Description of property

Signet attributes great importance to the location and appearance of its stores. Accordingly, in both Signet’s US and UK operations, investment decisions on selecting sites and refurbishing stores are made centrally, and strict real estate and investment criteria are applied.

US property
Substantially all of Signet’s US stores are leased. In addition to a minimum annual rental, the majority of mall stores are also liable to pay rent based on sales above a specified base level. In Fiscal 2011, most of the div ision’s mall stores only made base rental payments. Under the terms of a typical lease, the US business is required to conform and maintain its usage to agreed standards, including meeting required advertising expenditure as a percentage of sales, and is responsible for its proportionate share of expenses associated with common area maintenance, utilities and taxes of the mall. The initial term of a mall store lease is generally ten years. Towards the end of a lease, management evaluates whether to renew a lease and refit the store, using the same operational and investment criteria as for a new store. Where management is uncertain whether the location will meet management’s required return on investment, but the store is profitable, the leases may be renewed for one to three years during which time the store’s performance is further evaluated. There are typically about 200 such mall brand stores at any one time. Jared stores are normally opened on 20 year leases with options to extend the lease, and rents are not sales related. A refurbishment of a Jared store is normally undertaken every ten years. At January 29, 2011, the average unexpired lease term of US leased premises was six years, and just over half of these leases had terms expiring within five years. The cost of refitting a store is similar to the cost of fitting out a new store which is typically between $350,000 and $400,000 for a mall location and between $850,000 and $1,250,000 for a Jared store. In Fiscal 2009, Fiscal 2010 and Fiscal 2011, the level of new store openings was substantially below that in Fiscal 2006, Fiscal 2007 and Fiscal 2008. Management expects that 25 new stores will be opened during Fiscal 2012. In Fiscal 2011, the level of major store refurbishment was below historic levels but higher than recent years with 21 mall locations being completed (Fiscal 2010: 16). It is anticipated that refurbishment activity will increase again in Fiscal 2012 to 68, including 17 Jared locations. The investment will be financed by cash flow from operating activities.

The US division leases 16% of its store locations from Simon Property Group and 13% from General Growth Management, Inc. The US division has no other relationship with any lessor relating to 10% or more of its store locations. At January 29, 2011, the US division had 2.34 million square feet of selling space.

During the past five fiscal years, the US business generally has been successful in renewing its store leases as they expire and has not experienced difficulty in securing suitable locations for its stores. No store lease is individually material to Signet’s US operations.

A 340,000 square foot head office and distribution facility is leased in Akron, Ohio through 2032. An 86,000 square foot office building next door to the head office is also leased through 2032. Space surplus to Signet’s requirements in this building is currently sublet or is available to be sublet. A 19,000 square foot repair center was opened in Akron, Ohio during Fiscal 2006 and is owned by a subsidiary of Signet. There are no plans for any major capital expenditure related to the head office and distribution facilities.

UK property
At January 29, 2011, Signet’s UK division operated from six freehold premises, five premises where the lease had a remaining term in excess of 25 years and 532 other leasehold premises. The division’s stores are generally leased under full repairing and insuring leases (equivalent to triple net leases in the US). Wherever possible Signet is shortening the length of new leases that it enters into, or including break clauses in order to improve the flexibility of its lease commitments. At January 29, 2011, the average unexpired lease term of UK premises with lease terms of less than 25 years was seven years, and a majority of leases had either break clauses or terms expiring within five years. Rents are usually subject to upward review every five years if market conditions so warrant. An increasing proportion of rents also have an element related to the sales of a store, subject to a minimum annual value. For details of assigned leases and sublet premises see page 76 of the Form 10-K.

At the end of the lease period, subject to certain limited exceptions, UK leaseholders generally have statutory rights to enter into a new lease of the premises on negotiated terms. As current leases expire, Signet believes that it will be able to renew leases, if desired, for present store locations or to obtain leases in equivalent or improved locations in the same general area. Signet has not experienced difficulty in securing leases for suitable locations for its UK stores. No store lease is individually material to Signet’s UK operations.

A typical H.Samuel store historically has had a major refurbishment every seven years and an Ernest Jones store every ten years. Once an H.Samuel store has been converted to the current more customer friendly open format, the cost and frequency of subsequent major refurbishments are lower, but much less costly store redecorations are now required, typically every five years. At January 29, 2011, 75% of H.Samuel stores and 56% of Ernest Jones stores traded in the converted format. It is anticipated that by the end of Fiscal 2014 nearly all the UK stores will trade in the converted format. The investment will be financed by cash from operating activities. The cost of refitting to the customer friendly open format is between £150,000 and £250,000 for both brands. The cost of subsequently refitting H.Samuel and Ernest Jones stores is expected to be lower.

The UK division has no relationship with any lessor relating to 10% or more of its store locations. At January 29, 2011, the UK division has 0.53 million square feet of selling space.

Signet owns a 255,000 square foot warehouse and distribution center in Birmingham, where certain of the UK division’s central administration functions are based, as well as ecommerce fulfillment. The remaining activities are situated in a 36,200 square foot office in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire which is held on a 15 year lease entered into in 2005. There are no plans for any major capital expenditure related to offices or the distribution center in the UK.

Certain corporate functions are located in a 7,200 square foot office in central London, on a ten year lease which was entered into in 2005.

Distribution capacity
The capacity of the US distribution center was increased in Fiscal 2009. Both divisions have sufficient capacity to meet their current needs.