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## Fiscal Year Ended December 29, 2012 (52 weeks) Compared to Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2011 (52 weeks) 

Total revenues. Net retail sales were $374.6 million for fiscal 2012, compared to $387.0 million for fiscal 2011, a decrease of $12.5 million. The components of this decrease are as follows: 

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Revenue from international franchise fees increased to $3.6 million for fiscal 2012 from $3.4 million for fiscal 2011, an increase of $0.2 million. This increase was primarily due to the increase in the number of franchise locations from 79 at the end of fiscal 2011 to 91 at the end of fiscal 2012. Commercial revenue was $2.8 million in fiscal 2012 compared to $3.9 million in fiscal 2011, a decrease of $1.2 million. This decrease was primarily due to an overall decrease in licensing activity in 2012. 

Gross margin. Total gross margin, calculated as net retail sales and commercial revenues less cost of merchandise sold, was $147.2 million for fiscal 2012 compared to $156.8 million for fiscal 2011, a decrease of $9.6 million, or 6.1%. Retail gross margin was $145.7 million in fiscal 2012 compared to $154.5 million in fiscal 2011, a decrease of $8.8 million, or 5.7%. As a percentage of net retail sales, retail gross margin decreased to 38.9% for fiscal 2012 from 39.9% for fiscal 2011, a decrease of 100 bps. This decline in margin was primarily attributable to decreased leverage on fixed occupancy costs, including store asset impairment charges and decreased merchandise margin, partially offset by cost savings in distribution and packaging costs. 

Selling, general and administrative. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $165.5 million for fiscal 2012 as compared to $162.9 million for fiscal 2011, an increase of $2.6 million, or 1.6%. As a percentage of total revenues, selling, general and administrative expenses were 43.4% for fiscal 2012, compared to 41.3% in fiscal 2011. The dollar increase was primarily attributable to $3 million in asset impairment charges and investment in marketing and store-related costs as part of our long-term initiatives. Excluding the impairment charges, selling general and administrative expenses were 42.6% of total revenues. 

Goodwill impairment.  In 2012, the goodwill associated with the UK business was fully impaired, resulting in a $33.7 million non-cash charge. 

Interest expense (income), net.  Interest expense, net of interest income, was $3,000 for fiscal 2012 as compared to $0.1 million of income for fiscal 2011. 

Provision for income taxes.  Income tax expense was $0.9 million in fiscal 2012, compared to $14.4 million for fiscal 2011. The effective rate was (1.8)% in 2012 and (543.4)% in 2011. The fluctuation in the effective rate was primarily attributable to the recording of a valuation allowance in 2011 on the US deferred tax assets. 

## Non-GAAP Financial Measures 

We use the term “store contribution” throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Store contribution consists of income before income tax expense, interest, store depreciation, amortization and impairment, goodwill impairment, general and administrative expense, excluding franchise fees, income from licensing activities and contribution from our web store and temporary and seasonal locations. This term, as we define it, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other companies and is not a measure of performance presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). 

We use store contribution as a measure of our stores’ operating performance. Store contribution should not be considered a substitute for net income, net income per store, cash flows provided by operating activities, cash flows provided by operating activities per store, or other income or cash flow data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. 

We believe store contribution is useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance because it, along with the number of stores in operation, directly impacts our profitability. 

The following table sets forth a reconciliation of store contribution to net (loss) income for our company-owned stores located in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico (North America), stores located in the United Kingdom and Ireland (Europe) and for our consolidated store base (dollars in thousands): 

