Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Activist Shareholder Response Costs

v3.7.0.1
Activist Shareholder Response Costs
12 Months Ended
Jan. 28, 2017
Activist Shareholder Response Costs [Abstract]  
Other Operating Income and Expense [Text Block]
Activist Shareholder Response Costs
In October 2013, the Company received a demand from an activist shareholder to call a special meeting of shareholders for the purpose, among other things, of voting on a new slate of directors and amending certain of the Company’s bylaws. The Company retained a team of advisers, including a financial adviser, proxy solicitor, investor relations firm and legal counsel, to assist in responding to the demand and the solicitation of proxies. In conjunction with such activities, the Company recorded charges to income in fiscal 2014 totaling $3,518,000, which includes $750,000 as reimbursement for a portion of the activist shareholder’s expenses.  As previously disclosed, the activist shareholder requested that the Company reimburse it for certain of its expenses relating to the proxy contest.  In exchange for paying certain activist shareholder expenses, the Company obtained a customary standstill agreement from the activist shareholder. The process of responding to the initial demand concluded with the Company’s annual shareholder meeting on June 18, 2014.