action, she claims that she and all other store managers similarly situated should have been classified as non-exempt employees under the Fair Labor Standards Act and, therefore, should have received overtime compensation and other benefits.  The Court preliminarily allowed nationwide (except for the state of California) notice to be sent to all store managers employed by us for the three years immediately preceding the filing of the suit. Approximately 770 individuals opted in.  A second suit was filed in the same Court, in which the allegations are essentially the same as those in the first suit. The Court has consolidated the two cases. The Court should decide whether to decertify the collective action and other defensive motions late this summer.  If the Court eventually certifies a class, the case has been scheduled for trial in January 2010.
 
·  
In April 2007, we were served with a lawsuit filed in federal court in the state of California by one present and one former store manager.  They claim they should have been classified as non-exempt employees under both the California Labor Code and the Fair Labor Standards Act.  They filed the case as a class action on behalf of California-based store managers employed by us for the four years prior to the filing of the suit.  We were thereafter served with a second suit in a California state court which alleges essentially the same claims as those contained in the federal action and which likewise seeks class certification of all California store managers.  We have removed the case to the same federal court as the first suit, answered it and the two cases have been consolidated.  The plaintiffs’ motion to seek class certification should be decided this spring or summer.  No trial date has been scheduled.
 
·  
In July 2008, we were served with a lawsuit filed in federal court in the state of Alabama by one present and one former store manager, both females, alleging that they and other female store managers similarly situated were deprived of their rights under the Equal Pay Act, 29 U.S.C. 206(d) in that they were paid less than male store managers for performing jobs of equal skill and effort.  They seek an unspecified amount of monetary damages, back pay, injunctive and other relief.  We have answered the Complaint denying the plaintiffs’ allegations.  The Court ordered notice to be sent to female individuals employed by us as a store manager between February 1, 2006 and January 30, 2009 (3,320 in number) to participate as a member of a potential class.  A second notice was sent to 215 female store managers in California employed during the period from March 1, 2006 through February 27, 2009. The opt in period ends April 23, 2009, so we do not know at this date the number of persons who will elect to opt in. Discovery is now ongoing. We expect that the Court will consider a motion to decertify the collective action and other defensive motions at a future date.  The case has not been set for trial.
 
·  
In May and June of 2008, 29 present or former female store managers filed claims with the Norfolk, Virginia office of the EEOC alleging employment discrimination pursuant to Title VII of the Civil Rights Act on the grounds that women store managers throughout our company are paid less than their male counterparts.  Eventually the EEOC issued Right to Sue letters to the complaining parties.  All are represented by the attorneys for the plaintiffs in the existing pay discrimination case, who, following the letters, sought to amend the existing Complaint to include the Title VII charges. The Court presently has that matter under consideration.
 
14

 
We will vigorously defend ourselves in these lawsuits.  We do not believe that any of these matters will, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our business or financial condition.  We cannot give assurance, however, that one or more of these lawsuits will not have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for the period in which they are resolved.
 
Item 4.  SUBMISSION OF MATTERS TO A VOTE OF SECURITY HOLDERS

No matters were submitted to a vote of security holders during the fourth quarter of our 2008 fiscal year.


 
15

 

PART II
 
Item 5.  MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
 
Our common stock has been traded on The Nasdaq Global Select Market® under the symbol "DLTR" since our initial public offering on March 6, 1995.  The following table gives the high and low sales prices of our common stock as reported by Nasdaq for the periods indicated.


   
High
   
Low
 
Fiscal year ended February 2, 2008:
           
             
First Quarter
  $ 40.31     $ 31.24  
Second Quarter
    45.98       37.93  
Third Quarter
    44.13       33.69  
Fourth Quarter
    36.17       20.72  
                 
Fiscal year ended January 31, 2009:
               
                 
First Quarter
  $ 32.45     $ 24.37  
Second Quarter
    40.00       30.14  
Third Quarter
    42.20       30.17  
Fourth Quarter
    44.11       32.97  

On March 18, 2009, the last reported sale price for our common stock, as quoted by Nasdaq, was $41.66 per share.  As of March 18, 2009, we had approximately 475 shareholders of record.

There was no share repurchase activity for the 13 weeks ended January 31, 2009. At January 31, 2009, we have approximately $453.7 million remaining under Board authorization.
 
We anticipate that substantially all of our cash flow from operations in the foreseeable future will be retained for the development and expansion of our business, the repayment of indebtedness and, as authorized by our Board of Directors, the repurchase of stock.  Management does not anticipate paying dividends on our common stock in the foreseeable future.


 
16

 
 
Stock Performance Graph
The following graph sets forth the yearly percentage change in the cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock during the five fiscal years ended January 31, 2009, compared with the cumulative total returns of the NASDAQ Composite Index and the S&P Retailing Index. The comparison assumes that $100 was invested in our common stock on January 31, 2004, and, in each of the foregoing indices on January 31, 2004, and that dividends were reinvested.
Dollar Tree, Inc. Five Year Stock Performance Graph
Item 6.  SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

The following table presents a summary of our selected financial data for the fiscal years ended January 31, 2009, February 2, 2008, February 3, 2007, January 28, 2006, and January 29, 2005.  Fiscal 2006 included 53 weeks, commensurate with the retail calendar, while all other fiscal years reported in the table contain 52 weeks. The selected income statement and balance sheet data have been derived from our consolidated financial statements that have been audited by our independent registered public accounting firm.  This information should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes, "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and our financial information found elsewhere in this report.

Comparable store net sales compare net sales for stores open throughout each of the two periods being compared, including expanded stores.  Net sales per store and net sales per selling square foot are calculated for stores open throughout the period presented.

Amounts in the following tables are in millions, except per share data, number of stores data, net sales per selling square foot data and inventory turns.

 
17

 


   
Years Ended
 
   
January 31,
   
February 2,
   
February 3,
   
January 28,
   
January 29,
 
   
2009
   
2008
   
2007
   
2006
   
2005
 
Income Statement Data:
                             
Net sales
  $ 4,644.9     $ 4,242.6     $ 3,969.4     $ 3,393.9     $ 3,126.0  
Gross profit
    1,592.2       1,461.1       1,357.2       1,172.4       1,112.5  
Selling, general and administrative expenses
    1,226.4       1,130.8       1,046.4       888.5       819.0  
Operating income
    365.8       330.3       310.8       283.9       293.5  
Net income
    229.5       201.3       192.0       173.9       180.3  
                                         
Margin Data (as a percentage of net sales):
                                       
Gross profit
    34.3 %     34.4 %     34.2 %     34.5 %     35.6 %
Selling, general and administrative expenses
    26.4 %     26.6 %     26.4 %     26.2 %     26.2 %
Operating income
    7.9 %     7.8 %     7.8 %     8.3 %     9.4 %
Net income
    4.9 %     4.7 %     4.8 %     5.1 %     5.8 %
                                         
Per Share Data:
                                       
                                         
Diluted net income per share
  $ 2.53     $ 2.09     $ 1.85     $ 1.60     $ 1.58  
Diluted net income per share increase
    21.1 %     13.0 %     15.6 %     1.3 %     2.6 %


   
As of
 
   
January 31,
   
February 2,
   
February 3,
   
January 28,
   
January 29,
 
   
2009
   
2008
   
2007
   
2006
   
2005
 
Balance Sheet Data:
                             
Cash and cash equivalents
                             
   and short-term investments
  $ 364.4     $ 81.1     $ 306.8     $ 339.8     $ 317.8  
Working capital
    663.3       382.9       575.7       648.2       675.5  
Total assets
    2,035.7       1,787.7       1,882.2       1,798.4       1,792.7  
Total debt, including capital lease obligations
    268.2       269.4       269.5       269.9       281.7  
Shareholders' equity
    1,253.2       988.4       1,167.7       1,172.3       1,164.2  
   
Years Ended
   
January 31,
   
February 2,
   
February 3,
   
January 28,
   
January 29,
 
   
2009
   
2008
   
2007
   
2006
   
2005
 
Selected Operating Data:
                                       
Number of stores open at end of period
    3,591       3,411       3,219       2,914       2,735  
Gross square footage at end of period
    38.5       36.1       33.3       29.2       25.9  
Selling square footage at end of period
    30.3       28.4       26.3       23.0       20.4  
Selling square footage annual growth
    6.7 %     8.0 %     14.3 %     12.6 %     21.1 %
Net sales annual growth
    9.5 %     6.9 %     16.9 %     8.6 %     11.6 %
Comparable store net sales increase (decrease)
    4.1 %     2.7 %     4.6 %     (0.8 %)     0.5 %
Net sales per selling square foot
  $ 158     $ 155     $ 161     $ 156     $ 168  
Net sales per store
  $ 1.3     $ 1.3     $ 1.3     $ 1.2     $ 1.2  
Selected Financial Ratios:
                                       
Return on assets
    12.0 %     11.0 %     10.4 %     9.7 %     10.9 %
Return on equity
    20.5 %     18.7 %     16.4 %     14.9 %     16.5 %
Inventory turns
    3.8       3.7       3.5       3.1       2.9  

 
18

 

Item 7.  MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

In Management’s Discussion and Analysis, we explain the general financial condition and the results of operations for our company, including:
   
· 
what factors affect our business;
   
· 
what our net sales, earnings, gross margins and costs were in 2008, 2007 and 2006;
   
· 
why those net sales, earnings, gross margins and costs were different from the year before;
   
· 
how all of this affects our overall financial condition;
   
· 
what our expenditures for capital projects were in 2008 and 2007 and what we expect them to be in 2009; and
   
· 
where funds will come from to pay for future expenditures.

As you read Management’s Discussion and Analysis, please refer to our consolidated financial statements, included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K, which present the results of operations for the fiscal years ended January 31, 2009, February 2, 2008 and February 3, 2007.  In Management’s Discussion and Analysis, we analyze and explain the annual changes in some specific line items in the consolidated financial statements for the fiscal year 2008 compared to the comparable fiscal year 2007 and the fiscal year 2007 compared to the comparable fiscal year 2006.

Key Events and Recent Developments
Several key events have had or are expected to have a significant effect on our operations. You should keep in mind that:

· 
On February 20, 2008, we entered into a five-year $550.0 million unsecured Credit Agreement (the Agreement).  The Agreement provides for a $300.0 million revolving line of credit, including up to $150.0 million in available letters of credit, and a $250.0 million term loan.  The interest rate on the facility will be based, at our option, on a LIBOR rate, plus a margin, or an alternate base rate, plus a margin.  Our March 2004, $450.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility was terminated concurrent with entering into the Agreement.
· 
On March 2, 2008, we reorganized by creating a new holding company structure.  The new parent company is Dollar Tree, Inc., replacing Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., which is now an operating subsidiary.
· 
On March 20, 2008, we entered into two $75.0 million interest rate swap agreements.  These interest rate swaps are used to manage the risk associated with interest rate fluctuations on a portion of our $250.0 million variable rate term loan.
· 
In October 2007, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of an additional $500.0 million of our common stock. This authorization was in addition to the November 2006 authorization which had approximately $98.4 million remaining. At January 31, 2009, we had approximately $453.7 million remaining under Board authorizations.

Overview
Our net sales are derived from the sale of merchandise.  Two major factors tend to affect our net sales trends.  First is our success at opening new stores or adding new stores through acquisitions.  Second, sales vary at our existing stores from one year to the next.  We refer to this change as a change in comparable store net sales, because we compare only those stores that are open throughout both of the periods being compared.  We include sales from stores expanded during the year in the calculation of comparable store net sales, which has the effect of increasing our comparable store net sales.  The term 'expanded' also includes stores that are relocated.

At January 31, 2009, we operated 3,591 stores in 48 states, with 30.3 million selling square feet compared to 3,411 stores with 28.4 million selling square feet at February 2, 2008.  During fiscal 2008, we opened 231 stores, expanded 86 stores and closed 51 stores, compared to 240 new stores opened, 102 stores expanded and 48 stores closed during fiscal 2007.  In the current year we increased our selling square footage by 6.7%.  Of the 1.9 million selling square foot increase in 2008, 0.3 million was added by expanding existing stores.  The average size of our stores opened in 2008 was approximately 8,100 selling square feet (or about 10,300 gross square feet).  The average new store size decreased slightly in 2008 from approximately 8,500 selling square feet (or about 10,800 gross square feet) for new stores in 2007.  For 2009, we continue to plan to open stores that are approximately 8,000 - 10,000 selling square feet (or about 10,000 - 12,000 gross square feet).  We believe that this store size is our optimal size operationally and that this size also gives our customers an ideal shopping environment that invites them to shop longer and buy more.  We expect the majority of our future net sales growth to come from the square footage growth resulting from new store openings and expansion of existing stores.

19

Fiscal 2006 ended on February 3, 2007 and included 53 weeks, commensurate with the retail calendar.  The 53rd week in 2006 added approximately $70 million in sales. Fiscal 2008 and 2007 ended on January 31, 2009 and February 2, 2008, respectively, and both years included 52 weeks.

In fiscal 2008, comparable store net sales increased by 4.1%.  The comparable store net sales increase was the result of increases of 3.7% in the number of transactions and a 0.4% increase in average transaction size.  We believe comparable store net sales continue to be positively affected by a number of our initiatives, including expansion of forms of payment accepted by our stores and the roll-out of freezers and coolers to more of our stores.  At January 31, 2009 we had frozen and refrigerated merchandise in approximately 1,200 stores compared to approximately 1,100 stores at February 2, 2008. We believe that this enables us to increase sales and earnings by increasing the number of shopping trips made by our customers and increasing the average transaction size.  In addition, we now accept food stamps in approximately 2,200 qualified stores compared to 1,000 at the end of 2007.  Beginning October 31, 2007, all of our stores accept Visa credit which has had a positive impact on our sales for fiscal 2008.

With the pressures of the current economic environment, we have seen an increase in the demand for basic, consumable merchandise in 2008.  As a result, we have shifted the mix of inventory carried in our stores to more consumer product merchandise which we believe increases the traffic in our stores and has helped to increase our sales even during the current economic downturn.  This shift has negatively impacted our margins in 2008, and we believe that this increase in basic, consumer product merchandise will negatively impact our margins in the first half of 2009.

Our point-of-sale technology provides us with valuable sales and inventory information to assist our buyers and improve our merchandise allocation to our stores.  We believe that this has enabled us to better manage our inventory flow resulting in more efficient distribution and store operations and increased inventory turnover for each of the last two years.  Inventory turnover improved by approximately 5 basis points in 2008 compared to 2007 and by approximately 25 basis points in 2007 compared to 2006.  Fiscal 2008 was the fourth consecutive year of increased inventory turnover.  Inventory per selling square foot also decreased 1.2% at January 31, 2009 compared to February 2, 2008.

On May 25, 2007, legislation was enacted that increased the Federal Minimum Wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour by July 2009.  As a result, our wages will increase in 2009; however, we believe that we can partially offset the increase in payroll costs through increased store productivity and continued efficiencies in product flow to our stores.

We must continue to control our merchandise costs, inventory levels and our general and administrative expenses.  Increases in these line items could negatively impact our operating results.

On March 25, 2006, we completed our acquisition of 138 Deal$ stores, which included stores that offered an expanded assortment of merchandise including items that sell for more than $1.  Most of these stores continue to operate under the Deal$ banner while providing us an opportunity to leverage our Dollar Tree infrastructure in the testing of new merchandise concepts, including higher price points, without disrupting the single-price point model in our Dollar Tree stores.  We have opened new Deal$ stores, including some in new markets, and as of January 31, 2009, we have 143 stores under the Deal$ banner that are selling most items for $1 or less but also sell items for more than $1, compared to 131 stores at February 2, 2008.

 
20

 

Results of Operations
The following table expresses items from our consolidated statements of operations, as a percentage of net sales:


   
Year Ended
   
Year Ended
   
Year Ended
 
   
January 31,
   
February 2,
   
February 3,
 
   
2009
   
2008
   
2007
 
                   
Net sales
    100.0 %     100.0 %     100.0 %
Cost of sales
    65.7 %     65.6 %     65.8 %
     Gross profit
    34.3 %     34.4 %     34.2 %
                         
Selling, general and administrative
                       
  expenses
    26.4 %     26.6 %     26.4 %
                         
     Operating income
    7.9 %     7.8 %     7.8 %
                         
Interest income
    0.0 %     0.1 %     0.2 %
Interest expense
    (0.2 %)     (0.4 %)     (0.4 %)
                         
     Income before income taxes
    7.7 %     7.5 %     7.6 %
                         
Provision for income taxes
    (2.8 %)     (2.8 %)     (2.8 %)
                         
     Net income
    4.9 %     4.7 %     4.8 %

Fiscal year ended January 31, 2009 compared to fiscal year ended February 2, 2008

Net Sales.  Net sales increased 9.5%, or $402.3 million, in 2008 compared to 2007, resulting from sales in our new and expanded stores and a 4.1% increase in comparable store net sales.  Comparable store net sales are positively affected by our expanded and relocated stores, which we include in the calculation, and, to a lesser extent, are negatively affected when we open new stores or expand stores near existing ones.

The following table summarizes the components of the changes in our store count for fiscal years ended January 31, 2009 and February 2, 2008.

   
January 31, 2009
   
February 2, 2008
 
             
New stores
    227       208  
Acquired leases
    4       32  
Expanded or relocated stores
    86       102  
Closed stores
    (51 )     (48 )

Of the 1.9 million selling square foot increase in 2008 approximately 0.3 million was added by expanding existing stores.

Gross Profit.  Gross profit margin decreased to 34.3% in 2008 compared to 34.4% in 2007.  The decrease was primarily due to a 30 basis point increase in merchandise cost, including inbound freight, resulting from an increase in the sales mix of higher cost consumer product merchandise and higher diesel fuel costs compared with 2007. Partially offsetting this increase was a 20 basis point decrease in shrink expense due to favorable adjustments to shrink estimates based on actual inventory results during the year.

 
21

 


Selling, General and Administrative Expenses.  Selling, general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of net sales, decreased to 26.4% for 2008 compared to 26.6% for 2007.  The decrease is primarily due to the following:

· 
Depreciation expense decreased 25 basis points primarily due to the leveraging associated with the comparable store net sales increase for the year.
· 
Payroll-related expenses decreased 10 basis points primarily as a result of lower field payroll costs as a percentage of sales, due to the leveraging from the comparable store net sales increase in 2008.
· 
    Partially offsetting these decreases was an approximate 10 basis point increase in store operating costs due to increases in repairs and maintenance and utility costs in the current year.

Operating Income.  Due to the reasons discussed above, operating income margin was 7.9% in 2008 compared to 7.8% in 2007.

Income Taxes.  Our effective tax rate was 36.1% in 2008 compared to 37.1% in 2007.  The lower rate in the current year reflects the recognition of certain tax benefits in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board’s Financial Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes (FIN 48), and a lower blended state tax rate resulting from the settlement of state tax audits in the current year which allowed us to release income tax reserves and accrue less interest expense on tax uncertainties in the current year. These benefits to the tax rate were partially offset by a reduction in tax-exempt interest income in the current year.

Fiscal year ended February 2, 2008 compared to fiscal year ended February 2, 2007

Net Sales.  Net sales increased 6.9%, or $273.2 million, in 2007 compared to 2006, resulting primarily from sales in our new and expanded stores. Our sales increase was also impacted by a 2.7% increase in comparable store net sales for 2007.  This increase is based on the comparable 52-weeks for both years. These increases were partially offset by an extra week of sales in 2006 due to the 53-week retail calendar for 2006.  On a comparative 52-week basis, sales increased approximately 8.8% in 2007 compared to 2006. Comparable store net sales are positively affected by our expanded and relocated stores, which we include in the calculation, and, to a lesser extent, are negatively affected when we open new stores or expand stores near existing ones.

The following table summarizes the components of the changes in our store count for fiscal years ended February 2, 2008 and February 3, 2007.

   
February 2, 2008
   
February 3, 2007
 
             
New stores
    208       190  
Deal$ acquisition
    --       138  
Acquired leases
    32       21  
Expanded or relocated stores
    102       85  
Closed stores
    (48 )     (44 )

Of the 2.1 million selling square foot increase in 2007 approximately 0.4 million was added by expanding existing stores.

Gross Profit.  Gross profit margin increased to 34.4% in 2007 compared to 34.2% in 2006.  The increase was primarily due to a 50 basis point decrease in merchandise cost, including inbound freight, due to improved initial mark-up in many categories in 2007.  This decrease was partially offset by a 40 basis point increase in occupancy costs due to the loss of leverage from the extra week of sales in 2006.

 
22

 

Selling, General and Administrative Expenses.  Selling, general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of net sales, increased to 26.6% for 2007 compared to 26.4% for 2006.  The increase is primarily due to the following:

· 
Operating and corporate expenses increased approximately 25 basis points due to increased debit and credit fees resulting from increased debit transactions in 2007 and the rollout of VISA credit at October 31, 2007.  Also, in 2006, we had approximately 10 basis points of income related to early lease terminations.
· 
Occupancy costs increased 15 basis points primarily due to increased repairs and maintenance costs in 2007.
· 
    Partially offsetting these increases was an approximate 15 basis point decrease in depreciation expense due to the expiration of the depreciable life on much of the supply chain hardware and software placed in service in 2002.

Operating Income.  Due to the reasons discussed above, operating income margin was  7.8% in 2007 and 2006.

Income Taxes.  Our effective tax rate was 37.1% in 2007 compared to 36.6% in 2006.  The increase in the rate for 2007 reflects a reduction of tax-exempt interest income in the current year due to lower investment levels resulting from increased share repurchase activity and an increase in tax reserves in accordance with FIN 48.  These increases more than offset a slight decrease in our net state tax rate.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Our business requires capital to build and open new stores, expand our distribution network and operate existing stores.  Our working capital requirements for existing stores are seasonal and usually reach their peak in September and October.  Historically, we have satisfied our seasonal working capital requirements for existing stores and have funded our store opening and distribution network expansion programs from internally generated funds and borrowings under our credit facilities.

The following table compares cash-related information for the years ended January 31, 2009, February 2, 2008, and February 3, 2007:
 
   
Year Ended
   
Year Ended
   
Year Ended
 
   
January 31,
   
February 2,
   
February 3,
 
(in millions)
 
2009
   
2008
   
2007
 
Net cash provided by (used in):
                 
  Operating activities
  $ 403.1     $ 367.3     $ 412.8  
  Investing activities
    (102.0 )     (22.7 )     (190.7 )
  Financing activities
    22.7       (389.0 )     (202.9 )

Net cash provided by operating activities increased $35.8 million compared to last year due to increased earnings before income taxes, depreciation and amortization in the current year and lower prepaid rent amounts at the end of January 2009.  February 2008 rent payments were made prior to the end of fiscal 2007 which resulted in a prepaid asset in fiscal 2007 whereas February 2009 rent was paid in fiscal 2009.

Net cash provided by operating activities decreased $45.5 million in 2007 compared to 2006 due to increased working capital requirements in 2007 and increases in the provision for deferred taxes, partially offset by improved earnings before depreciation and amortization in 2007.

Net cash used in investing activities increased $79.3 million in the current year. Net proceeds from the sale of short-term investments were higher in the prior year in order to fund share repurchases.  Overall, short-term investment activity has decreased in the current year resulting from the liquidation of our short-term investments early in the current year due to market conditions.  These amounts were primarily invested in cash equivalent money market accounts.  Partially offsetting the decrease in net proceeds from the sales of short-term investments was higher capital expenditures ($57.7 million higher) in the prior year due to the expansions of the Briar Creek distribution center and corporate headquarters.

23

Net cash used in investing activities decreased $168.0 million in 2007 compared to 2006.  This decrease is due to $129.1 million of increased proceeds from short-term investment activity in 2007 to fund increased share repurchases and $54.1 million used in 2006 to acquire Deal$ assets.  These were partially offset by increased capital expenditures in 2007 resulting from the Briar Creek distribution center and the corporate headquarters expansions.

In the current year, financing activities provided cash of $22.7 million as a result of stock option exercises and employee stock plan purchases.  In the prior year, net cash used in financing activities was $389.0 million.  This was the result of share repurchases of $473.0 million for fiscal 2007, partially offset by stock option exercises resulting from the Company’s stock price last year being higher than it had been in the prior several years.

Net cash used in financing activities increased $186.1 million in 2007 due primarily to increased share repurchases in 2007 partially offset by increased proceeds from stock option exercises in 2007 resulting from the Company’s higher stock price earlier in the year.

At January 31, 2009, our long-term borrowings were $267.6 million and our capital lease commitments were $0.6 million.  We also have $121.5 million and $50.0 million Letter of Credit Reimbursement and Security Agreements, under which approximately $97.8 million were committed to letters of credit issued for routine purchases of imported merchandise at January 31, 2009.

On February 20, 2008, we entered into a five-year $550.0 million unsecured Credit Agreement (the Agreement).  The Agreement provides for a $300.0 million revolving line of credit, including up to $150.0 million in available letters of credit, and a $250.0 million term loan. The interest rate on the Agreement is based, at our option, on a LIBOR rate, plus a margin, or an alternate base rate, plus a margin. The revolving line of credit also bears a facilities fee, calculated as a percentage, as defined, of the amount available under the line of credit, payable quarterly.  The term loan is due and payable in full at the five year maturity date of the Agreement.  The Agreement also bears an administrative fee payable annually.  The Agreement, among other things, requires the maintenance of certain specified financial ratios, restricts the payment of certain distributions and prohibits the incurrence of certain new indebtedness.   Our March 2004, $450.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility was terminated concurrent with entering into the Agreement. As of January 31, 2009, the $250.0 million term loan is outstanding under the Agreement.

In March 2005, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $300.0 million of our common stock through March 2008.  In November 2006, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $500.0 million of our common stock.  This amount was in addition to the $27.0 million remaining on the March 2005 authorization.  Then, in October 2007, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of an additional $500.0 million of our common stock.  This authorization was in addition to the November 2006 authorization which had approximately $98.4 million remaining at the time.

We repurchased approximately 12.8 million shares for approximately $473.0 million in fiscal 2007 and approximately 8.8 million shares for approximately $248.2 million in fiscal 2006.  We had no share repurchases in fiscal 2008.  At January 31, 2009, we have approximately $453.7 million remaining under Board authorization.

Funding Requirements

Overview
We expect our cash needs for opening new stores and expanding existing stores in fiscal 2009 to total approximately $138.1 million, which includes capital expenditures, initial inventory and pre-opening costs.  Our estimated capital expenditures for fiscal 2009 are between $135.0 and $145.0 million, including planned expenditures for our new and expanded stores and the addition of freezers and coolers to approximately 175 stores.  We believe that we can adequately fund our working capital requirements and planned capital expenditures for the next few years from net cash provided by operations and potential borrowings under our existing credit facility.


 
24

 

The following tables summarize our material contractual obligations at January 31, 2009, including both on- and off-balance sheet arrangements, and our commitments, including interest on long-term borrowings (in millions):


Contractual Obligations
 
Total
   
2009
   
2010
   
2011
   
2012
   
2013
   
Thereafter
 
Lease Financing
                                         
Operating lease obligations
  $ 1,439.4     $ 348.1     $ 304.6     $ 251.4     $ 194.8     $ 130.1     $ 210.4  
Capital lease obligations
    0.6       0.2       0.2       0.1       0.1       --       --  
                                                         
Long-term Borrowings
                                                       
Credit Agreement
    250.0       --       --       --       --       250.0       --  
Revenue bond financing
    17.6       17.6       --       --       --       --       --  
Interest on long-term borrowings
    12.6       3.3       3.0       3.0       3.0       0.3       --  
Total obligations
  $ 1,720.2     $ 369.2     $ 307.8     $ 254.5     $ 197.9     $ 380.4     $ 210.4  



Commitments
 
Total
   
Expiring in 2009
   
Expiring in 2010
   
Expiring in 2011
   
Expiring in 2012
   
Expiring in 2013
   
Thereafter
 
                                           
Letters of credit and surety bonds
  $ 124.3     $ 124.3     $ --     $ --     $ --     $ --     $ --  
Freight contracts
    109.6       86.6       15.6       4.4       3.0       --       --  
Technology assets
    3.2       3.2       --       --       --       --       --  
Total commitments
  $ 237.1     $ 214.1     $ 15.6     $ 4.4     $ 3.0     $ --     $ --  


Lease Financing
Operating Lease Obligations.  Our operating lease obligations are primarily for payments under noncancelable store leases.  The commitment includes amounts for leases that were signed prior to January 31, 2009 for stores that were not yet open on January 31, 2009.

Capital Lease Obligations.  Our capital lease obligations are primarily for distribution center equipment and computer equipment at the store support center.

Credit Agreement. On February 20, 2008, we entered into a five-year $550.0 million unsecured Credit Agreement (the Agreement).  The Agreement provides for a $300.0 million revolving line of credit, including up to $150.0 million in available letters of credit, and a $250.0 million term loan.  The interest rate on the facility will be based, at our option, on a LIBOR rate, plus a margin, or an alternate base rate, plus a margin.  This rate was 1.21% at January 31, 2009.  The revolving line of credit also bears a facilities fee, calculated as a percentage, as defined, of the amount available under the line of credit, payable quarterly.  The term loan is due and payable in full at the five year maturity date of the Agreement.  The Agreement also bears an administrative fee payable annually.  The Agreement, among other things, requires the maintenance of certain specified financial ratios, restricts the payment of certain distributions and prohibits the incurrence of certain new indebtedness.  As of January 31, 2009, we had $250.0 million outstanding on the Agreement.  Our March 2004, $450.0 million unsecured revolving credit facility was terminated concurrent with entering into the Agreement.

Revenue Bond Financing.  In May 1998, we entered into an agreement with the Mississippi Business Finance Corporation under which it issued $19.0 million of variable-rate demand revenue bonds.  We used the proceeds from the bonds to finance the acquisition, construction and installation of land, buildings, machinery and equipment for our distribution facility in Olive Branch, Mississippi.  At January 31, 2009, the balance outstanding on the bonds was $17.6 million.  These bonds are due to be fully repaid in June 2018.  The bonds do not have a prepayment penalty as long as the interest rate remains variable.  The bonds contain a demand provision and, therefore, outstanding amounts are classified as current liabilities.  We pay interest monthly based on a variable interest rate, which was 1.50% at January 31, 2009.

Interest on Long-term Borrowings. This amount represents interest payments on the Credit Agreement and the revenue bond financing using the interest rates for each at January 31, 2009.

25

Commitments
Letters of Credit and Surety Bonds.  In March 2001, we entered into a Letter of Credit Reimbursement and Security Agreement, which provides $121.5 million for letters of credit. In December 2004, we entered into an additional Letter of Credit Reimbursement and Security Agreement, which provides $50.0 million for letters of credit.  Letters of credit are generally issued for the routine purchase of imported merchandise and we had approximately $97.8 million of purchases committed under these letters of credit at January 31, 2009.

We also have approximately $26.5 million of letters of credit or surety bonds outstanding for our self-insurance programs and certain utility payment obligations at some of our stores.

Freight Contracts.  We have contracted outbound freight services from various carriers with contracts expiring through February 2013.  The total amount of these commitments is approximately $109.6 million.

Technology Assets.  We have commitments totaling approximately $3.2 million to primarily purchase store technology assets for our stores during 2009.

Derivative Financial Instruments
On March 20, 2008, we entered into two $75.0 million interest rate swap agreements.   These interest rate swaps are used to manage the risk associated with interest rate fluctuations on a portion of our $250.0 million variable rate term loan.  Under these agreements, we pay interest to financial institutions at a fixed rate of 2.8%.  In exchange, the financial institutions pay us at a variable rate, which approximates the variable rate on the debt, excluding the credit spread.  These swaps qualify for hedge accounting treatment pursuant to SFAS No. 133, Accounting for Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities.  These swaps expire in March 2011.

We are party to one additional interest rate swap, which allows us to manage the risk associated with interest rate fluctuations on the demand revenue bonds. The swap is based on a notional amount of $17.6 million. Under the $17.6 million agreement, as amended, we pay interest to the bank that provided the swap at a fixed rate.  In exchange, the financial institution pays us at a variable-interest rate, which is similar to the rate on the demand revenue bonds.  The variable-interest rate on the interest rate swap is set monthly.  No payments are made by either party under the swap for monthly periods with an established interest rate greater than a predetermined rate (the knock-out rate).  The swap may be canceled by the bank or us and settled for the fair value of the swap as determined by market rates and expires in 2009.

Because of the knock-out provision in the $17.6 million swap, changes in the fair value of that swap are recorded in earnings.  For more information on the interest rate swaps, see Item 7A "Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk – Interest Rate Risk” beginning on page 29 of this Form 10-K.
 
Critical Accounting Policies
The preparation of financial statements requires the use of estimates.  Certain of our estimates require a high level of judgment and have the potential to have a material effect on the financial statements if actual results vary significantly from those estimates.  Following is a discussion of the estimates that we consider critical.

Inventory Valuation
As discussed in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements, inventories at the distribution centers are stated at the lower of cost or market with cost determined on a weighted-average basis.  Cost is assigned to store inventories using the retail inventory method on a weighted-average basis.  Under the retail inventory method, the valuation of inventories at cost and the resulting gross margins are computed by applying a calculated cost-to-retail ratio to the retail value of inventories.  The retail inventory method is an averaging method that has been widely used in the retail industry and results in valuing inventories at lower of cost or market when markdowns are taken as a reduction of the retail value of inventories on a timely basis.

Inventory valuation methods require certain significant management estimates and judgments, including estimates of future merchandise markdowns and shrink, which significantly affect the ending inventory valuation at cost as well as the resulting gross margins.  The averaging required in applying the retail inventory method and the estimates of shrink and markdowns could, under certain circumstances, result in costs not being recorded in the proper period.

26

We estimate our markdown reserve based on the consideration of a variety of factors, including, but not limited to, quantities of slow moving or seasonal, carryover merchandise on hand, historical markdown statistics and future merchandising plans.  The accuracy of our estimates can be affected by many factors, some of which are outside of our control, including changes in economic conditions and consumer buying trends.  Historically, we have not experienced significant differences in our estimated reserve for markdowns compared with actual results.

Our accrual for shrink is based on the actual, historical shrink results of our most recent physical inventories adjusted, if necessary, for current economic conditions.  These estimates are compared to actual results as physical inventory counts are taken and reconciled to the general ledger.  Our physical inventory counts are generally taken between January and September of each year; therefore, the shrink accrual recorded at January 31, 2009 is based on estimated shrink for most of 2008, including the fourth quarter.  We have not experienced significant fluctuations in historical shrink rates beyond approximately 10-20 basis points in our Dollar Tree stores for the last few years.  However, we have sometimes experienced higher than typical shrink in acquired stores in the year following an acquisition.  We periodically adjust our shrink estimates to address these factors as they become apparent.

Our management believes that our application of the retail inventory method results in an inventory valuation that reasonably approximates cost and results in carrying inventory at the lower of cost or market each year on a consistent basis.

Accrued Expenses
On a monthly basis, we estimate certain expenses in an effort to record those expenses in the period incurred.  Our most material estimates include domestic freight expenses, self-insurance programs, store-level operating expenses, such as property taxes and utilities, and certain other expenses.  Our freight and store-level operating expenses are estimated based on current activity and historical trends and results.  Our workers' compensation and general liability insurance accruals are recorded based on actuarial valuations which are adjusted at least annually based on a review performed by a third-party actuary.  These actuarial valuations are estimates based on our historical loss development factors.  Certain other expenses are estimated and recorded in the periods that management becomes aware of them.  The related accruals are adjusted as management’s estimates change.  Differences in management's estimates and assumptions could result in an accrual materially different from the calculated accrual.  Our experience has been that some of our estimates are too high and others are too low.  Historically, the net total of these differences has not had a material effect on our financial condition or results of operations.

Income Taxes
On a quarterly basis, we estimate our required income tax liability and assess the recoverability of our deferred tax assets.  Our income taxes payable are estimated based on enacted tax rates, including estimated tax rates in states where our store base is growing, applied to the income expected to be taxed currently.  Management assesses the recoverability of deferred tax assets based on the availability of carrybacks of future deductible amounts and management’s projections for future taxable income.  We cannot guarantee that we will generate taxable income in future years.  Historically, we have not experienced significant differences in our estimates of our tax accrual.

In addition, we have a recorded liability for our estimate of uncertain tax positions taken or expected to be taken in our tax returns.  Judgment is required in evaluating the application of federal and state tax laws, including relevant case law, and assessing whether it is more likely than not that a tax position will be sustained on examination and, if so, judgment is also required as to the measurement of the amount of tax benefit that will be realized upon settlement with the taxing authority.  Income tax expense is adjusted in the period in which new information about a tax position becomes available or the final outcome differs from the amounts recorded. We believe that our liability for uncertain tax positions is adequate.  For further discussion of our changes in reserves during 2008, see Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data - Note 3 to the Consolidated Financial Statements” beginning on page 41 of this Form 10-K.


 
27

 

Seasonality and Quarterly Fluctuations
We experience seasonal fluctuations in our net sales, comparable store net sales, operating income and net income and expect this trend to continue.  Our results of operations may also fluctuate significantly as a result of a variety of factors, including:
   
· 
Shifts in the timing of certain holidays, especially Easter;
   
· 
The timing of new store openings;
   
· 
The net sales contributed by new stores;
   
· 
Changes in our merchandise mix; and
   
· 
Competition.

Our highest sales periods are the Christmas and Easter seasons.  Easter was observed on April 8, 2007, March 23, 2008, and will be observed on April 12, 2009.  We believe that the later Easter in 2009 could result in a $25.0 million increase in sales in the first quarter of 2009 as compared to the first quarter of 2008.  We generally realize a disproportionate amount of our net sales and of our operating and net income during the fourth quarter.  In anticipation of increased sales activity during these months, we purchase substantial amounts of inventory and hire a significant number of temporary employees to supplement our continuing store staff.  Our operating results, particularly operating and net income, could suffer if our net sales were below seasonal norms during the fourth quarter or during the Easter season for any reason, including merchandise delivery delays due to receiving or distribution problems, consumer sentiment or inclement weather.

Our unaudited results of operations for the eight most recent quarters are shown in a table in Footnote 12 of the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Inflation and Other Economic Factors
Our ability to provide quality merchandise at a fixed price and on a profitable basis may be subject to economic factors and influences that we cannot control.  Consumer spending could decline because of economic pressures, including unemployment and rising fuel prices.  Reductions in consumer confidence and spending could have an adverse effect on our sales.  National or international events, including war or terrorism, could lead to disruptions in economies in the United States or in foreign countries where we purchase some of our merchandise.  These and other factors could increase our merchandise costs and other costs that are critical to our operations, such as shipping and wage rates.

Shipping Costs.  Currently, trans-Pacific shipping rates are negotiated with individual freight lines and are subject to fluctuation based on supply and demand for containers and current fuel costs.  We can give no assurances as to the final actual rates for 2009, as we are in the early stages of our negotiations.

Minimum Wage. On May 25, 2007, legislation was enacted that increased the Federal Minimum Wage from $5.15 an hour to $7.25 an hour by July 2009.  As a result, our wages will increase in 2009; however, we believe that we can partially offset the increase in payroll costs through increased store productivity and continued efficiencies in product flow to our stores.

 
28

 


Item 7A.  QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK

We are exposed to various types of market risk in the normal course of our business, including the impact of interest rate changes and foreign currency rate fluctuations.  We may enter into interest rate swaps to manage exposure to interest rate changes, and we may employ other risk management strategies, including the use of foreign currency forward contracts.  We do not enter into derivative instruments for any purpose other than cash flow hedging and we do not hold derivative instruments for trading purposes.

Interest Rate Risk

We use variable-rate debt to finance certain of our operations and capital improvements.  These obligations expose us to variability in interest payments due to changes in interest rates.  If interest rates increase, interest expense increases. Conversely, if interest rates decrease, interest expense also decreases.  We believe it is beneficial to limit the variability of our interest payments.

To meet this objective, we entered into derivative instruments in the form of interest rate swaps to manage fluctuations in cash flows resulting from changes in the variable-interest rates on a portion of our $250.0 million term loan and on our Demand Revenue Bonds.  The interest rate swaps reduce the interest rate exposure on these variable-rate obligations.  Under the interest rate swaps, we pay the bank at a fixed-rate and receive variable-interest at a rate approximating the variable-rate on the obligation, thereby creating the economic equivalent of a fixed-rate obligation.  We entered into two $75.0 million interest rate swap agreements in March 2008 to manage the risk associated with the interest rate fluctuations on a portion of our $250.0 million variable rate term loan and we have an additional $17.6 million interest rate swap to manage the risk associated with the interest rate fluctuations on our Demand Revenue Bonds.  Under this $17.6 million swap, no payments are made by parties under the swap for monthly periods in which the variable-interest rate is greater than the predetermined knock-out rate.

The following table summarizes the financial terms of our interest rate swap agreements and the fair value of the interest rate swaps at January 31, 2009:

Hedging Instrument
Receive Variable
Pay Fixed
Knock-out Rate
Expiration
Fair Value
Two $75.0 million interest rate swaps
LIBOR
2.80%
N/A
3/31/11
($4.4 million)
$17.6 million interest rate swap
LIBOR
4.88%
7.75%
4/1/09
($0.1 million)

Hypothetically, a 1% change in interest rates results in an approximate $1.7 million change in the amount paid or received under the terms of the interest rate swap agreement on an annual basis.  Due to many factors, management is not able to predict the changes in the fair values of our interest rate swaps.  These fair values are obtained from our outside financial institutions.

 
29

 

Item 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

Index to Consolidated Financial Statements
Page
   
31
   
 
January 31, 2009, February 2, 2008 and February 3, 2007
31
   
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of January 31, 2009 and
 
February 2, 2008
33
   
 
for the years ended January 31, 2009, February 2, 2008 and
 
February 3, 2007
34
   
 
January 31, 2009, February 2, 2008 and February 3, 2007
35
   
36


30


 
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
 
The Board of Directors and Shareholders
Dollar Tree, Inc.:
 
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Dollar Tree, Inc. and subsidiaries (the Company) as of January 31, 2009 and February 2, 2008, and the related consolidated statements of operations, shareholders’ equity and comprehensive income, and cash flows for each of the fiscal years in the three-year period ended January 31, 2009. These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these consolidated financial statements based on our audits.
 
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. An audit also includes assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall financial statement presentation. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
 
In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of January 31, 2009 and February 2, 2008, and the results of their operations and their cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended January 31, 2009, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
 
As discussed in note 1 to the consolidated financial statements, the Company adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 48, Accounting for Uncertainty in Income Taxes, effective February 4, 2007.
 
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), Dollar Tree, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of January 31, 2009, based on criteria established in Internal Control – Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO), and our report dated March 26, 2009 expressed an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
 
/s/ KPMG LLP
 
Norfolk, Virginia
March 26, 2009

 
31

 

DOLLAR TREE, INC.
AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

   
Year Ended
   
Year Ended
   
Year Ended
 
   
January 31,
   
February 2,
   
February 3,
 
(In millions, except per share data)
 
2009
   
2008
   
2007
 
Net sales
  $ 4,644.9     $ 4,242.6     $ 3,969.4  
Cost of sales (Note 4)
    3,052.7       2,781.5       2,612.2  
     Gross profit
    1,592.2       1,461.1       1,357.2  
                         
Selling, general and administrative
                       
  expenses (Notes 4, 8 and 9)
    1,226.4       1,130.8       1,046.4  
                         
     Operating income
    365.8       330.3       310.8  
                         
Interest income
    2.6       6.7       8.6  
Interest expense (Notes 5 and 6)
    (9.3 )     (17.2 )     (16.5 )
                         
     Income before income taxes
    359.1       319.8       302.9  
                         
Provision for income taxes (Note 3)
    129.6       118.5       110.9  
                         
Net income
  $ 229.5     $ 201.3     $ 192.0  
                         
Basic net income per share (Note 7)
  $ 2.54     $ 2.10     $ 1.86  
                         
Diluted net income per share (Note 7)
  $ 2.53     $ 2.09     $ 1.85  

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 
32

 

DOLLAR TREE, INC.
AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In millions, except share and per share data)
 
January 31, 2009
   
February 2, 2008
 
ASSETS
           
Current assets:
           
   Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 364.4     $ 40.6  
   Short-term investments
    -       40.5  
   Merchandise inventories
    675.8       641.2  
   Deferred tax assets (Note 3)
    7.7       17.3  
   Prepaid expenses and other current assets
    25.3       49.2  
Total current assets
    1,073.2       788.8  
                 
Property, plant and equipment, net (Note 2)
    710.3       743.6  
Goodwill (Note 10)
    133.3       133.3  
Deferred tax assets (Note 3)
    33.0       38.7  
Other assets, net (Notes 8 and 11)
    85.9       83.3  
                 
TOTAL ASSETS
  $ 2,035.7     $ 1,787.7  
                 
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
               
Current liabilities:
               
  Current portion of long-term debt (Note 5)
  $ 17.6     $ 18.5  
  Accounts payable
    192.9       200.4  
  Other current liabilities (Note 2)
    152.5       143.6  
  Income taxes payable  (Note 3)
    46.9       43.4  
Total current liabilities
    409.9       405.9  
                 
Long-term debt, excluding current portion (Note 5)
    250.0       250.0  
Income taxes payable, long-term (Note 3)
    14.7       55.0  
Other liabilities (Notes 2, 6 and 8)
    107.9       88.4  
                 
Total liabilities
    782.5       799.3  
                 
Commitments, contingencies and
               
  subsequent events (Note 4)
               
                 
Shareholders' equity (Notes 6, 7 and 9):
               
  Common stock, par value $0.01.  300,000,000 shares
               
    authorized, 90,771,397 and 89,784,776 shares
               
    issued and outstanding at January 31, 2009
               
    and February 2, 2008, respectively
    0.9       0.9  
  Additional paid-in capital
    38.0       -  
  Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)
    (2.6 )     0.1  
  Retained earnings
    1,216.9       987.4  
Total shareholders' equity
    1,253.2       988.4  
                 
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
  $ 2,035.7     $ 1,787.7  

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

 
33

 

DOLLAR TREE, INC.
AND SUBSIDIARIES
YEARS ENDED JANUARY 31, 2009, FEBRUARY 2, 2008, AND FEBRUARY 3, 2007

                     
Accumulated
             
   
Common
         
Additional
   
Other
         
Share-
 
   
Stock
   
Common
   
Paid-in
   
Comprehensive
   
Retained
   
holders'
 
(in millions)
 
Shares
   
Stock
   
Capital
   
Income (Loss)
   
Earnings
   
Equity
 
                                     
Balance at January 28, 2006
    106.5     $ 1.1     $ 11.4     $ 0.1     $ 1,159.7     $ 1,172.3  
                                                 
  Net income for the year ended
                                               
      February 3, 2007
    -       -       -       -       192.0       192.0  
  Other comprehensive income
    -       -       -       -       -       -  
        Total comprehensive income
                                            192.0  
  Issuance of stock under Employee Stock