Property and Equipment

12 Months Ended

Jan. 28, 2012

13. Property and Equipment

Property and equipment is depreciated using the straight-line method over estimated useful lives or lease terms if shorter. We amortize leasehold improvements purchased after the beginning of the initial lease term over the shorter of the assets' useful lives or a term that includes the original lease term, plus any renewals that are reasonably assured at the date the leasehold improvements are acquired. Depreciation expense for 2011, 2010 and 2009 was $2,107 million, $2,060 million and $1,999 million, respectively. For income tax purposes, accelerated depreciation methods are generally used. Repair and maintenance costs are expensed as incurred and were $666 million in 2011, $726 million in 2010 and $632 million in 2009. Facility pre-opening costs, including supplies and payroll, are expensed as incurred.

Estimated Useful Lives		Life (in years)



Buildings and improvements		8-39
Fixtures and equipment		3-15
Computer hardware and software		4-7

Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment when events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset's carrying value may not be recoverable. Impairments of $38 million in 2011, $28 million in 2010 and $49 million in 2009 were recorded as a result of the reviews performed. Additionally, due to project scope changes, we wrote off capitalized construction-in-progress costs of $5 million in 2011, $6 million in 2010 and $37 million in 2009.

- Definition

The entire disclosure for long-lived, physical assets that are used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale. Examples include land, buildings, machinery and equipment, and other types of furniture and equipment including, but not limited to, office equipment, furniture and fixtures, and computer equipment and software. This disclosure may include property plant and equipment accounting policies and methodology, a schedule of property, plant and equipment gross, additions, deletions, transfers and other changes, depreciation, depletion and amortization expense, net, accumulated depreciation, depletion and amortization expense and useful lives, income statement disclosures, assets held for sale and public utility disclosures.

+ References+ Details