NOTE B – REVENUE RECOGNITION



Revenue is recognized when, or as, control of a promised product or service transfers to a customer, in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for transferring those products or services.  Revenue excludes taxes that have been assessed by governmental authorities and that are directly imposed on revenue-producing transactions between the Company and its customers, including sales, use, value-added, and some excise taxes. Revenue recognition is evaluated through the following five-step process: 



1) identification of the contract with a customer;

2) identification of the performance obligations in the contract;

3) determination of the transaction price;

4) allocation of the transaction price to the performance obligations in the contract; and

5) recognition of revenue when or as a performance obligation is satisfied. 



Product Revenue



A majority of the Company’s sales are for products sold at a point in time and shipped to customers, for which control is transferred as goods are delivered to the third party carrier for shipment.  The Company receives payment, primarily via credit card, for the sale of products at the time customers place orders and payment is required prior to shipment. 



The Company’s product sales contracts include terms that could cause variability in the transaction price for items such as discounts, credits, or sales returns.  Accordingly, the transaction price for product sales includes estimates of variable consideration to the extent it is probable that a significant reversal of revenue recognized will not occur. At the time of sale, the Company estimates a refund liability for the variable consideration based on historical experience.



Initial product orders with a new customer may include multiple performance obligations related to sales discounts earned under the Company’s initial order reward program.  Under this program, the customer receives an option to apply the discounts earned on the initial order to two subsequent Auto Orders, which conveys a material right to the customer.  As such, the initial order transaction price is allocated to each separate performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price and recognized as revenue as each performance obligation is satisfied.



Associate incentives represent consideration paid to a customer and include all forms of commissions, and other incentives paid to our Associates.  With the exception of commissions paid to Associates on personal purchases, which are considered a sales discount and are reported as a reduction to net sales, the incentives are paid for distinct services related to the Company’s product sales and are recorded as an expense when revenue for the goods is recognized.



Shipping and handling activities are performed after the customer obtains control of the goods transferred.  The Company accounts for these activities as fulfillment costs.  Therefore, the Company recognizes the costs of these activities when revenue for the goods is recognized.  Shipping and handling costs are included in cost of sales for all periods presented.



With respect to will-call orders, the Company periodically assesses the likelihood that customers will exercise their contractual right to pick up orders and revenue is recognized when the likelihood is estimated to be remote.



Other Revenue



Other types of revenue include fees for access to online customer service applications and annual account renewal fees for Associates, for which control is transferred over time as services are delivered and are recognized as revenue on a straight-line basis over the term of the respective contracts.

NOTE B – REVENUE RECOGNITION - CONTINUED



Revenue Disaggregation



Disaggregation of revenue by geographical region and major product line is included in Segment Information in Note K.



Contract Balances



Contract liabilities, which are recorded within Other current liabilities in the condensed consolidated balance sheets, primarily relate to deferred revenue for product sales for customer payments received in advance of shipment, for outstanding material rights under the initial order program, and for services where control is transferred over time as services are delivered.



The following table provides information about contract liabilities from contracts with customers, including significant changes in the contract liabilities balances during the period.