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PLCE-2.1.2014-10K

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10‑K

(Mark One)



x	ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fifty-two weeks ended February 1, 2014
o	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the transition period from to

Commission file number 0‑23071

THE CHILDREN'S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)



Delaware		31‑1241495
(State or other jurisdiction of		(I.R.S. employer
incorporation or organization)		identification number)
500 Plaza Drive
Secaucus, New Jersey		07094
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)		(Zip Code)

(201) 558‑2400

(Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act: Common Stock, $0.10 par value

Name of each exchange on which registered: Nasdaq Global Select Market

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None.

___________________________________________

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes o No x

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes o No x

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (Section 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes x No o

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein and will not be contained, to the best of the registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10‑K or any amendment to this Form 10‑K. o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” ”accelerated filer,” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b‑2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):



Large accelerated filer	x	Accelerated filer	o	Non-accelerated filer (Do not check if smaller reporting Company)	o	Smaller reporting company	o

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No x

The aggregate market value of common stock held by non-affiliates was $932,214,689 at the close of business on August 3, 2013 (the last business day of the registrant's fiscal 2013 second fiscal quarter) based on the closing price of the common stock as reported on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. For purposes of this disclosure, shares of common stock held by persons who hold more than 10% of the outstanding shares of common stock and shares held by executive officers and directors of the registrant have been excluded because such persons may be deemed affiliates. This determination of executive officer or affiliate status is not necessarily a conclusive determination for other purposes.

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date: Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share, outstanding at March 18, 2014: 22,010,716. Documents Incorporated by Reference: Portions of The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. Definitive Proxy Statement for its Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be held on June 4, 2014 are incorporated by reference into Part III.

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THE CHILDREN'S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 10-K

FOR THE FIFTY-TWO WEEKS ENDED FEBRUARY 1, 2014

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		PAGE
PART I

Item 1.	Business	3
Item 1A.	Risk Factors	12
Item 1B.	Unresolved Staff Comments	21
Item 2.	Properties	21
Item 3.	Legal Proceedings	21
Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosure	21

PART II

Item 5.	Market for Registrant's Common Equity and Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities	22
Item 6.	Selected Financial Data	25
Item 7.	Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	27
Item 7A.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk	39
Item 8.	Financial Statements and Supplementary Data	40
Item 9.	Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure	40
Item 9A.	Controls and Procedures	40
Item 9B.	Other Information	43

PART III

Item 10.	Directors and Executive Officers of the Registrant and Corporate Governance	43
Item 11.	Executive Compensation	43
Item 12.	Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters	43
Item 13.	Certain Relationships and Related Transactions and Director Independence	43
Item 14.	Principal Accountant Fees and Services	43

PART IV

Item 15.	Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules	44

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SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

The Business section and other parts of this Annual Report on Form 10-K may contain certain forward-looking statements regarding future circumstances. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Forward-looking statements can also be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” and similar terms. These forward-looking statements are based upon current expectations and assumptions of The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. (the “Company”) and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, those discussed in the subsection entitled “Risk Factors” under Part I, Item 1A of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Actual results, events, and performance may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Readers of this Annual Report on Form 10-K are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. The inclusion of any statement in this Annual Report on Form 10-K does not constitute an admission by the Company or any other person that the events or circumstances described in such statement are material.

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Company's audited financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10‑K.

PART I

ITEM 1.-BUSINESS

As used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, references to the “Company”, “The Children's Place”, “we”, “us”, “our” and similar terms refer to The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Our fiscal year ends on the Saturday on or nearest to January 31. Other terms that are commonly used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K are defined as follows:


•	Fiscal 2013 - The fifty-two weeks ended February 1, 2014


•	Fiscal 2012 - The fifty-three weeks ended February 2, 2013


•	Fiscal 2011 - The fifty-two weeks ended January 28, 2012


•	Fiscal 2014 - Our next fiscal year representing the fifty-two weeks ending January 31, 2015


•	GAAP - Generally Accepted Accounting Principles

•

Comparable Retail Sales — Net sales, in constant currency, from stores that have been open for at least 14 consecutive months and from our e-commerce stores, excluding postage and handling fees. Store closures in the current fiscal year will be excluded from comparable retail sales beginning in the fiscal quarter in which management commits to closure. Stores that temporarily close for non- substantial remodeling will be excluded from comparable retail sales for only the period that they were closed. A store is considered substantially remodeled if it has been relocated or materially changed in size.


•	SEC - Securities and Exchange Commission


•	FASB- Financial Accounting Standards Board


•	FASB ASC - FASB Accounting Standards Codification, which serves as the source for authoritative U.S. GAAP, except that rules and interpretive releases by the SEC are also sources of authoritative U.S. GAAP for SEC registrants


•	CCPSA - Canadian Consumer Product Safety Commission


•	CPSA - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Act


•	CPSC - U.S. Consumer Products Safety Commission


•	CPSIA - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008

General

The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. is the largest pure-play children's specialty apparel retailer in North America. We sell apparel, accessories and footwear for children sizes 0-14. We design, contract to manufacture, and license to sell fashionable, high-quality, value-priced merchandise, the majority of which is under the proprietary “The Children's Place”, "Place" and "Baby Place" brand names. Our stores offer a friendly and convenient shopping environment. The Children's Place has differentiated departments and serves the wardrobe needs of Girls and Boys (sizes 4-14), Baby Girls and Boys (sizes 6 mos.-5T) and Newborn (sizes 0-18 mos.). Stores are visually merchandised to appeal to each age and gender segment. Our

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merchandise is also available online at www.childrensplace.com. Our customers are able to shop online, at their convenience, and receive the same high quality, value-priced merchandise and customer service that are available in our physical stores.

The Children's Place was founded in 1969. The Company became publicly traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market in 1997. As of February 1, 2014, we operated 1,107 stores throughout North America as well as our online store. During Fiscal 2013, we opened 53 stores compared to 64 in Fiscal 2012, and we closed 41 stores in Fiscal 2013, compared to 18 in Fiscal 2012. Our store growth plan for Fiscal 2014 consists of opening approximately 35 new The Children's Place stores. We will also close additional stores during Fiscal 2014 as discussed below. Also in Fiscal 2013, we continued to expand into international markets through territorial agreements with franchisees.

Jane Elfers, our President and Chief Executive Officer, has outlined four key growth initiatives that we are executing, as follows:


1.	Product - Product will always be our number one priority. We continue to significantly differentiate and upgrade the look of our merchandise, which has resonated well with our customers. In addition to apparel, we offer a full line of accessories and footwear so busy moms can quickly and easily put together head-to-toe outfits that look great and are affordable.

Transforming the Business through Technology - We are investing significant resources to transform our systems. During Fiscal 2014, we plan to complete our ERP implementation and launch a vendor portal to provide support for our global sourcing, logistics and distribution initiatives. These implementations will set the foundation to enable us to significantly enhance our global sourcing and inventory allocation and management and omni-channel capabilities, and to more rapidly expand our international and wholesale businesses.

Channel Expansion - We are pursuing new channels of distribution, including international expansion and wholesale distribution. By the end of Fiscal 2013, we had 35 franchise stores open in the Middle East. We expect to approximately double the number of franchise stores by the end of Fiscal 2014 with additional stores in the Middle East, Israel, Egypt and the Commonwealth of Independent States Region. We established successful business relationships with two wholesale partners in the U.S. in Fiscal 2013, and will be expanding wholesale distribution into Canada in Fiscal 2014. We are also in discussions with potential new customers to further expand our wholesale distribution going forward.

Fleet Optimization - We completed an extensive store-by-store review during Fiscal 2013 and made the decision to close approximately 125 underperforming stores through 2016 to improve our fleet productivity and profitability. We have continued opportunity to open stores in malls, value centers, small markets and Hispanic markets where we can meet the hurdle rate for productivity and perform at or above the fleet target on a 4-wall basis.

Underlying these growth initiatives is a commitment to operational excellence. The Company is in the process of optimizing our global supply chain to ensure we are able to source high quality value merchandise, and distribute it quickly and efficiently to each channel. These key supply chain initiatives, coupled with disciplined expense management, improving store operations, and our Finance, Compliance, Legal and Human Resources areas, form the strong base necessary to support our long-term growth initiatives.

Segment Reporting

In accordance with the “Segment Reporting” topic of the FASB ASC, we report segment data based on geography: The Children’s Place U.S. and The Children’s Place International. Each segment includes an e-commerce business located at www.childrensplace.com. Included in The Children’s Place U.S. segment are our U.S. and Puerto Rico based stores and U.S. revenue from our wholesale partners. Included in The Children's Place International segment are our Canadian based stores, as well as revenue from international franchisees. We measure our segment profitability based on operating income, defined as income before interest and taxes. Net sales and direct costs are recorded by each segment. Certain inventory procurement functions such as production and design as well as corporate overhead, including executive management, finance, real estate, human resources, legal, and information technology services are managed by The Children’s Place U.S. segment. Expenses related to these functions, including depreciation and amortization, are allocated to The Children’s Place International segment based primarily on net sales. The assets related to these functions are not allocated. We periodically review these allocations and adjust them based upon changes in business circumstances. Net sales to external customers are derived from merchandise sales and we have no major customers that account for more than 10% of our net sales. The following tables show by segment our net sales and operating income for the past three fiscal years, and total assets as of February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013 (in thousands):

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	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013		January 28, 2012
Net sales:
The Children's Place U.S.	$	1,528,276	$	1,557,549	$	1,489,795
The Children's Place International	237,513		251,937		226,067
Total net sales	$	1,765,789	$	1,809,486	$	1,715,862



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013			January 28, 2012
Operating income:
The Children's Place U.S.	$	60,267		$	68,346		$	76,531
The Children's Place International	16,016			21,369			28,912
Total operating income	$	76,283		$	89,715		$	105,443

Operating income as a percent of net sales:
The Children's Place U.S.	3.9		%	4.4		%	5.1		%
The Children's Place International	6.7		%	8.5		%	12.8		%
Total operating income as a percent of net sales	4.3		%	5.0		%	6.1		%



	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013
Total assets:
The Children's Place U.S.	$	824,893	$	746,911
The Children's Place International	165,737		176,499
Total assets	$	990,630	$	923,410

See Note 13 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements for further segment financial data.

All foreign net sales are in The Children's Place International segment while certain foreign expenses related to our buying operations are allocated between the two segments. Our foreign subsidiaries, primarily in Canada, have operating results based in foreign currencies and are thus subject to the fluctuations of the corresponding translation rates into U.S. dollars.

Key Capabilities

Our objective is to deliver high-quality, value-priced, trend-right assortments for children sizes 0-14. Our assortment offers one stop shopping across apparel, footwear and accessories. Our strategies to achieve this objective are as follows:

Merchandising Strategy

Our merchandising strategy is to offer a compelling assortment of apparel, footwear, and accessories that enable our customer to outfit their child. We strive to ensure that our assortments are modern and colorful, are balanced by category and lifestyle, and are fun and easy to put together. We build our deliveries by season and flow new product to our stores monthly. Each delivery includes fashion, key items and basics.

High Quality/Value Pricing

We believe that offering high quality, trend-right, age appropriate merchandise under “The Children's Place”, "Place" and "Baby Place" brand names at value prices is our competitive advantage. We design and merchandise our apparel, footwear and accessories to offer a compelling value to our customers.

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Brand Image

We focus on strengthening our brand image and customer loyalty for “The Children's Place” by:


•	Consistently offering high-quality products and trend-right fashion at value prices in a boutique shopping environment;


•	Providing coordinated outfits and accessories for our customers' lifestyle needs;


•	Creating strong merchandising and visual presentations to create a compelling in-store experience;


•	Emphasizing our great value and fashion in marketing visuals to convey a consistent brand message across all channels;


•	Leveraging our customer database to frequently communicate with our customers and tailor promotions to maximize customer satisfaction;


•	Using our Loyalty Rewards Program to drive customer engagement; and


•	Providing exclusive assortments in our e-commerce and outlet channels to further expand the breadth of our offerings and brand recognition.

Low-Cost Sourcing

We control the substantial majority of the design, sourcing and production of The Children's Place branded products. We believe that this control is essential in assuring the consistency and quality of our merchandise, as well as our ability to deliver value to our customers. We are strengthening relationships with our most important vendors. Through these relationships and our extensive knowledge of low cost sourcing, we are able to offer our customers high-quality products at value prices. We maintain a network of sourcing offices in order to communicate with our vendors efficiently and respond to changing business needs effectively. Our sourcing offices in Hong Kong and Shanghai have allowed us tremendous access to the Chinese market, giving us access to a wide range of vendors. Our sourcing offices in India and Bangladesh allow us to maintain and/or reduce our current merchandise costs by capitalizing on new sourcing opportunities while maintaining our control over product quality.

Merchandising Process

The strong collaboration between the cross functional teams in Design, Merchandising, Planning and Allocation and Sourcing have enabled us to build and grow our brand. Cross functional teams are aligned by department.

Design

The Design team gathers information from trends, color services, international and domestic shopping trips, and trade shows. Findings and concepts are presented to the Merchandising team to initiate the cross functional building of a seasonal assortment.

Merchandising

Each quarter we develop seasonal strategies for each department and for each category within the department. The cross functional teams review prior season results and set the strategies in place for the future season. Merchandising builds a roadmap of our style needs based on historical information with the Design team's input. The Design and Merchandising teams work collaboratively throughout the sketch and sample reviews to ensure we are developing the appropriate balance of fashion and key items within the line.

Planning and Allocation

The Planning and Allocation organization works collaboratively with the Merchandising, Financial and Sourcing teams to develop annual and seasonal sales and margin plans to support our financial objectives and merchandising strategies. These plans are developed with consideration of our channels to ensure that we are maximizing key programs each season. Further, this team plans the flow of inventory to ensure that we are adequately supporting floor sets and key promotional periods. Special attention is paid to our store types, as they differ in capacity and layout. All allocation methods incorporate visual presentations as well as inventory levels and sales trends.

Production, Quality Assurance and Social Compliance

During Fiscal 2013, we engaged approximately 100 independent manufacturers located primarily in Greater Asia. Raw materials used by these manufacturers are subject to price fluctuations due to global market factors. We continue to pursue global sourcing opportunities to support our inventory needs and to seek to control merchandise costs.

We do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities and depend on independent third parties to manufacture all of our merchandise. Increases in manufacturing costs negatively impact our business, and we seek to carefully manage the risks of operational difficulties posed by contract manufacturers, including the availability of adequate manufacturing capacity, errors in

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complying with our product specifications, insufficient quality control processes, failures to meet production deadlines, worker and environmental safety concerns and political and social instability in certain regions.

During Fiscal 2013, we purchased approximately 94% of our total merchandise without the aid of commissioned buying agents. We do maintain agency agreements with commissioned independent agents who assist in sourcing and pre-production approval, oversee production, provide quality inspection and ensure timely delivery of merchandise. We will continue to evaluate our use of commissioned buying agents, and only use these commissioned agents for the sourcing of select product categories where we lack either technical competency in our own sourcing offices or when product volume is not sufficient to justify expanding our capabilities. The large majority of our sourcing volume will continue to be managed through our own independent sourcing offices in China, Hong Kong, India and Bangladesh.

During Fiscal 2013, we sourced approximately 36% of our total goods from China, approximately 24% from Bangladesh, approximately 11% from Vietnam and approximately 8% from Cambodia. We did not source more than 6% from any other country or region.

We do not accept finished goods until each purchase order receives formal certification of compliance from our own quality assurance associates, agents or appointed third party inspectors. Our product testing programs meet the testing protocols adopted under the CPSIA.

In addition to our quality control procedures, we administer a social compliance program designed to promote compliance with local legal regulations, as well as industry-standard ethical and socially responsible business practices. This program is comprised of four components as follows:

•

Vendor Code of Conduct - By formally acknowledging and agreeing to our code of conduct, our vendors affirm their commitment to integrate our compliance standards into their manufacturing and sourcing practices. These standards cover the areas of: child labor, involuntary or forced labor, slavery and human-trafficking, coercion/harassment, discrimination, health and safety, compensation, working hours, environment, subcontracting, security practices and undue influence of independent testing laboratories.

•

Ongoing Monitoring Program - We administer a corporate monitoring program as performed by our internal social compliance team and/or professional third party auditors who visit factory locations to assess the working conditions and other production characteristics in all factories that manufacture The Children's Place products. All factories that are approved for The Children’s Place production must undergo a social compliance audit prior to any orders being placed and at least once annually thereafter.

•

Corrective Action Plans - Following each social compliance audit, a corrective action plan outlines findings from the factory visit for each of the areas covered by our standards, a remediation plan for any violations found (if applicable), as well as a follow-up audit timeframe. If violations are not remediated in accordance with the remediation plan, we reserve the right to cease using that factory or vendor.


•	Ongoing Training and Seminars - We continually conduct training programs and seminars to communicate with our internal and external partners regarding the requirements of our program. Additionally, our social compliance team attends third party seminars, industry courses and training in the Corporate Social Responsibility area.

We require all entities that produce or manufacture The Children's Place merchandise to undergo a social compliance audit and demonstrate compliance with the requirements of our Vendor Code of Conduct. By requiring our manufacturers and suppliers to participate in our social compliance program, we seek to monitor factories to ensure that they operate using safe and humane working conditions. Additionally, under our social compliance program we strive to be diligent about changes in local laws and other conditions (e.g., worker safety and political instability) in the countries from which we source, in order to be able to identify and assess potential risks to our sourcing capabilities prior to placing orders, reducing the threat of disruption to our business.

Company Stores

The following section highlights various store information for The Children's Place operated stores as of February 1, 2014.

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Existing Stores

As of February 1, 2014, we operated a total of 1,107 The Children's Place stores, most of which are clustered in and around major metropolitan areas, and our internet store at www.childrensplace.com. We have 680 stores located in malls, 249 in strip centers, 134 in outlet centers and 44 street stores. The following table sets forth the number of stores in each U.S. state, Puerto Rico and Canadian provinces as of the current and prior fiscal year end:



	Number of Stores			Number of Stores
Location	February 1, 2014	February 2, 2013		February 1, 2014	February 2, 2013
United States & Puerto Rico			United States & Puerto Rico (continued)
Alabama	17	17	North Carolina	25	24
Arizona	21	18	North Dakota	4	4
Arkansas	8	7	Ohio	33	34
California	93	103	Oklahoma	8	7
Colorado	14	13	Oregon	9	9
Connecticut	16	17	Pennsylvania	45	45
Delaware	3	3	Rhode Island	3	3
District of Columbia	1	1	South Carolina	15	15
Florida	40	38	South Dakota	2	2
Georgia	31	30	Tennessee	20	20
Hawaii	4	4	Texas	91	90
Idaho	4	4	Utah	13	13
Illinois	41	39	Vermont	1	1
Indiana	20	18	Virginia	23	22
Iowa	10	10	Washington	15	15
Kansas	6	7	West Virginia	6	5
Kentucky	13	13	Wisconsin	13	11
Louisiana	17	17	Wyoming	1	1
Maine	5	5	Puerto Rico	15	16
Maryland	24	24	Total United States & Puerto Rico	974	966
Massachusetts	26	26
Michigan	18	19	Canada
Minnesota	13	13	Alberta	19	17
Mississippi	14	14	British Columbia	17	17
Missouri	18	17	Manitoba	4	4
Montana	3	1	New Brunswick	3	3
Nebraska	4	3	Nova Scotia	4	4
New Hampshire	7	6	Ontario	55	53
New Jersey	48	48	Prince Edward Island	1	1
New Mexico	5	5	Quebec	26	26
New York	81	81	Saskatchewan	3	3
Nevada	7	8	Newfoundland and Labrador	1	1
			Total Canada	133	129

			Total Stores	1,107	1,095

Store Concepts

At The Children's Place, our store concepts consist of “Tech²”, “Apple-Maple”, “Technicolor" and “Outlet” formats, as follows:

Tech² - These stores have the brand aesthetics of a Technicolor with the functionality of an Apple-Maple. The use of color to brand and create shop identifiers was maintained, while creating an open, brightly lit environment for customers. Tech² features crisp white floor-wall fixtures to ensure the product is the focal point. Tech² is a value engineered store which costs approximately 35% less to build than the Technicolor store. The average store is approximately 4,100 square

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feet and as of February 1, 2014, approximately 41% of our stores were of this concept. We intend to use this format for new stores for the foreseeable future.

Technicolor - These stores were the earlier concept of Tech²and used color to brand and create shop identity. They, however, were more expensive to design, build, maintain and staff. The average store is approximately 4,900 square feet and as of February 1, 2014, approximately 24% of our stores were of this concept.

Apple-Maple - These stores feature light wood floors, fixtures and trim. They are brightly lit, featuring floor-to-ceiling glass windows that are open and inviting. A customized grid system throughout the store's upper perimeter displays featured merchandise, marketing photographs and promotions. The average store is approximately 4,200 square feet and as of February 1, 2014, approximately 23% of our stores were of this concept.

Outlet - The average outlet store is approximately 7,100 square feet. As of February 1, 2014, approximately 12% of our stores were in this format. Our outlet stores are strategically placed within each market to provide a discount value alternative, including an assortment of “made for outlet” merchandise.

Fleet Optimization

We completed a store by store review and made the decision to close approximately125 stores through 2016, which includes the 41 stores closed during Fiscal 2013 and the 30 stores expected to close in Fiscal 2014. The stores selected for closure underperformed the fleet average. We have continued to open smaller square footage stores in markets where we can meet the hurdle rate for productivity and perform at or above fleet target.

Our new store openings target growing and underpenetrated markets where we believe that our brand can be successfully marketed. During Fiscal 2013, we opened 53 stores compared to 64 in Fiscal 2012, and we closed 41 stores in Fiscal 2013, compared to 18 in Fiscal 2012. Our store plan for Fiscal 2014 includes opening approximately 35 new The Children's Place stores.

We continuously review the performance of our store fleet. We base our decisions to open, close or remodel stores on a variety of factors, including lease terms, landlord negotiations, market dynamics and projected financial performance. When assessing whether to close a store, we also consider remaining lease life and current financial performance.

Internet Sales (“e-commerce”)

Our U.S. and International segments each include an e-commerce business located at www.childrensplace.com and e-commerce growth remains one of our top strategic priorities. Over the past five years, e-commerce net sales have grown over 105%, from approximately $119.5 million in the fiscal year ended January 30, 2010 to approximately $246.1 million in Fiscal 2013, and now accounts for approximately 14% of our total net sales. We expect our e-commerce business to continue to grow in Fiscal 2014.

We are committed to delivering a world class, end-to-end user experience to our customers; from product assortment and website design to operations, fulfillment and customer service. We are further committed to delivering these experiences to our customers when, where and how they are looking to access the brand, accounting for cross-channel behavior, growth of mobile devices, and the growing interest in our brand from international audiences. As such, we will continue to make required investments in back-end infrastructure, as well as front-end technology to deliver on this commitment. We believe that the critical investments made over the past year in areas such as e-commerce infrastructure and mobile optimization as well as additional front-end website features have improved our customers' experience.

International Franchises and Wholesale

During Fiscal 2012 we began an international franchise business through territorial agreements with franchisees. As of February 1, 2014 our franchisees had a total of 35 stores open in the Middle East, and we expect them to approximately double by the end Fiscal 2014. We generate revenues from our franchisees from the sale of products, sales royalties and territory fees. As of February 1, 2014, we had two wholesale partners in the U.S. and expect to further expand our wholesale distribution in Fiscal 2014.

Store Operations

The Children's Place U.S. store operations are organized into eight regions. We employ two U.S. Zone Vice Presidents, one U.S. Outlet Vice President and one Canadian Vice President who oversee our operations and to whom regional managers report. A regional manager oversees a region and has between seven and 10 district managers reporting to them. Each district manager is responsible for nine to 16 stores. Our stores are staffed by a store management team and approximately 10 part-time sales associates, with additional part-time associates hired to support seasonal needs. Our store leadership teams spend a high percentage of their time on the store selling floors providing direction, motivation, and development to store personnel. To maximize selling productivity, our teams emphasize greeting, replenishment, presentation standards, procedures and

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controls. In order to motivate our store leadership, we offer a monthly incentive compensation plan that awards bonuses for achieving certain financial goals.

Seasonality

Our business is subject to seasonal influences, with heavier concentrations of sales during the back-to-school and holiday seasons. Our first quarter results are dependent upon sales during the period leading up to the Easter holiday, third quarter results are dependent upon back-to-school sales, and our fourth quarter results are dependent upon sales during the holiday season. The business is also subject to seasonal shifts due to unseasonable weather conditions. The following table shows the quarterly distribution, as a percentage of the full year, of net sales and operating income (loss):



	First Quarter		Second Quarter		Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
Quarterly net sales as a percentage of full year
Fiscal 2013	24.0	%	21.7	%	27.9	%	26.5	%
Fiscal 2012	24.2	%	19.9	%	27.7	%	28.1	%

Quarterly operating income (loss) as a percentage of full year
Fiscal 2013	37.2	%	(46.7	)%	80.7	%	28.7	%
Fiscal 2012	41.4	%	(29.9	)%	59.6	%	28.9	%

____________________________________________

Table may not add due to rounding.

For more information regarding the seasonality of our business, refer to Item 7.-Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations-Quarterly Results and Seasonality.

Marketing

The Children's Place is a well recognized brand, with the number one unaided awareness of any children's specialty brand, a strong fashion offering and a compelling value proposition. We attempt to build on our brand recognition through a multi-channel marketing campaign that aligns store front windows, in-store marketing, internet marketing, our customer loyalty program and direct mail. Our direct marketing program utilizes both off and on-line channels.

Additionally, we promote customer loyalty through a loyalty rewards program called MyPLACE Rewards and The Children's Place private label credit card. At the end of Fiscal 2013, our MyPLACE Rewards loyalty program had 6.7 million members who accounted for approximately 65% of sales. Our private label credit card, pursuant to a merchant services agreement, is issued to our customers for use exclusively at The Children's Place stores, and credit is extended to such customers through a third-party financial institution on a non-recourse basis to us. Our private label credit card accounted for approximately 10% of our net sales during Fiscal 2013.

Our marketing programs are aligned with one another and planned by geography and channel to ensure consistency and relevance. We believe that our marketing programs promote affinity and loyalty through specialized incentive programs and facilitate communications with our customers through the delivery of coupons and promotional materials.

Distribution

We support the distribution of product to our stores through two strategically located warehouses in North America. In the United States we own and operate a 700,000 square foot distribution center in Alabama which supports both U.S. retail store operations and U.S. e-commerce operations. In Canada we operate a 95,000 square foot distribution center in Ontario for our Canadian retail store operations. We also use a third-party provider to support our Canadian e-commerce operations. On occasion, we may utilize additional facilities to support seasonal warehousing needs. We also use a third-party provider in Greater Asia to support our international franchise business.

During the first quarter of Fiscal 2012, our management approved a plan to exit our distribution center in Ontario, California (the "West Coast DC") and move the operations to our distribution center in Fort Payne, Alabama (the "Southeast DC"). We ceased operations at the West Coast DC in May 2012. The lease of the West Coast DC expires in March 2016 and we have subleased the majority of this facility through March 2016.

In the third quarter of Fiscal 2012, our management approved a plan to close our distribution center in Dayton, New Jersey ("Northeast DC") and move the operations to our Southeast DC. We ceased operations in the Northeast DC during the

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fourth quarter of Fiscal 2012. The lease of our Northeast DC expires in January 2021 and during the second quarter of Fiscal 2013, we executed a sublet arrangement for this facility through January 2021.

See Note 1 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements for further detail on exit costs related to our West Coast DC and Northeast DC.

Competition

The children's apparel and accessories retail markets are highly competitive. Our primary competitors are specialty stores and mass merchandisers including Target Corporation, and GapKids, babyGap and Old Navy (each of which is a division of The Gap, Inc.), The Gymboree Corporation, P.S. from Aeropostale, Justice (a division of The Ascena Retail Group, Inc.), Carter's, Inc., J.C. Penney Company, Inc., Kohl's Corporation and other department stores, as well as other discount stores such as Walmart Stores, Inc. There has been an increase in the number of U.S. retailers expanding into Canada which we anticipate has resulted in a significant increase in competition in the Canadian market. We also compete with regional retail chains, catalog companies and Internet retailers. One or more of our competitors are present in substantially all of the areas in which we have stores.

Trademarks and Service Marks

“The Children's Place,” “babyPLACE,” “Place,” “The Place” and certain other marks have been registered as trademarks and/or service marks with the United States Patent and Trademark Office. The registration of the trademarks and the service marks may be renewed to extend the original registration period indefinitely, provided the marks are still in use. We intend to continue to use and protect our trademarks and service marks and maintain their registrations. We have also registered our trademarks in Canada and other countries where we source our products and where we anticipated establishing franchising operations, and we are continuing to take steps to register our trademarks in additional countries. We believe our trademarks and service marks have received broad recognition and are of significant value to our business.

Government Regulation

We are subject to extensive federal, provincial, state and local laws and regulations affecting our business, including product safety, consumer protection, privacy, truth-in-advertising, customs, and wage and hour laws and regulations and zoning and occupancy ordinances that regulate retailers generally and/or govern the promotion and sale of merchandise and the operation of retail stores. We also are subject to similar international laws and regulations affecting our business. We believe that we are in material compliance with these laws and regulations.

We are committed to product quality and safety. We focus our efforts to adhere to all applicable laws and regulations affecting our business, including the provisions of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, the Federal Hazardous Substances Act, the Flammable Fabrics Act and the Textile Fiber Product Identification Act, the Canada Consumer Product Safety Act, the Canadian Textile Labelling Act, the Canadian Care Labelling Program, and various environmental laws and regulations. Each of our product styles currently covered by the CPSIA and the CCPSA are appropriately tested to meet current standards. The cost of compliance with current requirements and any future requirements of the CPSC and Health Canada, new consumer product safety laws, or changes to existing laws could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. See Item 1A. Risk Factors -- “Product liability costs, related claims, and the cost of compliance with consumer product safety laws such as the CPSIA in the U.S. or the CCPSA in Canada, or our inability to comply with such laws could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation." for additional information.

Virtually all of our merchandise is manufactured by factories located outside of the United States. These products are imported and are subject to U.S. and Canadian customs laws, which impose tariffs, anti-dumping and countervailing duties on certain imported products including textiles, apparel and footwear. We currently are not restricted by any such duties in the operation of our business. In addition, custom duties and tariffs do not comprise a material portion of the cost of our products.

Employees

As of February 1, 2014, we had approximately 16,500 employees, of whom approximately 1,700 were based at our corporate offices and distribution centers, and had approximately 2,500 full-time store employees and approximately 12,300 part-time and seasonal store employees. None of our employees are covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We believe we have good relations with our employees.

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Internet Access to Reports

We are a public company and are subject to the informational requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). Accordingly, we file periodic reports, proxy statements and other information with the SEC. Such reports, proxy statements and other information may be obtained by visiting the Public Reference Room of the SEC at 100 F Street, NE, Room 1580, Washington, D.C. 20549 or by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330. In addition, the SEC maintains a website (http://www.sec.gov) that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding us and other issuers that file electronically.

Our website address is www.childrensplace.com. We make available without charge, through our website, copies of our Proxy Statement, Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after such reports are filed with or furnished to the SEC. References in this document to our website are not and should not be considered part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and the information on our website is not incorporated by reference into this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We also make available our corporate governance materials, including our corporate governance guidelines and our code of business conduct, on our website. If we make any substantive amendments to our code of business conduct or grant any waiver, including any implicit waiver, from a provision of the code for the benefit of our Chief Executive Officer and President and our Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer we will disclose the nature of such amendment or waiver on that website or in a Current Report on Form 8-K.


Item 1A.	RISK FACTORS

Investors in the Company should consider the following risk factors as well as the other information contained herein:

We may suffer adverse business consequences if we are unable to anticipate and respond to merchandise trends, marketing and promotional trends or customer shopping patterns.

The apparel industry is subject to rapidly changing fashion trends and shifting consumer preferences. Our success depends in part on the ability of our design and merchandising team to anticipate and respond to these changes. Our design, manufacturing and distribution process generally takes up to one year, during which time fashion trends and consumer preferences may further change.

In addition, marketing technology is evolving rapidly. We market our brand through various means, including customer research, email, direct mailings, advertising, promotional events, and in-store signage. Our ability to deliver a high customer experience that retains our current customer base and acquires new customers is dependent on our being able to anticipate new innovations in technology and our ability to use them to increase our brand value.

New technological innovations are also expanding ways that retail customers shop, including in-store, online, using tablets, mobile devices and other means. Our success depends in part on the ability of our merchandising and marketing teams to anticipate and respond to these innovations. Our failure to anticipate, identify or respond to these innovations could adversely affect customer acceptance of our products resulting in lower sales, increased inventory levels and/or lower margins, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Changes in our Comparable Retail Sales and/or quarterly results of operations could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.

Numerous factors affect our Comparable Retail Sales and quarterly results including, among others, unseasonable weather conditions, merchandise assortment, retail prices, fashion trends, mall traffic, number of visits to our e-commerce site, the retail sales environment, calendar shifts of holidays or seasonal periods, birth rate fluctuations, timing of promotional events, macro-economic conditions and our success in executing our business strategies.

Unseasonably cold weather over a prolonged period of time and the occurrence of frequent or severe storms adversely affect our sales and therefore our Comparable Retail Sales. The nature of our target customer heightens the effects of bad weather on our sales. Our target customer is a value conscious, lower to middle income mother buying for infants and children based on need rather than based on fashion, trend or impulse. Therefore, for example, our target customer will not purchase warm weather spring clothing during an extended period of unseasonably cold weather occurring in what otherwise should be warmer weather months.

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Our Comparable Retail Sales and quarterly results have fluctuated significantly in the past due to the factors cited above, and we anticipate that they will continue to fluctuate in the future, particularly in the current difficult retail environment and continued weak economic climate, which may result in declines in consumer spending. The investment community follows Comparable Retail Sales and quarterly results closely and fluctuations in these results, or the failure of our results to meet investor expectations, may have a significant adverse effect on the price of our common stock.

A material disruption in, failure of, or inability to upgrade, our information technology systems could adversely affect our business, financial position or results of operations and cash flows.

We rely heavily on various information systems to manage our complex operations, including management of our supply chain, point-of-sale processing in our stores, gift cards, our private label credit card, our online business and various other processes and transactions. We continue to evaluate and implement upgrades and changes to our IT systems. We are in the process of implementing new computer systems that will enhance our core merchandising, planning and allocation, sourcing, omni-channel capabilities, e-commerce platform and financial and accounting processes, including our implementation of certain modules of the SAP enterprise resource planning, or ERP, business management software which is expected to be completed in Fiscal 2014. Implementing new systems carries substantial risk, including failure to operate as designed, potential loss of data or information, cost overruns, implementation delays, disruption of operations, lower customer satisfaction resulting in lost customers or sales, inability to deliver merchandise to our stores or our customers, and the potential inability to meet reporting requirements. In addition, any disruptions or malfunctions affecting our current or new information systems could cause critical information upon which we rely to be delayed, unreliable, corrupted, insufficient or inaccessible. Risks associated with our information technology systems include:


•	risks associated with the failure of the computer systems due to inadequate system capacity, computer viruses, human error, changes in programming, security breaches, system upgrades or migration of these services to new systems;


•	natural disasters or adverse weather conditions;


•	disruptions in telephone service or power outages;


•	reliance on third parties for computer hardware and software, as well as delivery of merchandise to our customers;


•	rapid technology changes; and


•	consumer privacy concerns and regulation.

Any of these potential issues, individually or in aggregation, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We also rely on third-party vendors to design, program, implement, maintain and service our information systems. Any failures of these vendors to properly deliver their services in a timely fashion could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We depend on our relationships with unaffiliated manufacturers, transportation companies, and independent agents. Our inability to maintain relationships with any of these entities, or the failure of any of their businesses, could adversely affect our business and results of operations.

We do not own or operate any manufacturing facilities, and therefore, are dependent upon independent third parties for the manufacture of all of our products. Most of our products are currently manufactured to our specifications, pursuant to purchase orders, by approximately 100 independent manufacturers located primarily in Greater Asia. In Fiscal 2013, we sourced approximately 36% of our total goods from China, approximately 24% from Bangladesh, approximately 11% from Vietnam and approximately 8% from Cambodia. We did not source more than 6% from any other country or region. We have no exclusive or long-term contracts with our manufacturers and compete with other companies for manufacturing facilities. We have reduced our reliance on the use of commissioned buying agents, and only use these commissioned agents for the sourcing of select product categories where we lack either technical competency in our own sourcing offices or when product volume is not sufficient to justify expanding our capabilities. Although we believe that we have the in-house capability to more efficiently source certain of our purchases, our inability to do so, or our inability to find adequate sources to support our current needs for merchandise and future growth could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

The failure of our third-party manufacturers to adhere to local law in the areas of worker safety (eg. fire safety and building codes) and social compliance and health and welfare requirements could result in accidents and practices that cause disruptions or delays in production and/or substantial harm to our reputation, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

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Our merchandise is shipped directly from manufacturers through third parties to our distribution and fulfillment centers and to our stores. Our operating results depend in large part on the orderly operation of our receiving and distribution process, which depends on manufacturers' adherence to shipping schedules and our effective management of our distribution facilities and capacity. Furthermore, it is possible that events beyond our control, such as political unrest, a terrorist or similar act, military action, strike, weather patterns, natural disaster, continuing government spending cuts or other disruption impacting the countries that we source from, could result in delays in delivery of merchandise to our distribution centers or our stores, or the fulfillment of e-commerce orders to our customers. Any such event could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

If our internal agents, independent agents, principal manufacturers or freight operators experience negative financial consequences, the inability to use these sources or find additional financially stable sources to support our current manufacturing and distribution needs and future growth in a timely manner could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Any of the above risks, individually or in aggregation, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Because we purchase our products internationally, our business is sensitive to risks associated with international business.

Virtually all of our merchandise is purchased from foreign suppliers, including approximately 36% from China, approximately 24% from Bangladesh, approximately 11% from Vietnam and approximately 8% from Cambodia. As a result, we are subject to the various risks of doing business in foreign markets and importing merchandise from abroad, such as:


•	foreign governmental regulations, including but not limited to changing requirements with regard to product safety, employment, taxation and language preference in course of dealing;


•	the failure of an unaffiliated manufacturer to comply with local laws, including labor laws, health and safety laws or ethical labor practices.


•	financial or political instability;


•	the rising cost of doing business in particular countries, including China;


•	fluctuation of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies;


•	pressure from non-governmental organizations;


•	customer acceptance of foreign produced merchandise;


•	developing countries with less infrastructure;


•	new legislation relating to import quotas or other restrictions that may limit the import of our merchandise;


•	imposition of duties, taxes, and other charges on imports;


•	significant delays in the delivery of cargo due to port security considerations, political unrest or weather conditions;


•	disruption of imports by labor disputes and local business practices;


•	regulations under the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act; and


•	increased cost of transportation.

In an attempt to mitigate the above risks within any one country, we maintain relationships with many manufacturers in various countries. In order to maintain and/or reduce the cost of our merchandise, we have begun to migrate out of China into other developing countries. We cannot predict the effect that this, or the other factors noted above, in another country from which we import products could have on our business. If any of these factors rendered the conduct of business in a particular country undesirable or impractical, or if our current foreign manufacturing sources ceased doing business with us for any reason and we were unable to find alternative sources of supply, we could experience a material adverse effect on our business.

We require our independent manufacturers to operate in compliance with applicable laws and our internal requirements. Our vendor code of conduct promotes ethical business practices and we monitor compliance with them; however we do not control these manufacturers, their labor practices, their health and safety practices, or from where they buy their raw materials. Any violation of labor, health, environmental, safety (eg. fire or building codes) or other laws by any of the independent manufacturers we use or any divergence of an independent manufacturer's labor practices from standards generally accepted as ethical in the United States and Canada could damage our reputation and could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Any of the above risks, individually or in aggregation, could negatively impact our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Fluctuations in the prices of raw materials, labor and energy could result in increased product and/or delivery costs.

Increases in the price of raw materials, including cotton, wool and other materials used in the production of fabric and accessories, as well as increases in labor and energy costs, could result in significant cost increases for our products as well as their distribution to our distribution centers, retail locations and customers. To the extent we are unable to offset any such

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increased costs through value engineering or price increases, such increased costs could have a material adverse effect on our net sales, financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our success depends upon the service and capabilities of our management team. Changes in management or in our organizational structure, or inadequate management, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Over the past four years, we had substantial changes in our management team, including key members of our senior management. While we believe our CEO has assembled a strong, experienced senior leadership team that will drive our key initiatives, our success is dependent on retaining key individuals within the organization to execute the Company’s strategic plans. Leadership changes can be inherently difficult to manage and may cause disruption to our business or further turnover in our workforce or management team. Senior level management establishes the “tone at the top” by which an environment of ethical values, operating style and management philosophy is fostered. Changes in management, or inadequate management, could lead to an environment that lacks integrity, inspiration, and/or a lack of commitment by our employees. The inability of our senior management team to maintain an adequate organizational structure and a proper “tone at the top”, or the inability to attract additional qualified managers or other personnel, could have a material adverse effect on our business.

We may be unable to properly plan inventory purchases or manage new or existing merchandise.

We maintain an inventory of merchandise in our stores and distribution centers, some of which we anticipate will be in high demand. If inventory levels are in excess of customer demand, that may result in inventory write-downs or excessive markdowns and therefore, lower than planned margins. Conversely, if we underestimate consumer demand for our merchandise, particularly higher volume styles, or if our manufacturers fail to supply quality products in a timely manner, we may experience inventory shortages, which might result in lost sales, a negative impact on our customer relationships and/or diminished brand loyalty. While we have begun the process of implementing new computer systems that will enhance our core merchandising, planning and allocating functions, implementing new systems carries substantial risk, including failure to operate as designed, potential loss of data or information, cost overruns, implementation delays, disruption of operations, lower customer satisfaction resulting in lost customers or sales, inability to deliver merchandise to our stores or our customers, and the potential inability to meet reporting requirements. Any of these, individually or in aggregation, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Product liability costs, related claims, and the cost of compliance with consumer product safety laws such as the CPSIA in the U.S. or the CCPSA in Canada or our inability to comply with such laws could have a material adverse effect on our business and reputation.

We are subject to regulation by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) in the U.S., Health Canada in Canada, and similar state, provincial and international regulatory authorities. Although we test the products sold in our stores and on our website, concerns about product safety, including but not limited to concerns about those manufactured in China and/or developing countries, where virtually all of our merchandise is manufactured, may lead us to recall selected products, either voluntarily, or at the direction of a governmental authority or may lead to a lack of consumer acceptance or loss of consumer trust. Product safety concerns, recalls, defects or errors could result in the rejection of our products by customers, damage to our reputation, lost sales, product liability litigation and increased costs, any or all of which could harm our business and have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

The cost of compliance with current requirements and any future requirements of the CPSC, Health Canada or other state or international regulatory authorities, consumer product safety laws, including initiatives labeled as “green chemistry” and regulatory testing, certification, packaging, labeling and advertising and reporting requirements which recently went into effect under the CPSIA, or changes to existing laws could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, any failure to comply with such requirements could result in significant penalties, require us to recall products and harm our reputation, any or all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, and financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We may not be able to identify, evaluate or successfully execute business strategies.

We are continuously seeking new ways to further our brand recognition, expand our channels of distribution and geographical coverage, and improve our operational processes. During Fiscal 2014, we plan to drive additional growth and profitability through our international and wholesale distribution channels. If we fail to achieve or appropriately manage wholesale and international expansion, our results could be materially adversely affected. In Fiscal 2013, we announced the fleet optimization program, which is intended to increase profitability and return on our existing store fleet. Our failure to

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properly execute our plans, or identify alternative strategies, could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our failure to successfully manage our e-commerce business could have a negative impact on our business.

The successful operation of our e-commerce business depends on our ability to maintain the efficient and uninterrupted operation of our online order-taking and our fulfillment operations, and on our ability to provide a shopping experience that will generate orders and return visits to our site. Risks associated with our e-commerce business include:


•	risks associated with the failure of the computer systems that operate our website including, among others, inadequate system capacity, computer viruses, human error, changes in programming, security breaches, system upgrades or migration of these services to new systems;


•	disruptions in telephone service or power outages;


•	reliance on third parties for computer hardware and software, as well as delivery of merchandise to our customers;


•	rapid technology changes;


•	credit card fraud;


•	the diversion of sales from our physical stores;


•	natural disasters or adverse weather conditions;


•	changes in applicable federal and state regulations;


•	liability for online content; and


•	consumer privacy concerns and regulation.

Problems in any one or more of these areas could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows, and could damage our reputation and brand.

We have a single distribution center serving the U.S. and a single distribution center serving Canada. Damage to, or a prolonged interruption of operations at, either facility could have a material adverse effect on our business.

Our U.S. distribution center is located in Fort Payne, Alabama. This facility handles all of our warehousing and store fulfillment activities in the U.S., as well as the fulfillment of all of our e-commerce orders in the U.S. Our Canadian distribution center is located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. We also use a third-party provider, also located in Mississauga, to support our Canadian e-commerce operations. These Ontario facilities handle all of our warehousing and store fulfillment activities in Canada. On occasion, we may utilize additional facilities to support our seasonal warehousing needs. Damage to, or prolonged interruption of operations at, either facility due to a work stoppage, weather conditions such as a tornado, hurricane or flood, other natural disaster, or other event could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.

We face significant competition in the retail industry, which could impact our ability to compete successfully against existing or future competition.

The children's apparel retail market is highly competitive. We compete in substantially all of our markets with Target Corporation, and GapKids, babyGap and Old Navy (each of which is a division of The Gap, Inc.), The Gymboree Corporation, P.S. from Aeropostale, Justice (a division of The Ascena Retail Group, Inc.), Carter's, Inc., J.C. Penney Company, Inc., Kohl's Corporation and other department stores, as well as other discount stores such as Walmart Stores, Inc. There has been an increase in the number of U.S. retailers expanding into Canada which has resulted in a significant increase in competition in the Canadian market. We also compete with a wide variety of specialty stores, other national and regional retail chains, catalog companies and Internet retailers. We have observed that Internet retailers operate at a lower cost and do not incur the geographical limitations suffered by traditional brick and mortar stores, giving Internet retailers a competitive advantage to and imposing significant pricing pressure on brick and mortar stores. In addition, our e-commerce store may divert sales from our brick and mortar stores, cannibalizing sales results at our brick and mortar stores. One or more of our competitors are present in virtually all of the areas in which we have stores. Many of our competitors are larger than us and have access to significantly greater financial, marketing and other resources than we have. Increased competition, declining birth rates and increased economic pressure on value seeking consumers could also impact our ability to compete successfully. We may not be able to continue to compete successfully against existing or future competition.

A privacy breach, through a cybersecurity incident or otherwise, or failure to comply with privacy laws could adversely affect our business.

Despite our efforts and technology to secure our computer network, a cyber-attack may bypass our technology and breach our computer network resulting in a material disruption of our computer network. Despite our due diligence in selecting and

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monitoring third party vendors and partners, a similar breach to their computer networks may occur, leading to a material disruption of our computer network and/or a decrease in e-commerce sales and a loss of information valuable to our business, including but not limited to customer information. Such a cyber-attack could result in any of the following:


•	theft, destruction, loss, misappropriation or release of confidential data, intellectual property or customer information, including personally identifiable information such as credit card information;


•	operational or business delays resulting from the disruption of our computer network and subsequent clean-up and mitigation costs and activities;


•	negative publicity resulting in substantial reputation or brand damage with our customers, partners or industry peers; and


•	loss of sales generated through our e-commerce website.

Our systems and procedures are required to meet the Payment Card Industry ("PCI") data security standards, which require periodic audits by independent third parties to assess compliance. Failure to comply with the security requirements or rectify a security issue may result in fines and the imposition of restrictions on our ability to accept payment by credit or debit cards. There can be no assurance that we will be able to satisfy PCI security standards or to identify security issues in a timely fashion. In addition, PCI is controlled by a limited number of vendors who have the ability to impose changes in PCI's fee structure and operational requirements on us without negotiation. Such changes in fees and operational requirements may result in our failure to comply with PCI security standards, as well as significant unanticipated expenses.

Any of the above risks, individually or in aggregation, could substantially damage our reputation and result in lost sales, fines, and/or lawsuits, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Further, a significant breach of federal, state, provincial, local or international privacy laws could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We regard the protection of our customer, employee, and company data as critical. The regulatory environment surrounding information security and privacy is demanding, with the frequent imposition of new and changing requirements. In addition, customers have a high expectation that we will adequately protect their personal information. Any breach involving this data could cause substantial harm to our reputation or result in liability, either of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Negative changes in the economy, such as deterioration in the U.S. and/or global economic environment, and resulting declines in consumer confidence and spending, have had and could continue to have an adverse effect on the apparel industry and on our operating results.

The apparel industry is cyclical in nature and is particularly affected by adverse trends in the general economy. Purchases of apparel and related merchandise are generally discretionary and therefore tend to decline during recessionary and weak economic periods and also may decline at other times. This is particularly true with our target customer who is a value conscious, lower to middle income mother buying for infants and children based on need rather than based on fashion, trend or impulse. During 2008 and 2009, the global economic environment deteriorated significantly, and remained weak into 2013. Increases in tax rates, declines in real estate values, reduced credit lending by banks, high unemployment levels, increased pressure on value seeking consumers and significant volatility in the global financial markets have negatively impacted the level of consumer spending for discretionary items. This has and continues to adversely affect our business as it is dependent on consumer demand for our products. In North America, we have experienced a slowdown in customer traffic and a highly promotional environment. These same conditions exist in Canada and many other international markets. If the global macroeconomic environment continues to be weak or deteriorates further, there will likely be a negative effect on our revenues, operating margins and earnings which could materially adversely affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

In addition to the factors contributing to the current economic environment, there are a number of other factors that could contribute to reduced levels of consumer spending, such as increases in interest rates, fluctuating food, fuel and other energy costs, and increases in tax rates. Similarly, natural disasters, political unrest, actual or potential terrorist acts and other conflicts can also create significant instability and uncertainty in the world, causing consumers to defer purchases or preventing our suppliers and service providers from providing required services or materials to us. These or other factors could materially and adversely affect our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

We may be unable to protect our trademarks and other intellectual property rights.

We believe that our trademarks and service marks are important to our success and our competitive position due to their name recognition with our customers. We devote substantial resources to the establishment and protection of our trademarks

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and service marks on a worldwide basis, including in the countries in which we have business operations or plan to have business operations, including through foreign partners. We are not aware of any material claims of infringement or material challenges to our right to use any of our trademarks in the United States or Canada. Nevertheless, the actions we have taken, including to establish and protect our trademarks and service marks, may not be adequate to prevent others from imitating our products or to prevent others from seeking to block sales of our products. Also, others may assert proprietary rights in our intellectual property and we may not be able to successfully resolve these types of conflicts to our satisfaction. In addition, the laws of certain foreign countries may not protect our proprietary rights to the same extent as do the laws of the United States and we may not be successful in attaining our trademarks in foreign countries where we plan to conduct business.

Because certain of our subsidiaries operate outside of the United States, some of our revenues, product costs and other expenses are subject to foreign economic and currency risks.

We have store operations in Canada and buying operations in various locations in Greater Asia, primarily Hong Kong, and we have plans to continue to expand our store operations internationally primarily through franchises.

The currency market has seen significant volatility in the value of the U.S. dollar against other foreign currencies. While our business is primarily conducted in U.S. dollars, we purchase virtually all of our products overseas, and we generate significant revenues in Canada. Cost increases caused by currency exchange rate fluctuations could make our products less competitive or have a material adverse effect on our profitability. Currency exchange rate fluctuations could also disrupt the business of the third party manufacturers that produce our products, or franchisees that purchase our products, by making their purchases of raw materials or products more expensive and more difficult to finance.

Approximately 13% of our consolidated net sales and approximately 14% of our total operating expenses are transacted in foreign currencies. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates impact the amount of our reported sales and expenses, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, we have foreign currency denominated receivables and payables that are not hedged against foreign currency fluctuations. When settled, these receivables and payables could result in significant transaction gains or losses.

We depend on generating sufficient cash flows, together with our existing cash balances and availability under our credit facility, to fund our ongoing operations, capital expenditures, debt service requirements and share repurchase program or payment of dividends.

Our ability to fund our ongoing operations, planned capital expenditures, share repurchase programs, payment of dividends and debt service requirements will depend on our ability to generate cash flows. Our cash flows are dependent on many factors, including:


•	seasonal fluctuations in our net sales and net income, which typically are lowest in the second fiscal quarter;


•	the timing of inventory purchases for upcoming seasons, particularly in the second fiscal quarter as our sales are lowest and we are purchasing merchandise for the back-to-school season;


•	vendor, other supplier and agent terms and related conditions, which may be less favorable to us as a smaller company in comparison to larger companies; and


•	general business conditions, economic uncertainty or slowdown, including the continuing weakness in the overall economy.

Most of these factors are beyond our control. It is difficult to predict the impact that general economic conditions will continue to have on consumer spending and our financial results. However, we believe that they will continue to result in reduced spending by our customers, which would reduce our revenues and our cash flows from operating activities from those that otherwise would have been generated. In addition, steps that we may take to limit cash outlays, such as delaying the purchase of inventory, may not be successful or could delay the arrival of merchandise for future selling seasons, which could reduce our net sales or profitability. If we are unable to generate sufficient cash flows, we may not be able to fund our ongoing operations, planned capital expenditures, share repurchase programs, payment of dividends and potential debt service requirements and we may be required to seek additional sources of liquidity.

In addition, at February 1, 2014, approximately $124.4 million, or 71%, of our cash was held in foreign subsidiaries. Because our investments in these foreign subsidiaries are considered permanently reinvested, any repatriation of cash from them would require the accrual and payment of U.S. federal and certain state taxes, which would negatively impact our results of operations and/or the amount of available funds. While we currently have no intention to repatriate cash from these subsidiaries, should the need arise domestically, there is no guarantee that we could do so without material adverse consequences. In addition, these funds are subject to foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations, which if these rates should move unfavorably, could cause a material decrease in available funds.

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Changes in federal, state or local law, or our failure to comply with such laws, could increase our expenses and expose us to legal risks.

Changes in regulatory areas, such as consumer credit, privacy and information security, product safety, healthcare or environmental protection, among others, could cause our expenses to increase. In addition, if we fail to comply with applicable laws and regulations, particularly wage and hour laws, privacy laws or data collection and security laws, we could be subject to legal and reputational risk, including government enforcement action and class action civil litigation, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. Changes in tax laws, the interpretation of existing laws, or our failure to sustain our reporting positions on examination could adversely affect our effective tax rate and/or subject us to significant penalties and interest.

Our business is subject to a wide array of laws and regulations. Significant legislative or regulatory changes that impact our relationship with our workforce or our customers could increase our expenses and adversely affect our operations. None of our employees are currently represented by a collective bargaining agreement. However, from time to time there have been efforts to organize our employees at various locations. There is no assurance that our employees will not unionize in the future.

Pending legal and regulatory actions are inherent in our business and could adversely affect our results of operations or financial position or harm our businesses or reputation.

We are, and in the future may be, subject to legal and regulatory actions in the ordinary course of our business. Some of these proceedings have been brought on behalf of various alleged classes of complainants. In certain of these matters, the plaintiffs are seeking large and/or indeterminate amounts, including treble, punitive or exemplary damages. Substantial legal liability in these or future legal or regulatory actions could have a material adverse effect on us or cause us reputational harm, which in turn could harm our business prospects. Material pending litigation and regulatory matters affecting us, and certain risks to our businesses presented by such matters, would be discussed under Item 3- Legal Proceedings of Part I of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Currently, there are not any material actions which require disclosure under Item 3.

Our litigation and regulatory matters are subject to many uncertainties, and given their complexity and scope, their outcome cannot be predicted. Our reserves for litigation and regulatory matters may prove to be inadequate. It is possible that our results of operations or cash flows in a particular quarterly or annual period could be materially adversely affected by an ultimate unfavorable resolution of pending or new litigation and regulatory matters. In light of the unpredictability of our litigation and regulatory matters, it is also possible that in certain cases an ultimately unfavorable resolution of one or more pending litigation or regulatory matters could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

If our landlords should suffer financial difficulty or if we are unable to successfully negotiate acceptable lease terms, it could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations and cash flows.

Currently, approximately 62% of our stores are located in malls, approximately 22% are located in strip centers, approximately 12% are located in outlet centers and approximately 4% are located in street stores. If any of our landlords should suffer financial difficulty, it could render them unable to fulfill their duties under our lease agreements. Such duties include providing a sufficient number of mall co-tenants, common area maintenance, utilities, and payment of real estate taxes. While we have certain remedies under our lease agreements, the loss of business that could result if a shopping center should close or if customer traffic were to significantly decline as a result of lost tenants or improper care of the facilities could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

The leases for most of our existing stores are for initial terms of 10 years. If we are unable to continue to negotiate acceptable lease and renewal terms, it could have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Tax matters could impact our results of operations and financial condition.

We are subject to income taxes in the United States and foreign jurisdictions, including Canada and Hong Kong. Our provision for income taxes and cash tax liability in the future could be adversely affected by numerous factors including, but not limited to, income before taxes being lower than anticipated in countries with lower statutory tax rates and higher than anticipated in countries with higher statutory tax rates, changes in the valuation of deferred tax assets and liabilities, and changes in tax laws, regulations, accounting principles or interpretations thereof, which could adversely impact our results of operations, financial condition and cash flows in future periods. In addition, we are subject to the examination of our income

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tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service, Revenue Canada and other tax authorities. We regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes. There can be no assurance that the outcomes from these continuous examinations will not have an adverse effect on our provision for income taxes and cash tax liability.

Any disruption in, or changes to, our consumer credit arrangements, including our private label credit card agreement with Citibank, N.A., may adversely affect the ability of our customers to obtain consumer credit.

Credit card operations are subject to numerous federal and state laws that impose disclosure and other requirements upon the origination, servicing and enforcement of credit accounts and limitations on the maximum amount of finance charges that may be charged by a credit provider. Additionally, during periods of increasing consumer credit delinquencies, financial institutions may reexamine their lending practices and procedures. There can be no assurance that the delinquencies being experienced by providers of consumer credit generally would not cause providers of third party credit offered by us to decrease the availability of, or increase the cost of such credit.

Any of the above risks, individually or in aggregation, could have a material adverse effect on the way we conduct business and could negatively impact our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Legislative actions and new accounting pronouncements could result in us having to increase our administrative expenses to remain compliant.

In order to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010, future accounting guidance or disclosure requirements by the SEC, future guidance that may come from the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board ("PCAOB"), or future changes in listing standards by the Nasdaq Global Select Market, we may be required to enhance our internal controls, hire additional personnel and utilize additional outside legal, accounting and advisory services, all of which could cause our general and administrative expenses to increase.

The SEC is exploring the possibility of requiring all U.S. companies to prepare its financial statements in accordance with International Financial Reporting Standards. The FASB is currently working on a project with its international counterpart, the International Accounting Standards Board, to converge U.S. and International GAAP into one uniform set of accounting rules. The cost of implementing a potentially vast change of financial reporting rules could be material. The effect of changing accounting rules on our financial statements could be significant. Changes to our financial position, results of operations or cash flows could impact our debt covenant ratios or a lender's perception of our financial statements causing an adverse impact on our ability to obtain credit, or could impact investor analyses and perceptions of our business causing the market value of our stock to decrease. In addition, any changes in the current accounting rules, including legislative and other proposals could increase the expenses we report under U.S. GAAP and have a material adverse effect on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

Our share price may be volatile.

Our common stock is quoted on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Stock markets in general have experienced, and are likely to continue to experience, price and volume fluctuations, which could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock without regard to our operating performance. In addition, we believe that factors such as quarterly fluctuations in our financial results, our Comparable Retail Sales results, other risk factors identified here, announcements by other retailers, the overall economy and the geopolitical environment could individually or in aggregation cause the price of our common stock to fluctuate substantially.

Acts of terrorism, effects of war, natural disasters, other catastrophes or political unrest could have a material adverse effect on our business.

The threat or actual acts of terrorism continue to be a risk to the global economy. Terrorism and potential military responses, political unrest, natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy, pandemics or other health issues have disrupted and could disrupt commerce, impact our ability to operate our stores in affected areas, impact our ability to import our products from foreign countries or impact our ability to provide critical functions necessary to the operation of our business. A disruption of commerce, or an inability to recover critical functions from such a disruption, could interfere with the production, shipment or receipt of our merchandise in a timely manner or increase our costs to do so, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, any of the above disruptions could undermine consumer confidence, which could negatively impact consumer spending patterns or customer traffic, and thus have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

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ITEM 1B.-UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2.-PROPERTIES

We lease all of our existing store locations in the United States and Canada, with lease terms expiring through 2024. The average unexpired lease term for our stores is approximately 4.7 years in the United States and approximately 5.5 years in Canada. The leases for most of our existing stores are for initial terms of 10 years and provide for contingent rent based upon a percentage of sales in excess of specific minimums. We anticipate that we will be able to extend those leases which we wish to extend on satisfactory terms as they expire, or relocate to desirable locations.

The following table sets forth information with respect to our non-store locations as of February 1, 2014:



Location	Use	Approximate Sq. Footage	Current Lease Term Expiration
Fort Payne, AL (1)	Warehouse Distribution Center	700,000	Owned
Ontario, Canada (2)	Warehouse Distribution Center	95,000	4/30/2019
500 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, NJ (3)	Corporate Offices, Design	200,000	5/31/2029
Hong Kong, China (3)	Product Support	28,000	4/30/2015
Shanghai, China (3)	Product Support	2,200	8/31/2016
Gurgaon, India (3)	Product Support	11,000	3/12/2015
Dhaka, Bangladesh (3)	Product Support	5,600	11/30/2015

____________________________________________


(1)	Supports The Children's Place U.S. stores and e-commerce business.


(2)	Supports The Children's Place Canadian stores.


(3)	Supports both The Children's Place U.S. stores, our e-commerce business, The Children's Place Canadian stores and our international franchisees.

During the first quarter of Fiscal 2012, our management approved a plan to exit our West Coast DC and move the operations to the Southeast DC. We ceased operations at the West Coast DC in May 2012. The lease of the West Coast DC expires in March 2016 and we have subleased the majority of this facility through March 2016.

During the third quarter of Fiscal 2012, our management approved a plan to close our Northeast DC and move the operations to the Company's Southeast DC. We ceased operations in the Northeast DC during the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2012. The lease of our Northeast DC expires in January 2021 and during the second quarter of Fiscal 2013, we executed a sublet arrangement for this entire facility through January 2021.

On occasion, we may utilize additional facilities to support seasonal warehousing needs.

ITEM 3.-LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

We are involved in various legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business. In the opinion of management, any ultimate liability arising out of these proceedings will not have a material effect on our financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

ITEM 4.-MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

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PART II

ITEM 5.-MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

Our common stock is listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, or Nasdaq, under the symbol “PLCE.” The following table sets forth the range of high and low sales prices on Nasdaq of our common stock for the fiscal periods indicated.



	High		Low
2013
First Quarter		$51.61		$44.51
Second Quarter	57.06		49.29
Third Quarter	58.02		51.40
Fourth Quarter	57.42		51.88

2012
First Quarter		$53.51		$45.85
Second Quarter	51.70		43.47
Third Quarter	61.75		49.68
Fourth Quarter	61.55		43.78

On March 18, 2014, the last reported sale price of our common stock was $51.81 per share, the number of holders of record of our common stock was approximately 65 and the number of beneficial holders of our common stock was approximately 7,700.

For Fiscal 2013 and prior we did not pay dividends to our stockholders. Our credit facility prohibited the payment of dividends and imposed conditions on our purchases of our common stock. As described in Note 15 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements, our credit facility has been amended, including to permit the payment of dividends, and we are expanding our capital return program in Fiscal 2014 with the initiation of a quarterly dividend and another $100 million share repurchase authorization.

The Company's Board of Directors has authorized the following share repurchase programs: (1) $100 million on August 18, 2010 (the “2010 Share Repurchase Program”); (2) $100 million on March 3, 2011 (the “2011 Share Repurchase Program”); (3) $50.0 million on March 7, 2012 (the “2012 $50 Million Share Repurchase Program”); and (4) $100.0 million on November 26, 2012 (the “2012 $100 Million Share Repurchase Program”). At February 1, 2014, there was approximately $14.7 million remaining on the 2012 $100 Million Share Repurchase Program. The 2010 Share Repurchase Program, 2011 Share Repurchase Program and 2012 $50 Million Share Repurchase Program have been completed. On March 3, 2014, the Board of Directors authorized a $100 million share repurchase program (the "2014 Share Repurchase Program"). Under the 2012 $100 Million Share Repurchase Program and the 2014 Share Repurchase Program, the Company may repurchase shares in the open market at current market prices at the time of purchase or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased under the program will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, and other market and business conditions. We may suspend or discontinue the program at any time, and may thereafter reinstitute purchases, all without prior announcement.

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Pursuant to restrictions imposed by our equity plan during black-out periods, we withhold and retire shares of vesting stock awards in exchange for payments to satisfy minimum withholding tax requirements. Our payment of the withholding taxes in exchange for the shares constitutes a purchase of our common stock. Also, we acquire shares of our common stock in conjunction with liabilities owed under a deferred compensation plan, which are held in treasury. The following table summarizes our share repurchases (in thousands):



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013
	Shares	Value	Shares	Value
Share repurchases related to:
2011 Share buyback program	—	—	377	19,236
2012 $50 Million Share buyback program	—	—	1,001	50,000
2012 $100 Million Share buyback program (1)	1,296	65,691	420	19,638
Withholding taxes	2	139	2	146
Shares acquired and held in treasury	9	456	10	521


(1)	Subsequent to February 1, 2014 and through March 18, 2014, we repurchased an additional 0.2 million shares for approximately $10.5 million.

The following table provides a month-to-month summary of our share repurchase activity during the 13 weeks ended February 1, 2014:



Period	Total Number of Shares Purchased	Average Price Paid per Share		Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs	Approximate Dollar Value (in thousands) of Shares that May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs
11/3/13-11/30/13 (1)	7,126		$55.04	6,000		$25,306
12/1/13-1/4/14 (2)	111,551	54.68		111,306	19,235
1/5/14-2/1/14	82,500	55.46		82,500	14,659
Total	201,177		$55.01	199,806		$14,659


(1)	Includes 1,126 shares acquired as treasury stock as directed by participants in the Company's deferred compensation plan.

(2) Includes 245 shares withheld to cover taxes in conjunction with the vesting of a stock award.

Equity Plan Compensation Information

On May 20, 2011, our shareholders approved the 2011 Equity Incentive Plan (the "2011 Equity Plan"). Upon adoption of the 2011 Equity Plan, we ceased issuing awards under the 2005 Equity Incentive Plan (together with the 1997 Stock Option Plan, the "Prior Plans"), however, any forfeitures or shares withheld to cover taxes that were related to awards granted under the Prior Plans are added back to shares available for future issuance under the 2011 Equity Plan. The following table provides information as of February 1, 2014, about the shares of our Common Stock that may be issued under our equity compensation plans.



	COLUMN (A)	COLUMN (B)		COLUMN (C)
Plan Category	Securities to be issued upon exercise of outstanding options (1)	Weighted average exercise price of outstanding options		Securities remaining available for future issuances under equity compensation plans (excluding securities reflected in Column (A))
Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Security Holders	34,175		$28.77	1,209,826
Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Security Holders	N/A	N/A		N/A
Total	34,175		$28.77	1,209,826

____________________________________________


(1)	Amount consists of 4,175 shares issuable under our 1997 Stock Option Plan and 30,000 shares issuable under our 2005 Equity Incentive Plan.

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Performance Graph

The following graph compares the cumulative stockholder return on our common stock with the return on the CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Stock Market (US Companies) and CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Retail Trade. The graph assumes that $100 was invested on January 31, 2009 in each of our common stock, the CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Stock Market (US Companies) and the CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Retail Trade.

The table below sets forth the closing price of our Common Stock and the closing indices for the CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Stock Market (US Companies) and CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Retail Trade on the last day of each of our last six fiscal years.



	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
The Children's Place---"PLCE"	18.810	31.800	42.270	50.050	49.530	52.670
CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Stock Market (US Companies)	400.522	579.464	742.933	1,011.628	1,163.278	1,518.350
CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Retail Trade	312.127	463.164	577.479	699.415	827.442	912.911

The table below assumes that $100 was invested on January 31, 2009 in each of our common stock, CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Stock Market (US Companies) and CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Retail Trade.



	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013
The Children's Place---"PLCE"	100.000	169.060	224.720	266.08	263.32	280.01
CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Stock Market (US Companies)	100.000	145.970	185.000	198.45	228.7	298.60
CRSP Total Return Index for the NASDAQ Retail Trade	100.000	148.400	185.000	224.09	265.09	292.48

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ITEM 6.-SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

We are the largest pure-play children's specialty apparel retailer in North America. As of February 1, 2014 we operated 1,107 The Children's Place stores across North America and an online store at www.childrensplace.com. The following table sets forth certain historical financial and operating data for The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and its subsidiaries. The selected consolidated financial information presented below is derived from our audited Consolidated Financial Statements for each of the five years in the period ended February 1, 2014. The information contained in this table should be read in conjunction with Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, and the audited consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included elsewhere herein.



	Fiscal Year Ended (1)
Statement of Operations Data (in thousands, except per share and square footage data):	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013			January 28, 2012			January 29, 2011			January 30, 2010
Net sales		$1,765,789			$1,809,486			$1,715,862			$1,673,999			$1,643,587
Cost of sales	1,110,268			1,118,046			1,056,213			1,013,878			991,393
Gross profit	655,521			691,440			659,649			660,121			652,194
Selling, general and administrative expenses	485,653			510,918			477,425			456,558			456,338
Asset impairment charges (2)	29,633			2,284			2,208			2,713			2,200
Other costs (income) (3)	(906		)	11,088			—			—			—
Depreciation and amortization	64,858			77,435			74,573			71,640			71,447
Operating income	76,283			89,715			105,443			129,210			122,209
Interest income (expense), net	265			(20		)	(690		)	(1,530		)	(5,731		)
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	76,548			89,695			104,753			127,680			116,478
Provision for income taxes	23,522			26,452			30,408			47,920			32,743
Income from continuing operations	53,026			63,243			74,345			79,760			83,735

Diluted income per common share from continuing operations	$	2.32		$	2.61		$	2.90		$	2.91		$	2.92

Selected Operating Data for Continuing Operations:
Number of Company operated stores open at end of period	1,107			1,095			1,049			995			947
Comparable retail sales increase (decrease)	(2.8		)%	2.0		%	(2.5		)%	(2.5		)%	(2.1		)%
Average net sales per store (4)	$	1,354		$	1,393		$	1,492		$	1,587		$	1,634
Average square footage per store (5)	4,704			4,791			4,903			4,943			4,965
Average net sales per square foot (6)	$	285		$	300		$	299		$	318		$	332

Balance Sheet Data (in thousands):
Working capital (7)	$	357,971		$	353,729		$	357,373		$	365,736		$	333,525
Total assets	990,630			923,410			866,252			872,762			876,219
Long-term debt	—			—			—			—			—
Stockholders’ equity	616,778			620,949			624,969			626,157			611,125

____________________________________________


(1)	The period ending February 2, 2013 was a 53-week year. All other periods presented were 52-week years.


(2)	Asset impairment charges generally relate to the write-off of fixed assets related to underperforming stores. In Fiscal 2013, asset impairment charges also included the write-off of obsolete systems.


(3)	Other costs include exit costs associated with the closures of the West Coast DC and Northeast DC in Fiscal 2012 and additional sublease agreements executed in Fiscal 2013.


(4)	Average net sales per store represents net sales from stores open throughout the full period divided by the number of such stores.

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(5)	Average square footage per store represents the square footage of stores operated on the last day of the period divided by the number of such stores.


(6)	Average net sales per square foot represent net sales from stores open throughout the full period divided by the square footage of such stores.


(7)	Working capital is calculated by subtracting our current liabilities from our current assets.

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ITEM 7.-MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion should be read in conjunction with our audited financial statements and notes thereto included in Item 15.-Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules. The following discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, those discussed below and elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, particularly in Item 1A-Risk Factors.

As used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, references to the “Company”, “The Children's Place”, “we”, “us”, “our” and similar terms refer to The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Our fiscal year ends on the Saturday on or nearest to January 31. Other terms that are commonly used in our management's discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations are defined as follows:


•	Fiscal 2013 - The fifty-two weeks ended February 1, 2014


•	Fiscal 2012 - The fifty-three weeks ended February 2, 2013


•	Fiscal 2011 - The fifty-two weeks ended January 28, 2012


•	Fiscal 2014 - Our next fiscal year representing the fifty-two weeks ending January 31, 2015


•	FASB- Financial Accounting Standards Board


•	FASB ASC - FASB Accounting Standards Codification, which serves as the source for authoritative U.S. GAAP, except that rules and interpretive releases by the SEC are also sources of authoritative U.S. GAAP for SEC registrants


•	GAAP - Generally Accepted Accounting Principles


•	SEC- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

•


•	Gross Margin - Gross profit expressed as a percentage of net sales


•	SG&A - Selling, general and administrative expenses

OVERVIEW

Our Business

We are the largest pure-play children's specialty apparel retailer in North America. We design, contract to manufacture, sell and license to sell fashionable, high-quality, value‑priced merchandise, virtually all of which is under our proprietary “The Children's Place”, "Place" and "Baby Place" brand names. As of February 1, 2014, we operated 1,107 stores across North America and an online store at www.childrensplace.com.

Segment Reporting

In accordance with the “Segment Reporting” topic of the FASB ASC, we report segment data based on geography: The Children’s Place U.S. and The Children’s Place International. Each segment includes an e-commerce business located at www.childrensplace.com. Included in The Children’s Place U.S. segment are our U.S. and Puerto Rico based stores and U.S. revenue from our wholesale partners. Included in The Children's Place International segment are our Canadian based stores, as well as revenue from international franchisees. We measure our segment profitability based on operating income, defined as income before interest and taxes. Net sales and direct costs are recorded by each segment. Certain inventory procurement functions such as production and design as well as corporate overhead, including executive management, finance, real estate, human resources, legal, and information technology services are managed by The Children’s Place U.S. segment. Expenses related to these functions, including depreciation and amortization, are allocated to The Children’s Place International segment based primarily on net sales. The assets related to these functions are not allocated. We periodically review these allocations and adjust them based upon changes in business circumstances. Net sales from external customers are derived from merchandise sales and we have no major customers that account for more than 10% of our net sales.

Operating Highlights

Net sales in Fiscal 2013 decreased $43.7 million, or 2.4%, to $1,765.8 million, compared to $1,809.5 million reported in Fiscal 2012. During Fiscal 2013 our Comparable Retail Sales decreased 2.8% compared to an increase of 2.0% during Fiscal 2012. In Fiscal 2013, we opened 53 stores, remodeled 83 stores and closed 41 stores.

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As a percentage of net sales, SG&A decreased 70 basis points to 27.5% during Fiscal 2013 from 28.2% during Fiscal 2012. Managing company-wide expenses has been a key focus for the entire organization, and we were able to manage store and administrative payroll effectively during Fiscal 2013, particularly during the slow traffic weeks in the stores.

During Fiscal 2013, we reported net income of $53.0 million, or $2.32 per diluted share, compared to $63.2 million, or $2.61 per diluted share, in Fiscal 2012.

We continued our international store expansion program with our franchise partners opening 19 additional stores in the Middle East during Fiscal 2013, bringing our total store count to 35. Additionally, during Fiscal 2013, we expanded our existing franchise agreement to expand into Egypt and the Commonwealth of Independent States and signed a franchise agreement with the Fox Group to open stores in Israel beginning in Fiscal 2014.

Our business has been adversely affected by the weakness in the U.S. and Canadian economic environments. Factors such as high unemployment levels, a highly promotional retail environment and lower consumer retail traffic and a series of storms and below freezing temperatures brought on by the polar vortex at the end of Fiscal 2013 have negatively affected our business.

During Fiscal 2013, we made progress on two important strategic initiatives underway to enhance profitability and improve overall operating results. As part of our fleet optimization initiative, we completed a comprehensive review of our store portfolio and made the decision to close approximately125 stores through 2016, which includes the 41 stores closed during Fiscal 2013 and the 30 stores expected to close in Fiscal 2014. Store impairment charges related to this initiative of $20.5 million were recorded because of revenue and/or gross margins not meeting targeted levels and accelerated store lease termination dates. Additionally, we are devoting significant time and resources to the ongoing implementation of our long term systems plan, including enhancing system capabilities to incorporate industry best practices, and to meet the requirements of our international franchisees and wholesale customers. Accordingly, we recorded asset impairment charges of $9.1 million and incurred $1.2 million of SG&A expenses related to the write-down of some previously capitalized development costs and obsolete systems.

We have subsidiaries whose operating results are based in foreign currencies and are thus subject to the fluctuations of the corresponding translation rates into U.S. dollars. The below table summarizes the average translation rates most impacting our operating results:



	Fiscal 2013	Fiscal 2012	Fiscal 2011
Average Translation Rates (1)
Canadian Dollar	0.9647	1.0024	1.0101
Hong Kong Dollar	0.1289	0.1289	0.1285
China Yuan Renminbi	0.1630	0.1586	0.1552

____________________________________________


(1)	The average translation rates are the average of the monthly translation rates used during each fiscal year to translate the respective income statements. The rates represent the U.S. dollar equivalent of each foreign currency.

For Fiscal 2013, the effects of these translation rate changes on net sales, gross profit and income before income taxes were decreases of $8.9 million, $3.9 million and $0.9 million, respectively. Net sales are affected only by the Canadian dollar translation rates. In addition to the translation rate changes, the gross profit of our Canadian subsidiary is also impacted by its inventory purchases which are priced in U.S. dollars. The effect of the exchange rate on these purchases was a decrease to our gross profit of approximately $0.9 million in Fiscal 2013.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported revenues and expenses during the reported period. In many cases, there are alternative policies or estimation techniques that could be used. We continuously review the application of our accounting policies and evaluate the appropriateness of the estimates used in preparing our financial statements; however, estimates routinely require adjustment based on changing circumstances and the receipt of new or better information. Consequently, actual results could differ from our estimates.

The accounting policies and estimates discussed below include those that we believe are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our financial results. Senior management has discussed the development and selection of our

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critical accounting policies and estimates with the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors, which has reviewed our related disclosures herein.

Inventory Valuation— We value inventory at the lower of cost or market (“LCM”), with cost determined using an average cost method. We capitalize supply chain costs in inventory and these costs are reflected in cost of sales as the inventories are sold. We review our inventory levels in order to identify slow-moving merchandise and use markdowns to clear merchandise. We record an adjustment when future estimated selling price is less than cost. Our LCM adjustment calculation requires management to make assumptions to estimate the selling price and amount of slow-moving merchandise subject to markdowns, which is dependent upon factors such as historical trends with similar merchandise, inventory aging, forecasted consumer demand, and the promotional environment. In the LCM calculation any inability to provide the proper quantity of appropriate merchandise in a timely manner, or to correctly estimate the sell-through rate, could have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. Our historical estimates have not differed materially from actual results and a 10% difference in our LCM reserve as of February 1, 2014 would have impacted net income by approximately $0.4 million. Our reserve balance at February 1, 2014 was approximately $4.3 million compared to $2.4 million at February 2, 2013.

Additionally, we adjust our inventory based upon an annual physical inventory, which is taken during the last quarter of the fiscal year. Based on the results of our historical physical inventories, an estimated shrink rate is used for each successive quarter until the next annual physical inventory, or sooner if facts or circumstances should indicate differently. A 1% difference in our shrinkage rate as a percentage of cost of goods sold could impact each quarter's net income by approximately $0.5 million.

Stock-Based Compensation— We account for stock-based compensation according to the provisions of the “Compensation—Stock Compensation” topic of the FASB ASC.

Time Vesting and Performance-Based Awards

We generally grant time vesting and performance-based stock awards to employees at management levels and above. We also grant time vesting stock awards to our non-employee directors. Time vesting awards are granted in the form of restricted stock units that require each recipient to complete a service period ("Deferred Awards"). Deferred Awards granted to employees generally vest ratably over three years. Deferred Awards granted to non-employee directors generally vest after one year. Performance-based stock awards are granted in the form of restricted stock units which have a performance criteria that must be achieved for the awards to be earned, and these awards have an additional service period requirement ("Performance Awards"). Each Performance Award has a defined number of shares that an employee can earn (the “Target Shares”) and based on the performance level achieved, the employee can earn from 50% to 200% of their Target Shares. Performance Awards generally cliff vest after a three year service period. The fair value of all awards issued prior to May 20, 2011 was based on the average of the high and low selling price of our common stock on the grant date. Effective with the adoption of the 2011 Equity Plan, the fair value of all awards granted on or after May 20, 2011 is based on the closing price of our common stock on the grant date. Compensation expense is recognized ratably over the related service period reduced for estimated forfeitures of those awards not expected to vest due to employee turnover. While actual forfeitures could vary significantly from those estimated, a 10% change in our estimated forfeiture rate would impact our Fiscal 2013 net income by approximately $0.7 million. In addition, the number of performance shares earned is dependent upon our operating results over a specified time period. The expense for performance shares is based on the number of shares we estimate will vest as a result of our earnings-to-date plus our estimate of future earnings for the performance periods. To the extent that actual operating results for future years differ from our estimates, our performance share compensation expense could be different. For Performance Awards in which the performance period has not yet concluded a 25% increase or decrease in our future annual projected operating income would have caused an approximate $0.8 million increase or $0.5 million decrease, respectively, to stock-based compensation expense for Fiscal 2013.

Stock Options

We have not issued stock options since fiscal 2008; however, certain issued stock options remain outstanding. The fair value of all outstanding stock options was estimated using the Black-Scholes option pricing model based on a Monte Carlo simulation, which requires extensive use of accounting judgment and financial estimates, including estimates of how long employees will hold their vested stock options before exercise, the estimated volatility of our common stock over the expected term, and the number of options that will be forfeited prior to the completion of vesting requirements. All exercise prices were based on the average of the high and low of the selling price of our common stock on the grant date. There is no unamortized stock compensation at February 1, 2014.

Insurance and Self-Insurance Liabilities—Based on our assessment of risk and cost efficiency, we self-insure as well as purchase insurance policies to provide for workers’ compensation, general liability, and property losses, as well as directors’ and officers’ liability, vehicle liability and employee medical benefits. We estimate risks and record a liability based upon historical claim experience, insurance deductibles, severity factors and other actuarial assumptions. These estimates include inherent uncertainties due to the variability of the factors involved, including type of injury or claim, required services by the

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providers, healing time, age of claimant, case management costs, location of the claimant, and governmental regulations. While we believe that our risk assessments are appropriate, these uncertainties or a deviation in future claims trends from recent historical patterns could result in our recording additional or reduced expenses, which may be material to our results of operations. Our historical estimates have not differed materially from actual results and a 10% difference in our insurance reserves as of February 1, 2014 would have impacted net income by approximately $0.6 million.

Impairment of Long-Lived Assets—We periodically review our long-lived assets when events indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. Such events include a historical or projected trend of cash flow losses or a future expectation that we will sell or dispose of an asset significantly before the end of its previously estimated useful life. In reviewing for impairment, we group our long-lived assets at the lowest possible level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. In that regard, we group our assets into two categories: corporate-related and store-related. Corporate-related assets consist of those associated with our corporate offices, distribution centers and our information technology systems. Store-related assets consist of leasehold improvements, furniture and fixtures, certain computer equipment and lease related assets associated with individual stores.

For store-related assets, we review all stores that have been open for at least two years, or sooner if circumstances should dictate, on at least an annual basis. We believe waiting two years allows a store to reach a maturity level where a more comprehensive analysis of financial performance can be performed. For each store that shows indications of operating losses, we project future cash flows over the remaining life of the lease and compare the total undiscounted cash flows to the net book value of the related long-lived assets. If the undiscounted cash flows are less than the related net book value of the long-lived assets, they are written down to their fair market value. We primarily determine fair market value to be the discounted future cash flows associated with those assets. In evaluating future cash flows, we consider external and internal factors. External factors comprise the local environment in which the store resides, including mall traffic, competition, and their effect on sales trends. Internal factors include our ability to gauge the fashion taste of our customers, control variable costs such as cost of sales and payroll, and in certain cases, our ability to renegotiate lease costs. With the exception of the current fleet optimization program, historically, less than 2% of our stores required impairment charges in any one year. If external factors should change unfavorably, if actual sales should differ from our projections, or if our ability to control costs is insufficient to sustain the necessary cash flows, future impairment charges could be material. At February 1, 2014, the average net book value per store was approximately $0.2 million.

Income Taxes—We utilize the liability method of accounting for income taxes as set forth in the “Income Taxes” topic of the FASB ASC. Under the liability method, deferred taxes are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities, as well as for net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which the basis differences and tax assets are expected to be realized. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that some of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In determining the need for valuation allowances we consider projected future taxable income and the availability of tax planning strategies. If, in the future we determine that we would not be able to realize our recorded deferred tax assets, an increase in the valuation allowance would decrease earnings in the period in which such determination is made.

We assess our income tax positions and record tax benefits for all years subject to examination based upon our evaluation of the facts, circumstances and information available at the reporting date. For those tax positions where it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, we have recorded the largest amount of tax benefit with a greater than 50% likelihood of being realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. For those income tax positions where it is not more likely than not that a tax benefit will be sustained, no tax benefit has been recognized in the financial statements.

Fair Value Measurement and Financial Instruments—The “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure” topic of the FASB ASC provides a single definition of fair value, together with a framework for measuring it, and requires additional disclosure about the use of fair value to measure assets and liabilities.

This topic defines fair value as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date and establishes a three-level hierarchy, which encourages an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The three levels of the hierarchy are defined as follows:


•	Level 1 - inputs to the valuation techniques that are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities


•	Level 2 - inputs to the valuation techniques that are other than quoted prices but are observable for the assets or liabilities, either directly or indirectly


•	Level 3 - inputs to the valuation techniques that are unobservable for the assets or liabilities

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Our cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable and credit facility are all short-term in nature. As such, their carrying amounts approximate fair value and fall within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. The underlying assets and liabilities of our Deferred Compensation Plan fall within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. The Company stock included in the Deferred Compensation Plan is not subject to fair value measurement.

Our assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis include long-lived assets. We review the carrying amounts of such assets when events indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. Any resulting asset impairment would require that the asset be recorded at its fair value. The resulting fair value measurements of the assets are considered to be Level 3 inputs.

Recently Adopted Accounting Standards

In February 2013, the FASB issued guidance finalizing the reporting of amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income. The new standard requires the registrant to disclose either in a single note or parenthetically on the face of the financial statements the effect of significant amounts reclassified from each component of accumulated other comprehensive income based on its source and the income statement line items affected by the reclassification. In the first quarter of Fiscal 2013, we adopted the guidance and determined that there were no significant amounts reclassified in the current period or prior periods that would require enhanced disclosure.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following table sets forth, for the periods indicated, selected income statement data expressed as a percentage of net sales. We primarily evaluate the results of our operations as a percentage of net sales rather than in terms of absolute dollar increases or decreases by analyzing the year over year change in our business expressed as a percentage of net sales (i.e. “basis points”). For example, our SG&A expenses decreased approximately 70 basis points to 27.5% of net sales during Fiscal 2013 from 28.2% during Fiscal 2012. Accordingly, to the extent that our sales have increased at a faster rate than our costs (i.e. “leveraging”), the more efficiently we have utilized the investments we have made in our business. Conversely, if our sales decrease or if our costs grow at a faster pace than our sales (i.e. “de-leveraging”), we have less efficiently utilized the investments we have made in our business.



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013		January 28, 2012
Net sales	100.0	%	100.0	%	100.0	%
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)	62.9		61.8		61.6
Gross profit	37.1		38.2		38.4
Selling, general and administrative expenses	27.5		28.2		27.8
Asset impairment charge	1.7		0.1		0.1
Other (income) costs	(0.1	)	0.6		—
Depreciation and amortization	3.7		4.3		4.3
Operating income	4.3		5.0		6.1
Interest (expense), net	—		—		—
Income before income taxes	4.3		5.0		6.1
Provision for income taxes	1.3		1.5		1.8
Net income	3.0	%	3.5	%	4.3	%
Number of stores operated by the Company, end of period	1,107		1,095		1,049

____________________________________________

Table may not add due to rounding.

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The following tables set forth by segment, for the periods indicated, net sales, gross profit and Gross Margin (dollars in thousands).



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013		January 28, 2012
Net sales:
The Children’s Place U.S.	$	1,528,276	$	1,557,549	$	1,489,795
The Children’s Place International	237,513		251,937		226,067
Total net sales	$	1,765,789	$	1,809,486	$	1,715,862



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013			January 28, 2012
Gross profit:
The Children’s Place U.S.	$	558,156		$	584,081		$	553,755
The Children’s Place International	97,365			107,359			105,894
Total gross profit	$	655,521		$	691,440		$	659,649
Gross Margin:
The Children’s Place U.S.	36.5		%	37.5		%	37.2		%
The Children’s Place International	41.0		%	42.6		%	46.8		%
Total gross margin	37.1		%	38.2		%	38.4		%

Fiscal 2013 Compared to Fiscal 2012

Net sales decreased by $43.7 million to $1,765.8 million during Fiscal 2013 from $1,809.5 million during Fiscal 2012, which was a 53 week year. Net sales for the comparable 52 weeks in Fiscal 2012 were $1,783.4 million. Our comparable 52 week net sales decrease of $17.6 million resulted from a Comparable Retail Sales decrease of 2.8%, or $20.0 million and $8.9 million from unfavorable changes in the Canadian exchange rate, partially offset by an $11.3 million increase in sales from new stores, as well as other sales that did not qualify as comparable sales. Our 2.8% decrease in Comparable Retail Sales was primarily the result of a 2% decrease in the number of transactions and a 1% decrease in the average dollar transaction size. Total e-commerce sales, which include postage and handling, increased to 13.9% of net sales during Fiscal 2013 from 11.9% during Fiscal 2012.

The Children’s Place U.S. net sales decreased $29.2 million, or 1.9%, to $1,528.3 million during Fiscal 2013 compared to $1,557.5 million during Fiscal 2012, which was a 53 week year. Net sales for the comparable 52 weeks in Fiscal 2012 were $1,535.9 million. Our comparable 52 week net sales decrease of $7.6 million resulted from a U.S. Comparable Retail Sales decrease of 2.3%, or $10.6 million, partially offset by a $3.0 million increase in sales from new stores, as well as other sales that did not qualify as comparable sales. Our 2.3% decrease in U.S. Comparable Retail Sales was primarily the result of a 1% decrease in the number of transactions and a 1% decrease in the average dollar transaction size. Total U.S. e-commerce sales, which include postage and handling, increased to 14.8% of The Children's Place U.S. net sales during Fiscal 2013 from 12.9% during Fiscal 2012.

The Children’s Place International net sales decreased $14.4 million, or 5.7%, to $237.5 million during Fiscal 2013 compared to $251.9 million during Fiscal 2012, which was a 53 week year. Net sales for the comparable 52 weeks in Fiscal 2012 were $247.5 million. Our comparable 52 week net sales decrease of $10.0 million resulted from a Canadian Comparable Retail Sales decrease of 6.8%, or $9.4 million and $8.9 million from unfavorable changes in the Canadian exchange rate, partially offset by an $8.3 million increase in sales from new stores, as well as other sales that did not qualify as comparable sales. Our 6.8% decrease in Canadian Comparable Retail Sales was the result of a 6% decrease in the number of transactions and a 1% decrease in the average dollar transaction size. Total Canadian e-commerce sales, which include postage and handling, increased to 8.2% of The Children's Place International net sales during Fiscal 2013 from 5.2% during Fiscal 2012.

During Fiscal 2013, we opened 53 stores, consisting of 48 in the United States and five in Canada. We closed 41 stores in Fiscal 2013, 40 in the United States and one in Canada.

Gross profit decreased by $35.9 million to $655.5 million during Fiscal 2013 from $691.4 million during Fiscal 2012. Consolidated Gross Margin decreased approximately 110 basis points to 37.1% during Fiscal 2013 from 38.2% during Fiscal

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2012. The decrease in consolidated Gross Margin resulted primarily from a de-leverage of fixed costs due to negative Comparable Retail Sales and higher supply chain costs partially offset by lower cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales.

Gross Margin at The Children's Place U.S. decreased approximately 100 basis points from 37.5% in Fiscal 2012 to 36.5% in Fiscal 2013. This decrease resulted primarily from a de-leverage of fixed costs due to negative U.S. Comparable Retail Sales and higher supply chain costs partially offset by lower cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales.

Gross Margin at The Children's Place International decreased approximately 160 basis points from 42.6% in Fiscal 2012 to 41.0% in Fiscal 2013. This decrease resulted primarily from a de-leverage of fixed costs due to negative Comparable Retail Sales and higher supply chain costs partially offset by lower cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales.

Selling, general and administrative expenses decreased $25.2 million to $485.7 million during Fiscal 2013 from $510.9 million during Fiscal 2012. As a percentage of net sales SG&A decreased approximately 70 basis points to 27.5% during Fiscal 2013 from 28.2% during Fiscal 2012 and primarily included the following variances:


•	store expenses decreased approximately $20.8 million, or 80 basis points, primarily related to expense reduction initiatives in payroll, particularly during the slow traffic weeks in the stores, supplies and maintenance costs;


•	marketing expenses decreased approximately $3.3 million, or 20 basis points, resulting from decreased direct mailings, signage advertising and radio advertising due to lower costs from moving more towards digital platforms; partially offset by


•	an increase in performance-based compensation of approximately $7.9 million, or 50 basis points.

Asset impairment charges were $29.6 million during Fiscal 2013, $20.5 million of which related to 127 stores, 106 of which were fully impaired and 21 of which were partially impaired. These store impairment charges were recorded as a result of reduced cash flows from revenue and/or gross margins not meeting targeted levels and accelerated store lease termination dates. Additionally, we recorded asset impairment charges of $9.1 million related to a determination that certain information technology development costs previously incurred were no longer relevant and that certain information technology systems were obsolete. Asset impairment charges were $2.3 million related to six underperforming stores during Fiscal 2012.

Other (income) costs were $(0.9) million and $11.1 million during Fiscal 2013 and Fiscal 2012, respectively and consist of exit activities related to management's decision to close our West Coast DC and Northeast DC.

Depreciation and amortization was $64.9 million during Fiscal 2013 compared to $77.4 million during Fiscal 2012. Depreciation and amortization in Fiscal 2012 was impacted by $7.7 million of accelerated depreciation associated with the closing of the Northeast DC and $1.6 million of accelerated depreciation associated with early remodels of certain Canadian stores. Excluding the effect of these items, depreciation and amortization was $68.1 million, or 3.8% of net sales in Fiscal 2012 compared to 3.7% of net sales in Fiscal 2013.

Provision for income taxes was $23.5 million during Fiscal 2013 compared to $26.5 million during Fiscal 2012. Our effective tax rate was 30.7% and 29.5% during Fiscal 2013 and Fiscal 2012, respectively. The increase in rate for Fiscal 2013 compared to Fiscal 2012 primarily relates to the mix of income between high tax jurisdictions and low taxed jurisdictions in 2013 compared to 2012 partially offset by a larger reversal of unrecognized tax benefits during 2013 as compared to 2012.

Net income was $53.0 million during Fiscal 2013 compared to $63.2 million during Fiscal 2012, due to the factors discussed above. Diluted earnings per share was $2.32 in Fiscal 2013 compared to $2.61 in Fiscal 2012. This decrease in earnings per diluted share is due to lower net income partially offset by a lower diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding of approximately 1.4 million shares, virtually all of which is related to our share repurchase programs.

Fiscal 2012 Compared to Fiscal 2011

Net sales increased by $93.6 million to $1,809.5 million during Fiscal 2012 from $1,715.9 million during Fiscal 2011. Our net sales increase resulted from a $63.2 million increase in sales from new stores, as well as other sales that did not qualify as comparable sales and a Comparable Retail Sales increase of 2.0%, or $31.3 million, partially offset by $0.9 million from unfavorable changes in the Canadian exchange rate. Our 2.0% increase in Comparable Retail Sales was primarily the result of a 1% increase in the average dollar transaction size and a 1% increase in the number of transactions. Total e-commerce sales, which include postage and handling, increased to 11.9% of sales during Fiscal 2012 from 10.3% during Fiscal 2011.

The Children’s Place U.S. net sales increased $67.7 million, or 4.5%, to $1,557.5 million during Fiscal 2012 compared to $1,489.8 million during Fiscal 2011. This increase resulted from a $39.2 million increase in sales from new stores and other sales that did not qualify as comparable sales and a 2.0% increase in Comparable Retail Sales, or $28.5 million. Comparable Retail Sales increased primarily due to a 1% increase in the number of transactions and a 1% increase in the average dollar transaction size.

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The Children’s Place International net sales increased $25.8 million, or 11.4%, to $251.9 million during Fiscal 2012 compared to $226.1 million during Fiscal 2011. This increase resulted primarily from a $23.9 million increase in sales from new stores and other sales that did not qualify as comparable sales and an increase in Comparable Retail Sales of 1.4%, or $2.8 million, partially offset by a $0.9 million decrease resulting from unfavorable changes in the Canadian exchange rates. The increase in Comparable Retail Sales was primarily the result of a 1% increase in the number of transactions.

During Fiscal 2012, we opened 64 stores, consisting of 58 in the United States and 6 in Canada. We closed 18 stores in Fiscal 2012, all in the United States.

Gross profit increased by $31.8 million to $691.4 million during Fiscal 2012 from $659.6 million during Fiscal 2011. Consolidated Gross Margin decreased approximately 20 basis points to 38.2% during Fiscal 2012 from 38.4% during Fiscal 2011. The decrease in consolidated Gross Margin resulted primarily from a de-leverage of fixed costs.

Gross Margin at The Children's Place U.S. increased approximately 30 basis points from 37.2% in Fiscal 2011 to 37.5% in Fiscal 2012. This increase resulted primarily from lower cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales and leverage of supply chain costs.

Gross Margin at The Children's Place International decreased approximately 420 basis points from 46.8% in Fiscal 2011 to 42.6% in Fiscal 2012. This decrease resulted primarily from higher cost of goods sold as a percentage of net sales of approximately 220 basis points, de-leverage of supply chain costs and other fixed costs of 170 basis points and a decrease of 30 basis points due to the impact of lower margins on revenue from international franchisees.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $33.5 million to $510.9 million during Fiscal 2012 from $477.4 million during Fiscal 2011. As a percentage of net sales SG&A increased approximately 40 basis points to 28.2% during Fiscal 2012 from 27.8% during Fiscal 2011. The comparability of our SG&A was affected by the following items:


•	we streamlined our field workforce and eliminated certain positions in our corporate headquarters which resulted in severance expense of approximately $2.0 million;


•	we incurred approximately $1.1 million of expense related to a legal settlement; and


•	as part of a continuing store fleet review, we identified certain store fixtures and supplies that will no longer be used, which resulted in a write-off charge of approximately $0.9 million.

Excluding the effect of the above, SG&A increased approximately $29.5 million, or 20 basis points, and included the following variances:


•	investments in growth initiatives increased our administrative payroll and related expenses by approximately $14.1 million, or 60 basis points;


•	performance-based compensation increased approximately $11.3 million, or 60 basis points, primarily due to operating performance compared to performance goals;


•	marketing expenses, where we decreased direct mail programs, professional and consulting fees and employee costs decreased $4.8 million, or 50 basis points;


•	pre-opening expenses decreased approximately $0.6 million, or 10 basis points, resulting from opening 24 fewer stores during Fiscal 2012 compared to Fiscal 2011; and


•	store expenses increased approximately $9.2 million; however, as a percentage of sales it decreased 40 basis points. The dollar increase is primarily due to having an average of 48 more stores during Fiscal 2012 compared to Fiscal 2011. The leveraging of store expenses resulted primarily from expense savings in supplies, repairs and maintenance, other store expenses and reduced credit card fees.

Asset impairment charges were $2.3 million during Fiscal 2012 compared to $2.2 million during Fiscal 2011. We impaired six and seven underperforming stores during Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, respectively.

Other costs were $11.1 million during Fiscal 2012 and consist of exit costs related to management's decision to close our West Coast DC and Northeast DC.

Depreciation and amortization was $77.4 million during Fiscal 2012 compared to $74.6 million during Fiscal 2011. As a percentage of net sales, depreciation and amortization was 4.3% in both years. Depreciation and amortization in Fiscal 2012 was impacted by $7.7 million of accelerated depreciation associated with the closing of the Northeast DC and $1.6 million of accelerated depreciation associated with early remodels of certain Canadian stores. Excluding the effect of these items, depreciation and amortization was $68.1 million, or 3.8% of net sales. This decrease resulted from the lower cost of store build-outs over the past several years.

Interest expense, net was immaterial during Fiscal 2012, compared to $0.7 million during Fiscal 2011. The decrease is primarily due to lower fees related to our credit facility.

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Provision for income taxes was $26.5 million during Fiscal 2012 compared to $30.4 million during Fiscal 2011. The decrease of $3.9 million is due to a $15.1 million decrease in income before income taxes.

Net income was $63.2 million during Fiscal 2012 compared to $74.3 million during Fiscal 2011, due to the factors discussed above. Diluted earnings per share was $2.61 in Fiscal 2012 compared to $2.90 in Fiscal 2011. This decrease in earnings per diluted share is due to lower net income partially offset by a lower diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding of approximately 1.4 million shares, virtually all of which is related to our share repurchase programs.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

Liquidity

Our working capital needs follow a seasonal pattern, peaking during the third fiscal quarter when inventory is purchased for the back-to-school and holiday selling seasons. Our primary uses of cash are the financing of new store openings, other capital projects, the repurchases of our common stock and working capital requirements, which are principally inventory purchases. In March 2014, our Board of Directors instituted the payment of a quarterly cash dividend.

Our working capital increased $4.3 million to $358.0 million at February 1, 2014 compared to $353.7 million at February 2, 2013. This change is due to higher inventory and short-term investment balances mostly offset by increased accounts payable and accrued expenses and other current liabilities. We have leveraged our relationships with many vendors and now settle these payables on more favorable terms.

During Fiscal 2013, under our share repurchase programs, we repurchased approximately 1.3 million shares for approximately $65.7 million. Subsequent to February 1, 2014 and through March 18, 2014, we repurchased an additional 0.2 million shares for approximately $10.5 million.

At February 1, 2014, our credit facility provided for borrowings up to the lesser of $150.0 million or our borrowing base, as defined by the credit facility agreement (see “Credit Facility” below). At February 1, 2014, our borrowing base was $150.0 million, we had no outstanding borrowings, $11.1 million of outstanding letters of credit, $138.9 million of availability for borrowings and a sublimit availability for letters of credit of $113.9 million. Subsequent to February 1, 2014, our credit facility was amended, including to provide for borrowings up to the lesser of $200 million or our borrowing base.

As of February 1, 2014, we had approximately $174.0 million of cash and cash equivalents, of which $124.4 million of cash and cash equivalents was held in foreign subsidiaries, of which approximately $95.9 million was in our Canadian subsidiaries, $19.0 million was in our Hong Kong subsidiaries and $9.5 million was in our other subsidiaries. As of February 1, 2014 we also had short-term investments of $62.5 million in Hong Kong. Because all of our investments in our foreign subsidiaries are considered permanently and fully reinvested, any repatriation of cash from them would require the accrual and payment of U.S. federal and certain state taxes. Due to the complexities associated with the hypothetical calculation, including the availability of foreign tax credits, we have concluded it is not practicable to determine the unrecognized deferred tax liability related to the undistributed earnings. We currently do not intend to repatriate cash from any of these foreign subsidiaries.

We expect to be able to meet our working capital and capital expenditure requirements by using our cash on hand, cash flows from operations and availability under our credit facility.

Credit Facility

We and certain of our domestic subsidiaries maintain a credit agreement with Wells Fargo Bank, National

Association (“Wells Fargo”), Bank of America, N.A., HSBC Business Credit (USA) Inc., and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as

lenders (collectively, the “Lenders”) and Wells Fargo, as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent and Swing Line Lender (the

“Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement has been amended from time to time and the provisions below reflect all

amendments except as otherwise indicated.

At February 1, 2014, the Credit Agreement consisted of a $150 million asset based revolving credit facility, with a $125 million sublimit for standby and documentary letters of credit and an accordion feature that could provide up to $75 million of additional availability, of which $25 million was committed. On March 4, 2014, the Credit Agreement was amended to extend the term until August 2018 and to increase the revolving credit limit from $150 million to $200 million, with a $50 million sublimit for standby and documentary letters of credit and an accordion feature that could provide up to $25 million of additional availability, none of which is committed. Revolving credit loans outstanding under the Credit Agreement bear interest, at our option, at:

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(i)	the prime rate plus a margin of 0.50% to 0.75% based on the amount of our average excess availability under the facility; or


(ii)	the London InterBank Offered Rate, or “LIBOR”, for an interest period of one, two, three or six months, as selected by us, plus a margin of 1.50% to 1.75% based on the amount of our average excess availability under the facility.

We are charged an unused line fee of 0.25% on the unused portion of the commitments. Letter of credit fees range from 0.75% to 0.875% for commercial letters of credit and range from 1.00% to 1.25% for standby letters of credit. Letter of credit fees are determined based on the amount of our average excess availability under the facility. The amount available for loans and letters of credit under the Credit Agreement is determined by a borrowing base consisting of certain credit card receivables, certain inventory and the fair market value of certain real estate, subject to certain reserves.

The outstanding obligations under the Credit Agreement may be accelerated upon the occurrence of certain events, including, among others, non-payment, breach of covenants, the institution of insolvency proceedings, defaults under other material indebtedness and a change of control, subject, in the case of certain defaults, to the expiration of applicable grace periods. We are not subject to any early termination fees.

The Credit Agreement contains covenants which include conditions on stock buybacks and the payment of cash dividends or similar payments. Credit extended under the Credit Agreement is secured by a first priority security interest in substantially all of the Company's U.S. assets excluding intellectual property, software, equipment and fixtures.

On December 20, 2012, the Credit Agreement was amended to provide for, among other things, an extension of the term of the Credit Agreement, a reduction in various rates charged under the Agreement as reflected above and the elimination of a first priority security interest in substantially all of the Company's U.S. intellectual property, software, equipment and fixtures. This amendment also provided for the replacement of certain restrictive limits with an availability test, which must be met in order to permit the taking of certain actions. In conjunction with this amendment, we paid $0.4 million in additional deferred financing costs.

As of February 1, 2014, we have capitalized an aggregate of approximately $3.7 million in deferred financing costs related to the Credit Agreement. The unamortized balance of deferred financing costs at February 1, 2014 was $1.3 million. Unamortized deferred financing costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining term of the Credit Agreement.

The table below presents the components (in millions) of our credit facility as of indicated dates:



	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013
Credit facility maximum	$	150.0		$	150.0
Borrowing base	150.0			150.0

Outstanding borrowings	—			—
Letters of credit outstanding—merchandise	1.2			27.1
Letters of credit outstanding—standby	9.9			10.6
Utilization of credit facility at end of period	11.1			37.7

Availability (1)	$	138.9		$	112.3

Interest rate at end of period	3.8		%	3.8		%



	Fiscal 2013			Fiscal 2012
Average end of day loan balance during the period	$	—		$	—
Highest end of day loan balance during the period	10.4			1.1
Average interest rate	3.8		%	4.0		%

____________________________________________


(1)	The sublimit availability for letters of credit was $113.9 million and $87.3 million at February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, respectively.

In conjunction with the March 4, 2014 amendment described above we paid $0.3 million in additional deferred financing costs.

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Cash Flows/Capital Expenditures

During Fiscal 2013, cash flows provided by operating activities were $173.5 million compared to $205.0 million during Fiscal 2012. The net decrease of $31.5 million in cash from operating activities resulted primarily from higher inventories, primarily due to the timing of inventory receipts and lower net income. During Fiscal 2012, cash flows provided by operating activities were $205.0 million compared to $156.1 million during Fiscal 2011. The net increase of $48.9 million in cash from operating activities resulted primarily from cash inflows of $63.9 million related to the timing of payments on accounts payable and other current liabilities and cash inflows of $18.7 million related to the timing of income tax payables, net of prepayments partially offset by higher cash outflows of $30.6 million related to inventories, primarily due to the timing of inventory receipts. During Fiscal 2012, we began to leverage our relationships with many vendors and now settle these payables on more favorable terms.

Cash flows used in investing activities were $119.7 million during Fiscal 2013 compared to $105.2 million during Fiscal 2012. This net increase of $14.5 million was due to the purchase of short-term investments of $47.5 million in Fiscal 2013 compared to $15.0 million in Fiscal 2012 partially offset by an approximate $17.6 million decrease in purchases of property and equipment. Cash flows used in investing activities were $105.2 million during Fiscal 2012 compared to $77.7 million during Fiscal 2011. This net increase of $27.5 million primarily resulted from the purchase of a $15.0 million short-term investment, $10.4 million more purchases of property and equipment and by the release of $2.4 million of restricted cash during Fiscal 2011.

During Fiscal 2013, cash flows used in financing activities were $64.1 million compared to $82.3 million during Fiscal 2012. This net decrease of $18.2 million primarily resulted from a decrease of $23.2 million in purchases of our common stock during Fiscal 2013, virtually all related to our share repurchase programs. During Fiscal 2012, cash flows used in financing activities were $82.3 million compared to $85.0 million during Fiscal 2011. This net decrease of $2.7 million primarily resulted from a decrease of $2.7 million in purchases of our common stock, virtually all related to our share repurchase programs.

For Fiscal 2014, we estimate that total capital expenditures will be in the range of $80 to $85 million. Our planned capital expenditures for Fiscal 2014 reflects the anticipated opening of 35 stores and remodeling of 51 stores compared to 53 store openings and 83 remodels in Fiscal 2013. Approximately $30 million of our planned capital expenditures is expected to provide for new store openings and remodels, and we anticipate receiving approximately $2.8 million in related lease incentives during Fiscal 2014. The remainder of our Fiscal 2014 capital expenditure budget will be utilized for information technology, including merchandising and e-commerce systems, and other initiatives.

Our ability to meet our capital requirements in Fiscal 2014 depends on our ability to generate cash flows from operations and our available borrowings under our credit facility. Cash flow generated from operations depends on our ability to achieve our financial plans. We believe that cash on hand, cash generated from operations and funds available to us through our credit facility will be sufficient to fund our capital and other cash flow requirements over the next 12 months. Further, we do not expect the current economic conditions to prevent us from meeting our cash requirements. In Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, our cash generated from operations along with existing cash on hand provided sufficient funds for our capital requirements.

CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS AND COMMERCIAL COMMITMENTS

The following tables summarize our contractual and commercial obligations as of February 1, 2014:

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	Payment Due By Period
Contractual Obligations (dollars in thousands)	Total		1 year or less		1-3 years		3-5 years		More than 5 years
Operating leases(1)	$	943,382	$	159,276	$	275,166	$	211,791	$	297,149
New store and remodel capital expenditure commitments(2)	3,300		3,300		—		—		—
Total---Contractual Obligations	$	946,682	$	162,576	$	275,166	$	211,791	$	297,149

	Amounts of Commitment Expiration Per Period
Other Commercial Commitments (dollars in thousands)	Total		1 year or less		1-3 years		3-5 years		More than 5 years
Credit facilities	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
Purchase commitments(3)	335,711		335,711		—		—		—
Merchandise letters of credit	1,200		1,200		—		—		—
Standby letters of credit(4)	9,900		9,900		—		—		—
Total---Other Commercial Commitments	$	346,811	$	346,811	$	—	$	—	$	—

Total---Contractual Obligations and Other Commercial Commitments	$	1,293,493	$	509,387	$	275,166	$	211,791	$	297,149

____________________________________________

(1)

Certain of our operating leases include common area maintenance and other charges in our monthly rental expense. For other leases which do not include these charges in the minimum lease payments, we incur monthly charges, which are billed and recorded separately. These additional charges approximated 55% of our minimum lease payments over the last three fiscal years. Additionally, our minimum lease obligation does not include contingent rent based upon sales volume, which represented approximately 0.7% of our minimum lease payments over the last three fiscal years.


(2)	As of February 1, 2014, we had executed 11 leases for new stores. This amount represents our estimate of the capital expenditures required to open and begin operating the new stores.


(3)	Represents purchase orders for merchandise for re-sale of approximately $310.0 million and equipment, construction and other non-merchandise commitments of approximately $25.7 million.


(4)	Represents letters of credit issued to landlords, banks and insurance companies.

We self-insure and purchase insurance policies to provide for workers' compensation, general liability, and property losses, as well as directors' and officers' liability, vehicle liability and employee medical benefits, as described in Note 1 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Insurance reserves of approximately $5.5 million are included in other long term liabilities as of February 1, 2014. The long-term portion represents the total amount estimated to be paid beyond one year. We are not able to further estimate in which periods the long-term portion will be paid.

As discussed more fully in Note 11 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements, our long-term liabilities include unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $5.8 million, which includes $1.4 million of accrued interest and penalties, at February 1, 2014. We cannot make a reasonable estimate of the amount and period of related future payments for any of this amount.

We have an employment agreement with our Chief Executive Officer, which provides for cash severance of two times the sum of base salary plus bonus, and certain other payments and benefits following any termination without cause or for “good reason”. As of February 1, 2014, these cash severance benefits approximated $6.1 million. In the event of a change in control of the Company, certain executives will receive, in the aggregate, approximately $22.9 million of cash severance benefits should they either be terminated or voluntarily terminate their employment due to a degradation of duties as defined in their agreement.

Subsequent Events

Our Board of Directors authorized a quarterly cash dividend of $0.1325 per share to be paid April 17, 2014 for shareholders of record on the close of business on March 27, 2014. The Board has also approved an additional $100 million share repurchase authorization as part of our strategy to return excess capital to shareholders, and on March 4, 2014, we amended our existing credit facility to permit the payment of dividends and increase our line of credit to $200 million from $150 million. We also announced the decision to change our name from "The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc." to "The Children’s Place, Inc." which more accurately reflects our strategic positioning as a leading, global children’s brand.

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Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

None.

QUARTERLY RESULTS AND SEASONALITY

Our quarterly results of operations have fluctuated and are expected to continue to fluctuate materially depending on a variety of factors, including overall economic conditions, the timing of new store openings and related pre-opening and other startup costs, net sales contributed by new stores, increases or decreases in Comparable Retail Sales, weather conditions (such as unseasonable temperatures or storms), shifts in timing of certain holidays, and changes in our merchandise mix and pricing strategy, including changes to address competitive factors. The combination and severity of one or more of these factors could result in material fluctuations.

The following table sets forth certain statement of operations data and selected operating data for each of our last four fiscal quarters. Quarterly information for Fiscal 2012 is included in Note 14 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements. The quarterly statement of operations data and selected operating data set forth below were derived from our unaudited consolidated financial statements and reflect, in our opinion, all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary to fairly present the results of operations for these fiscal quarters (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited):



	Fiscal Year Ended February 1, 2014
	First Quarter			Second Quarter			Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter
Net sales	$	423,164		$	382,448		$	492,680	$	467,497
Gross profit	163,268			126,182			201,761		164,310
Selling, general and administrative expenses	119,008			124,408			123,521		118,716
Asset impairment charges	—			21,766			—		7,867
Other (income) costs	(1,023		)	61			200		(144		)
Depreciation and amortization	16,824			15,593			16,473		15,968
Operating income (loss)	28,459			(35,646		)	61,567		21,903
Income (loss) before income taxes	28,519			(35,646		)	61,649		22,026
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	9,247			(12,010		)	19,910		6,375
Net income (loss)	19,272			(23,636		)	41,739		15,651

Diluted earnings (loss) per share	$	0.83		$	(1.05	)	$	1.84	$	0.69
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	23,289			22,514			22,628		22,652

ITEM 7A--QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

In the normal course of business, our financial position and results of operations are routinely subject to market risk associated with interest rate movements on borrowings and investments and currency rate movements on non-U.S. dollar denominated assets, liabilities, income and expenses. We utilize cash from operations and short-term borrowings to fund our working capital and investment needs.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

Cash and cash equivalents are normally invested in short-term financial instruments that will be used in operations within 90 days of the balance sheet date. Because of the short-term nature of these instruments, changes in interest rates would not materially affect the fair value of these financial instruments.

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Short-term Investments

Short-term investments consist of investments which we expect to convert into cash within one year, including time deposits, which have original maturities greater than 90 days. Because of the short-term nature of these instruments, changes in interest rates would not materially affect the fair value of these financial instruments.

Interest Rates

Our credit facility bears interest at a floating rate equal to the prime rate or LIBOR, plus a calculated spread based on our average excess availability. As of February 1, 2014, we had no borrowings under the credit facility. During Fiscal 2013, borrowings were not material and any change in interest rates would not have a material impact on our interest expense.

Foreign Assets and Liabilities

Assets and liabilities outside the United States are primarily located in Canada and Hong Kong. We do not hedge these net investments nor are we party to any derivative financial instruments. Our investments in our Canadian and Asian subsidiaries are considered to be long-term. As of February 1, 2014, net assets in our Canadian and Hong Kong subsidiaries were $118.6 million and $61.8 million, respectively. A 10% increase or decrease in the Canadian and Hong Kong Dollars would increase or decrease the corresponding net investment by $11.9 million and $6.2 million, respectively. All changes in the net investment of our foreign subsidiaries are recorded in other comprehensive income as unrealized gains or losses.

As of February 1, 2014, we had approximately $124.4 million of our cash and cash equivalents held in foreign countries, of which approximately $95.9 million was in Canada, approximately $19.0 million was in Hong Kong and approximately $9.5 million was in other foreign countries. As of February 1, 2014, we held $62.5 million of short-term investments in Hong Kong.

Foreign Operations

Approximately 13% of our consolidated net sales and approximately 14% of our total operating expenses are transacted in foreign currencies. As a result, fluctuations in exchange rates impact the amount of our reported sales and expenses. Assuming a 10% change in foreign exchange rates, Fiscal 2013 net sales could have decreased or increased by approximately $22.1 million and total costs and expenses could have decreased or increased by approximately $26.3 million. Additionally, we have foreign currency denominated receivables and payables that when settled, result in transaction gains or losses. At February 1, 2014, we had foreign currency denominated receivables and payables, including inter-company balances, of $9.1 million and $17.5 million, respectively. To date, we have not used derivatives to manage foreign currency exchange risk.

We import a large percentage of our merchandise from China and Bangladesh. Consequently, any significant or sudden change in China’s and/or Bangladesh's political, foreign trade, financial, banking or currency policies and practices could have a material adverse impact on our financial position, results of operations and cash flows.

ITEM 8.-FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA

The information required by this Item is incorporated herein by reference to the consolidated financial statements and supplementary data set forth in “Item 15-Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules” of Part IV of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 9.-CHANGES IN AND DISAGREEMENTS WITH ACCOUNTANTS ON ACCOUNTING AND FINANCIAL DISCLOSURE

Not applicable.

Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Disclosure controls and procedures are designed only to provide "reasonable assurance" that the controls and procedures will meet their objectives. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Further, the design of a control system must reflect the fact that there are resource constraints, and the benefits of controls must be considered relative to their costs. Because of the inherent limitations in all control systems, no evaluation of controls can provide absolute assurance that all control issues and instances of fraud, if any, within our company have been detected.

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Management, including our Chief Executive Officer and President and our Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the "Exchange Act"), as of February 1, 2014. Based on that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and President and our Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective at the reasonable assurance level, as of February 1, 2014, to ensure that all information required to be disclosed in the reports that we file or submit under the Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms and is accumulated and communicated to our management, including our principal executive, principal accounting and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Management's Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

Our management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined in Securities Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(f). Internal control over financial reporting is a process to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of our financial reporting for external purposes in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting is not intended to provide absolute assurance that a misstatement of our financial statements would be prevented or detected.

Under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and President and our Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer, we conducted an evaluation of the design and effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting based on the criteria set forth in Internal Control-Integrated Framework (1992) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (“COSO”). Based on our evaluation under the framework in Internal Control - Integrated Framework, our management concluded that our internal control over financial reporting was effective as of February 1, 2014. Our independent registered public accounting firm that audited the consolidated financial statements included in this annual report has issued an attestation report on our internal control over financial reporting, which is included herein.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There have been no changes in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during our most recently completed fiscal quarter to which this report relates that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of

The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc.

Secaucus, New Jersey:

We have audited The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries’ (the “Company”) internal control over financial reporting as of February 1, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (1992) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (the COSO criteria). The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying “Item 9A, Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting”. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects. Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audit also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

In our opinion, The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of February 1, 2014, based on the COSO criteria.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheets of The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries as of February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended February 1, 2014 and our report dated March 20, 2014 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/S/ BDO USA, LLP

New York, NY

March 20, 2014

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ITEM 9B.-OTHER INFORMATION

None.

PART III

ITEM 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

The information required to be included by Item 10 of Form 10-K will be set forth in the Company's proxy statement for its 2014 annual meeting of stockholders to be filed within 120 days after February 1, 2014 (the “Proxy Statement”) and is incorporated by reference herein.

ITEM 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION

The information required to be included by Item 11 of Form 10-K will be set forth in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference herein.

ITEM 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS

The information required to be included by Item 12 of Form 10-K will be set forth in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference herein.

ITEM 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE

The information required to be included by Item 13 of Form 10-K will be set forth in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference herein.

ITEM 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES

The information required to be included by Item 14 of Form 10-K will be set forth in the Proxy Statement and is incorporated by reference herein.

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PART IV

ITEM 15.-EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES

(a)(1) Financial Statements

The following documents are filed as part of this report:




Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm	45

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013	46

Consolidated Statements of Operations for the fiscal years ended February 1, 2014, February 2, 2013 and January 28, 2012	47

Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the fiscal years ended February 1, 2014, February 2, 2013 and January 28, 2012	48

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Stockholders' Equity for the fiscal years ended February 1, 2014, February 2, 2013 and January 28, 2012	49

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the fiscal years ended February 1, 2014, February 2, 2013 and January 28, 2012	50

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements	52

Schedule II- Valuation and Qualifying Accounts	77

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Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of

The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc.

Secaucus, New Jersey:

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013 and the related consolidated statements of operations, comprehensive income, changes in stockholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended February 1, 2014. In connection with our audits of the financial statements, we have also audited the financial statement schedule listed in the accompanying index. These financial statements and schedule are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on these financial statements and schedule based on our audits.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement. An audit includes examining, on a test basis, evidence supporting the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements, assessing the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements and schedule. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries at February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended February 1, 2014, in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.

Also, in our opinion, the financial statement schedule, when considered in relation to the basic consolidated financial statements taken as a whole, presents fairly, in all material respects, the information set forth therein.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting as of February 1, 2014, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (1992) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) and our report dated March 20, 2014 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

/S/ BDO USA, LLP

New York, NY

March 20, 2014

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In thousands, except par value)



	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013

ASSETS
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$	173,997		$	194,128
Short-term investments	62,500			15,000
Accounts receivable	25,960			18,490
Inventories	322,422			266,976
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	33,582			40,927
Deferred income taxes	10,859			9,714
Total current assets	629,320			545,235
Long-term assets:
Property and equipment, net	312,149			330,101
Deferred income taxes	45,806			43,678
Other assets	3,355			4,396
Total assets	$	990,630		$	923,410

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
LIABILITIES:
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	$	150,652		$	87,461
Income taxes payable	1,039			2,459
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	119,658			101,586
Total current liabilities	271,349			191,506
Long-term liabilities:
Deferred rent liabilities	88,563			92,598
Other tax liabilities	5,755			7,864
Other long-term liabilities	8,185			10,493
Total liabilities	373,852			302,461
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:
Preferred stock, $1.00 par value, 1,000 shares authorized, 0 shares issued and outstanding	—			—
Common stock, $0.10 par value, 100,000 shares authorized; 22,230 and 23,179 issued; 22,197 and 23,155 outstanding	2,223			2,318
Additional paid-in capital	226,521			215,691
Treasury stock, at cost (33 and 24 shares)	(1,575		)	(1,119		)
Deferred compensation	1,575			1,119
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	(1,529		)	13,258
Retained earnings	389,563			389,682
Total stockholders’ equity	616,778			620,949
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity	$	990,630		$	923,410

See accompanying notes to these consolidated financial statements.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS

(In thousands, except per share amounts)



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013			January 28, 2012

Net sales	$	1,765,789		$	1,809,486		$	1,715,862
Cost of sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)	1,110,268			1,118,046			1,056,213

Gross profit	655,521			691,440			659,649

Selling, general and administrative expenses	485,653			510,918			477,425
Asset impairment charges	29,633			2,284			2,208
Other (income) costs	(906		)	11,088			—
Depreciation and amortization	64,858			77,435			74,573

Operating income	76,283			89,715			105,443
Interest expense (income), net	265			(20		)	(690		)

Income before income taxes	76,548			89,695			104,753
Provision for income taxes	23,522			26,452			30,408

Net income	$	53,026		$	63,243		$	74,345

Earnings per common share
Basic	$	2.35		$	2.63		$	2.92
Diluted	$	2.32		$	2.61		$	2.90

Weighted average common shares outstanding
Basic	22,537			24,092			25,459
Diluted	22,835			24,276			25,668

See accompanying notes to these consolidated financial statements.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In thousands)



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013		January 28, 2012

Net income	$	53,026		$	63,243	$	74,345
Other Comprehensive Income:
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(14,787		)	378		(419		)
Comprehensive income	$	38,239		$	63,621	$	73,926

See accompanying notes to these consolidated financial statements.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

(In thousands)



														Accumulated
						Additional								Other								Total
	Common Stock					Paid-In			Deferred		Retained			Comprehensive			Treasury Stock					Stockholders'
	Shares		Amount			Capital			Compensation		Earnings			Income			Shares		Value			Equity
BALANCE, January 29, 2011	26,136		$	2,613		$	209,960		$	—	$	400,285		$	13,299		—		$	—		$	626,157
Exercise of stock options	188		19			6,806																6,825
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation						532																532
Vesting of stock awards	331		34			(34		)														—
Stock-based compensation expense						9,286																9,286
Purchase and retirement of shares	(1,944	)	(195		)	(16,391		)			(75,171		)									(91,757		)
Change in cumulative translation adjustment														(419		)						(419		)
Deferral of common stock into deferred compensation plan									598								(14	)	(598		)	—
Net income											74,345											74,345
BALANCE, January 28, 2012	24,711		2,471			210,159			598		399,459			12,880			(14	)	(598		)	624,969
Exercise of stock options	68		6			2,179																2,185
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation						4,941																4,941
Vesting of stock awards	200		20			(20		)														—
Stock-based compensation expense						14,253																14,253
Purchase and retirement of shares	(1,800	)	(179		)	(15,821		)			(73,020		)									(89,020		)
Change in cumulative translation adjustment														378								378
Deferral of common stock into deferred compensation plan									521								(10	)	(521		)	—
Net income											63,243											63,243
BALANCE, February 2, 2013	23,179		2,318			215,691			1,119		389,682			13,258			(24	)	(1,119		)	620,949
Exercise of stock options	49		5			1,474																1,479
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation						211																211
Vesting of stock awards	300		30			(30		)														—
Stock-based compensation expense						21,210																21,210
Stock-based compensation capital						520																520
Purchase and retirement of shares	(1,298	)	(130		)	(12,555		)			(53,145		)									(65,830		)
Change in cumulative translation adjustment														(14,787		)						(14,787		)
Deferral of common stock into deferred compensation plan									456								(9	)	(456		)	—
Net income											53,026											53,026
BALANCE, February 1, 2014	22,230		$	2,223		$	226,521		$	1,575	$	389,563		$	(1,529	)	(33	)		($1,575	)	$	616,778

See accompanying notes to these consolidated financial statements.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013			January 28, 2012

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$	53,026		$	63,243		$	74,345
Reconciliation of net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	64,858			77,435			74,573
Stock-based compensation	21,210			14,253			9,286
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	(211		)	(4,941		)	(532		)
Asset impairment charges	29,633			2,284			2,208
Deferred taxes	(3,552		)	1,973			2,269
Deferred rent expense and lease incentives	(11,999		)	(5,347		)	(14,892		)
Other	6,891			(597		)	1,475
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Inventories	(58,941		)	(28,828		)	1,804
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(6,039		)	(1,131		)	806
Income taxes payable, net of prepayments	3,441			15,639			(3,090		)
Accounts payable and other current liabilities	73,609			63,277			(617		)
Deferred rent and other liabilities	1,544			7,782			8,468
Total adjustments	120,444			141,799			81,758
Net cash provided by operating activities	173,470			205,042			156,103
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Property and equipment purchases, lease acquisition and software costs	(72,606		)	(90,182		)	(79,764		)
Purchase of short-term investments	(47,500		)	(15,000		)	—
Release of restricted cash	—			—			2,351
Change in company-owned life insurance policies	406			(38		)	(246		)
Net cash used in investing activities	(119,700		)	(105,220		)	(77,659		)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings for letters of credit under revolving credit facility	124,289			134,865			117,263
Repayments for letters of credit under revolving credit facility	(124,289		)	(134,865		)	(117,263		)
Purchase and retirement of common stock, including transaction costs	(65,830		)	(89,020		)	(91,757		)
Exercise of stock options	1,479			2,185			6,825
Excess tax benefits from stock-based compensation	211			4,941			532
Deferred financing costs	—			(363		)	(628		)
Net cash used in financing activities	(64,140		)	(82,257		)	(85,028		)
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash	(9,761		)	(92		)	(418		)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(20,131		)	17,473			(7,002		)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period	194,128			176,655			183,657
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$	173,997		$	194,128		$	176,655

See accompanying notes to these consolidated financial statements.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(In thousands)



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013			January 28, 2012
OTHER CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
Net cash paid during the year for income taxes	$	24,826		$	10,030		$	37,257
Cash paid during the year for interest	499			704			1,273
Increase (decrease) in accrued purchases of property and equipment	(5,924		)	(1,824		)	1,414

See accompanying notes to these consolidated financial statements.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS


1.	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Description of Business

The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) is the largest pure-play children's specialty apparel retailer in North America. The Company provides apparel, accessories and shoes for children from newborn to ten years of age. The Company designs, contracts to manufacture and sells and licenses to sell high-quality, value-priced merchandise, virtually all of which is under the proprietary “The Children's Place”, "Place" and "Baby Place" brand names. As of February 1, 2014, the Company operated 1,107 The Children's Place stores throughout North America and an Internet store at www.childrensplace.com. As part of its merchandise procurement process, the Company maintains business operations in Asia. The Company's corporate offices are in New Jersey and it has one distribution facility in the United States and one in Canada.

The Company classifies its business into two segments: The Children’s Place U.S. and The Children’s Place International. Included in The Children’s Place U.S. segment are the Company’s U.S. and Puerto Rico based stores and U.S. revenue from the Company's wholesale partners. Included in The Children's Place International segment are the Company's Canadian based stores, as well as revenue from international franchisees. Each segment includes an e-commerce business located at www.childrensplace.com. As of February 1, 2014, The Children’s Place U.S. operated 974 stores and The Children’s Place International operated 133 stores.

Certain reclassifications have been made to prior period financial statements to conform to the current period presentation.

Terms that are commonly used in the Company's notes to consolidated financial statements are defined as follows:


•	Fiscal 2013 - The fifty-two weeks ended February 1, 2014


•	Fiscal 2012 - The fifty-three weeks ended February 2, 2013


•	Fiscal 2011 - The fifty-two weeks ended January 28, 2012


•	Fiscal 2014 - The Company's next fiscal year representing the fifty-two weeks ending January 31, 2015


•	SEC- The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission


•	GAAP - Generally Accepted Accounting Principles


•	FASB- Financial Accounting Standards Board


•	FASB ASC - FASB Accounting Standards Codification, which serves as the source for authoritative U.S. GAAP, except that rules and interpretive releases by the SEC are also sources of authoritative U.S. GAAP for SEC registrants

Fiscal Year

The Company's fiscal year is a 52-week or 53-week period ending on the Saturday on or nearest to January 31. Fiscal 2012 was a 53-week year. All other years presented were 52-week years.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and amounts of revenues and expenses reported during the period. Actual results could differ from the assumptions used and estimates made by management, which could have a material impact on the Company's financial position or results of operations.

Consolidation

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its wholly‑owned subsidiaries. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated. As of February 1, 2014, the Company does not have any investments in unconsolidated affiliates. The “Consolidation” topic of the FASB ASC is considered when determining whether an entity is subject to consolidation.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

The Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less to be cash equivalents.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


1.	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Short-term Investments

Short-term investments consist of investments which the Company expects to convert into cash within one year, including time deposits, which have original maturities greater than 90 days. The Company classifies its investments in securities at the time of purchase as held-to-maturity and reevaluates such classifications on a quarterly basis. Held-to-maturity investments consist of securities that the Company has the intent and ability to retain until maturity. These securities are recorded at cost which approximates fair value. Cash inflows and outflows related to the sale and purchase of investments are classified as investing activities in the Company's consolidated statements of cash flows.

Revenue Recognition

The Company recognizes revenue, including shipping and handling fees billed to customers, upon purchase at the Company's retail stores or when received by the customer if the product was purchased via the Internet, net of coupon redemptions and anticipated sales returns. The Company deferred approximately $1.8 million and $0.7 million as of February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, respectively, for Internet sales shipped but not yet received by the customer. Sales tax collected from customers is excluded from revenue.

An allowance for estimated sales returns is calculated based upon the Company's sales return experience and is recorded in accrued expenses and other current liabilities. The allowance for estimated sales returns was approximately $1.8 million and $2.3 million as of February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, respectively.

The Company's policy with respect to gift cards is to record revenue as the gift cards are redeemed for merchandise. Prior to their redemption, gift cards are recorded as a liability, included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities. After two years, the Company recognizes breakage income for the estimated portion of unredeemed gift cards. The Company recognized gift card breakage income of approximately $1.5 million, $1.5 million and $1.2 million during Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, respectively, and is recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses.

In October 2012, the Company launched a new points based customer loyalty program to replace the old program that was restricted to the Company's private label credit card customers. In this program, customers earn points based on purchases and other promotional activities. These points can be redeemed for coupons to discount future purchases. The Company has developed an estimated value of each point earned based on the awards customers can attain less a reasonable breakage rate. The value of each point earned is recorded as deferred revenue. Deferred revenue for loyalty points as of February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013 was $5.4 million and $3.0 million, respectively.

During Fiscal 2012, the Company began an international store expansion program through territorial agreements with franchisees. At February 1, 2014, the Company's franchisees had a total of 35 stores open in the Middle East. The Company generates revenues from the franchisees from the sale of product, sales royalties and territory fees. The Company records gross sales and cost of goods sold on the sale of product to franchisees when the franchisor takes ownership of the product. The Company records gross sales for royalties when the franchisee sells the product to their customers. Under current agreements the Company receives a fee from each franchisee for exclusive territorial rights. The Company records this territorial fee as deferred revenue and amortizes the fee into gross sales over the life of the territorial agreement. Deferred revenue for franchisees as of February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013 was $0.9 million and $0.6 million, respectively.

Inventories

Inventories, which consist primarily of finished goods, are stated at the lower of cost or market, with cost determined on an average cost basis. The Company capitalizes supply chain costs in inventory and these costs are reflected in cost of sales as the inventories are sold. Inventory includes items that have been marked down to the Company's best estimate of their lower of cost or market value and an estimate for inventory shrinkage. The Company bases its decision to mark down merchandise upon its current rate of sale, the season and the sell-through of the item. The Company adjusts its inventory based upon an annual physical inventory and shrinkage is estimated in interim periods based upon the historical results of physical inventories in the context of current year facts and circumstances.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


1.	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Cost of Sales (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)

In addition to the cost of inventory sold, the Company includes buying, design and distribution expenses, shipping and handling costs on merchandise sold directly to customers, and letter of credit fees in its cost of sales. The Company records all occupancy costs in its cost of sales, except administrative office buildings, which are recorded in selling, general and administrative expenses. All depreciation is reported on a separate line on the Company's consolidated statements of operations.

Stock-based Compensation

The Company's stock-based compensation plans are administered by the Compensation Committee of the Board of Directors (the “Compensation Committee”). The Compensation Committee is comprised of independent members of the Board of Directors (the “Board”). Effective May 20, 2011, the shareholders approved the 2011 Equity Incentive Plan (the "Equity Plan"). Upon adoption of the Equity Plan, the Company ceased granting awards under its 2005 Equity Incentive Plan. The Equity Plan allows the Compensation Committee to grant multiple forms of stock‑based compensation such as stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock awards, deferred stock awards and performance stock awards.

The Company accounts for its stock‑based compensation in accordance with the provisions of the “Compensation-Stock Compensation” topic of the FASB ASC. These provisions require, among other things: (a) the fair value of all stock awards be expensed over their respective vesting periods; (b) the amount of cumulative compensation cost recognized at any date must at least be equal to the portion of the grant-date value of the award that is vested at that date and (c) that compensation expense include a forfeiture estimate for those shares not expected to vest. Also in accordance with these provisions, for those awards with multiple vest dates, the Company recognizes compensation cost on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period for the entire award.

The Company generally grants time vesting stock awards ("Deferred Awards") and performance-based stock awards ("Performance Awards") to employees at management levels and above. The Company also grants Deferred Awards to its non-employee directors. Deferred Awards are granted in the form of restricted stock units that require each recipient to complete a service period. Deferred Awards generally vest ratably over three years. Deferred Awards granted to non-employee directors generally vest after one year. Performance Awards are granted in the form of restricted stock units which have a performance criteria that must be achieved for the awards to be earned in addition to a service period requirement. Each Performance Award has a defined number of shares that an employee can earn (the “Target Shares”) and based on the performance level achieved, the Target Shares can be earned anywhere from zero up to a maximum number as defined in the award agreement, which historically has been 200%. Performance Awards generally cliff vest after a three year service period. As required by her employment contract, the Performance Award granted to the Company's Chief Executive Officer and President has a one year vest period. The fair value of all awards issued prior to May 20, 2011 was based on the average of the high and low selling price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. Effective with the adoption of the Equity Plan, the fair value of all awards granted on or after May 20, 2011 is based on the closing price of the Company’s common stock on the grant date. Compensation expense is recognized ratably over the related service period reduced for estimated forfeitures of those awards not expected to vest due to employee turnover.

Earnings per Common Share

The Company reports its earnings (loss) per share in accordance with the “Earnings Per Share” topic of the FASB ASC, which requires the presentation of both basic and diluted earnings (loss) per share on the statements of operations. The diluted weighted average common shares includes adjustments for the potential effects of outstanding stock options, Deferred Awards and Performance Awards, but only in the periods in which such effect is dilutive under the treasury stock method. Included in our basic and diluted weighted average common shares are those shares due to participants in the deferred compensation plan, which are held in treasury stock. Antidilutive stock awards are comprised of stock options and unvested deferred, restricted and performance shares which would have been antidilutive in the application of the treasury stock method in accordance with “Earnings Per Share” topic of FASB ASC.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


1.	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

In accordance with this topic, the following table reconciles income and share amounts utilized to calculate basic and diluted net income per common share (in thousands):



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013		January 28, 2012
Net income	$	53,026	$	63,243	$	74,345

Basic weighted average common shares	22,537		24,092		25,459
Dilutive effect of stock awards	298		184		209
Diluted weighted average common shares	22,835		24,276		25,668
Antidilutive stock awards	32		10		80

Accounts Receivable

Accounts receivable consists of credit and debit card receivables, franchisee and wholesale receivables, landlord construction allowance receivables and other miscellaneous items. Credit and debit card receivables represent credit and debit card sales for which the respective third party service company has yet to remit the cash. The unremitted balance approximates the last few days of related sales for each reporting period. Bad debt associated with these sales is not material. Landlord construction allowance receivables represent landlord contributions to our construction costs of building out the related real estate, primarily new and remodeled stores. Total construction costs are capitalized as property and equipment and the landlord construction allowances are recorded as a lease incentive, a component of deferred rent, which is amortized as a reduction of rent expense over the lease term.

Insurance and Self-Insurance Reserves

The Company self-insures and purchases insurance policies to provide for workers' compensation, general liability and property losses, as well as director and officer's liability, vehicle liability and employee medical benefits. The Company estimates risks and records a liability based on historical claim experience, insurance deductibles, severity factors and other actuarial assumptions. The Company records the current portions of employee medical benefits, workers compensation and general liability reserves in accrued expenses and other current liabilities. As of February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, the current portions of these reserves were approximately $7.1 million and $7.8 million, respectively. The Company records the long-term portions of employee medical benefits, workers' compensation and general liability reserves in other long-term liabilities. As of February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, the long-term portions of these reserves were approximately $5.5 million and $4.4 million, respectively.

Property and Equipment

Property and equipment are stated at cost. Leasehold improvements are depreciated on a straight-line basis over the life of the lease or the estimated useful life of the asset. All other property and equipment is depreciated on a straight-line basis based upon their estimated useful lives, which generally range from three to twenty-five years. Repairs and maintenance are expensed as incurred.

The Company accounts for internally developed software intended for internal use in accordance with provisions of the “Intangibles-Goodwill and Other” topic of the FASB ASC. The Company capitalizes development‑stage costs such as direct external costs and direct payroll related costs. When development is substantially complete, the Company amortizes the cost of the software on a straight-line basis over the expected life of the software. Preliminary project costs and post-implementation costs such as training, maintenance and support are expensed as incurred.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


1.	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

Accounting for Impairment of Long-Lived Assets

The Company periodically reviews its long-lived assets when events indicate that their carrying value may not be recoverable. Such events include a history trend or projected trend of cash flow losses or a future expectation that the Company will sell or dispose of an asset significantly before the end of its previously estimated useful life. In reviewing for impairment the Company groups its long-lived assets at the lowest possible level for which identifiable cash flows are largely independent of the cash flows of other assets and liabilities. In that regard, the Company groups its assets into two categories: corporate-related and store-related. Corporate-related assets consist of those associated with the Company's corporate offices, distribution centers and its information technology systems. Store-related assets consist of leasehold improvements, furniture and fixtures, certain computer equipment and lease related assets associated with individual stores.

For store-related assets, the Company reviews all stores that have been open or not remodeled for at least two years, or sooner if circumstances should dictate, on at least an annual basis. The Company believes waiting two years allows a store to reach a maturity level where a more comprehensive analysis of financial performance can be performed. For each store that shows indications of operating losses, the Company projects future cash flows over the remaining life of the lease and compares the total undiscounted cash flows to the net book value of the related long-lived assets. If the undiscounted cash flows are less than the related net book value of the long-lived assets, they are written down to their fair market value. The Company primarily determines fair market value to be the discounted future cash flows associated with those assets. In evaluating future cash flows, the Company considers external and internal factors. External factors comprise the local environment in which the store resides, including mall traffic, competition, and their effect on sales trends. Internal factors include the Company's ability to gauge the fashion taste of its customers, control variable costs such as cost of sales and payroll, and in certain cases, its ability to renegotiate lease costs.

Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations

In accordance with the “Exit or Disposal Cost Obligations” topic of the FASB ASC, the Company records its exit and disposal costs at fair value to terminate an operating lease or contract when termination occurs before the end of its term and without future economic benefit to the Company. In cases of employee termination benefits, the Company recognizes an obligation only when all of the following criteria are met:


•	management, having the authority to approve the action, commits to a plan of termination;


•	the plan identifies the number of employees to be terminated, their job classifications or functions and their locations, and the expected completion date;


•	the plan establishes the terms of the benefit arrangement, including the benefits that employees will receive upon termination (including but not limited to cash payments), in sufficient detail to enable employees to determine the type and amount of benefits they will receive if they are involuntarily terminated; and


•	actions required to complete the plan indicate that it is unlikely that significant changes to the plan will be made or that the plan will be withdrawn.

During the first quarter of Fiscal 2012, management approved a plan to exit its distribution center in Ontario, California (the "West Coast DC") and move the operations to its distribution center in Fort Payne, Alabama (the "Southeast DC"). The Company ceased operations at the West Coast DC in May 2012. The lease of the West Coast DC expires in March 2016 and the Company has subleased most of this facility through March 2016.

During the third quarter of Fiscal 2012, management approved a plan to close the Company's distribution center in Dayton, New Jersey ("Northeast DC") and move the operations to its Southeast DC. The Company ceased operations in the Northeast DC during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2012. The lease of its Northeast DC expires in January 2021 and during the second quarter of Fiscal 2013, the Company executed a sublet arrangement for this facility.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


1.	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

The following table provides details of the remaining accruals for the West Coast DC and Northeast DC (dollars in thousands):



	One-time Termination Benefits			Lease Termination Costs			Other Associated Costs			Total
Balance at January 28, 2012	$	—		$	—		$	—		$	—
Restructuring costs	447			7,968			2,673			11,088
Payments and other adjustments	(447		)	408			(2,673		)	(2,712		)
Balance at February 2, 2013	—			8,376			—			8,376
Restructuring costs	—			(1,413		)	507			(906		)
Payments and other adjustments	—			(4,284		)	(507		)	(4,791		)
Balance at February 1, 2014	$	—		$	2,679		$	—		$	2,679

Deferred Financing Costs

The Company capitalizes costs directly associated with acquiring third party financing. Deferred financing costs are included in other assets and are amortized on a straight-line basis as interest expense over the term of the related indebtedness. At February 1, 2014, deferred financing costs, net of accumulated amortization of $2.4 million, were approximately $1.3 million. At February 2, 2013, deferred financing costs, net of accumulated amortization of $2.0 million, were approximately $1.6 million.

Treasury Stock

Treasury stock is recorded at acquisition cost. Gains and losses on disposition are recorded as increases or decreases to additional paid-in capital with losses in excess of previously recorded gains charged directly to retained earnings. When treasury shares are retired and returned to authorized but unissued status, the carrying value in excess of par is allocated to additional paid-in capital and retained earnings on a pro rata basis.

Pre-opening Costs

Store pre-opening costs consist primarily of occupancy costs, payroll, supply, and marketing expenses, and are expensed as incurred in selling, general and administrative expenses. Pre-opening costs were $3.3 million, $4.0 million and $5.9 million for Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, respectively.

Advertising and Marketing Costs

The Company expenses the cost of advertising over the period the advertising is run or displayed. Included in selling, general and administrative expenses for Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011 are advertising and other marketing costs of approximately $33.8 million, $37.1 million and $37.4 million, respectively.

Rent Expense and Deferred Rent

Rent expense and lease incentives, including landlord construction allowances, are recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term, commencing generally on the date the Company takes possession of the leased property. The Company records rent expense and the impact of lease incentives for its stores and distribution centers as a component of cost of sales. The unamortized portion of deferred rent is included in deferred rent liabilities.

Income Taxes

We utilize the liability method of accounting for income taxes as set forth in the “Income Taxes” topic of the FASB ASC. Under the liability method, deferred taxes are determined based on the temporary differences between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities, as well as for net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using currently enacted tax rates that apply to taxable income in effect for the years in which the basis

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


1.	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

differences and tax assets are expected to be realized. A valuation allowance is recorded when it is more likely than not that any of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. In determining the need for valuation allowances we consider projected future taxable income and the availability of tax planning strategies. If in the future we determine that we would not be able to realize our recorded deferred tax assets, an increase in the valuation allowance would decrease earnings in the period in which such determination is made.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income

Accumulated other comprehensive income consists of cumulative translation adjustments.

Foreign Currency Translation

The Company has determined that the local currencies of its Canadian and Asian subsidiaries are their functional currencies. In accordance with the “Foreign Currency Matters” topic of the FASB ASC, the assets and liabilities denominated in foreign currency are translated into U.S. dollars at the current rate of exchange existing at period-end and revenues and expenses are translated at average monthly exchange rates. Related translation adjustments are reported as a separate component of stockholders' equity. The Company also transacts certain business in foreign denominated currencies, primarily its Canadian subsidiary purchases inventory in U.S. Dollars, and there are intercompany charges between various subsidiaries. In Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, the Company recorded realized and unrealized gains (losses) on such transactions of approximately $0.5 million, $0.1 million and $0.0 million, respectively.

Legal Contingencies

The Company reserves for the outcome of litigation and contingencies when it determines an adverse outcome is probable and can estimate losses. Estimates are adjusted as facts and circumstances require. The Company expenses the costs to resolve litigation as incurred, net of amounts, if any, recovered through our insurance coverage.

Retained Earnings

Prior to March 4, 2014, the Company was restricted from paying dividends in cash under its credit facility agreement (see Note 15). There are no other restrictions on the Company's retained earnings.

Fair Value Measurement and Financial Instruments

The “Fair Value Measurements and Disclosure” topic of the FASB ASC provides a single definition of fair value, together with a framework for measuring it, and requires additional disclosure about the use of fair value to measure assets and liabilities.


•	Level 1 - inputs to the valuation techniques that are quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities


•	Level 2 - inputs to the valuation techniques that are other than quoted prices but are observable for the assets or liabilities, either directly or indirectly


•	Level 3 - inputs to the valuation techniques that are unobservable for the assets or liabilities

The Company’s cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments, accounts receivable, accounts payable and credit facility are all short-term in nature. As such, their carrying amounts approximate fair value and fall within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. The underlying assets and liabilities of the Company’s Deferred Compensation Plan, excluding Company

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


1.	BASIS OF PRESENTATION AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES (Continued)

stock, fall within Level 1 of the fair value hierarchy. The Company stock included in the Deferred Compensation Plan is not subject to fair value measurement.

The Company’s assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis include long-lived assets. The Company reviews the carrying amounts of such assets when events indicate that their carrying amounts may not be recoverable. Any resulting asset impairment would require that the asset be recorded at its fair value. The resulting fair value measurements of the assets are considered to be Level 3 inputs. Long-lived assets, primarily comprised of property and equipment, held and used with a carrying amount of $44.4 million were written down to their fair value, resulting in an impairment charge of $29.6 million, which was included in earnings for Fiscal 2013. For Fiscal 2012, long-lived assets held and used with a carrying amount of $3.1 million were written down to their fair value, resulting in an impairment charge of $2.3 million, which was included in earnings for Fiscal 2012. For Fiscal 2011, long-lived assets held and used with a carrying amount of $2.9 million were written down to their fair value, resulting in an impairment charge of $2.2 million, which was included in earnings for Fiscal 2011.

Recently Issued Accounting Updates

In February 2013, the FASB issued guidance finalizing the reporting of amounts reclassified out of accumulated other comprehensive income. The new standard requires the registrant to disclose either in a single note or parenthetically on the face of the financial statements the effect of significant amounts reclassified from each component of accumulated other comprehensive income based on its source and the income statement line items affected by the reclassification. In the first quarter of 2013, the Company adopted the guidance and determined that there were no significant amounts reclassified in the current period or prior periods that would require enhanced disclosure.

2. STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

The Company's Board of Directors authorized the following share repurchase programs: (1) $100 million on August 18, 2010 (the “2010 Share Repurchase Program”); (2) $100 million on March 3, 2011 (the “2011 Share Repurchase Program”); (3) $50.0 million on March 7, 2012 (the “2012 $50 Million Share Repurchase Program”); and (4) $100.0 million on November 26, 2012 (the “2012 $100 Million Share Repurchase Program”). At February 1, 2014, there was approximately $14.7 million remaining on the 2012 $100 Million Share Repurchase Program. The 2010 Share Repurchase Program, 2011 Share Repurchase Program and 2012 $50 Million Share Repurchase Program have been completed. Under the 2012 $100 Million Share Repurchase Program, the Company may repurchase shares in the open market at current market prices at the time of purchase or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased under the program will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, and other market and business conditions. We may suspend or discontinue the program at any time, and may thereafter reinstitute purchases, all without prior announcement.

Pursuant to restrictions imposed by the Company's equity plan during black-out periods, the Company withholds and retires shares of vesting stock awards in exchange for payments to satisfy minimum withholding tax requirements. The Company's payment of the withholding taxes in exchange for the shares constitutes a purchase of its common stock.

The Company acquires shares of its common stock in conjunction with liabilities owed under a deferred compensation plan, which are held in treasury. The following table summarizes the Company's share repurchases (in thousands):



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013			January 28, 2012
	Shares	Value		Shares	Value		Shares	Value
Share repurchases related to:
2010 Share buyback program	—	$	—	—	$	—	213	$	10,102
2011 Share buyback program	—	—		377	19,236		1,712	80,764
2012 $ 50 Million Share buyback program	—	—		1,001	50,000		—	—
2012 $100 Million Share buyback program (1)	1,296	65,691		420	19,638		—	—
Withholding taxes	2	139		2	146		19	891
Shares acquired and held in treasury	9	456		10	521		14	598


(1)	Subsequent to February 1, 2014 and through March 18, 2014, the Company repurchased an additional 0.2 million shares for approximately $10.5 million.

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Subsequent to February 1, 2014, the Company's credit facility was amended, including to permit the payment of dividends and provide for borrowings up to the lesser of $200 million or its borrowing base.

In accordance with the “Equity” topic of the FASB ASC, the par value of the shares retired is charged against common stock and the remaining purchase price is allocated between additional paid-in capital and retained earnings. The portion charged against additional paid-in capital is done using a pro rata allocation based on total shares outstanding. Related to all shares retired for Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, approximately $53.1 million, $73.0 million and $75.2 million was charged to retained earnings, respectively.

3. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION

The following table summarizes the Company’s stock-based compensation expense (in thousands):



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013		January 28, 2012
Deferred Awards	$	12,873	$	11,109	$	9,109
Performance Awards	8,337		3,144		177
Total stock-based compensation expense (1)	$	21,210	$	14,253	$	9,286

____________________________________________

(1) A portion of stock-based compensation is included in cost of sales. Approximately $2.8 million, $1.7 million and $1.3 million in Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, respectively, were included in cost of sales. All other stock-based compensation is included in selling, general & administrative expense.

The Company recognized a tax benefit related to stock-based compensation expense of $8.5 million, $5.6 million and $3.7 million for Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, respectively.

Awards Granted During Fiscal 2013

The Company granted Deferred Awards and Performance Awards to various executives and members of our Board of Directors during Fiscal 2013. Awards were issued in connection with annual performance reviews, new hires and contractual obligations. Generally, the Deferred Awards have a three year vesting period with one third of the award vesting annually. Deferred Awards granted to the Board of Directors vest generally after one year. In general, the Performance Awards have three annual performance periods and one three-year cumulative performance period and, if earned, vest upon completion of the three year performance period. As required by her employment contract, the Performance Award granted to the Company's Chief Executive Officer and President has a one year vest period. Depending on the final adjusted operating income for the Company's performance periods, the percentage of Target Shares earned can be 0% and range up to 200%.

Unfavorable weather conditions across the country resulted in the Company achieving revenues which were well below operating plan for the first quarter of Fiscal 2013. As a result, prior to the end of the first quarter of Fiscal 2013, the Board of Directors chose to revise the operating plan for the 2013 fiscal year. The Board revised the plan in a manner which required management to reverse the first quarter trends and to achieve results for the remainder of Fiscal 2013 which exceeded the results attained during the comparable period in Fiscal 2012. Following the Board action, the Compensation Committee revised the performance target (and related threshold and maximum) for purposes of the Company's Performance Awards granted during the first quarter of Fiscal 2013 to bring them in line with the revised operating plan. However, in order to take into account the first quarter of Fiscal 2013 results, the revised threshold, target and maximum levels were set such that achievement of the revised performance target for Fiscal 2013 will result in less than the number of Target Shares being earned. The revisions to Performance Award targets resulted in an increase to stock-based compensation expense of $2.2 million for the Company's Fiscal 2013.

At February 1, 2014, the Company had 1,209,826 shares available for grant under the Equity Plan.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Continued)

Changes in the Company’s Unvested Stock Awards during Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011

Deferred Awards



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014				February 2, 2013				January 28, 2012
	Number of Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
	(in thousands)				(in thousands)				(in thousands)
Unvested Deferred Awards at beginning of year	560		$	49.53	406		$	47.96	356		$	36.91
Granted	395		48.93		518		49.06		334		50.76
Vested (1)	(205	)	49.46		(198	)	45.33		(186	)	34.23
Forfeited	(59	)	48.82		(166	)	49.22		(98	)	43.49
Unvested Deferred Awards at end of year	691		$	49.27	560		$	49.53	406		$	47.96

____________________________________________


(1)	In Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, the Company withheld shares of 2,089, 2,200 and 18,793, respectively, to satisfy minimum withholding tax requirements. These shares were immediately retired.

Total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested Deferred Awards approximated $21.3 million as of February 1, 2014, which will be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 2.4 years.

The fair value of Deferred Awards held by the Company's employees that vested during Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011 was approximately $9.8 million, $10.0 million and $8.6 million, respectively.

Performance Awards



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014				February 2, 2013				January 28, 2012
	Number of Performance Shares		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Performance Shares (1)		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value		Number of Performance Shares (1)		Weighted Average Grant Date Fair Value
	(in thousands)				(in thousands)				(in thousands)
Unvested Performance Awards at beginning of year	172		$	48.59	6		$	46.08	151		$	25.16
Granted	204		47.89		230		48.51		227		51.45
Vested	(95	)	49.84		(2	)	45.79		(144	)	24.10
Net shares in excess of (less than) target	—		—		(13	)	51.40		(198	)	51.26
Forfeited	(14	)	47.55		(49	)	47.37		(30	)	52.49
Unvested Performance Awards at end of year	267		$	47.67	172		$	48.59	6		$	46.08

____________________________________________


(1)	For those awards in which the performance period is complete, the number of unvested shares is based on actual shares that will vest upon completion of the service period.

Based on the current number of Performance Awards expected to be earned, the total unrecognized stock-based compensation expense related to unvested Performance Awards approximated $4.0 million as of February 1, 2014, which will be recognized over a weighted average period of approximately 1.9 years.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

3. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION (Continued)

The fair value of Performance Awards held by the Company's employees that vested during Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011 was approximately $5.0 million, $0.1 million and $7.1 million, respectively.

Stock Options

No stock options were issued during Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011 and at February 1, 2014, there were no unvested stock options.

Outstanding Stock Options

Changes in the Company’s outstanding stock options for Fiscal 2013 were as follows:



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014				February 2, 2013				January 28, 2012
	Number of Options		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Number of Options		Weighted Average Exercise Price		Number of Options		Weighted Average Exercise Price
	(in thousands)				(in thousands)				(in thousands)
Options outstanding at beginning of year	84		$	30.08	154		$	30.98	351		$	33.93
Granted	—		—		—		—		—		—
Exercised (1)	(49	)	31.06		(68	)	32.03		(188	)	36.21
Forfeited	(1	)	27.11		(2	)	12.07		(9	)	37.09
Options outstanding at end of year (2)	34		$	28.77	84		$	30.08	154		$	30.98
Options exercisable at end of year (2)	34		$	28.77	84		$	30.08	154		$	30.98

____________________________________________


(1)	The aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised was approximately $0.9 million, $1.3 million and $2.7 million for Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, respectively.


(2)	The aggregate intrinsic value of options outstanding and exercisable at the end of Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011 was approximately $0.8 million, $1.6 million and $2.9 million, respectively.

The following table summarizes information regarding options outstanding at February 1, 2014:



		Options Outstanding and Exercisable
Range of Exercise Prices		Options	Weighted Average Exercise Price		Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Life
$22.02	$31.63	33	28.53		3.9
$31.89	$42.15	1	37.41		0.9
		34	$	28.77	3.8

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

4. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT

Property and equipment consist of the following (in thousands):



	Asset Life	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013
Property and equipment:
Land and land improvements	—	$	3,403		$	3,403
Building and improvements	20-25 yrs	35,548			35,548
Material handling equipment	10-15 yrs	48,345			48,346
Leasehold improvements	3-15 yrs	350,451			391,311
Store fixtures and equipment	3-10 yrs	234,151			265,030
Capitalized software	5-7 yrs	63,874			65,885
Construction in progress	—	43,213			34,433
		778,985			843,956
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization		(466,836		)	(513,855		)
Property and equipment, net		$	312,149		$	330,101

The Company conducted a review of its store portfolio using business hurdles management designed to enhance profitability and improve overall operating results. Based on this review, the Company compiled a list of underperforming stores targeted for closure (the “Disposition List”). As a result of this review the Company closed 41 stores in Fiscal 2013. The Company also identified additional underperforming stores for which the Company will review its options for improving their financial performance, including but not limited to negotiating occupancy relief, in order to achieve the business hurdles. If these stores are unable to do so, then the Company will move them to the Disposition List.

At February 1, 2014, the Company performed impairment testing on 1,066 stores with a total net book value of $156.9 million. During Fiscal 2013, the Company recorded $20.5 million of store impairment charges primarily related to 127 underperforming stores, of which 106 were fully impaired and 21 were partially impaired. Of the 127 underperforming stores 109 were in the U.S. and 18 were in Canada. As of February 1, 2014, the aggregate net book value of the stores that were partially impaired was approximately $2.2 million, which the Company determined to be recoverable based on an estimate of discounted future cash flows. Consistent with its impairment policy, the Company concluded that changes in circumstances affecting the carrying value of stores included on the Disposition List required the Company to review all stores included on the Disposition List regardless of whether the store had been open for at least two years. Impairment charges for all stores were recorded as a result of revenue and/or gross margins not meeting targeted levels and accelerated store lease termination dates.

Company management continues to believe that making progress on its systems implementations will be one of the key drivers to improve its operations and strengthen its financial performance. During the second quarter of Fiscal 2013 the Company established a strategic long term systems plan. As part of this plan, the Company concluded that certain development costs previously incurred were no longer relevant and deemed certain systems to be obsolete and needed to be replaced by enhanced capabilities in order to incorporate industry best practices as well as service our international franchisees and wholesale business partners. Accordingly, the Company recorded asset impairment charges of $9.1 million and incurred $1.2 million of selling, general and administrative expenses related to the write-down of some previously capitalized development costs and obsolete systems.

At February 2, 2013, the Company performed impairment testing on 1,045 stores with a total net book value of $175.3 million. During Fiscal 2012, the Company recorded $2.3 million of impairment charges primarily related to six underperforming stores, of which two were fully impaired and four were partially impaired. All underperforming stores were in the U.S.

At January 28, 2012, the Company performed impairment testing on 920 stores with a total net book value of $141.5 million. During Fiscal 2011, the Company recorded $2.2 million of impairment charges primarily related to seven underperforming stores, of which four were fully impaired and three were partially impaired. All underperforming stores were in the U.S.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

4. PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT (Continued)

During Fiscal 2013, the Company capitalized approximately $19.5 million of external software costs and approximately $8.7 million of internal programming and development costs, of which $0.5 million was related to stock-based compensation. During Fiscal 2012, the Company capitalized approximately $12.9 million of external software costs and approximately $3.8 million of internal programming and development costs. During Fiscal 2011, the Company capitalized approximately $18.7 million of external software costs and approximately $4.9 million of internal programming and development costs. Amortization expense of capitalized software was approximately $7.0 million, $7.4 million and $7.8 million in Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, respectively.

As of February 1, 2014, the Company had approximately $10.2 million in property and equipment for which payment had not been made, which was included in accrued expenses and other current liabilities.

5. CREDIT FACILITY

The Company and certain of its domestic subsidiaries maintain a credit agreement with Wells Fargo Bank, National

Association (“Wells Fargo”), Bank of America, N.A., HSBC Business Credit (USA) Inc., and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A. as

lenders (collectively, the “Lenders”) and Wells Fargo, as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent and Swing Line Lender (the

“Credit Agreement”). The Credit Agreement has been amended from time to time and the provisions below reflect all

amendments.


(i)	the prime rate plus a margin of 0.50% to 0.75% based on the amount of the Company’s average excess availability under the facility; or


(ii)	the London InterBank Offered Rate, or “LIBOR”, for an interest period of one, two, three or six months, as selected by the Company, plus a margin of 1.50% to 1.75% based on the amount of the Company’s average excess availability under the facility.

The Company is charged an unused line fee of 0.25% on the unused portion of the commitments. Letter of credit fees range from 0.75% to 0.875% for commercial letters of credit and range from 1.00% to 1.25% for standby letters of credit. Letter of credit fees are determined based on the amount of the Company's average excess availability under the facility. The amount available for loans and letters of credit under the Credit Agreement is determined by a borrowing base consisting of certain credit card receivables, certain inventory and the fair market value of certain real estate, subject to certain reserves.

The Credit Agreement contains covenants, which include conditions on stock buybacks and the payment of cash dividends or similar payments. Credit extended under the Credit Agreement is secured by a security interest in substantially all of the Company's U.S. assets excluding intellectual property, software, equipment and fixtures.

On December 20, 2012, the Credit Agreement was amended to provide for, among other things, an extension of the term of the Credit Agreement, a reduction in various rates charged under the Agreement as reflected above and the elimination of a first priority security interest in substantially all of the Company's U.S. intellectual property, software, equipment and fixtures. This amendment also provided for the replacement of certain restrictive limits with an availability test, which must be met in order to permit the taking of certain actions. In conjunction with this amendment, the Company paid $0.4 million in additional deferred financing costs.

As of February 1, 2014, the Company has capitalized an aggregate of approximately $3.7 million in deferred financing costs related to the Credit Agreement. The unamortized balance of deferred financing costs at February 1, 2014 was

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)

5. CREDIT FACILITY (Continued)

$1.3 million. Unamortized deferred financing costs are amortized on a straight-line basis over the remaining term of the Credit Agreement.

The table below presents the components (in millions) of the Company’s credit facility as of the periods indicated:



	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013
Credit facility maximum	$	150.0		$	150.0
Borrowing base	150.0			150.0

Outstanding borrowings	—			—
Letters of credit outstanding—merchandise	1.2			27.1
Letters of credit outstanding—standby	9.9			10.6
Utilization of credit facility at end of period	11.1			37.7

Availability (1)	$	138.9		$	112.3

Interest rate at end of period	3.8		%	3.8		%



	Fiscal 2013			Fiscal 2012
Average end of day loan balance during the period	$	—		$	—
Highest end of day loan balance during the period	10.4			1.1
Average interest rate	3.8		%	4.0		%

____________________________________________


(1)	The sublimit availability for letters of credit was $113.9 million and $87.3 million at February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, respectively.

In conjunction with the March 4, 2014 amendment described above the Company paid $0.3 million in additional deferred financing costs.

Letter of Credit Fees

Letter of credit fees approximated $0.2 million in each of Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, respectively, and are included in cost of sales.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


6.	INTEREST EXPENSE (INCOME), NET

The following table presents the components of the Company’s interest expense, net (in thousands):



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013			January 28, 2012
Interest income	$	1,123	$	988		$	959
Tax-exempt interest income	—		—			7
Total interest income	1,123		988			966

Less:
Interest expense – credit facilities	120		146			196
Unused line fee	305		422			881
Amortization of deferred financing fees	364		364			472
Other interest and fees	69		76			107
Total interest expense	858		1,008			1,656
Interest expense (income), net	$	265	$	(20	)	$	(690	)


7.	PREPAID EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT ASSETS

Prepaid expenses and other current assets are comprised of the following (in thousands):



	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013
Prepaid property expense	$	20,933	$	21,789
Prepaid income taxes	3,930		9,617
Prepaid maintenance contracts	3,124		4,493
Prepaid insurance	2,582		2,471
Other	3,013		2,557
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	$	33,582	$	40,927

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


8.	ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities are comprised of the following (in thousands):



	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013
Customer liabilities	$	31,247	$	28,147
Accrued salaries and benefits	27,597		28,901
Accrued store expenses	8,410		4,950
Accrued construction-in-progress	8,277		4,251
Accrued real estate expenses	7,172		6,000
Sales taxes and other taxes payable	6,689		7,805
Accrued freight	5,267		1,918
Accrued marketing	5,075		1,324
Accrued insurance	4,676		4,594
Accrued professional fees	2,369		1,428
Accrued short-term restructuring costs	941		3,637
Other	11,938		8,631
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities	$	119,658	$	101,586


9.	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES

Operating Lease Commitments

The Company leases all of its stores, offices and distribution facilities (except the Ft. Payne, Alabama distribution center which the Company owns), and certain office equipment, store fixtures and automobiles, under operating leases expiring through 2024. The leases require fixed minimum annual rental payments plus, under the terms of certain leases, additional payments for taxes, other expenses and additional rent based upon sales.

Store, office and distribution facilities minimum rent, contingent rent and sublease income are as follows (in thousands):



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013		January 28, 2012
Minimum rentals	168,112		166,022		162,761
Additional rent based upon sales	943		1,270		1,059
Sublease income	(1,138	)	(369	)	(106	)

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


9.	COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Continued)

Future minimum annual lease payments under the Company's operating leases at February 1, 2014 were as follows (in thousands):



	Minimum Operating Lease Payments
2014	$	159,276
2015	144,353
2016	130,813
2017	114,743
2018	97,048
Thereafter	297,149
Total minimum lease payments	$	943,382

New Store and Remodel Capital Commitments

As of February 1, 2014, the Company executed 11 leases for new stores. The Company estimates the capital expenditures required to open and begin operating these stores will be approximately $3.3 million.

Purchase Commitments

As of February 1, 2014, the Company has entered into various purchase commitments for merchandise for re-sale of approximately $310.0 million and approximately $25.7 million for equipment, construction and other non-merchandise commitments.

Employment Agreements

The Company has an employment agreement with its President and Chief Executive Officer, which provides for severance of two times the sum of base salary plus bonus, and certain other payments and benefits following any termination without cause or for “good reason”. As of February 1, 2014, these cash severance benefits approximated $6.1 million. In the event of a change in control of the Company, certain executives will receive, in the aggregate, approximately $22.9 million of cash severance benefits should they either be terminated or voluntarily terminate their employment due to a degradation of duties as defined in their agreement.

10. LEGAL AND REGULATORY MATTERS

The Company is involved in various legal proceedings arising in the normal course of business. In the opinion of management, any ultimate liability arising out of these proceedings will not have a material effect on the Company's financial position, results of operations or cash flows.


11.	INCOME TAXES

The components of income before taxes are as follows (in thousands):



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013		January 28, 2012
U.S.	$	36,487	$	36,948	$	47,101
Foreign	40,061		52,747		57,652
Total	$	76,548	$	89,695	$	104,753

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


11.	INCOME TAXES (Continued)

The components of the Company's provision for income taxes consisted of the following (in thousands):



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013			January 28, 2012
Current -
Federal	$	13,240		$	7,575		$	6,984
State	4,371			5,230			6,462
Foreign	9,463			11,674			14,693
Total current	27,074			24,479			28,139
Deferred -
Federal	(1,513		)	3,045			1,542
State	(731		)	(762		)	1,590
Foreign	(1,308		)	(310		)	(863		)
Total deferred	(3,552		)	1,973			2,269
Tax provision as shown on the consolidated statements of operations	$	23,522		$	26,452		$	30,408
Effective tax rate	30.7		%	29.5		%	29.0		%

A reconciliation between the calculated tax provision on income based on statutory rates in effect and the effective tax rate for is as follows (in thousands):



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013			January 28, 2012
Calculated income tax provision at federal statutory rate	$	26,792		$	31,393		$	36,664
State income taxes, net of federal benefit	2,366			2,904			5,234
Foreign tax rate differential	(7,224		)	(9,044		)	(7,064		)
Deemed repatriation of foreign income and reversals thereof	—			—			(870		)
Nondeductible expenses	1,792			1,611			1,373
Unrecognized tax benefit	(1,347		)	(743		)	(3,729		)
Change in valuation allowance	447			1,395			—
Other	696			(1,064		)	(1,200		)
Total tax provision	$	23,522		$	26,452		$	30,408

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


11.	INCOME TAXES (Continued)

The tax effects of temporary differences which give rise to deferred tax assets and liabilities are as follows (in thousands):



	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013
Current –
Assets
Inventory	1,067			1,538
Reserves	13,256			12,376
Total current assets	14,323			13,914
Liabilities-prepaid expenses	(3,464		)	(4,200		)
Total current, net	10,859			9,714
Noncurrent –
Property and equipment	18,446			18,519
Deferred rent	14,325			13,598
Equity compensation	6,792			4,401
Reserves and other	6,243			7,160
Net operating loss carryover and other tax credits	1,842			1,395
Capital loss carryover	1,560			1,560
Total noncurrent, gross	49,208			46,633
Valuation allowance	(3,402		)	(2,955		)
Net noncurrent	45,806			43,678
Total deferred tax asset, net	$	56,665		$	53,392

The Company evaluates its permanent reinvestment assertions with respect to foreign earnings at each reporting period. During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2011 the Company changed its permanent reinvestment assertion as it related to its Hong Kong and other Asian subsidiaries, whereby the Company no longer provides deferred taxes on the undistributed earnings of these subsidiaries. After this date the Company is fully reinvested in all its foreign subsidiaries. This had the effect of reducing the Company's anticipated income tax provision by approximately $6.9 million, of which approximately $0.9 million related to prior year non-repatriated foreign income for which U.S. income taxes were provided.

As of February 1, 2014, the Company has not provided Federal taxes on approximately $201.3 million of unremitted earnings of its foreign subsidiaries. The Company intends to reinvest these earnings to fund expansion in these and other markets outside the U.S. Accordingly, the Company has not provided any provision for income tax expense in excess of foreign jurisdiction income tax requirements relative to such unremitted earnings in the accompanying financial statements. Due to the complexities associated with the hypothetical calculation, including the availability of foreign tax credits, the Company has concluded it is not practicable to determine the unrecognized deferred tax liability related to the undistributed earnings.

The Company has a capital loss carryforward (“CLC”) of approximately $3.9 million, which will expire in 2015, if unused. The Company has foreign net operating loss carryforwards of approximately $2.7 million which do not expire. The Company also has an Alternative Minimum Tax credit ("AMT") in Puerto Rico of approximately $1.2 million which does not expire.

Management considers the scheduled reversal of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, and tax planning strategies in making this assessment. The Company has concluded that it is more likely than not that certain deferred tax assets cannot be used in the foreseeable future, principally the CLC in the U.S., the foreign net operating loss carryforwards and the AMT credit in Puerto Rico. Accordingly, a valuation allowance has been established for these tax benefits. However, to the extent that tax benefits related to these are realized in the future, the reduction of the valuation allowance will reduce income tax expense accordingly.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


11.	INCOME TAXES (Continued)

In assessing the realizability of deferred tax assets, management considers whether it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. The ultimate realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of future taxable income during the periods in which those temporary differences become realizable.

The Company's income taxes payable have been reduced by the tax benefits from employee stock plan awards. For stock options, the Company receives an income tax benefit calculated as the tax effect of the difference between the fair market value of the stock issued at the time of the exercise and the exercise price. For Deferred Awards and Performance Awards, the Company receives an income tax benefit upon the award's vesting equal to the tax effect of the underlying stock's fair market value.

A reconciliation of the gross amounts of unrecognized tax benefits, excluding accrued interest and penalties, is as follows (in thousands):



	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013
Beginning Balance	$	5,919		$	6,935
Additions for current year tax positions	490			475
Additions for prior year tax positions	349			100
Reductions for prior year tax positions	(54		)	(158		)
Settlements	(851		)	(39		)
Reductions due to a lapse of the applicable statute of limitations	(1,441		)	(1,394		)
	$	4,412		$	5,919

Approximately $4.6 million of unrecognized tax benefits at February 1, 2014 would affect the Company's effective tax rate if recognized. The Company believes it is reasonably possible that there may be a reduction of approximately $1.8 million of unrecognized tax benefits in the next 12 months as a result of settlements with taxing authorities and statute of limitations expirations.

The Company accrued interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits as part of the provision for income taxes. At February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013 accrued interest and penalties included in unrecognized tax benefits were approximately $1.4 million and $1.9 million, respectively. Interest, penalties and reversals, thereof, net of taxes, was a benefit of $0.4 million, $0.2 million and $0.8 million for Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, respectively. Included in income tax expense for Fiscal 2011, the Company recorded a benefit of approximately $3.7 million related to unrecognized tax benefits primarily as a result of settlements with taxing authorities and statute of limitations expirations.

The Company is subject to tax in the United States and foreign jurisdictions, including Canada and Hong Kong. The Company, joined by its domestic subsidiaries, files a consolidated income tax return for Federal income tax purposes. During fiscal 2009, the Company completed the U.S. Federal income tax audit for fiscal years 2008 and prior. The Company, with certain exceptions, is no longer subject to income tax examinations by state and local or foreign tax authorities for tax years before fiscal 2010.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


12.	RETIREMENT AND SAVINGS PLANS

401(k) Plan

The Company has adopted The Children's Place 401(k) Savings Plan (the “401(k) Plan”), which qualifies under Section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). The 401(k) Plan is a defined contribution plan established to provide retirement benefits for employees. The 401(k) Plan is employee funded up to an elective annual deferral and also provides for the Company to make matching contributions to the 401(k) Plan.

The 401(k) Plan is available for all U.S. employees who have completed 90 days of service with the Company. Following guidance in IRS Notice 98-52 related to the design‑based alternative, or “safe harbor,” 401(k) plan method, the Company modified its 401(k) Plan for Company match contributions for non-highly compensated associates, as defined in the Code. For non-highly compensated associates, the Company matches the first 3% of the participant's contribution and 50% of the next 2% of the participant's contribution and the Company match contribution vests immediately. For highly compensated associates, the Company matches the lesser of 50% of the participant's contribution or 2.5% of the participant's covered compensation and the Company match contribution vests over 5 years. The Company's matching contributions were approximately $2.2 million, $2.0 million, and $1.8 million in Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011, respectively.

Deferred Compensation Plan

The Company has a deferred compensation plan (the “Deferred Compensation Plan”), which is a nonqualified, unfunded plan, for eligible senior level employees. Under the plan, participants may elect to defer up to 80% of his or her base salary and/or up to 100% of his or her bonus to be earned for the year following the year in which the deferral election is made. The Deferred Compensation Plan also permits members of the Board of Directors to elect to defer payment of all or a portion of their retainer and other fees to be earned for the year following the year in which a deferral election is made. In addition, eligible employees and directors of the Company may also elect to defer payment of any shares of Company stock that is earned with respect to deferred stock awards. The Company may, but is not required to, credit participants with additional Company contribution amounts. Deferred amounts are not subject to forfeiture and are deemed invested among investment funds offered under the Deferred Compensation Plan, as directed by each participant. Payments of deferred amounts (as adjusted for earnings and losses) are payable following separation from service or at a date or dates elected by the participant at the time the deferral is elected. Payments of deferred amounts are generally made in either a lump sum or in annual installments over a period not exceeding 15 years. During fiscal 2010, the Deferred Compensation Plan was amended to allow for cash deferrals made by members of the Board of Directors to be invested in shares of the Company’s common stock. Such elections are irrevocable and will be settled in shares of common stock. All other deferred amounts are payable in the form in which they were made; cash deferrals are payable in cash and stock deferrals are payable in stock. Earlier distributions are not permitted except in the case of an unforeseen hardship.

The Company has established a rabbi trust that serves as an investment to shadow the Deferred Compensation Plan liability; however, the assets of the rabbi trust are general assets of the Company and as such, would be subject to the claims of creditors in the event of bankruptcy or insolvency. The investments of the rabbi trust consist of company-owned life insurance policies (“COLIs”) and Company stock. The Deferred Compensation Plan liability, excluding Company stock, is included in other long-term liabilities and changes in the balance are recognized as compensation expense. The cash surrender values of the COLIs are included in other assets and related earnings and losses are recognized as investment income or loss, which is included in selling, general and administrative expenses. Company stock deferrals are included in the equity section of the Company’s consolidated balance sheet as treasury stock and as a deferred compensation liability. Deferred stock is recorded at fair market value at the time of deferral and any subsequent changes in fair market value are not recognized.

The Deferred Compensation Plan liability, excluding Company stock, at fair value, was approximately $0.3 million and $0.7 million at February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, respectively. The cash surrender value of the COLIs, which reflects the underlying assets at fair value, was approximately $0.3 million and $0.7 million and at February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, respectively. Company stock was $1.6 million and $1.1 million at February 1, 2014 and February 2, 2013, respectively.

Other Plans

Under statutory requirements, the Company contributes to retirement plans for its Canadian, Puerto Rican and Asian operations. Contributions under these plans were approximately $0.3 million in Fiscal 2013 and $0.2 million in each of Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


13.	SEGMENT INFORMATION

In accordance with the “Segment Reporting” topic of the FASB ASC, the Company reports segment data based on geography: The Children’s Place U.S. and The Children’s Place International. Each segment includes an e-commerce business located at www.childrensplace.com. Included in The Children’s Place U.S. segment are the Company’s U.S. and Puerto Rico based stores and U.S. revenue from the Company's wholesale partners. Included in The Children's Place International segment are the Company's Canadian based stores and revenue from international franchisees. The Company measures its segment profitability based on operating income, defined as income before interest and taxes. Net sales and direct costs are recorded by each segment. Certain inventory procurement functions such as production and design as well as corporate overhead, including executive management, finance, real estate, human resources, legal, and information technology services are managed by The Children’s Place U.S. segment. Expenses related to these functions, including depreciation and amortization, are allocated to The Children’s Place International segment based primarily on net sales. The assets related to these functions are not allocated. The Company periodically reviews these allocations and adjusts them based upon changes in business circumstances. Net sales from external customers are derived from merchandise sales and the Company has no major customers that account for more than 10% of its net sales. As of February 1, 2014, The Children’s Place U.S. operated 974 stores and The Children’s Place International operated 133 stores. As of February 2, 2013, The Children’s Place U.S. operated 966 stores and The Children’s Place International operated 129 stores.

The following tables provide segment level financial information for Fiscal 2013, Fiscal 2012 and Fiscal 2011 (dollars in thousands):



	Fiscal Year Ended
	February 1, 2014			February 2, 2013			January 28, 2012
Net sales:
The Children’s Place U.S.	$	1,528,276		$	1,557,549		$	1,489,795
The Children’s Place International (1)	237,513			251,937			226,067
Total net sales	$	1,765,789		$	1,809,486		$	1,715,862
Gross profit:
The Children’s Place U.S.	$	558,156		$	584,081		$	553,755
The Children’s Place International	97,365			107,359			105,894
Total gross profit	$	655,521		$	691,440		$	659,649
Gross Margin:
The Children’s Place U.S.	36.5		%	37.5		%	37.2		%
The Children’s Place International	41.0		%	42.6		%	46.8		%
Total gross margin	37.1		%	38.2		%	38.4		%
Operating income:
The Children’s Place U.S. (2)	$	60,267		$	68,346		$	76,531
The Children’s Place International (4)(5)	16,016			21,369			28,912
Total operating income	$	76,283		$	89,715		$	105,443



Operating income as a percent of net sales:
The Children’s Place U.S.	3.9		%	4.4		%	5.1		%
The Children’s Place International	6.7		%	8.5		%	12.8		%
Total operating income	4.3		%	5.0		%	6.1		%
Depreciation and amortization:
The Children’s Place U.S. (3)	$	55,595		$	65,066		$	64,788
The Children’s Place International (5)	9,263			12,369			9,785
Total depreciation and amortization	$	64,858		$	77,435		$	74,573
Capital expenditures:
The Children’s Place U.S.	$	64,486		$	75,945		$	66,690
The Children’s Place International	8,120			14,237			13,074
Total capital expenditures	$	72,606		$	90,182		$	79,764

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


13.	SEGMENT INFORMATION (Continued)


(1)	Net sales from The Children's Place International are primarily derived from revenues from Canadian operations.

(2)

Includes exit costs (income) associated with the closures of the West Coast DC and Northeast DC of approximately $(0.9) million and $11.1 million for Fiscal 2013 and Fiscal 2012, respectively. Also includes a $25.4 million impairment charge for Fiscal 2013 and a $2.1 million impairment charge for Fiscal 2012. Also includes additional costs incurred related to restructuring, severance and reorganizations of approximately $4.2 million and $3.9 million for Fiscal 2013 and Fiscal 2012, respectively.


(3)	Includes approximately $7.7 million of accelerated depreciation associated with the closure of the Northeast DC for Fiscal 2012.


(4)	Includes a $4.2 million impairment charge for Fiscal 2013.

(5) Includes accelerated depreciation associated with the remodel of certain Canadian stores of approximately $1.6 million for Fiscal 2012.



	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013
Total assets:
The Children’s Place U.S.	$	824,893	$	746,911
The Children’s Place International	165,737		176,499
Total assets	$	990,630	$	923,410

Geographic Information

The Company's long-lived assets are located in the following countries:



	February 1, 2014		February 2, 2013
Long-lived assets (1):
United States	$	283,059	$	294,123
Canada	31,046		39,571
Asia	1,399		803
Total long-lived assets	$	315,504	$	334,497

____________________________________________


(1)	The Company's long-lived assets are comprised of net property and equipment and other assets.


14.	QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED)

In the opinion of management, the unaudited consolidated financial statements presented below contain all material adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, necessary to present fairly the Company's financial position and results of operations and have been prepared in a manner consistent with the audited financial statements contained herein. Due to the seasonal nature of the Company's business, the results of operations in any given interim period are not indicative of operating results for a full fiscal year.

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


14.	QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) (Continued)

The following tables reflect quarterly consolidated statements of income for the periods indicated (unaudited):



	Fiscal Year Ended February 1, 2014
	First Quarter			Second Quarter			Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter (1)
Net sales	$	423,164		$	382,448		$	492,680	$	467,497
Gross profit	163,268			126,182			201,761		164,310
Selling, general and administrative expenses	119,008			124,408			123,521		118,716
Asset impairment charges	—			21,766			—		7,867
Other costs (income)	(1,023		)	61			200		(144		)
Depreciation and amortization	16,824			15,593			16,473		15,968
Operating income (loss)	28,459			(35,646		)	61,567		21,903
Income (loss) before income taxes	28,519			(35,646		)	61,649		22,026
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	9,247			(12,010		)	19,910		6,375
Net income (loss)	19,272			(23,636		)	41,739		15,651

Diluted earnings (loss) per share	$	0.83		$	(1.05	)	$	1.84	$	0.69
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	23,289			22,514			22,628		22,652

____________________________________________

(1) Significant items impacting the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2013 include approximately $7.9 million of asset impairment charges and $2.0 million of additional costs related to store dispositions.



	Fiscal Year Ended February 2, 2013
	First Quarter		Second Quarter			Third Quarter		Fourth Quarter (1)
Net sales	$	438,508	$	360,826		$	500,928	$	509,224
Gross profit	178,645		114,705			209,533		188,557
Selling, general and administrative expenses	122,283		120,671			131,875		136,089
Asset impairment charges	1,250		280			539		215
Other costs (income)	834		3,062			570		6,622
Depreciation and amortization	17,218		17,482			23,023		19,712
Operating income (loss)	37,060		(26,790		)	53,526		25,919
Income (loss) before income taxes	37,009		(26,820		)	53,503		26,003
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	12,275		(8,896		)	16,198		6,875
Net income (loss)	24,734		(17,924		)	37,305		19,128

Diluted earnings (loss) per share	$	1.00	$	(0.74	)	$	1.54	$	0.80
Diluted weighted average common shares outstanding	24,691		24,249			24,293		23,789

____________________________________________

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THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Continued)


14.	QUARTERLY FINANCIAL DATA (UNAUDITED) (Continued)

(1)

Significant items impacting the fourth quarter of Fiscal 2012 include approximately $6.6 million of lease termination costs (net of anticipated sublease income) and severance related to the closing of the Northeast DC which are included in other costs in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations. The Company also recorded $2.0 million of accelerated depreciation related to the closing of the Northeast DC which is included in depreciation and amortization in the accompanying consolidated statements of operations.


15.	SUBSEQUENT EVENTS

Subsequent to February 1, 2014 and through March 18, 2014, the Company repurchased an additional 0.2 million shares for approximately $10.5 million, which brought the total under the 2012 $100 Million Share Repurchase Program to approximately $95.8 million.

The Company's Board of Directors authorized a quarterly cash dividend of $0.1325 per share to be paid April 17, 2014 for shareholders of record on the close of business on March 27, 2014. The quarterly dividend is the first for The Children’s Place since becoming a public company in 1997. Future declarations of quarterly dividends and the establishment of future record and payment dates are subject to approval by the Company’s Board of Directors based on a number of factors, including business and market conditions, the Company’s future financial performance and other investment priorities.

The Board has also approved an additional $100 million share repurchase authorization as part of the Company’s strategy to return excess capital to shareholders. This share repurchase authorization permits the Company to repurchase shares in the open market at current market prices at the time of purchase or in privately negotiated transactions. The timing and actual number of shares repurchased under the program will depend on a variety of factors including price, corporate and regulatory requirements, and other market and business conditions, and the Company may suspend or discontinue the program at any time, and may thereafter reinstitute purchases, all without prior announcement.

On March 4, 2014, the Company amended its existing credit facility to permit the payment of dividends and increase its line of credit to $200 million from $150 million, with a $50 million sublimit for standby and documentary letters of credit and an accordion feature that could provide up to $25 million of additional availability, none of which is committed. It also extended the agreement an additional year to August 2018. For more information see Note 5 of the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements.

The Company also announced the decision to change its name from "The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc." to "The Children’s Place, Inc." which more accurately reflects its strategic positioning as a leading, global children’s brand.

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THE CHILDREN'S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

SCHEDULE II

VALUATION AND QUALIFYING ACCOUNTS

(in thousands)



Column A	Column B		Column C		Column D			Column E
	Balance at beginning of year		Charged to expense		Deductions			Balance at end of year
Lower of cost or market reserve (1)
Fiscal year ended February 1, 2014	$	2,413	$	1,881	$	(26	)	$	4,268
Fiscal year ended February 2, 2013	$	2,746	$	1,804	$	(2,137	)	$	2,413
Fiscal year ended January 28, 2012	$	4,477	$	1,342	$	(3,073	)	$	2,746


(1)	Reflects adjustment of out-of-season merchandise inventories to realizable value. Column C represents increases to the reserve and Column D represents decreases to the reserve based on quarterly assessments of the reserve.

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(a)(3) Exhibits.



Exhibit		Description

3.1		Amended and Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company dated July 29, 2008 filed as Exhibit 10.5 to the registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended August 2, 2008, is incorporated by reference herein.
3.2		Fourth Amended and Restated By-Laws of the Company filed as Exhibit 3.1 to Form 8-K filed on June 9, 2009, is incorporated by reference herein.
4.1⁽¹⁾		Form of Certificate for Common Stock of the Company filed as an exhibit to the registrant's Registration Statement No. 333‑31535 on Form S-1, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.1^(1)(*)		1997 Stock Option Plan of The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. filed as an exhibit to the registrant's Registration Statement No. 333‑31535 on Form S-1, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.2^(*)		Amended and Restated 2005 Equity Incentive Plan of The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc., filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 31, 2009, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.3^(*)		2011 Equity Incentive Plan, filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 23, 2011, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.4^(*)		The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. 401(k) Plan, as amended filed as Exhibit 10.5 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended February 3, 2007, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.5⁽¹⁾		Form of Indemnification Agreement between the Company and the members of its Board of Directors filed as Exhibit 10.7 to the registrant's Registration Statement No. 333‑31535 on Form S-1, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.6		Lease Agreement as of August 12, 2003 between Orlando Corporation and The Children's Place (Canada), LP, together with Indemnity Agreement as of August 12, 2003 between the Company and Orlando Corporation, together with Surrender of Lease as of August 12, 2003 between the Company and Orlando Corporation and Orion Properties Ltd. (Canadian Distribution Center) filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q for the period ended November 1, 2003, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.7		Lease Agreement between the Company and Turnpike Crossing I, LLC (Dayton New Jersey Distribution Center), dated as of July 14, 2004 filed as Exhibit 10.2 to registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q for the period ended July 31, 2004, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.8		Hardware and Engineering Services Agreement between The Children's Place Services Company, LLC and Dematic Corp. (Material Handling System for the Fort Payne Distribution Center), dated September 29, 2006 filed as Exhibit 10.1 to registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q for the period ended October 28, 2006, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.9		Mechanical Installation and Electrical Installation Services Agreement between The Children's Place Services Company, LLC and Dematic Corp. (Material Handling System for the Fort Payne Distribution Center), dated September 29, 2006 filed as Exhibit 10.2 to registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10‑Q for the period ended October 28, 2006, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.10		Standard Form of Agreement between The Children's Place Services Company, LLC and Clayco, Inc. (Construction of the Ft. Payne Distribution Center), executed January 18, 2007 filed as Exhibit 10.45 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended February 3, 2007, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.11		Form of Indemnity Agreement between The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and certain members of management and the Board of Directors filed as Exhibit 10.7 to registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended August 2, 2008, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.12		Lease Agreement between The Children's Place Services Company, LLC and 500 Plaza Drive Corp. effective as of March 12, 2009 (500 Plaza Drive), Secaucus, New Jersey filed as Exhibit 10.67 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 31, 2009, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.13		Guaranty between The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and 500 Plaza Drive Corp. effective as of March 12, 2009 filed as Exhibit 10.68 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 31, 2009, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.14		The First Lease Modification Agreement, dated as of August 27, 2009, between The Children's Place Services Company, LLC and 500 Plaza Drive Corp. filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the period ended August 1, 2009, is incorporated by reference herein.

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Exhibit		Description
10.15		The Children's Place Retail Stores Inc. Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan effective January 1, 2010 filed as Exhibit 10.82 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 30, 2010, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.16^(*)		Amended and Restated Employment Agreement, dated as of March 28, 2011, by and between The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and Jane T. Elfers filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended April 30, 2011, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.17^(*)		Amendment No. 1 as of March 23, 2012 to Amended and Restated Employment Agreement dated as of March 28, 2011, by and between The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and Jane T. Elfers filed as Exhibit 10.31 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 28, 2012, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.18^(*)		Deferred Stock Award Agreement, dated as of January 4, 2010, by and between The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and Jane T. Elfers filed as Exhibit 10.84 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 30, 2010, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.19^(*)		Letter Agreement dated May 9, 2011 between The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and Eric P. Bauer filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended April 30, 2011, in incorporated by reference herein.
10.20^(*)		Letter Agreement dated February 17, 2011 between The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and John Taylor filed as Exhibit 10.35 to the Registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 28, 2012, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.21^(*)		Form of Time-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement under the 2011 Equity Incentive Plan, filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 23, 2011, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.22^(*)		Form of Performance-Based Restricted Stock Unit Award Agreement under the 2011 Equity Incentive Plan, filed as Exhibit 10.3 to the registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 23, 2011, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.23^(*)		Form of Deferred Stock Award Agreement under the Company's Amended and Restated 2005 Equity Incentive Plan, filed as Exhibit 10.4 to the registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 23, 2011, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.24^(*)		Form of Performance Stock Award Agreement under the Company's Amended and Restated 2005 Equity Incentive Plan, filed as Exhibit 10.5 to the registrant's Current Report on Form 8-K filed on May 23, 2011, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.25		Form of Amended and Restated Change in Control Agreement filed as Exhibit 10.41 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 29, 2011, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.26		Letter Agreement dated February 15, 2011 between The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and Susan J. Riley filed as Exhibit 10.42 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 29, 2011, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.27^(*)		Employment Offer Letter, dated as of May 1, 2012, by and between The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and Steven Baginski filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended April 28, 2012, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.28		Agreement and General Release dated as of June 19, 2012 between Eric Bauer and The Children's Place Services Company, LLC. filed as Exhibit 10.1 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended October 27, 2012, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.29		Agreement and General Release dated as of August 27, 2012 between Lori Tauber Marcus and The Children's Place Services Company, LLC. filed as Exhibit 10.2 to the Registrant's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended October 27, 2012, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.30^(*)		Employment Offer Letter, dated as of November 26, 2012, by and between The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and Michael Scarpa filed as Exhibit 10.40 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended February 2, 2013, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.31		Agreement and General Release dated as of February 25, 2013 between Steven Baginski and The Children's Place Services Company, LLC. filed as Exhibit 10.41 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended February 2, 2013, is incorporated by reference herein.
10.32^(*)		Letter Agreement dated June 21, 2012 between The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and John E. Taylor filed as Exhibit 10.43 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended February 2, 2013, is incorporated by reference herein.

Table of Contents



Exhibit		Description
10.33⁽⁺⁾		Eleventh Amendment to the Credit Agreement, dated March 4, 2014, by and among The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. and The Children's Place Services Company, LLC, as borrowers, The Children's Place (International), LLC, The Children's Place Canada Holdings, Inc., the childrensplace.com, inc., TCP IH II, LLC, TCP International IP Holdings, LLC and TCP International Product Holdings, LLC, as guarantors, and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (successor by merger to Wells Fargo Retail Finance, LLC), as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent, L/C Issuer, SwingLine Lender and as a Lender, Bank of America, N.A., HSBC Bank USA, N.A.and JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.
18.1		Preferability Letter dated March 28, 2013 from BDO USA, LLP, The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc.'s registered independent accounting firm, regarding change in accounting principle filed as Exhibit 18.1 to the registrant's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended February 2, 2013, is incorporated by reference herein.
21.1⁽⁺⁾		Subsidiaries of the Company.
23.1⁽⁺⁾		Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
31.1⁽⁺⁾		Certificate of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002.
31.2⁽⁺⁾		Certificate of Principal Financial Officer pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002.
32⁽⁺⁾		Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
101.INS*		XBRL Instance Document.
101.SCH*		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema.
101.CAL*		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase.
101.DEF*		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase.
101.LAB*		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase.
101.PRE*		XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase.

________________________________________

⁽¹⁾Exhibit numbers are identical to the exhibit numbers incorporated by reference to such registration statement.

^(*)Compensation Arrangement.

⁽⁺⁾Filed herewith.

^* Pursuant to Rule 406T of Regulation S-T, these interactive data files are deemed not filed or part of a registration statement or prospectus for purposes of Sections 11 or 12 of the Securities Act of 1933 or Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and otherwise are not subject to liability.

(b) Exhibits. The exhibits required by Item 601 of Regulation S-K are filed herewith or incorporated by reference.

Schedule II - Valuation and Qualifying Accounts

All other financial statement schedules are omitted from this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as they are not required or applicable or the required information is included in the financial statements or notes thereto.

Table of Contents

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this Report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.



		THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC.


		By:	/S/ Jane T. Elfers
			Jane T. Elfers
			Chief Executive Officer and President
			March 20, 2014

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this Report has been signed below by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.



Signature	Title	Date

/S/ Norman Matthews	Chairman of the Board	March 20, 2014
Norman Matthews

/S/ Jane T. Elfers	Director, Chief Executive Officer and President	March 20, 2014
Jane T. Elfers	(Principal Executive Officer)

/S/ Michael Scarpa	Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer	March 20, 2014
Michael Scarpa	(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

/S/ Joseph Alutto	Director	March 20, 2014
Joseph Alutto

/S/ Susan Patricia Griffith	Director	March 20, 2014
Susan Patricia Griffith

/S/ Joseph Gromek	Director	March 20, 2014
Joseph Gromek

/S/ Louis Lipschitz	Director	March 20, 2014
Louis Lipschitz

/S/ Kenneth Reiss	Director	March 20, 2014
Kenneth Reiss

PLCE-EX10.33-2.1.2014

EXHIBIT 10.33

ELEVENTH AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT

This Eleventh Amendment to Credit Agreement (this “Eleventh Amendment”) is made as of this 4th day of March, 2014 by and among:

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC., a Delaware corporation, for itself and as agent (in such capacity, the “Lead Borrower”) for the other Borrowers party hereto;

the BORROWERS party hereto;

the GUARANTORS party hereto;

the LENDERS party hereto; and

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (successor by merger to Wells Fargo Retail Finance, LLC), as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent, L/C Issuer, and Swing Line Lender.

W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, reference is made to that certain Credit Agreement (as amended, modified, supplemented or restated and in effect from time to time, the “Credit Agreement”) dated as of July 31, 2008 by and among (i) the Borrowers, (ii) the Guarantors, (iii) the Lenders, and (iv) Wells Fargo Bank, National Association (successor by merger to Wells Fargo Retail Finance, LLC), as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent, and Swing Line Lender; and

WHEREAS, the Lead Borrower has requested, pursuant to the provisions of Section 2.15 of the Credit Agreement, and the applicable Lenders have agreed, to increase the amount of the Commitments by $25,000,000 pursuant to Section 2.15(a) of the Credit Agreement and by $25,000,000 pursuant to Section 2.15(b) of the Credit Agreement, pursuant to which the Aggregate Commitments under the Credit Agreement will be increased to $200,000,000; and

WHEREAS, the Loan Parties, the Agents and the Lenders have agreed to amend certain terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement as set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed as follows:


1.	Definitions. All capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined shall have the same meaning herein as in the Credit Agreement.

Amendment to Credit Agreement. The Credit Agreement (including, without limitation, the Schedules and Exhibits thereto) is hereby amended in its entirety to reflect the modifications identified in the document annexed hereto as Annex A. Without limiting the foregoing, the Loan Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that, upon the exercise of the Commitment Increase in accordance with this Eleventh Amendment and following the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date, (i) no additional Committed Increase shall remain in effect under Section 2.15(a) of the Credit Agreement, and (ii) the aggregate amount of Uncommitted Increases available to be requested by the Lead Borrower under Section 2.15(b) shall be reduced to $25,000,000.


3.	Eligible Real Estate. The Loan Parties, the Agents, and the Lenders hereby acknowledge and agree that, notwithstanding any provision of the Credit Agreement to the contrary, until such time as the Agent has obtained an updated appraisal with respect to the Eligible Real Estate, no Eligible Real Estate shall be included in the Borrowing Base.


4.	Eligible In-Transit Inventory. The Loan Parties, the Agents, and the Lenders hereby acknowledge and agree that, notwithstanding any provision of the Credit Agreement to the contrary, until such time as the Agent has completed its due diligence with respect to the Eligible In-Transit Inventory, no Eligible In-Transit Inventory shall be included in the Borrowing Base.


5.	Borrowing Base Certificate. Annexed hereto as Annex B is the Borrowing Base Certificate as of the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date.


6.	Ratification of Loan Documents; Waiver of Claims.

(a)

Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement and the other Loan Documents remain in full force and effect. The Loan Parties hereby ratify, confirm, and reaffirm (i) all Loan Documents as amended hereby, including without limitation, the Commitment Increase effected herein, and (ii) that all representations and warranties of the Loan Parties contained in the Credit Agreement or any other Loan Document are true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date hereof, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they are true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date.

(b)

Each of the Loan Parties hereby acknowledges and agrees that there is no basis or set of facts on the basis of which any amount (or any portion thereof) owed by the Loan Parties under the Loan Documents could be reduced, offset, waived, or forgiven, by rescission or otherwise; nor is there any claim, counterclaim, offset, or defense (or other right, remedy, or basis having a similar effect) available to the Loan Parties with regard thereto; nor is there any basis on which the terms and conditions of any of the Obligations could be claimed to be other than as stated on the written instruments which evidence such Obligations.

(c)

Each of the Loan Parties hereby acknowledges and agrees that it has no offsets, defenses, claims, or counterclaims against the Agents or any Lender, or any of their respective affiliates, predecessors, successors, or assigns, or any of their respective officers, directors, employees, attorneys, or representatives, with respect to the Obligations, or otherwise, and that if any Loan Party now has, or ever did have, any offsets, defenses, claims, or counterclaims against the Agents or any Lender, or their respective affiliates, predecessors, successors, or assigns, or their respective officers, directors, employees, attorneys, or representatives, whether known or unknown, at law or in equity, from the beginning of the world through this date and through the time of execution of this Eleventh Amendment, all of them are hereby expressly WAIVED, and each of the Loan Parties hereby RELEASES the Agents and each Lender and their respective officers, directors, employees, attorneys, representatives, affiliates, predecessors, successors, and assigns from any liability therefor.


7.	Conditions to Effectiveness. This Eleventh Amendment shall not be effective until each of the following conditions precedent has been fulfilled to the reasonable satisfaction of the Administrative Agent:


(a)	The Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts of this Eleventh Amendment duly executed and delivered by each of the parties hereto.


(b)	All corporate and shareholder action on the part of the Loan Parties and all consents and approvals necessary for the valid execution, delivery and performance by the Loan Parties of this Eleventh Amendment shall have been duly and effectively taken

and evidence thereof reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent shall have been provided to the Administrative Agent.


(c)	After giving effect to this Eleventh Amendment, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

(d)

There shall be no material misstatements in the written materials furnished by the Loan Parties to the Agents or the Lenders prior to closing of this Eleventh Amendment, or, after giving effect to the Schedules provided or deemed modified pursuant to this Eleventh Amendment, in the representations or warranties of the Loan Parties made in the Credit Agreement. The Administrative Agent shall be satisfied that any financial statements delivered to it fairly present the business and financial condition of the Borrowers and their Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, as of the date thereof and for the periods covered thereby, and that there has been no material adverse change in the assets, business, financial condition or income of the Borrowers and their subsidiaries, taken as a whole, since the date of the most recent Financial Statements delivered to the Administrative Agent. The Administrative Agent shall be satisfied that any projections delivered to it represent the Borrowers’ good faith estimate of their future financial performance and were prepared on the basis of assumptions believed by the Borrowers to be fair and reasonable in light of current business conditions at the time such projections were prepared.


(e)	All fees payable to the Agents and the Lenders on or before the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date, including, without limitation, pursuant to the Eleventh Amendment Fee Letter, shall have been paid.

(f)

The Agents shall have been reimbursed by the Loan Parties for all reasonable costs and expenses of the Agents (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees) in connection with the preparation, negotiation, execution, and delivery of this Eleventh Amendment and related documents. The Loan Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that the Administrative Agent may charge the Loan Account to pay such costs and expenses.


8.	Miscellaneous.

(a)

This Eleventh Amendment may be executed in several counterparts and by each party on a separate counterpart, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be an original, and all of which together shall constitute one instrument. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page to this Eleventh Amendment by telecopy or other electronic transmission shall be effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Eleventh Amendment.


(b)	This Eleventh Amendment (including the Eleventh Amendment Fee Letter) expresses the entire understanding of the parties with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby. No prior negotiations or discussions shall limit, modify, or otherwise affect the provisions hereof.


(c)	Any determination that any provision of this Eleventh Amendment or any application hereof is invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect and in any instance shall not affect the validity, legality, or enforceability of such provision in any other instance, or the validity, legality, or enforceability of any other provisions of this Eleventh Amendment.


(d)	The Loan Parties represent and warrant that they have consulted with independent legal counsel of their selection in connection with this Eleventh Amendment and are not relying on any representations or warranties of the Agents or the Lenders or their counsel in entering into this Eleventh Amendment.


(e)	THIS ELEVENTH AMENDMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAW OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK WITHOUT REGARD TO PRINCIPLES OF CONFLICTS OF LAWS.

[Signature Pages Follow]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have hereunto caused this Eleventh Amendment to be executed and their seals to be hereto affixed as of the date first above written.

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC., as Lead Borrower and as a Borrower

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa


Title:	Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE SERVICES COMPANY, LLC, as a Borrower

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa


Title:	Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

THE CHILDRENSPLACE.COM, INC., as a Guarantor

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa


Title:	Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE INTERNATIONAL, LLC, as a Guarantor

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa


Title:	Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE CANADA HOLDINGS, INC., as a Guarantor

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa


Title:	Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

TCP IH II, LLC, as a Guarantor

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa


Title:	Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

TCP INTERNATIONAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC, as a Guarantor

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa


Title:	Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

TCP INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT HOLDINGS, LLC, as a Guarantor

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa


Title:	Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (successor by merger to Wells Fargo Retail Finance, LLC), as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent, L/C Issuer, Swing Line Lender, and as a Lender

By: ________________________________

Name: Michele L. Ayou

Title: Authorized Signatory

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as a Lender

By: ________________________________

Name: ______________________________

Title: _______________________________

HSBC BANK (USA), N.A., as a Lender

By: ________________________________

Name: ______________________________

Title: _______________________________

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as a Lender

By: ______________________________
Name: ____________________________
Title: _____________________________

Annex A

Credit Agreement

Annex B

Borrowing Base Certificate

1665175.3

CREDIT AGREEMENT

Dated as of July 31, 2008

as amended through March 4, 2014

among

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC.,
as the Lead Borrower
for
The Borrowers Party Hereto

The BORROWERS Party Hereto

The GUARANTORS Party Hereto

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (successor by merger to Wells Fargo Retail Finance, LLC),
as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent, L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender

and

The LENDERS Party Hereto

CREDIT AGREEMENT

This CREDIT AGREEMENT (“Agreement”) is entered into as of July 31, 2008, and amended through March 4, 2014, among

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC., a Delaware corporation for itself and as agent (in such capacity, the “Lead Borrower”) for the other Borrowers now or hereafter party hereto;

the BORROWERS now or hereafter party hereto;

the GUARANTORS now or hereafter party hereto;

each lender from time to time party hereto (individually, a “Lender” and, collectively, the “Lenders”), and

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION (successor by merger to Wells Fargo Retail Finance, LLC), as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent, L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender.

The Borrowers have requested that the Lenders provide a revolving credit facility, and the Lenders have indicated their willingness to lend, in each case on the terms and conditions set forth herein.

On the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date, the Borrowers have exercised the Committed Increase option under Section 2.15(a) and a portion of the Uncommitted Increase option under Section 2.15(b) to increase the Aggregate Commitments to an amount equal to $200,000,000.

In consideration of the mutual covenants and agreements herein contained, the parties hereto covenant and agree as follows:

9.
DEFINITIONS AND ACCOUNTING TERMS

(a) Defined Terms. As used in this Agreement, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

“2009 Capital Stock Repurchase” means that certain repurchase by the Lead Borrower of 2,451,315 shares of common stock of the Lead Borrower from Ezra Dabah and the other Sellers party to the 2009 Capital Stock Repurchase Agreement.

“2009 Capital Stock Repurchase Agreement” means that certain Securities Purchase Agreement dated as of July 29, 2009 by and between the Lead Borrower, Ezra Dabah and the other Sellers party thereto.

“ACH” means automated clearing house transfers.

“Accommodation Payment” as defined in Section 10.20(d).

“Account” means “accounts” as defined in the UCC, and also means a right to payment of a monetary obligation, whether or not earned by performance, (a) for property that has been or is to be sold, leased, licensed, assigned, or otherwise disposed of, (b) for services rendered or to be rendered, (c) for a policy of insurance issued or to be issued, (d) for a secondary obligation incurred or to be incurred or (e) arising out of the use of a credit or charge card or information contained on or for use with the card.

“Acquisition” means, with respect to any Person (a) an Investment in, or a purchase of a Controlling interest in, the Equity Interests of any other Person, (b) a purchase or other acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets or properties of, another Person or of any business unit of another Person, (c) any merger or consolidation of such Person with any other Person or other transaction or series of transactions resulting in the acquisition of all or substantially all of the assets, or a Controlling interest in the Equity Interests, of any Person, or (d) any acquisition by such Person of any group of Store locations comprising more than five percent (5%) of the number of Stores operated by the acquiring Person as of the date of such acquisition, in each case acquired in any transaction or group of transactions which are part of a common plan.

“Additional Commitment Lender” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.15(b)(iii).

“Adjusted LIBO Rate” means:

(a) for any Interest Period with respect to any LIBO Borrowing, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/16 of one percent) equal to (i) the LIBO Rate for such Interest Period multiplied by (ii) the Statutory Reserve Rate; and

(b) for any interest rate calculation with respect to any Base Rate Loan, an interest rate per annum (rounded upwards, if necessary, to the next 1/100 of one percent) equal to (i) the LIBO Rate for an Interest Period commencing on the date of such calculation and ending on the date that is thirty (30) days thereafter multiplied by (ii) the Statutory Reserve Rate.

The Adjusted LIBO Rate will be adjusted automatically as of the effective date of any change in the Statutory Reserve Rate.

“Adjustment Date” means the first day of each Fiscal Quarter, commencing with the first day of the fourth Fiscal Quarter of 2008.

“Administrative Agent” means Wells Fargo Bank (as successor by merger to Wells Fargo Retail Finance, LLC), in its capacity as administrative agent under any of the Loan Documents, or any successor administrative agent.

“Administrative Agent’s Office” means the Administrative Agent’s address and, as appropriate, account as set forth on Schedule 10.02, or such other address or account as the Administrative Agent may from time to time notify the Lead Borrower and the Lenders.

“Administrative Questionnaire” means an Administrative Questionnaire in a form supplied by the Administrative Agent.

“Affiliate” means, with respect to any Person, another Person that directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, Controls or is Controlled by or is under common Control with the Person specified. Any references to the Affiliates of any Loan Party herein or in any other Loan Document shall not include Hoop, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

“Agent(s)” means, individually, the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent and, collectively, means both of them.

“Aggregate Commitments” means the Commitments of all of the Lenders.

“Agreement” means this Credit Agreement.

“Alabama Capital Lease” means a capital lease for the inventory handling system of the Borrowers and/or any of their Affiliates located at the Alabama Property.

“Alabama Sale-Leaseback Transaction” means the sale-leaseback of the Alabama Property pursuant to a lease on market terms.

“Alabama Property” means the land, together with the buildings, structures, parking areas, and other improvements thereon, owned by Services Company and located at 1377 Airport Road, Fort Payne, Alabama.

“Applicable Commitment Fee Percentage” means 0.25%.

“Applicable Margin” means:

From and after the Seventh Amendment Effective Date, the Applicable Margin shall be determined from the following pricing grid based upon the Average Excess Availability as of the Fiscal Quarter ended immediately preceding such Adjustment Date; provided that, if any of the financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 6.01 of this Agreement or any Borrowing Base Certificate is at any time restated or otherwise revised (including as a result of an audit, but excluding revisions resulting from (i) normal year-end audit adjustments and changes in GAAP or its application to the financial statements delivered pursuant to Section 6.01 of this Agreement or (ii) any other cause other than the correction of an error, omission or misrepresentation of the Loan Parties), or if the information set forth in any such financial statements or any such Borrowing Base Certificate, otherwise proves to be false or incorrect when delivered such that the Applicable Margin would have been higher than was otherwise in effect during any period, without constituting a waiver of any Default or Event of Default arising as a result thereof, interest due under this Agreement shall be immediately recalculated at such higher rate for any applicable periods and shall be due and payable on demand.



Level	Average Excess Availability	LIBOR Margin	Base Rate Margin	Commercial Letter of Credit Fee	Standby Letter of Credit Fee
I	Greater than or equal to 50% multiplied by the Revolving Credit Ceiling	1.50%	0.50%	0.75%	1.00%
II	Less than 50% multiplied by the Revolving Credit Ceiling	1.75%	0.75%	0.875%	1.25%

“Applicable Percentage” means, with respect to any Lender at any time, the percentage (carried out to the ninth decimal place) of the Aggregate Commitments represented by such Lender’s Commitment at such time. If the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02, or if the Aggregate Commitments have expired, then the Applicable Percentage of each Lender shall be determined based on the Applicable Percentage of such Lender most recently in effect, giving effect to any subsequent assignments. The initial Applicable Percentage of each Lender is set forth opposite the name of such Lender on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable.

“Approved Fund” means any Fund that is administered or managed by (a) a Lender, (b) an Affiliate of a Lender or (c) an entity or an Affiliate of an entity that administers or manages a Lender.

“Assignee Group” means two or more Eligible Assignees that are Affiliates of one another or two or more Approved Funds managed by the same investment advisor.

“Assignment and Assumption” means an assignment and assumption entered into by a Lender and an Eligible Assignee (with the consent of any party whose consent is required by Section 10.06(b)), and accepted by the Administrative Agent, in substantially the form of Exhibit E or any other form approved by the Administrative Agent.

“Attributable Indebtedness” means, on any date, in respect of any Capital Lease Obligation of any Person, the capitalized amount thereof that would appear on a balance sheet of such Person prepared as of such date in accordance with GAAP.

“Audited Financial Statements” means the audited Consolidated balance sheet of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the Fiscal Year ended February 2, 2008, and the related Consolidated statements of income or operations and cash flows for such Fiscal Year of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries, including the notes thereto.

“Availability” means the lesser of (a) or (b), where:

(a) is the result of:

(i) The Revolving Credit Ceiling,

Minus


(ii)	The aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Credit Extensions to, or for the account of, the Borrowers; and

(b) is the result of:

(i) The Borrowing Base,

Minus


(ii)	The aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Credit Extensions to, or for the account of, the Borrowers.

“Availability Period” means the period from and including the Closing Date to the earliest of (a) the Maturity Date, (b) the date of termination of the Aggregate Commitments pursuant to Section 2.06, or (c) the date of termination of the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and of the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions pursuant to Section 8.02.

“Availability Reserves” means, without duplication of any other Reserves or items that are otherwise addressed or excluded through eligibility criteria, such reserves as the Administrative Agent from time to time determines in its reasonable discretion as being appropriate: (a) to reflect the impediments to the Agents’ ability to realize upon the Collateral, (b) to reflect claims and liabilities that the Administrative Agent determines will need to be satisfied in connection with the realization upon the Collateral, (c) to reflect criteria, events, conditions, contingencies or risks which adversely affect any component of the Borrowing Base, or the assets, business, financial performance or financial condition of any Loan Party, or (d) to reflect that a Default or an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing (provided that, in the case of this clause (d) only, the reserve shall be reasonably related to the event giving rise to such Default or Event of Default). Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Availability Reserves may include (but are not limited to) such reserves as the Administrative Agent from time to time determines in its reasonable discretion as being appropriate based on: (i) rent; (ii) customs duties and other costs to release Inventory which is being imported into the United States; (iii) outstanding Taxes and other governmental charges, including, without limitation, ad valorem, real estate, personal property, sales, and other Taxes which may have priority over the interests of the Collateral Agent in the Collateral; (iv) salaries, wages and benefits due to employees of any Borrower which may have priority over the interests of the Collateral Agent in the Collateral; (v) Customer Credit Liabilities (provided that the Administrative Agent shall only impose reserves in respect of Customer Credit Liabilities if either (A) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or (B)(i) Excess Availability is less than $50,000,000 and (ii) there has been a material increase (as determined by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion) in the Borrowers’ liabilities in respect of outstanding Customer Credit Liabilities, compared to historical levels, as reflected in the Borrowers’ books and records); (vi) warehousemen’s or bailee’s charges and other Permitted Encumbrances which may have priority over the interests of the Collateral Agent in the Collateral; (vii) Cash Management Reserves; and (viii) Bank Products Reserves.

“Average Excess Availability” shall mean the average daily Excess Availability for the immediately preceding Fiscal Quarter.

“Bank Products” means any services or facilities provided to any Loan Party by a Lender or any of its Affiliates (but excluding Cash Management Services), including, without limitation on account of (a) Swap Contracts, (b) merchant services constituting a line of credit, (c) leasing, (d) Factored Receivables, and (e) supply chain finance services including, without limitation, trade payable services and supplier accounts receivable purchases.

“Bank Products Reserves” means such reserves as the Administrative Agent from time to time determines in its reasonable discretion as being appropriate to reflect the liabilities and obligations of the Loan Parties with respect to Bank Products then provided or outstanding.

“Base Rate”means for any day a fluctuating rate per annum equal to the highest of (a) the Federal Funds Rate plus one-half of one percent (0.50%), (b) the Adjusted LIBO Rate plus one percent (1.00%), or (c) the rate of interest in effect for such day as publicly announced from time to time by Wells Fargo Bank as its “prime rate.” The “prime rate” is a rate set by Wells Fargo Bank based upon various factors including Wells Fargo Bank’s costs and desired return, general economic conditions and other factors, and is used as a reference point for pricing some loans, which may be priced at, above, or below such announced rate. Any change in such rate announced by Wells Fargo Bank shall take effect at the opening of business on the day specified in the public announcement of such change.

“Base Rate Loan” means a Loan that bears interest based on the Base Rate.

“Blocked Account” has the meaning provided in Section 6.13(a)(i).

“Blocked Account Agreement” has the meaning provided in Section 6.13(a)(i).

“Blocked Account Bank” means Wells Fargo Bank and each other bank with whom deposit accounts are maintained in which any funds of any of the Loan Parties from one or more DDAs are concentrated and with whom a Blocked Account Agreement has been, or is required to be, executed in accordance with the terms hereof.

“Blocked Person” has the meaning provided in Section 5.26.

“Borrowers” means, collectively, the Lead Borrower, Services Company, and each other Person who shall from time to time enter into a Joinder Agreement as a Borrower.

“Borrowing” means a Committed Borrowing or a Swing Line Borrowing, as the context may require.

“Borrowing Base” means, at any time of calculation, an amount equal to:

(a) the face amount of Eligible Credit Card Receivables multiplied by ninety percent (90%);

plus

(b) the retail value, or, upon the completion by the Lead Borrower of its transition from the retail method of accounting to the Cost method of accounting, the Cost, as applicable, of Eligible Inventory, net of Inventory Reserves, multiplied by ninety percent (90%) of the NRLV of Eligible Inventory;

plus

(c) the retail value, or, upon the completion by the Lead Borrower of its transition from the retail method of accounting to the Cost method of accounting, the Cost, as applicable, of Eligible In-Transit Inventory, net of Inventory Reserves, multiplied by ninety percent (90%) of the NRLV of Eligible In-Transit Inventory; provided that in no event shall the amount available to be borrowed pursuant to this clause (c) exceed 10% of the Revolving Credit Ceiling then in effect at such time;

plus

(d) with respect to any Eligible Letter of Credit, the Cost of the Inventory supported by such Eligible Letter of Credit, net of Inventory Reserves, multiplied by the lesser of (i) eighty-five percent (85%) of the NRLV of the Inventory supported by such Eligible Letter of Credit, and (ii) eighty five percent (85%);

plus

(e) the lesser of (i) FMV of Eligible Real Estate, net of Realty Reserves, multiplied by fifty percent (50%) and (ii) $15,000,000.00;

plus

(f) the Cost of Eligible Warehoused Inventory, net of Inventory Reserves, multiplied by ninety percent (90%) of the NRLV of Eligible Warehoused Inventory; provided that in no event shall the amount available to be borrowed pursuant to this clause (f) exceed the lesser of (i) ten percent (10%) of the Borrowing Base then in effect at such time, or (ii) $20,000,000;

minus

(g) the then amount of all Availability Reserves.

“Borrowing Base Certificate” has the meaning provided in Section 6.02(c).

“Business Day” means any day other than a Saturday, Sunday or other day on which commercial banks are authorized to close under the Laws of, or are in fact closed in, the state where the Administrative Agent’s Office is located and, if such day relates to any LIBO Rate Loan, means any such day on which dealings in Dollar deposits are conducted by and between banks in the London interbank market.

“Canadian Letter of Credit” means any Letter of Credit caused to be issued pursuant to this Agreement by Services Company for the purchase of Inventory for the benefit of Children’s Place Canada, which shall be issued in Dollars.

“Canadian Letter of Credit Sublimit” means $10,000,00.00.

“Canadian Note” means that certain Unsecured Promissory Note, dated January 27, 2012, in an original principal amount of $100,000,000, made by TCP International Holdings, LP in favor of TCP Canada Holdings, LP in connection with the Canadian Restructuring, the obligations under which were assumed by TCP International Financing, SARL in connection with the Canadian Restructuring.

“Canadian Restructuring” means the series of transactions described on Annex A to the Eighth Amendment resulting in the organizational structure reflected in the chart attached as Schedule 1 to such Annex I.

“Canadian Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary of any Borrower that is organized under the laws of Canada or any province, state or political subdivision thereof.

“Capital Expenditures” means, with respect to any Person for any period, (a) all expenditures made (whether made in the form of cash or other property) or costs incurred for the acquisition or improvement of fixed or capital assets of such Person (excluding normal replacements and maintenance which are properly charged to current operations), in each case that are (or should be) set forth as capital expenditures in a Consolidated statement of cash flows of such Person for such period, in each case prepared in accordance with GAAP, and (b) Capital Lease Obligations incurred by a Person during such period.

“Capital Lease Obligations” means, with respect to any Person for any period, the obligations of such Person to pay rent or other amounts under any lease of (or other arrangement conveying the right to use) real or personal property, or a combination thereof, which obligations are required to be classified and accounted for as capital leases on a balance sheet of such Person under GAAP.

“Cash Collateralize” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(k).

“Cash Dominion Event” means either (i) the occurrence and continuance of any Specified Event of Default, or (ii) the failure of the Borrowers to maintain Excess Availability of at least 12.5% of the Revolving Credit Ceiling, which failure continues for five (5) consecutive Business Days. For purposes of this Agreement, the occurrence of a Cash Dominion Event shall be deemed continuing at the Administrative Agent’s option (i) so long as such Specified Event of Default has not been waived, and/or (ii) if the Cash Dominion Event arises as a result of the Borrowers’ failure to achieve Excess Availability as required hereunder, until Excess Availability has exceeded 12.5% of the Revolving Credit Ceiling for forty-five (45) consecutive days, in which case a Cash Dominion Event shall no longer be deemed to be continuing for purposes of this Agreement; provided that a Cash Dominion Event shall be deemed continuing (even if a Specified Event of Default is no longer continuing and/or Excess Availability exceeds the required amount for forty-five (45) consecutive

days) at all times after a Cash Dominion Event has occurred and been discontinued on three (3) occasions after the Closing Date.

“Cash Management Reserves” means such reserves as the Administrative Agent, from time to time, determines in its reasonable discretion as being appropriate to reflect the reasonably anticipated liabilities and obligations of the Loan Parties with respect to Cash Management Services then provided or outstanding.

“Cash Management Services” means any cash management services or facilities provided to any Loan Party by a Lender or any of its Affiliates, including, without limitation: (a) ACH transactions, (b) controlled disbursement services, treasury, depository, overdraft, and electronic funds transfer services, (c) foreign exchange facilities, (d) credit or debit cards, (e) credit card processing services, and (f) purchase cards.

“Cash on Hand” means, as of any date of determination, the amount of unrestricted cash of the Borrowers that is (a) deposited in an account of the Borrowers maintained with Wells Fargo Bank, which account is subject to a valid, enforceable and first priority perfected security interest in favor of the Collateral Agent pursuant to a control agreement, in form and substance satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, and (b) not subject to any Lien, except in favor of the Collateral Agent.

“CERCLA” means the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, 42 U.S.C. § 9601 et seq.

“CERCLIS” means the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Information System maintained by the United States Environmental Protection Agency.

“CFC” means a Person that is a controlled foreign corporation under Section 957 of the Code.

“Change in Law” means the occurrence, after the date of this Agreement, of any of the following: (a) the adoption or taking effect of any Law, rule, regulation or treaty, (b) any change in any Law, rule, regulation or treaty or in the administration, interpretation or application thereof by any Governmental Authority or (c) the making or issuance of any request, guideline or directive (whether or not having the force of law) by any Governmental Authority; provided that notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, (x) the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and all requests, rules, guidelines or directives thereunder or issued in connection therewith and (y) all requests, rules, guidelines or directives promulgated by the Bank for International Settlements, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (or any successor or similar authority) or the United States or foreign regulatory authorities, in each case pursuant to Basel III, shall in each case be deemed to be a “Change in Law”, regardless of the date enacted, adopted or issued.

“Change of Control” means an event or series of events by which:

(a) any “person” or “group” (as such terms are used in Sections 13(d) and 14(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, but excluding any employee benefit plan of such

person or its subsidiaries, and any person or entity acting in its capacity as trustee, agent or other fiduciary or administrator of any such plan), other than the existing shareholders of the Lead Borrower set forth on Schedule 1.02 or a “person” or “group” Controlled by one of the existing shareholders of the Lead Borrower set forth on Schedule 1.02, becomes the “beneficial owner” (as defined in Rules 13d-3 and 13d-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except that a person or group shall be deemed to have “beneficial ownership” of all securities that such “person” or “group” has the right to acquire, whether such right is exercisable immediately or only after the passage of time (such right, an “option right”)), directly or indirectly, of 25% or more of the Equity Interests of the Lead Borrower entitled to vote for members of the board of directors or equivalent governing body of the Lead Borrower on a fully-diluted basis (and taking into account all such Equity Interests that such “person” or “group” has the right to acquire pursuant to any option right); or

(b) the Lead Borrower fails at any time to own, directly or indirectly, 100% of the Equity Interests of each other Loan Party free and clear of all Liens (other than Liens in favor of the Collateral Agent), except where such failure is as a result of a transaction permitted by the Loan Documents.

“Children’s Place Canada” means The Children’s Place (Canada), LP, an Ontario limited partnership.

“Closing Date” means the first date all the conditions precedent in Section 4.01 are satisfied or waived in accordance with Section 10.01, which shall be July 31, 2008.

“Code” means the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, and the regulations promulgated thereunder, as amended and in effect.

“Collateral” means any and all “Collateral” as defined in any applicable Security Document and all other property that is or is intended under the terms of the Security Documents to be subject to Liens in favor of the Collateral Agent.

“Collateral Access Agreement” means an agreement reasonably satisfactory in form and substance to the Collateral Agent executed by (a) a bailee or other Person in possession of Collateral, or (b) a landlord of Real Estate leased by any Loan Party, pursuant to which such Person (i) acknowledges the Collateral Agent’s Lien on the Collateral, (ii) releases or subordinates such Person’s Liens in the Collateral held by such Person or located on such Real Estate, (iii) as to any landlord, provides the Collateral Agent with reasonable access to the Collateral located in or on such Real Estate and a reasonable time to sell and dispose of the Collateral from such Real Estate, and (iv) makes such other agreements with the Collateral Agent as the Collateral Agent may reasonably require; provided that the Real Property Waiver and Consent for the Loan Parties’ distribution center located at 3800 East Philadelphia Street, Ontario, California and the Landlord’s Waiver for the Loan Parties’ corporate headquarters located at 915 Secaucus Road, Secaucus, New Jersey, each executed and delivered pursuant to the Existing Credit Agreement, shall be deemed to be Collateral Access Agreements hereunder.

“Collateral Agent” means Wells Fargo Bank (as successor by merger to Wells Fargo Retail Finance, LLC), acting in such capacity for its own benefit and the ratable benefit of the other Credit Parties.

“Commercial Letter of Credit” means any Letter of Credit issued for the purpose of providing the primary payment mechanism in connection with the purchase of Inventory by a Borrower in the ordinary course of business of such Borrower.

“Commercial Letter of Credit Agreement” means the Commercial Letter of Credit Agreement relating to the issuance of a Commercial Letter of Credit in the form from time to time in use by the L/C Issuer.

“Commitment” means, as to each Lender, its obligation to (a) make Committed Loans to the Borrowers pursuant to Section 2.01, (b) purchase participations in L/C Obligations, and (c) purchase participations in Swing Line Loans, in an aggregate principal amount at any one time outstanding not to exceed the amount set forth opposite such Lender’s name on Schedule 2.01 or in the Assignment and Assumption pursuant to which such Lender becomes a party hereto, as applicable, as such amount may be adjusted from time to time in accordance with this Agreement.

“Commitment Fee” has the meaning provided in Section 2.09(a).

“Commitment Increases” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.15(b)(i).

“Committed Borrowing” means a borrowing consisting of simultaneous Committed Loans of the same Type and, in the case of LIBO Rate Loans, having the same Interest Period made by each of the Lenders pursuant to Section 2.01.

“Committed Increase” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.15(a).

“Committed Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.01.

“Committed Loan Notice” means a notice of (a) a Committed Borrowing, (b) a conversion of Loans from one Type to the other, or (c) a continuation of LIBO Rate Loans, pursuant to Section 2.02, which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit A.

“Commodity Exchange Act” means the Commodity Exchange Act (7 U.S.C. § 1 et seq.), as amended from time to time, and any successor statute.

“Compliance Certificate” means a certificate substantially in the form of Exhibit D.

“Concentration Account” has the meaning provided in Section 6.13(c).

“Consent” means actual consent given by a Lender from whom such consent is sought; or the passage of ten (10) Business Days from receipt of written notice to a Lender from the Administrative Agent of a proposed course of action to be followed by the Administrative Agent without such Lender’s giving the Administrative Agent written notice of that Lender’s objection to such course of action.

“Consolidated” means, when used to modify a financial term, test, statement, or report of a Person, the application or preparation of such term, test, statement or report (as applicable) based upon the consolidation, in accordance with GAAP, of the financial condition or operating results of such Person and its Subsidiaries.

“Consolidated EBITDA” means, at any date of determination, an amount equal to Consolidated Net Income of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries on a Consolidated basis for the most recently completed Measurement Period, plus (a) the following to the extent deducted in calculating such Consolidated Net Income: (i) Consolidated Interest Charges, (ii) the provision for federal, state, local and foreign income Taxes, (iii) depreciation and amortization expense, (iv) non-cash stock-based compensation expense and (v) other non-recurring expenses reducing such Consolidated Net Income which do not represent a cash item in such period or any future period (in each case of or by Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such Measurement Period), minus (b) the following to the extent included in calculating such Consolidated Net Income: (i) federal, state, local and foreign income tax credits and (ii) all non-cash items increasing Consolidated Net Income (in each case of or by the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries for such Measurement Period), all as determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

“Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio” means, at any date of determination, the ratio of (a) (i) Consolidated EBITDA minus (ii) Capital Expenditures, minus (iii) the aggregate amount of federal, state, local and foreign income Taxes paid in cash to (b) the sum of (i) Debt Service Charges plus (ii) the aggregate amount of all Restricted Payments made in cash, in each case, of or by the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the most recently completed Measurement Period, all as determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

“Consolidated Group” means the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries which are Consolidated for financial reporting purposes in accordance with GAAP.

“Consolidated Interest Charges” means, for any Measurement Period, the sum of (a) all interest, premium payments, debt discount, fees, charges and related expenses in connection with borrowed money (including capitalized interest) or in connection with the deferred purchase price of assets, in each case to the extent treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, including, without limitation, all commissions, discounts and other fees and charges owed with respect to letters of credit and bankers’ acceptance financing and net costs under Swap Contracts, but excluding any non-cash or deferred interest financing costs, and (b) the portion of Capital Lease Obligations with respect to such period that is treated as interest in accordance with GAAP, in each case of or by the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the most recently completed Measurement Period, all as determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

“Consolidated Net Income” means, as of any date of determination, the net income of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries for the most recently completed Measurement Period, all as determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP; provided, however, that there shall be excluded (a) extraordinary gains and extraordinary losses for such Measurement Period, (b) any income (or loss) included in the Consolidated net income of the Lead Borrower during such Measurement Period in which any other Person has a joint interest, except to the extent actually paid in cash to the Lead Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries during such period, (c) with respect to

any Person which was not a member of the Consolidated Group throughout such Measurement Period, the income (or loss) of such Person accrued prior to the date it became a member of the Consolidated Group, and (d) the income of any Subsidiary of the Lead Borrower during such Measurement Period to the extent that such Subsidiary is prohibited by its Organization Documents or any agreement, instrument, judgment, decree, order, statute, rule or governmental regulation applicable to such Subsidiary from making a Restricted Payment in cash during such Measurement Period, except that the Lead Borrower’s equity in any net loss of any such Subsidiary for such Measurement Period shall be included in determining Consolidated Net Income.

“Contractual Obligation” means, as to any Person, any provision of any agreement, instrument or other undertaking to which such Person is a party or by which it or any of its property is bound.

“Control” means the possession, directly or indirectly, of the power to direct or cause the direction of the management or policies of a Person, whether through the ability to exercise voting power, by contract or otherwise. “Controlling” and “Controlled” have meanings correlative thereto.

“Cost” means the calculated cost of purchases, based upon the Borrowers’ accounting practices in effect on the Closing Date (as such accounting practices may change or be modified from time to time in accordance with GAAP), as determined from invoices received by the Borrowers, the Borrowers’ purchase journals or the Borrowers’ stock ledger. “Cost” does not include inventory capitalization costs or other non‑purchase price charges (such as freight) used in the Borrowers’ calculation of cost of goods sold.

“Credit Card Advance Rate” means 90%.

“Credit Card Notifications” has the meaning provided in Section 6.13(a)(i).

“Credit Card Receivables” means each “payment intangible” (as defined in the UCC) together with all income, payments and proceeds thereof, owed by a credit card issuer or credit card processor to a Loan Party resulting from charges by a customer of a Loan Party on credit or debit cards issued by such credit card issuer in connection with the sale of goods by a Loan Party, or services performed by a Loan Party, in each case in the ordinary course of its business.

“Credit Extensions” mean each of the following: (a) a Borrowing and (b) an L/C Credit Extension.

“Credit Party” or “Credit Parties” means (a) individually, (i) each Lender and its Affiliates, (ii) each Agent, (iii) each L/C Issuer, (iv) each beneficiary of each indemnification obligation undertaken by any Loan Party under any Loan Document, (v) any other Person to whom Obligations under this Agreement and other Loan Documents are owing, and (vi) the successors and assigns of each of the foregoing, and (b) collectively, all of the foregoing.

“Credit Party Expenses” means, without limitation, (a) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Agents and their respective Affiliates, in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, including without limitation (i) the reasonable fees, charges and

disbursements of (A) one primary counsel for the Agents and one local counsel in each applicable jurisdiction, (B) outside consultants for the Agents, (C) appraisers, (D) commercial finance examinations, and (E) all such reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred during any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of the Obligations, (ii) in connection with (A) the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein, (B) the preparation, negotiation, administration, management, execution and delivery of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any amendments, modifications or waivers of the provisions thereof (whether or not the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby shall be consummated), (C) the enforcement or protection of their rights in connection with this Agreement or the Loan Documents or efforts to preserve, protect, collect, or enforce the Collateral, or (D) any workout, restructuring or negotiations in respect of any Obligations, and (b) with respect to the L/C Issuer, and its Affiliates, all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred in connection with the issuance, amendment, renewal or extension of any Letter of Credit or any demand for payment thereunder; and (c) all reasonable out-of-pocket expenses incurred by the Credit Parties who are not the Agents, the L/C Issuer or any Affiliate of any of them, after the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, provided that such Credit Parties shall be entitled to reimbursement for no more than one primary counsel and one local counsel in each applicable jurisdiction (absent a conflict of interest in which case the Credit Parties may engage and be reimbursed for additional counsel), one outside consultant and one financial advisor, in each case representing or advising all such Credit Parties.

“Customer Credit Liabilities” means, at any time, the aggregate remaining value at such time of (a) outstanding gift certificates and gift cards of the Borrowers entitling the holder thereof to use all or a portion of the certificate or gift card to pay all or a portion of the purchase price for any Inventory, and (b) outstanding merchandise credits and customer deposits of the Borrowers.

“Customs Broker Agreement” means an agreement, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, among a Borrower, a customs broker, freight forwarder or other carrier, and the Collateral Agent, in which the customs broker, freight forwarder or other carrier acknowledges that it has control over and holds the documents evidencing ownership of the subject Inventory for the benefit of the Collateral Agent and agrees, upon notice from the Collateral Agent, to hold and dispose of the subject Inventory solely as directed by the Collateral Agent.

“DDA” means each checking or other demand deposit account maintained by any of the Loan Parties.

“Debtor Relief Laws” means the Bankruptcy Code of the United States, and all other liquidation, conservatorship, bankruptcy, assignment for the benefit of creditors, moratorium, rearrangement, receivership, insolvency, reorganization, or similar debtor relief Laws of the United States or other applicable jurisdictions from time to time in effect and affecting the rights of creditors generally.

“Debt Service Charges” means, for any Measurement Period, the sum of (a) Consolidated Interest Charges for such Measurement Period, plus (b) principal payments made or required to be made on account of Indebtedness (excluding the Obligations but including, without limitation, Capital Lease Obligations) for such Measurement Period, in each case of or by the Lead Borrower

and its Subsidiaries for such Measurement Period, all as determined on a Consolidated basis in accordance with GAAP.

“Default” means any event or condition that constitutes an Event of Default or that, with the giving of any notice, the passage of time, or both, would be an Event of Default.

“Default Rate” means (a) when used with respect to Obligations other than Letter of Credit Fees, an interest rate equal to (i) the Base Rate plus (ii) the Applicable Margin, if any, applicable to Base Rate Loans, plus (iii) 2% per annum; provided, however, that with respect to a LIBO Rate Loan, the Default Rate shall be an interest rate equal to the interest rate (including any Applicable Margin) otherwise applicable to such LIBO Rate Loan plus 2% per annum, and (b) when used with respect to Letter of Credit Fees, a rate equal to the Applicable Margin for Standby Letters of Credit or Commercial Letters of Credit, as applicable, plus 2% per annum.

“Defaulting Lender” means any Lender that (a) has failed to fund any amounts required to be funded by it under this Agreement within one (1) Business Day of the date that it is required to do so under this Agreement (including the failure to make a required payment in connection with a Letter of Credit Disbursement), (b) notified the Lead Borrower, the Administrative Agent, or any Lender in writing that it does not intend to comply with all or any portion of its funding obligations under this Agreement, (c) has made a public statement to the effect that it does not intend to comply with its funding obligations under this Agreement or under other agreements generally (as reasonably determined by the Administrative Agent) under which it has committed to extend credit, (d) failed, within one (1) Business Day after written request by the Administrative Agent, to confirm that it will comply with the terms of this Agreement relating to its obligations to fund any amounts required to be funded by it under this Agreement, (e) otherwise failed to pay over to the Administrative Agent or any other Lender any other amount required to be paid by it under this Agreement within one (1) Business Day of the date that it is required to do so under this Agreement, or (f) (i) becomes or is insolvent or has a parent company that has become or is insolvent or (ii) becomes the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, or custodian or appointed for it, or has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment or has a parent company that has become the subject of a bankruptcy or insolvency proceeding, or has had a receiver, conservator, trustee, or custodian appointed for it, or has taken any action in furtherance of, or indicating its consent to, approval of or acquiescence in any such proceeding or appointment.

“Defaulting Lender Rate” means (a) for the first three (3) days from and after the date the relevant payment is due, the Base Rate, and (b) thereafter, the interest rate then applicable to Committed Loans that are Base Rate Loans (inclusive of the Applicable Margin applicable thereto).

“Disposition” or “Dispose” means the sale, transfer, license, lease or other disposition (including any sale and leaseback transaction and any sale, transfer, license or other disposition of (whether in one transaction or in a series of transactions) all or substantially all of its assets to or in favor of any Person) of any property (including, without limitation, any Equity Interests) by any Person (or the granting of any option or other right to do any of the foregoing), including any sale, assignment, transfer or other disposal, with or without recourse, of any notes or accounts receivable or any rights and claims associated therewith .

“Dollars” and “$” mean lawful money of the United States.

“Domestic Subsidiary” means any Subsidiary that is organized under the laws of any political subdivision of the United States.

“Drawing Document” means any Letter of Credit or other document presented for purposes of drawing under any Letter of Credit.

“Early Termination Fee” has the meaning set forth in Section 2.09(b).

“Eighth Amendment” means the Eighth Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of January 25, 2012 by and among the Borrowers, the Guarantors, the Lenders and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent, and Swing Line Lender.

“Eighth Amendment Effective Date” means January 25, 2012.

“Eleventh Amendment Effective Date” means March 4, 2014.

“Eleventh Amendment Fee Letter” means the Fee Letter, dated as of the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date, between the Agents and the Borrowers.

“Eligible Assignee” means (a) a Credit Party or any of its Affiliates; (b) a bank, insurance company, or company engaged in the business of making commercial loans, which Person, together with its Affiliates, has a combined capital and surplus in excess of $250,000,000; (c) an Approved Fund; (d) any Person to whom a Credit Party assigns its rights and obligations under this Agreement as part of an assignment and transfer of such Credit Party’s rights in and to a material portion of such Credit Party’s portfolio of asset based credit facilities, and (e) any other Person (other than a natural person); provided, however, that each Eligible Assignee described in clauses (a) through (e), above, shall be reasonably acceptable to, and subject to the approval of, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line Lender, and the Lead Borrower (each such approval not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) to the extent provided in Section 10.06(b) of this Agreement; provided further that, notwithstanding the foregoing, “Eligible Assignee” shall not include a Loan Party or any of the Loan Parties’ Affiliates or Subsidiaries.

“Eligible Credit Card Receivables” means Credit Card Receivables due to a Borrower on a non-recourse basis from Visa, Mastercard, American Express Company, Discover, and other major credit card processors, in each case acceptable to the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion, as they arise in the ordinary course of business, which have been earned by performance, and are deemed by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion to be eligible for inclusion in the calculation of the Borrowing Base. Without limiting the foregoing, unless the Administrative Agent otherwise agrees, none of the following shall be deemed to be Eligible Credit Card Receivables:

(a) Credit Card Receivables due from major credit card processors that have been outstanding for more than five (5) Business Days from the date of sale;

(b) Credit Card Receivables due from major credit card processors with respect to which a Loan Party does not have good, valid and marketable title, free and clear of any Lien (other than Liens granted to the Collateral Agent);

(c) Credit Card Receivables due from major credit card processors that are not subject to a first priority security interest in favor of the Collateral Agent (it being the intent that chargebacks in the ordinary course by the credit card processors shall not be deemed violative of this clause);

(d) Credit Card Receivables due from major credit card processors which are disputed, are with recourse, or with respect to which a claim, counterclaim, offset or chargeback has been asserted (to the extent of such claim, counterclaim, offset or chargeback);

(e) Credit Card Receivables due from major credit card processors as to which the credit card processor has the right under certain circumstances to require a Loan Party to repurchase the Credit Card Receivables from such credit card processor; or

(f) Credit Card Receivables due from major credit card processors which the Administrative Agent determines in its reasonable discretion to be uncertain of collection.

“Eligible In-Transit Inventory” means, as of any date of determination thereof, without duplication, Inventory:

(a) which has been shipped from a location outside of the United States for receipt by a Borrower within forty-five (45) days of the date of shipment, but which has not yet been delivered to such Borrower;

(b) for which the purchase order is in the name of a Borrower and title to such Inventory and risk of loss has passed to such Borrower;

(c) for which the document of title reflects a Borrower as consignee or, if requested by the Collateral Agent, names the Collateral Agent as consignee, and in each case as to which the Collateral Agent has control over the documents of title which evidence ownership of the subject Inventory (such as, if requested by the Collateral Agent, by the delivery of a Customs Broker Agreement);

(d) which is insured against types of loss, damage, hazards and risks, and in amounts, reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent;

(e) for which the common carrier is not an Affiliate of the applicable vendor or supplier; and

(f) which otherwise would constitute Eligible Inventory;

provided that the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion, exclude any particular Inventory from the definition of “Eligible In-Transit Inventory” in the event the Administrative Agent determines

that such Inventory is subject to any Person’s right of reclamation, repudiation, stoppage in transit or any event has occurred or is reasonably anticipated by the Administrative Agent to arise which may otherwise adversely impact the ability of the Collateral Agent to realize upon such Inventory. The Administrative Agent shall notify the Lead Borrower of any such exclusion and the reasons therefor as soon as reasonably practicable, provided that the effectiveness of such exclusion shall not be conditioned upon such notification.

Each Committed Loan Notice or Swing Line Loan Notice, as the context requires, shall be deemed a certification by the Borrowers that, to the best knowledge of the Borrowers, all Eligible In-Transit Inventory included in the most recent Borrowing Base Certificate meets all of the Borrowers’ representations and warranties contained in the Loan Documents concerning Eligible Inventory, that the Borrowers know of no reason why such Eligible Inventory would not be accepted by the Borrowers when it arrives and that the shipment, as evidenced by the documents, conforms to the related order documents.

“Eligible Inventory” means, as of the date of determination thereof, without duplication, items of Inventory (other than Eligible In-Transit Inventory, Inventory supported by an Eligible Letter of Credit, or Eligible Warehoused Inventory) of a Borrower that are finished goods, merchantable and readily saleable to the public in the ordinary course deemed by the Administrative Agent in its reasonable discretion to be eligible for inclusion in the calculation of the Borrowing Base, in each case that, except as otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent, complies with each of the representations and warranties respecting Inventory made by the Borrowers in the Loan Documents, and that is not excluded as ineligible by virtue of one or more of the criteria set forth below. Except as otherwise agreed by the Administrative Agent, the following items of Inventory shall not be included in Eligible Inventory:

(a) Inventory that is not solely owned by a Borrower or a Borrower does not have good and valid title thereto;

(b) Inventory that is leased by, or is on consignment to, a Borrower;

(c) Inventory (other than Eligible In-Transit Inventory, Inventory supported by an Eligible Letter of Credit, or Eligible Warehoused Inventory) that is not located in the United States of America (excluding territories or possessions of the United States) at a location that is owned or leased by a Borrower, except to the extent that the Borrowers have furnished the Administrative Agent with (i) any UCC financing statements or other documents that the Administrative Agent may determine to be necessary to perfect its security interest in such Inventory at such location, and (ii) a Collateral Access Agreement executed by the Person owning any such location;

(d) Inventory that is comprised of goods which (i) are damaged, defective, “seconds,” or otherwise unmerchantable, (ii) are to be returned to the vendor, (iii) are obsolete or slow moving, or are special order or custom items, work‑in‑process, raw materials, or that constitute spare parts, promotional, marketing, packaging and shipping materials or supplies used or consumed in a Borrower’s business, (iv) are not in compliance with all

standards imposed by any Governmental Authority having regulatory authority over such Inventory, its use or sale, or (v) are bill and hold goods;

(e) Inventory that is not subject to a perfected first‑priority security interest in favor of the Collateral Agent;

(f) Inventory that consists of samples, labels, bags, packaging, and other similar non-merchandise categories;

(g) Inventory that is not insured in compliance with the provisions of Section 5.10 hereof; or

(h) Inventory that has been sold but not yet delivered or as to which a Borrower has accepted a deposit.

“Eligible Letter of Credit” means, as of any date of determination thereof, a Commercial Letter of Credit which supports the purchase of Inventory, (a) which Inventory does not constitute Eligible In-Transit Inventory and for which no documents of title have then been issued, (b) which Inventory otherwise would constitute Eligible Inventory, (c) which Commercial Letter of Credit has an expiry within one hundred twenty (120) days of the date of initial issuance of such Commercial Letter of Credit, and (d) which Commercial Letter of Credit provides that it may be drawn only after the Inventory is completed and after documents of title have been issued for such Inventory reflecting a Borrower or the Collateral Agent as consignee of such Inventory.

“Eligible Letter of Credit Advance Rate” means 70%.

“Eligible Real Estate” means the Alabama Property and any other Real Estate which satisfies all of the following conditions and is otherwise deemed by the Required Lenders in their reasonable discretion to be eligible for inclusion in the calculation of the Borrowing Base:

(a) The applicable Borrower owns fee title to such Real Estate;

(b) The applicable Borrower has executed and delivered to the Collateral Agent such mortgages and other documents as the Collateral Agent may request;

(c) The applicable Borrower has delivered to the Collateral Agent a title insurance policy or marked-up title commitment having the effect of a policy of title insurance and environmental studies, and other real estate items, as required by, and satisfactory to, the Collateral Agent, including, but not limited to, those items required by FIRREA;

(d) The Collateral Agent has a perfected first‑priority lien in such Real Estate, subject only to Permitted Encumbrances;

(e) Such parcel of Real Estate has been appraised by a third party appraiser acceptable to the Collateral Agent;

(f) Such Real Estate is used by a Borrower for offices or as a Store or distribution center; and

(g) As to any particular property, the applicable Borrower is in compliance with the representations, warranties and covenants set forth in the mortgage relating to such Real Estate.

“Eligible Warehoused Inventory” means Inventory not intended to be sold at retail in a Store location, subject to a fully perfected first priority security interest in favor of the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties, and located in a warehouse in the United States of America which is either owned by a Borrower or maintained pursuant to an agreement between a Borrower and the owner of such warehouse (including an agreement between a Borrower and an agent of such Borrower which stores such Inventory on its premises pending instructions from such Borrower as to its sale to a wholesale vendor) with respect to which (i) either (a) no negotiable or non-negotiable document covering the goods has been issued or (b) in the event a negotiable or non-negotiable document covering the goods has been issued, there has been created in favor of the Administrative Agent for the benefit of the Secured Parties a perfected first priority security interest in such document pursuant to the Uniform Commercial Code in all applicable jurisdictions and all other applicable law (in addition to the security interest in the goods), (ii) the Administrative Agent has received a Collateral Access Agreement from the owner and/or operator of such warehouse, and (iii) which otherwise would constitute Eligible Inventory.

“Emerson Road Lease” means the Agreement of Lease dated May 3, 2006, as amended by Lease Modification Agreement dated November 27, 2006, Letter Agreement dated January 17, 2007, and Consent to License dated January 1, 2008, pursuant to which Hartz Mountain Associates, a New Jersey general partnership, as landlord, leased certain premises at Two Emerson Lane, Secaucus, New Jersey to Services Company, as tenant.

“Emerson Road Lease Termination Agreement” means the Lease Termination Agreement, dated as of March 11, 2009, between Hartz Mountain Metropolitan, a New Jersey general partnership, as landlord, and Services Company, as tenant, pursuant to which the Emerson Road Lease is terminated prior to the expiration of its stated term.

“Emerson Road Lease Termination Payment” means the fee payable by Services Company pursuant to Section 6 of the Emerson Road Lease Termination Agreement in order to terminate the Emerson Road Lease prior to the expiration of its stated term.

“Environmental Compliance Reserve” means, with respect to Eligible Real Estate, any reserve which the Agents, from time to time in their reasonable discretion establish for estimable amounts that are reasonably likely to be expended by any of the Loan Parties in order for such Loan Party and its operations and property (a) to comply with any notice from a Governmental Authority asserting non-compliance with Environmental Laws, or (b) to correct any such non-compliance with Environmental Laws.

“Environmental Laws” means any and all Federal, state, local, and foreign statutes, laws, regulations, ordinances, rules, judgments, orders, decrees, permits, concessions, grants, franchises,

licenses, agreements or governmental restrictions relating to pollution and the protection of the environment or the release of any materials into the environment, including those related to hazardous substances or wastes, air emissions and discharges to waste or public systems.

“Environmental Liability” means any liability, contingent or otherwise (including any liability for damages, costs of environmental remediation, fines, penalties or indemnities) of any Borrower, any other Loan Party or any of their respective Subsidiaries directly or indirectly resulting from or based upon (a) violation of any Environmental Law, (b) the generation, use, handling, transportation, storage, treatment or disposal of any Hazardous Materials, (c) exposure to any Hazardous Materials, (d) the release or threatened release of any Hazardous Materials into the environment or (e) any contract, agreement or other consensual arrangement pursuant to which liability is assumed or imposed with respect to any of the foregoing.

“Equipment” has the meaning set forth in the Security Agreement.

“Equity Interests” means, with respect to any Person, all of the shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the warrants, options or other rights for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person, all of the securities convertible into or exchangeable for shares of capital stock of (or other ownership or profit interests in) such Person or warrants, rights or options for the purchase or acquisition from such Person of such shares (or such other interests), and all of the other ownership or profit interests in such Person (including partnership, member or trust interests therein), whether voting or nonvoting, and whether or not such shares, warrants, options, rights or other interests are outstanding on any date of determination.

“ERISA” means the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974.

“ERISA Affiliate” means any trade or business (whether or not incorporated) under common control with the Lead Borrower within the meaning of Section 414(b) or (c) of the Code (and Sections 414(m) and (o) of the Code for purposes of provisions relating to Section 412 of the Code).

“ERISA Event” means (a) a Reportable Event with respect to a Pension Plan; (b) a withdrawal by the Lead Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Pension Plan subject to Section 4063 of ERISA during a plan year in which it was a substantial employer (as defined in Section 4001(a)(2) of ERISA) or a cessation of operations that is treated as such a withdrawal under Section 4062(e) of ERISA; (c) a complete or partial withdrawal by the Lead Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate from a Multiemployer Plan or notification that a Multiemployer Plan is in reorganization; (d) the filing of a notice of intent to terminate, the treatment of a Plan amendment as a termination under Sections 4041 or 4041A of ERISA, or the commencement of proceedings by the PBGC to terminate a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (e) an event or condition which constitutes grounds under Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of, or the appointment of a trustee to administer, any Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan; (f) the imposition of any liability under Title IV of ERISA, other than for PBGC premiums due but not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA, upon the Lead Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate; or (g) the determination that any Pension Plan is considered to be an “at-risk” plan, or that any Multiemployer Plan is considered to be in “endangered” or “critical” status within the meaning of Sections 430, 431 and 432 of the Code or Sections 303, 304 or 305 of ERISA.

“Event of Default” has the meaning specified in Section 8.01. An Event of Default shall be deemed to be continuing unless and until that Event of Default has been duly waived as provided in Section 10.01 hereof.

“Excess Availability” means, as of any date of determination thereof by the Administrative Agent, the result, if a positive number, of:

(a) The lesser of:

(i) the Borrowing Base; or

(ii) the Revolving Credit Ceiling;

minus

(b) The aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Credit Extensions.

“Excess Availability Reserve” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) the product of (i) the amount generated by clauses (a) through (e) of the Borrowing Base multiplied by (ii) ten percent (10%) or (b) the product of (i) the Revolving Credit Ceiling then in effect multiplied by (ii) ten percent (10%); provided, however, if the amount generated by clauses (a) through (e) of the Borrowing Base minus the amount set forth in clause (a) above is greater than the Revolving Credit Ceiling then in effect, the Excess Availability Reserve shall be $0.

“Excluded Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Guarantor, any Swap Obligation if, and to the extent that, all or a portion of the Guarantee of such Guarantor of, or the grant by such Guarantor of a security interest to secure, such Swap Obligation (or any Guarantee thereof) is or becomes illegal under the Commodity Exchange Act or any rule, regulation or order of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (or the application or official interpretation of any thereof) by virtue of such Guarantor’s failure for any reason to constitute an “eligible contract participant” as defined in the Commodity Exchange Act and the regulations thereunder at the time the Guarantee of such Guarantor or the grant of such security interest becomes effective with respect to such Swap Obligation. If a Swap Obligation arises under a master agreement governing more than one swap, such exclusion shall apply only to the portion of such Swap Obligation that is attributable to swaps for which such Guarantee or security interest is or becomes illegal.

“Excluded Taxes” means, with respect to the Administrative Agent, any Lender, the L/C Issuer or any other recipient of any payment to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrowers hereunder, (a) taxes imposed on or measured by its overall net income (however denominated), and franchise taxes imposed on it (in lieu of net income taxes), by the jurisdiction (or any political subdivision thereof) under the laws of which such recipient is organized or in which its principal office is located or, in the case of any Lender, in which its applicable Lending Office is located, (b) any branch profits taxes imposed by the United States or any similar tax imposed by any other jurisdiction in which any Borrower is located, (c) in the case of a Foreign Lender (other than an assignee pursuant to a request by the Borrowers under Section 10.13), any withholding tax that is imposed on amounts payable to such Foreign Lender at the time such Foreign Lender becomes

a party hereto (or designates a new Lending Office) or is attributable to such Foreign Lender’s failure or inability (other than as a result of a Change in Law) to comply with Section 3.01(d), except to the extent that such Foreign Lender (or its assignor, if any) was entitled, at the time of designation of a new Lending Office (or assignment), to receive additional amounts from the Borrowers with respect to such withholding tax pursuant to Section 3.01(a), (d) any U.S. federal, state or local backup withholding tax, and (e) any U.S. federal withholding tax imposed under FATCA.

“Existing Credit Agreement” means that certain Fifth Amended and Restated Loan and Security Agreement, dated as of June 28, 2007, by and between, among others, the Borrowers, the financial institutions party thereto from time to time as lenders, and Wells Fargo Retail Finance, LLC, as Agent, as amended and in effect as of the Closing Date.

“Existing Letters of Credit” means each of the letters of credit issued under the Existing Credit Agreement and the L/C Demand Facility and outstanding on the Closing Date, as listed on Schedule 2.03(o) hereto.

“Extraordinary Receipt” means any cash received by or paid to or for the account of any Person not in the ordinary course of business, including tax refunds, pension plan reversions, proceeds of insurance (other than proceeds of business interruption insurance to the extent such proceeds constitute compensation for lost earnings), condemnation awards (and payments in lieu thereof), indemnity payments and any purchase price adjustments.

“Facility Guaranty” means the Guaranty dated as of the Closing Date made by the Guarantors in favor of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders and each other Guaranty hereafter made by a Guarantor in favor of the Administrative Agent and the Lenders, in form reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

“FATCA” means Sections 1471 through 1474 of the Code, as of the date of this Agreement (or any amended or successor version that is substantively comparable and not materially more onerous to comply with) and any current or future regulations or official interpretations thereof.

“Factored Receivables” means any Accounts originally owed or owing by a Loan Party to another Person which have been purchased by or factored with Wells Fargo or any of its Affiliates pursuant to a factoring arrangement or otherwise with the Person that sold the goods or rendered the services to the Loan Party which gave rise to such Account.

“Federal Funds Rate” means, for any day, the rate per annum equal to the weighted average of the rates on overnight Federal funds transactions with members of the Federal Reserve System arranged by Federal funds brokers on such day, as published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York on the Business Day next succeeding such day; provided that (a) if such day is not a Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be such rate on such transactions on the next preceding Business Day as so published on the next succeeding Business Day, and (b) if no such rate is so published on such next succeeding Business Day, the Federal Funds Rate for such day shall be the average rate (rounded upward, if necessary, to a whole multiple of 1/100 of 1%) charged to Wells Fargo Bank on such day on such transactions as determined by the Administrative Agent.

“Fee Letter” means the letter agreement, dated as of the Closing Date, among the Borrowers and the Agents, as such letter agreement is amended, modified or supplemented from time to time following the Closing Date, including, without limitation, pursuant to the Seventh Amendment Fee Letter and the Eleventh Amendment Fee Letter and pursuant to the Amendment to Fee Letter dated as of the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date.

“FIRREA” means the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989, as amended from time to time.

“Fiscal Month” means any fiscal month of any Fiscal Year, which month shall generally end on the Saturday closest to the last day of each calendar month in accordance with the fiscal accounting calendar of the Loan Parties.

“Fiscal Quarter” means any fiscal quarter of any Fiscal Year, which quarters shall generally end on the Saturday closest to the last day of each April, July, October and January of such Fiscal Year in accordance with the fiscal accounting calendar of the Loan Parties.

“Fiscal Year” means the fifty-two (52) or fifty-three (53) week period that ends on the Saturday closest to January 31^st of each calendar year.

“FMV” means, as to any Eligible Real Estate, the fair market value of such Eligible Real Estate as set forth in the most recent appraisal of such Eligible Real Estate as determined from time to time by an independent appraisal firm engaged by, and acceptable to, the Administrative Agent.

“Foreign Lender” means any Lender that is organized under the laws of a jurisdiction other than that in which the Lead Borrower is resident for tax purposes. For purposes of this definition, the United States, each State thereof and the District of Columbia shall be deemed to constitute a single jurisdiction.

“FRB” means the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States.

“Fund” means any Person (other than a natural person) that is (or will be) engaged in making, purchasing, holding or otherwise investing in commercial loans and similar extensions of credit in the ordinary course of its business.

“GAAP” means generally accepted accounting principles in the United States set forth in the opinions and pronouncements of the Accounting Principles Board and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and statements and pronouncements of the Financial Accounting Standards Board or such other principles as may be approved by a significant segment of the accounting profession in the United States, that are applicable to the circumstances as of the date of determination, consistently applied.

“Governmental Authority” means the government of the United States or any other nation, or of any political subdivision thereof, whether state or local, and any agency, authority, instrumentality, regulatory body, court, central bank or other entity exercising executive, legislative,

judicial, taxing, regulatory or administrative powers or functions of or pertaining to government (including any supra-national bodies such as the European Union or the European Central Bank).

“Guarantee” means, as to any Person, any (a) any obligation, contingent or otherwise, of such Person guaranteeing or having the economic effect of guaranteeing any Indebtedness or other obligation payable or performable by another Person (the “primary obligor”) in any manner, whether directly or indirectly, and including any obligation of such Person, direct or indirect, (i) to purchase or pay (or advance or supply funds for the purchase or payment of) such Indebtedness or other obligation, (ii) to purchase or lease property, securities or services for the purpose of assuring the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance of such Indebtedness or other obligation, (iii) to maintain working capital, equity capital or any other financial statement condition or liquidity or level of income or cash flow of the primary obligor so as to enable the primary obligor to pay such Indebtedness or other obligation, or (iv) entered into for the purpose of assuring in any other manner the obligee in respect of such Indebtedness or other obligation of the payment or performance thereof or to protect such obligee against loss in respect thereof (in whole or in part), or (b) any Lien on any assets of such Person securing any Indebtedness or other obligation of any other Person, whether or not such Indebtedness or other obligation is assumed by such Person (or any right, contingent or otherwise, of any holder of such Indebtedness to obtain any such Lien). The amount of any Guarantee shall be deemed to be an amount equal to the stated or determinable amount of the related primary obligation, or portion thereof, in respect of which such Guarantee is made or, if not stated or determinable, the maximum reasonably anticipated liability in respect thereof as determined by the guaranteeing Person in good faith. The term “Guarantee” as a verb has a corresponding meaning.

“Guarantor” means each Subsidiary of the Lead Borrower listed on Schedule 1.01 annexed hereto and each other Subsidiary of the Lead Borrower that shall be required to execute and deliver a Facility Guaranty or Facility Guaranty supplement pursuant to Section 6.12.

“Hazardous Materials” means all explosive or radioactive substances or wastes and all hazardous or toxic substances, wastes or other pollutants, including petroleum or petroleum distillates, asbestos or asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls, radon gas, infectious or medical wastes and all other substances or wastes of any nature regulated pursuant to any Environmental Law.

“Hoop” means, collectively, Hoop Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, and its Subsidiaries.

“Increase Effective Date” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.15(b)(iv).

“Increased Financial Reporting Event” means if at any time Excess Availability is less than 50% of the Revolving Credit Ceiling at such time.

“Indebtedness” means, as to any Person at a particular time, without duplication, all of the following, whether or not included as indebtedness or liabilities in accordance with GAAP:

(a) all obligations of such Person for borrowed money and all obligations of such Person evidenced by bonds, debentures, notes, loan agreements or other similar instruments;

(b) the maximum amount of all direct or contingent obligations of such Person arising under letters of credit (including standby and commercial), bankers’ acceptances, bank guaranties, surety bonds and similar instruments;

(d) all obligations of such Person to pay the deferred purchase price of property or services (other than trade accounts payable in the ordinary course of business and, in each case, payable in accordance with customary trade practices);

(e) indebtedness (excluding prepaid interest thereon) secured by a Lien on property owned or being purchased by such Person (including indebtedness arising under conditional sales or other title retention agreements), whether or not such indebtedness shall have been assumed by such Person or is limited in recourse;

(f) All Attributable Indebtedness in respect of Capital Lease Obligations of such Person, but excluding any obligations of such Person in respect of operating leases;

(g) all obligations of such Person to purchase, redeem, retire, defease or otherwise make any payment in respect of any Equity Interest in such Person or any other Person, or any warrant, right or option to acquire such Equity Interest, valued, in the case of a redeemable preferred interest, at the greater of its voluntary or involuntary liquidation preference plus accrued and unpaid dividends; and

(h) all Guarantees of such Person in respect of any of the foregoing.

For all purposes hereof, the Indebtedness of any Person shall include the Indebtedness of any partnership or joint venture (other than a joint venture that is itself a corporation or limited liability company) in which such Person is a general partner or a joint venturer, unless such Indebtedness is expressly made non-recourse to such Person. The amount of any net obligation under any Swap Contract on any date shall be deemed to be the Swap Termination Value thereof as of such date.

“Indemnified Taxes” means Taxes other than Excluded Taxes.

“Indemnitees” has the meaning specified in Section 10.04(a).

“Information” has the meaning specified in Section 10.07.

“Intellectual Property” means all present and future: trade secrets, know-how and other proprietary information; trademarks, trademark applications, internet domain names, service marks, trade dress, trade names, business names, designs, logos, slogans (and all translations, adaptations, derivations and combinations of the foregoing) indicia and other source and/or business identifiers,

and all registrations or applications for registrations which have heretofore been or may hereafter be issued thereon throughout the world; copyrights and copyright applications; (including copyrights for computer programs) and all tangible and intangible property embodying the copyrights, unpatented inventions (whether or not patentable); patents and patent applications; industrial design applications and registered industrial designs; license agreements related to any of the foregoing and income therefrom; books, records, writings, computer tapes or disks, flow diagrams, specification sheets, computer software, source codes, object codes, executable code, data, databases and other physical manifestations, embodiments or incorporations of any of the foregoing; all other intellectual property; and all common law and other rights throughout the world in and to all of the foregoing.

“Intercreditor Agreement” means an agreement substantially in the form of Exhibit I.

“Interest Payment Date” means (a) as to any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan, the last day of each Interest Period applicable to such Loan and the Maturity Date; provided, however, that if any Interest Period for a LIBO Rate Loan exceeds three months, the respective dates that fall every three months after the beginning of such Interest Period shall also be Interest Payment Dates; and (b) as to any Base Rate Loan (including a Swing Line Loan), the first day of each month (or if such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day) and the Maturity Date.

“Interest Period” means, as to each LIBO Rate Loan, the period commencing on the date such LIBO Rate Loan is disbursed or converted to or continued as a LIBO Rate Loan and ending on the date one, two, three or six months thereafter, as selected by the Lead Borrower in its Committed Loan Notice; provided that:

(i) any Interest Period that would otherwise end on a day that is not a Business Day shall be extended to the next succeeding Business Day unless such Business Day falls in another calendar month, in which case such Interest Period shall end on the next preceding Business Day;

(ii) any Interest Period that begins on the last Business Day of a calendar month (or on a day for which there is no numerically corresponding day in the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period) shall end on the last Business Day of the calendar month at the end of such Interest Period;

(iii) no Interest Period shall extend beyond the Maturity Date; and

(iv) notwithstanding the provisions of clause (iii), no Interest Period shall have a duration of less than one (1) month, and if any Interest Period applicable to a LIBO Borrowing would be for a shorter period, such Interest Period shall not be available hereunder.

For purposes hereof, the date of a Borrowing initially shall be the date on which such Borrowing is made and thereafter shall be the effective date of the most recent conversion or continuation of such Borrowing.

“International Restructuring” means the series of transactions described on Annex I to the International Restructuring Side Letter resulting in the organizational structure reflected in the chart attached to such Annex I.

“International Restructuring Side Letter” means that certain letter agreement by and among the Administrative Agent and the Loan Parties dated as of October 31, 2012.

“Inventory” has the meaning given that term in the UCC, and shall also include, without limitation, all: (a) goods which (i) are leased by a Person as lessor, (ii) are held by a Person for sale or lease or to be furnished under a contract of service, (iii) are furnished by a Person under a contract of service, or (iv) consist of raw materials, work in process, or materials used or consumed in a business; (b) goods of said description in transit; (c) goods of said description which are returned, repossessed or rejected; and (d) packaging, advertising, and shipping materials related to any of the foregoing.

“Inventory Advance Rate” means thirty percent (30%).

“Inventory Reserves” means such reserves as may be established from time to time by the Administrative Agent in the Administrative Agent’s reasonable discretion with respect to the determination of the saleability, at retail, of the Eligible Inventory or which reflect such other factors as affect the realizable value of the Eligible Inventory.

“Investment” means, as to any Person, any direct or indirect acquisition or investment by such Person, whether by means of (a) the purchase or other acquisition of Equity Interests of another Person, (b) a loan, advance or capital contribution to, Guarantee or assumption of debt of, or purchase or other acquisition of any other debt or interest in, another Person, or (c) any Acquisition, or (d) any other investment of money or capital in order to obtain a profitable return. For purposes of covenant compliance, the amount of any Investment shall be the amount actually invested, without adjustment for subsequent increases or decreases in the value of such Investment.

“IRS” means the United States Internal Revenue Service.

“ISP” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the International Standby Practices 1998 (International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 590) and any subsequent revision thereof adopted by the International Chamber of Commerce on the date such Letter of Credit is issued.

“Issuer Documents” means with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Letter Credit Application, and any other document, agreement and instrument entered into by, among or between the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent and a Borrower (or any Subsidiary) or in favor of the Administrative Agent or L/C Issuer and relating to any such Letter of Credit.

“Joinder Agreement” means an agreement, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit F pursuant to which, among other things, a Person becomes a party to, and bound by the terms of, this Agreement and/or the other Loan Documents in the same capacity and to the same extent as either a Borrower or a Guarantor, as the Administrative Agent may determine.

“Landlord Lien State” means Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington and such other state(s) in which a landlord’s claim for rent may have priority over the lien of the Collateral Agent in any of the Collateral.

“Laws” means each international, foreign, Federal, state and local statute, treaty, rule, guideline, regulation, ordinance, code and administrative or judicial precedent or authority, including the interpretation or administration thereof by any Governmental Authority charged with the enforcement, interpretation or administration thereof, and each applicable administrative order, directed duty, request, license, authorization and permit of, and agreement with, any Governmental Authority, in each case whether or not having the force of law.

“L/C Credit Extension” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the issuance thereof or extension of the expiry date thereof, or the increase of the amount thereof.

“L/C Demand Facility” means that certain $60,000,000 letter of credit facility established by Wells Fargo Bank and certain other financial institutions providing for the issuance of commercial letters of credit for the account of the Borrowers pursuant to the terms of the L/C Demand Facility Letter of Credit Agreement.

“L/C Demand Facility Letter of Credit Agreement” means that certain Letter of Credit Agreement, dated as of June 28, 2007, by and between, among others, the Borrowers, the financial institutions party thereto from time to time as lenders, and Wells Fargo Bank, as Agent, as amended and in effect from time to time.

“L/C Issuer” means (a) Wells Fargo Bank in its capacity as issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder, or any successor issuer of Letters of Credit hereunder (which successor may only be a Lender selected by the Administrative Agent in its discretion) and (b) any other Lender selected by the Lead Borrower in its discretion with the consent of the Administrative Agent (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld). The L/C Issuer may, in its discretion, arrange for one or more Letters of Credit to be issued by Affiliates of the L/C Issuer, in which case the term “L/C Issuer” shall include any such Affiliate with respect to Letters of Credit issued by such Affiliate.

“L/C Obligations” means, as at any date of determination, the aggregate undrawn amount available to be drawn under all outstanding Letters of Credit. For purposes of computing the amounts available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.05. For all purposes of this Agreement, if on any date of determination a Letter of Credit has expired by its terms but any amount may still be drawn thereunder by reason of the operation of any Rule under the ISP or any article of the UCP, such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be “outstanding” in the amount so remaining available to be drawn.

“Lease” means any agreement, whether written or oral, no matter how styled or structured, pursuant to which a Loan Party is entitled to the use or occupancy of any space in a structure, land, improvements or premises for any period of time.

“Lender” has the meaning specified in the introductory paragraph hereto and, as the context requires, includes the Swing Line Lender.

“Lending Office” means, as to any Lender, the office or offices of such Lender described as such in such Lender’s Administrative Questionnaire, or such other office or offices as a Lender may from time to time notify the Lead Borrower and the Administrative Agent.

“Letter of Credit” means each Standby Letter of Credit and each Commercial Letter of Credit issued hereunder (including any Canadian Letter of Credit). Without limiting the foregoing, all Existing Letters of Credit shall be deemed to have been issued hereunder and shall for all purposes be deemed to be “Letters of Credit” hereunder.

“Letter of Credit Application” means an application and agreement for the issuance or amendment of a Letter of Credit in the form from time to time in use by the L/C Issuer.

“Letter of Credit Disbursement” means a payment made by the L/C Issuer pursuant to a Letter of Credit.

“Letter of Credit Expiration Date” means the day that is seven days prior to the Maturity Date then in effect (or, if such day is not a Business Day, the next preceding Business Day).

“Letter of Credit Fee” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(l).

“Letter of Credit Indemnified Costs” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(f).

“Letter of Credit Related Person” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(f).

“Letter of Credit Sublimit” means an amount equal to $50,000,000. The Letter of Credit Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments. A permanent reduction of the Aggregate Commitments shall not require a corresponding pro rata reduction in the Letter of Credit Sublimit; provided, however, that if the Aggregate Commitments are reduced to an amount less than the Letter of Credit Sublimit, then the Letter of Credit Sublimit shall be reduced to an amount equal to (or, at Lead Borrower’s option, less than) the Aggregate Commitments.

“LIBO Borrowing” means a Borrowing comprised of LIBO Rate Loans.

“LIBO Rate” means for any Interest Period with respect to a LIBO Rate Loan, the rate for U.S. Dollar deposits with a maturity comparable to such Interest Period, which appears on the Reuters Screen LIBOR01 page as of 11:00 a.m., London time, on the second London Business Day preceding the first day of such Interest Period (or if such rate does not appear on the Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page, then the rate as determined by the Administrative Agent from another recognized source or interbank quotation). For purposes hereof: “London Business Day” means a day on which commercial banks are open for general business (including dealings in foreign exchange and foreign currency deposits) in London, England, and “Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page” means the display page LIBOR01 on the Reuters service or any successor display page, other published source, information vendor or provider that has been designated by the sponsor of Reuters Screen LIBOR01 page. If such rate is not available at such time for any reason, then the “LIBO Rate” for such Interest

Period shall be the rate per annum determined by the Administrative Agent to be the rate at which deposits in Dollars for delivery on the first day of such Interest Period in same day funds in the approximate amount of the LIBO Rate Loan being made, continued, or converted by Wells Fargo Bank and with a term equivalent to such Interest Period would be offered to Wells Fargo Bank by major banks in the London interbank eurodollar market in which Wells Fargo Bank participates at their request at approximately 11:00 a.m. (London time) two Business Days prior to the commencement of such Interest Period.

“LIBO Rate Loan” means a Committed Loan that bears interest at a rate based on the Adjusted LIBO Rate.

“Lien” means (a) any mortgage, deed of trust, pledge, hypothecation, assignment, deposit arrangement, encumbrance, lien (statutory or other), charge, or preference, priority or other security interest or preferential arrangement in the nature of a security interest of any kind or nature whatsoever (including any conditional sale, Capital Lease Obligation, or other title retention agreement, any easement, right of way or other encumbrance on title to real property, and any financing lease having substantially the same economic effect as any of the foregoing) and (b) in the case of securities, any purchase option, call or similar right of a third party with respect to such securities.

“Liquidation” means the exercise by the Administrative Agent or Collateral Agent of those rights and remedies accorded to such Agents under the Loan Documents and applicable Law as a creditor of the Loan Parties with respect to the realization on the Collateral, including (after the occurrence and continuation of an Event of Default) the conduct by the Loan Parties acting with the consent of the Administrative Agent, of any public, private or “going out of business”, “store closing” or other similarly themed sale or other disposition of the Collateral for the purpose of liquidating the Collateral. Derivations of the word “Liquidation” (such as “Liquidate”) are used with like meaning in this Agreement.

“Loan” means an extension of credit by a Lender to the Borrowers under Article II in the form of a Committed Loan or a Swing Line Loan.

“Loan Account” has the meaning assigned to such term in Section 2.11(a).

“Loan Documents” means this Agreement, each Note, each Issuer Document, the Fee Letter, all Borrowing Base Certificates, the Blocked Account Agreements, the Credit Card Notifications, the Security Documents, each Facility Guaranty, the Intercreditor Agreement and any other instrument or agreement now or hereafter executed and delivered in connection herewith, or in connection with any transaction arising out of any Cash Management Services and Bank Products provided by a Lender or any of its Affiliates, each as amended and in effect from time to time.

“Loan Parties” means, collectively, the Borrowers and each Guarantor.

“Material Adverse Effect” means (a) a material adverse change in, or a material adverse effect upon, the results of operations, business, properties, liabilities (actual or contingent) or condition (financial or otherwise) of the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries taken as a whole; (b)

a material impairment of the ability of any Loan Party to perform its obligations under any Loan Document to which it is a party; or (c) a material impairment of the rights and remedies of the Agent or the Lenders under any Loan Document or a material adverse effect upon the legality, validity, binding effect or enforceability against any Loan Party of any Loan Document to which it is a party. In determining whether any individual event would result in a Material Adverse Effect, notwithstanding that such event in and of itself does not have such effect, a Material Adverse Effect shall be deemed to have occurred if the cumulative effect of such event and all other then existing events would result in a Material Adverse Effect.

“Material Contract” means, with respect to any Person, each contract to which such Person is a party, the termination or breach of which would be reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

“Material Indebtedness” means Indebtedness (other than the Obligations) of the Loan Parties in an aggregate principal amount exceeding $3,000,000. For purposes of determining the amount of Material Indebtedness at any time, the amount of the obligations in respect of any Swap Contract at such time shall be calculated at the Swap Termination Value thereof.

“Maturity Date” means August 16, 2018.

“Maximum Rate” has the meaning provided therefor in Section 10.09.

“Measurement Period” means, at any date of determination, the most recently completed trailing twelve (12) Fiscal Months.

“Moody’s” means Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. and any successor thereto.

“Mortgage” means the Mortgage on the Alabama Property by Services Company in favor of the Collateral Agent.

“Mortgage Policy” has the meaning given that term in Section 6.21(b).

“Multiemployer Plan” means any employee benefit plan of the type described in Section 4001(a)(3) of ERISA, to which the Lead Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate makes or is obligated to make contributions, or during the preceding five plan years, has made or been obligated to make contributions.

“Net Proceeds” means:

(i) with respect to any Disposition by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries (including, without limitation, any Disposition of the Alabama Property in connection with the Alabama Sale-Leaseback Transaction), or any Extraordinary Receipt received or paid to the account of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, the excess, if any, of (i) the sum of cash and cash equivalents received in connection with such transaction (including any cash or cash equivalents received by way of deferred payment pursuant to, or by monetization of, a note receivable or otherwise, but only as and when so received) over (ii) the sum of (A) the principal amount of any Indebtedness that is secured by the applicable asset by a

Lien permitted hereunder which is senior to the Collateral Agent’s Lien on such asset and that is required to be repaid (or to establish an escrow for the future repayment thereof) in connection with such transaction (other than Indebtedness under the Loan Documents), (B) the reasonable and customary out-of-pocket expenses incurred by such Loan Party or such Subsidiary in connection with such transaction (including, without limitation, appraisals, and brokerage, legal, title and recording or transfer tax expenses and commissions) paid by any Loan Party to third parties (other than Affiliates)); and

(ii) with respect to the sale or issuance of any Equity Interest by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or the incurrence or issuance of any Indebtedness by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, the excess of (i) the sum of the cash and cash equivalents received in connection with such transaction over (ii) the underwriting discounts and commissions, and other reasonable and customary out-of-pocket expenses, incurred by such Loan Party or such Subsidiary in connection therewith.

“New Headquarters Lease” means that certain Lease Agreement, dated as of March 11, 2009, by and between 500 Plaza Drive Corp., as the landlord, and Services Company, as the tenant, for the leased premises located at 500 Plaza Drive, Secaucus, New Jersey (as modified pursuant to the terms of the New Headquarters Lease Side Letter), as amended, modified, supplemented, restated or extended and in effect from time to time.

“New Headquarters Lease Guaranty” means that certain Guaranty, dated as of March 11, 2009, made by the Lead Borrower in favor of 500 Plaza Drive Corp. (as modified pursuant to the terms of the New Headquarters Lease Side Letter), pursuant to which the Lead Borrower guarantees the payment and performance of all obligations of Services Company under the New Headquarters Lease, in the form attached hereto as Schedule 1.04.

“New Headquarters Lease Side Letter” means that certain letter agreement, dated as of March 11, 2009, by and among the Lead Borrower, Services Company and 500 Plaza Drive Corp., in the form attached hereto as Schedule 1.05.

“Non-Consenting Lender” has the meaning provided therefor in Section 10.01.

“Non-Defaulting Lender” means each Lender other than a Defaulting Lender.

“Non-Extension Notice Date” has the meaning specified in Section 2.03(b)(iii).

“Note” means a promissory note made by the Borrowers in favor of a Lender evidencing Loans made by such Lender, substantially in the form of Exhibit C.

“Note Documents” means the Note Purchase Agreement, the Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due June 2013 issued under the Note Purchase Agreement, and all “Loan Documents” (as such term is defined in the Note Purchase Agreement), each as amended and in effect from time to time.

“Note Purchase Agreement” means that certain Note Purchase Agreement dated as of the Closing Date among the Lead Borrower, as issuer, the initial note purchasers party thereto, Sankaty Advisors, LLC, as collateral agent, and Crystal Capital Fund Management, L.P., as syndication agent.

“Note Purchase Facility” means the $85,000,000 senior secured second lien note purchase facility dated as of the Closing Date established by the Note Purchasers for the benefit of the Lead Borrower pursuant to the Note Documents, as amended and in effect from time to time.

“Note Purchasers” means the note purchasers from time to time party to the Note Purchase Agreement.

“NPL” means the National Priorities List under CERCLA.

“NRLV” means the net appraised retail liquidation value of the Borrowers’ Inventory (expressed as a percentage of the Cost of such Inventory) as determined from time to time by an independent appraiser engaged by the Administrative Agent.

“NRLV Percentage” means ninety percent (90%).

“Obligations” means (a) all advances to, and debts (including principal, interest, fees, costs, and expenses), liabilities, obligations, covenants and indemnities of, any Loan Party arising under any Loan Document or otherwise with respect to any Loan or Letter of Credit (including payments in respect of reimbursement of disbursements, interest thereon and obligations to provide cash collateral therefor), whether direct or indirect (including those acquired by assumption), absolute or contingent, due or to become due, now existing or hereafter arising and including interest and fees that accrue after the commencement by or against any Loan Party or any Affiliate thereof of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Laws naming such Person as the debtor in such proceeding, regardless of whether such interest and fees are allowed claims in such proceeding, and (b) any Other Liabilities; provided that the Obligations shall not include any Excluded Swap Obligations.

“Organization Documents” means, (a) with respect to any corporation, the certificate or articles of incorporation and the bylaws (or equivalent or comparable constitutive documents with respect to any non-U.S. jurisdiction); (b) with respect to any limited liability company, the certificate or articles of formation or organization and operating agreement; (c) with respect to any partnership, joint venture, trust or other form of business entity, the partnership, joint venture or other applicable agreement of formation or organization and any agreement, instrument, filing or notice with respect thereto filed in connection with its formation or organization with the applicable Governmental Authority in the jurisdiction of its formation or organization and, if applicable, any certificate or articles of formation or organization of such entity, and (d) in each case, all shareholder or other equity holder agreements, voting trusts and similar arrangements to which such Person is a party or which is applicable to its Equity Interests and all other arrangements relating to the Control or management of such Person.

“Other Liabilities” means (a) any Cash Management Services furnished to any of the Loan Parties or any of their Subsidiaries and/or (b) any transaction with any Lender or any of their respective Affiliates, which arises out of any Bank Product entered into with any Loan Party and any such Person, as each may be amended from time to time.

“Other Taxes” means all present or future stamp or documentary taxes or any other excise or property taxes, charges or similar levies arising from any payment made hereunder or under any other Loan Document or from the execution, delivery or enforcement of, or otherwise with respect to, this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

“Outstanding Amount” means (i) with respect to Committed Loans and Swing Line Loans on any date, the aggregate outstanding principal amount thereof after giving effect to any borrowings and prepayments or repayments of Committed Loans and Swing Line Loans occurring on such date; and (ii) with respect to any L/C Obligations on any date, the amount of such L/C Obligations on such date after giving effect to any L/C Credit Extension occurring on such date and any other changes in the aggregate amount of the L/C Obligations as of such date.

“Overadvance” means a Credit Extension to the extent that, immediately after its having been made, Availability is less than zero.

“Participant” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(d).

“Payment Conditions” means, at the time of determination with respect to any transaction or payment to which the Payment Conditions applies, that (a) no Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or would arise as a result of such transaction or payment, and (b) at least five (5) days prior to the consummation of such transaction or the making of such payment, the Lead Borrower shall have provided to the Administrative Agent a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Lead Borrower, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, certifying that:

(i) either:

(A) Excess Availability immediately prior to, and projected pro forma Excess Availability (measured as of the end of each Fiscal Month) for the twelve Fiscal Months immediately following, and after giving effect to, such transaction or payment shall be equal to or greater than twenty-five (25%) percent of the lesser of (x) the Aggregate Commitments and (y) the Borrowing Base, or

(B) (1) Excess Availability immediately prior to, and projected pro forma Excess Availability (measured as of the end of each Fiscal Month) for the twelve Fiscal Months immediately following, and after giving effect to, such transaction or payment shall be equal to or greater than fifteen (15%) percent of the lesser of (x) the Aggregate Commitments and (y) the Borrowing Base, and (2) the Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio immediately prior to, and the projected pro forma Consolidated Fixed Charge Coverage Ratio (measured as of the end of each Fiscal Month) for the twelve (12) Fiscal Months immediately following, and after giving effect to, the proposed transaction or payment, shall be equal to or greater than 1.00:1.0, and

(ii) the Loan Parties, on a Consolidated basis, are, and will continue to be, Solvent after giving effect to such transaction or payment.

“PBGC” means the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation.

“Pension Plan” means any “employee pension benefit plan” (as such term is defined in Section 3(2) of ERISA), other than a Multiemployer Plan, that is subject to Title IV of ERISA and is sponsored or maintained by any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate or to which any Borrower or any ERISA Affiliate contributes or has an obligation to contribute, or in the case of a multiple employer or other plan described in Section 4064(a) of ERISA, has made contributions at any time during the immediately preceding five plan years.

“Permitted Acquisition” means an Acquisition in which all of the following conditions are satisfied:

(a) No Default or Event of Default has occurred and is continuing or, immediately following such Acquisition or after taking into account the pro forma financials, would result from the consummation of such Acquisition;

(b) Such Acquisition shall have been approved by the Board of Directors of the Person (or similar governing body if such Person is not a corporation) which is the subject of such Acquisition and such Person shall not have announced that it will oppose such Acquisition or shall not have commenced any action which alleges that such Acquisition shall violate applicable Law;

(c) The Lead Borrower shall have furnished the Administrative Agent with thirty (30) days’ prior written notice of such intended Acquisition and shall have furnished the Administrative Agent with a current draft of the acquisition documents (and final copies thereof as and when executed), a summary of any due diligence undertaken by the Loan Parties in connection with such Acquisition, appropriate financial statements of the Person which is the subject of such Acquisition, pro forma projected financial statements for the twelve (12) month period following such Acquisition after giving effect to such Acquisition (including balance sheets, cash flows and income statements by month for the acquired Person, individually, and on a Consolidated basis with all Loan Parties), and such other information as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require, all of which shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent;

(d) Either (i) the legal structure of the Acquisition shall be acceptable to the Administrative Agent in its discretion, or (ii) the Loan Parties shall have provided the Administrative Agent with a solvency opinion from an unaffiliated third party valuation firm reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent;

(e) After giving effect to the Acquisition, if the Acquisition is an Acquisition of the Equity Interests, a Loan Party shall acquire and own, directly or indirectly, a majority of the Equity Interests in the Person being acquired and shall Control a majority of any voting interests or shall otherwise Control the governance of the Person being acquired;

(f) If the assets acquired in such Acquisition are to be included in the Borrowing Base, the Administrative Agent shall have received (i) the results of appraisals of the assets (or the assets of the Person) to be acquired in such Acquisition and of a commercial finance examination of the Person which is (or whose assets are) being acquired, and (ii) such other due diligence as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require, all of the results of the foregoing to be reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent;

(g) Any assets acquired shall be utilized in, and if the Acquisition involves a merger, consolidation or stock acquisition, the Person which is the subject of such Acquisition shall be engaged in, a business otherwise permitted to be engaged in by a Borrower under this Agreement;

(h) If the Person which is the subject of such Acquisition will be maintained as a Subsidiary of a Loan Party, or if the assets acquired in an acquisition will be transferred to a Subsidiary which is not then a Loan Party, such Subsidiary (unless such Subsidiary is a CFC, in which case such Subsidiary will not be required to be joined as a Borrower or Guarantor) shall have been joined as a “Borrower” hereunder or as a Guarantor, as the Administrative Agent shall determine, and the Collateral Agent shall have received a security interest and/or mortgage interest in such Subsidiary’s Equity Interests, Inventory, Accounts and other property of the same nature as constitutes collateral under the Security Documents (subject only to Permitted Encumbrances having priority by operation of law); and

(i) After giving effect to such Acquisition, the Payment Conditions shall be satisfied.

“Permitted Disposition” means any of the following:

(a) Dispositions of Inventory in the ordinary course of business, including (i) liquidations or other Dispositions of Inventory in connection with Store closings in the ordinary course of business and (ii) Dispositions of Inventory in wholesale transactions and sales to franchisees, provided that no such sale shall be made for and amount below cost;

(b) bulk sales or other Dispositions of the Inventory of a Loan Party not in the ordinary course of business in connection with Store closings, at arm’s length, provided, that such Store closures and related Inventory Dispositions shall not exceed (i) in any Fiscal Year of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries, five percent (5%) of the number of the Loan Parties’ Stores as of the beginning of such Fiscal Year (net of new Store openings) and (ii) in the aggregate from and after the Closing Date, ten percent (10%) of the number of the Loan Parties’ Stores in existence as of the Closing Date (net of new Store openings), provided further that all sales of Inventory in connection with Store closings shall be in accordance with liquidation agreements and with professional liquidators reasonably acceptable to the Agents; provided further that all Net Proceeds received in connection therewith are applied to the Obligations if then required in accordance with Section 2.05 hereof;

(c) non-exclusive licenses of Intellectual Property of a Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business;

(d) licenses for the conduct of licensed departments within the Loan Parties’ Stores in the ordinary course of business; provided that, if requested by the Agents, the Agents shall have entered into an intercreditor agreement with the Person operating such licensed department on terms and conditions reasonably satisfactory to the Agents;

(e) (i) Dispositions of Equipment in the ordinary course of business that is substantially worn, damaged, obsolete or, in the judgment of a Loan Party, no longer useful or necessary in its business or that of any Subsidiary and is not replaced with similar property having at least equivalent value and (ii) other Dispositions of Equipment having a fair market value not to exceed $500,000 in the aggregate in any Fiscal Year;

(f) sales, transfers and Dispositions among the Loan Parties or by any Subsidiary to a Loan Party, including, without limitation, distributions or transfers of some or all of the assets of Twin Brook to the Lead Borrower, provided that before, or within three (3) Business Days after, any such distribution or transfer, the Lead Borrower shall have caused the former assets of Twin Brook so distributed to be pledged to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Credit Parties;

(g) sales, transfers and Dispositions of or by any Subsidiary which is not a Loan Party to another Subsidiary that is not a Loan Party;

(h) as long as no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would arise therefrom, the Alabama Capital Lease; provided that the Collateral Agent shall have received a Collateral Access Agreement from the lessor under the Alabama Capital Lease;

(i) as long as no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would arise therefrom, the Alabama Sale-Leaseback Transaction; provided that (i) such sale is made for fair market value, (ii) the Net Proceeds paid in cash are in an amount at least equal to the greater of the amounts advanced, or available to be advanced, against the Alabama Property under the Borrowing Base, (iii) all Net Proceeds received in connection with any such transaction are applied to the Obligations, and (iv) the Collateral Agent shall have received a Collateral Access Agreement from the purchaser of the Alabama Property; and

(j) sales, transfers and Dispositions in connection with the Canadian Restructuring.

“Permitted Encumbrances” means:

(a) Liens imposed by law for Taxes that are not yet due or are being contested in compliance with Section 6.04;

(b) Carriers’, warehousemen’s, mechanics’, materialmen’s, repairmen’s and other like Liens imposed by applicable Law, arising in the ordinary course of business and

securing obligations that are not overdue by more than thirty (30) days or are being contested in compliance with Section 6.04;

(c) Pledges and deposits made in the ordinary course of business in compliance with workers’ compensation, unemployment insurance and other social security laws or regulations, other than any Lien imposed by ERISA;

(d) Liens or deposits to secure the performance of bids, trade contracts and leases (other than obligations for borrowed money), statutory obligations, surety and appeal bonds, performance bonds and other obligations of a like nature incurred in the ordinary course of business;

(e) Liens in respect of judgments that would not constitute an Event of Default hereunder;

(f) Easements, covenants, conditions, restrictions, building code laws, zoning restrictions, rights-of-way and similar encumbrances on real property imposed by law or arising in the ordinary course of business that do not secure any monetary obligations and do not materially detract from the value of the affected property or materially interfere with the ordinary conduct of business of a Loan Party and such other minor title defects or survey matters that are disclosed by current surveys that, in each case, do not materially interfere with the current use of the real property;

(g) Liens existing on the date hereof and listed on Schedule 7.01 and any renewals or extensions thereof, provided that (i) the property covered thereby is not changed, (ii) the amount secured or benefited thereby is not increased, (iii) the direct or any contingent obligor with respect thereto is not changed, and (iv) any renewal or extension of the obligations secured or benefited thereby is otherwise permitted hereunder;

(h) Liens on fixed or capital assets acquired by any Loan Party which are permitted under clause (d) of the definition of Permitted Indebtedness so long as (i) the Indebtedness secured thereby does not exceed the cost of acquisition of such fixed or capital assets and (ii) such Liens shall not extend to any other property or assets of the Loan Parties;

(i) Liens in favor the Collateral Agent;

(j) Landlords’ and lessors’ Liens in respect of rent not in default;

(k) Possessory Liens in favor of brokers and dealers arising in connection with the acquisition or disposition of Investments owned as of the date hereof and Permitted Investments, provided that such liens (a) attach only to such Investments and (b) secure only obligations incurred in the ordinary course and arising in connection with the acquisition or disposition of such Investments and not any obligation in connection with margin financing;

(l) Liens arising solely by virtue of any statutory or common law provisions relating to banker’s liens, liens in favor of securities intermediaries, rights of setoff or similar rights and remedies as to deposit accounts or securities accounts or other funds maintained with depository institutions or securities intermediaries;

(m) Liens arising from precautionary UCC filings regarding “true” operating leases or, to the extent permitted under the Loan Documents, the consignment of goods to a Loan Party;

(n) [Reserved];

(o) Liens referred to in Schedule B of the Mortgage Policy insuring the Mortgage; and

(p) Liens in favor of customs and revenues authorities imposed by applicable Law arising in the ordinary course of business in connection with the importation of goods and securing obligations (i) that are not overdue by more than thirty (30) days, or (ii)(A) that are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, (B) the applicable Loan Party or Subsidiary has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP and (C) such contest effectively suspends collection of the contested obligation and enforcement of any Lien securing such obligation;

provided, however, that, except as provided in any one or more of clauses (a) through (o) above, the term “Permitted Encumbrances” shall not include any Lien securing obligations for borrowed money.

“Permitted Indebtedness” means:

(i) Indebtedness outstanding on the date hereof and listed on Schedule 7.03 and any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof;

(ii) Indebtedness of any Loan Party to any other Loan Party; provided that such Indebtedness shall (i) be evidenced by such documentation as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require, (ii) constitute “Collateral” under this Agreement and the Security Documents, (iii) be on terms (including subordination terms) reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, and (iv) be otherwise permitted pursuant to Section 7.03;

(iii) transfers permitted by Section 7.18 and (ii) intercompany Indebtedness incurred in the ordinary course of business between the Loan Parties located within the United States, on the one hand, and their Affiliates in Puerto, Rico, Canada and Asia, on the other hand, to the extent otherwise permitted pursuant to clause (h) of the definition of Permitted Investments;

(iv) Without duplication of Indebtedness described in clause (f) of this definition, so long as the Payment Conditions are satisfied, purchase money Indebtedness of any Loan Party to finance the acquisition of any fixed or capital assets, including the Alabama Capital

Lease and other Capital Lease Obligations, and any Indebtedness assumed in connection with the acquisition of any such assets or secured by a Lien on any such assets prior to the acquisition thereof, and any Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness in respect thereof; provided, however, that, if requested by the Collateral Agent, the Loan Parties shall cause the holders of any such Indebtedness incurred after the Closing Date to enter into a Collateral Access Agreement;

(v) any liability or obligation of any Borrower to any other Borrower or to any Affiliate of any Borrower, and any liability or obligation of any Affiliate of any Borrower to any Borrower or to any other Affiliate of any Borrower, to reimburse or share the costs of any services or third party expenses in accordance with the terms of any intercompany cost-sharing agreement or arrangement, provided that no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would arise therefrom;

(vi) Subordinated Indebtedness;

(vii) Indebtedness incurred in connection with the Alabama Sale-Leaseback Transaction, provided that (i) such sale is made for fair market value, (ii) the Net Proceeds paid in cash are in an amount at least equal to the greater of the amounts advanced or available to be advanced against the Alabama Property under the Borrowing Base, (iii) all Net Proceeds received in connection with any such Indebtedness are applied to the Obligations, and (iv) the Collateral Agent shall have received a Collateral Access Agreement from the purchaser of the Alabama Property;

(viii) the Obligations;

(ix) the Canadian Note, as in effect on the Eighth Amendment Effective Date;

(x) Indebtedness owed by any Canadian Subsidiary to any Borrower;

(xi) Guarantees of any Borrower in respect of the obligations of Hoop under those certain leases described on Schedule 1.03;

(xii) the New Headquarters Lease Guaranty;

(xiii) Indebtedness arising from the obligation to pay a portion of the Emerson Road Lease Termination Payment on a deferred basis pursuant to Section 6 of the Emerson Road Lease Termination Agreement;

(xiv) Indebtedness arising from the obligation to pay a portion of the Secaucus Road Lease Termination Payment on a deferred basis pursuant to Section 6 of the Secaucus Road Lease Termination Agreement;

(xv) Indebtedness of any Person that becomes a Subsidiary of a Loan Party in a Permitted Acquisition, which Indebtedness is existing at the time such Person becomes a Subsidiary of a Loan Party (other than Indebtedness incurred solely in contemplation of such Person’s becoming a Subsidiary of a Loan Party); and

(xvi) other unsecured Indebtedness so long as the Payment Conditions are satisfied.

“Permitted Investments” means:

(a) readily marketable obligations issued or directly and fully guaranteed or insured by the United States of America or any agency or instrumentality thereof having maturities of not more than 360 days from the date of acquisition thereof; provided that the full faith and credit of the United States of America is pledged in support thereof;

(b) commercial paper issued by any Person organized under the laws of any state of the United States of America and rated at least “Prime-1” (or the then equivalent grade) by Moody’s or at least “A-1” (or the then equivalent grade) by S&P, in each case with maturities of not more than 180 days from the date of acquisition thereof;

(c) time deposits with, or insured certificates of deposit or bankers’ acceptances of, any commercial bank that (i) (A) is a Lender or (B) is organized under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia or is the principal banking subsidiary of a bank holding company organized under the laws of the United States of America, any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and is a member of the Federal Reserve System, (ii) issues (or the parent of which issues) commercial paper rated as described in clause (c) of this definition and (iii) has combined capital and surplus of at least $1,000,000,000, in each case with maturities of not more than 180 days from the date of acquisition thereof;

(d) fully collateralized repurchase agreements with a term of not more than thirty (30) days for securities described in clause (a) above (without regard to the limitation on maturity contained in such clause) and entered into with a financial institution satisfying the criteria described in clause (c) above or with any primary dealer and having a market value at the time that such repurchase agreement is entered into of not less than 100% of the repurchase obligation of such counterparty entity with whom such repurchase agreement has been entered into;

(e) Investments, classified in accordance with GAAP as current assets of the Loan Parties, in any money market fund, mutual fund, or other investment companies that are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, which are administered by financial institutions that have the highest rating obtainable from either Moody’s or S&P, and which invest solely in one or more of the types of securities described in clauses (a) through (d) above;

(f) Investments existing on the Closing Date, and set forth on Schedule 7.02, but not any increase in the amount thereof or any other modification of the terms thereof;

(g) (i) Investments by any Loan Party and its Subsidiaries in their respective Subsidiaries outstanding on the date hereof, (ii) additional Investments by any Loan Party and its Subsidiaries in any other Loan Party, (iii) additional Investments by any Loan Party in Subsidiaries that are not Loan Parties so long as the Payment Conditions are satisfied,

(iv) any Investment in connection with the Canadian Restructuring, and (v) any Investment in connection with the International Restructuring;

(h) so long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, or would result therefrom, the Lead Borrower may make loans and advances to its Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount not to exceed $5,000,000 at any time outstanding;

(i) intercompany loans and advances or other intercompany Indebtedness permitted pursuant to clauses (b), (c), (e), (i) and (j) of the definition of Permitted Indebtedness;

(j) Investments consisting of extensions of credit in the nature of accounts receivable or notes receivable arising from the grant of trade credit in the ordinary course of business, and Investments received in satisfaction or partial satisfaction thereof from financially troubled account debtors to the extent reasonably necessary in order to prevent or limit loss;

(k) Guarantees constituting Permitted Indebtedness;

(l) Investments received in connection with the bankruptcy or reorganization of, or settlement of delinquent accounts and disputes with, customers and suppliers, in each case in the ordinary course of business;

(m) so long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, or would result therefrom, (i) loans and advances to officers, directors and employees of the Loan Parties and Subsidiaries in the ordinary course of business for travel, entertainment, relocation and analogous business purposes, and (ii) other loans and advances to officers, directors and employees of the Loan Parties and Subsidiaries in an aggregate amount not to exceed $6,000,000 at any time outstanding;

(n) other Investments pursuant to the TCP Investment Policy; and

(o) Investments constituting Permitted Acquisitions;

provided, however, that notwithstanding the foregoing, after the occurrence and during the continuance of a Cash Dominion Event, no such Investments specified in clauses (a) through (e) shall be permitted unless such Investments are pledged to the Collateral Agent as additional Collateral for the Obligations pursuant to such agreements as may be reasonably required by the Collateral Agent.

“Permitted Overadvance” means an Overadvance made by the Administrative Agent, in its discretion, which:

(a) Is made (i) to maintain, protect or preserve the Collateral and/or the Credit Parties’ rights under the Loan Documents or which is otherwise for the benefit of the Credit Parties; or (ii) to enhance the likelihood of, or to maximize the amount of, repayment of any Obligation; or (iii) to pay any other amount chargeable to any Loan Party hereunder; and

(b) Together with all other Permitted Overadvances then outstanding, shall not (i) exceed ten percent (10%) of the Revolving Credit Ceiling at any time or (ii) unless a Liquidation is occurring, remain outstanding for more than forty-five (45) consecutive Business Days, unless in each case, the Required Lenders otherwise agree;

provided however, that the foregoing shall not (i) modify or abrogate any of the provisions of Section 2.03 regarding the Lender’s obligations with respect to Letters of Credit, or (ii) result in any claim or liability against the Administrative Agent (regardless of the amount of any Overadvance) for “inadvertent Overadvances” (i.e. where an Overadvance results from changed circumstances beyond the control of the Administrative Agent (such as a reduction in the collateral value)), and such “inadvertent Overadvances” shall not reduce the amount of Permitted Overadvances allowed hereunder; provided further that in no event shall the Administrative Agent make an Overadvance, if after giving effect thereto, the principal amount of the Credit Extensions would exceed the Aggregate Commitments (as in effect prior to any termination of the Commitments pursuant to Section 2.06 hereof).

“Permitted Refinancing Indebtedness” means, with respect to any Person, any refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension of any Indebtedness of such Person (or any successor of such Person); provided that (i) the amount of such Indebtedness is not increased at the time of such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension except by an amount equal to a reasonable premium or other reasonable amount paid, and fees and expenses reasonably incurred, in connection with such refinancing and by an amount equal to any existing commitments unutilized thereunder, and the direct or contingent obligor with respect thereto is not changed as a result of or in connection with such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension, (ii) the result of such extension, renewal or replacement shall not be an earlier maturity date or decreased weighted average life of such Indebtedness, (iii) the terms relating to principal amount, amortization, maturity, and collateral (if any), of any such refinancing, refunding, renewing or extending Indebtedness, and of any agreement entered into and of any instrument issued in connection therewith, are no less favorable in any material respect to the Loan Parties or the Lenders than the terms of any agreement or instrument governing the Indebtedness being refinanced, refunded, renewed or extended and the interest rate applicable to any such refinancing, refunding, renewing or extending Indebtedness does not exceed the then applicable market interest rate, and (iv) if the Indebtedness being refinanced, refunded, renewed or extended is Subordinated Indebtedness, such refinancing, refunding, renewal or extension (A) is subordinated in right of payment to the Obligations on terms at least as favorable, taken as a whole, to the Lenders as those contained in the documentation governing the Subordinated Indebtedness being refinanced, refunded, renewed or extended, and (B) contains covenants and events of default that are not more restrictive taken as a whole than the covenants and events of default contained in the documentation governing the Indebtedness being refinanced (as determined in good faith by the Lead Borrower).

“Person” means any natural person, corporation, limited liability company, trust, joint venture, association, company, partnership, limited partnership, Governmental Authority or other entity.

“Plan” means any “employee benefit plan” (as such term is defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA) established by a Borrower or, with respect to any such plan that is subject to Section 412 of the Code or Title IV of ERISA, any ERISA Affiliate.

“Prepayment Event” means:

(a) Any sale, transfer or other Disposition (including, without limitation, any Disposition of the Alabama Property in connection with the Alabama Sale-Leaseback Transaction, but excluding any Disposition permitted pursuant to clauses (a), (c), (d), (e), (f) and (g) of the definition of Permitted Dispositions) of any property or asset of a Loan Party; provided that any individual Disposition for which any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries receives Net Proceeds in an amount not to exceed $2,500,000 prior to the occurrence of a Cash Dominion Event shall not be deemed a Prepayment Event;

(b) Any casualty or other insured damage to, or any taking under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding of, any property or asset of a Loan Party, unless (i) the proceeds therefrom are required to be paid to the holder of a Lien on such property or asset having priority over the Lien of the Collateral Agent or (ii) prior to the occurrence of a Cash Dominion Event, the proceeds therefrom are utilized for purposes of replacing or repairing the assets in respect of which such proceeds, awards or payments were received within 180 days of the occurrence of the damage to or loss of the assets being repaired or replaced; provided that any individual casualty or other insured damage to, or taking under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding of, any property or asset of a Loan Party for which any Loan Party receives Net Proceeds in an amount not to exceed $2,500,000 prior to the occurrence of a Cash Dominion Event shall not be deemed a Prepayment Event;

(c) The issuance by a Loan Party of any Equity Interests, other than any such issuance of Equity Interests (i) to a Loan Party, (ii) as consideration for a Permitted Acquisition or (iii) as a compensatory issuance to any employee, director, or consultant (including under any option plan);

(d) The incurrence by a Loan Party of any Indebtedness for borrowed money other than Permitted Indebtedness; or

(e) The receipt by any Loan Party of any Extraordinary Receipts; provided that the receipt of any individual Extraordinary Receipt in an amount not to exceed $2,500,000 prior to the occurrence of a Cash Dominion Event shall not be deemed a Prepayment Event.

“Qualified ECP Guarantor” means, in respect of any Swap Obligation, each Loan Party that has total assets exceeding $10,000,000 at the time the relevant Guarantee or grant of the relevant security interest becomes effective with respect to such Swap Obligation or such other person as constitutes an “eligible contract participant” under the Commodity Exchange Act or any regulations promulgated thereunder and can cause another person to qualify as an “eligible contract participant” at such time by entering into a keepwell under Section 1a(18)(A)(v)(II) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

“Real Estate” means all Leases and all land, together with the buildings, structures, parking areas, and other improvements thereon, now or hereafter owned by any Loan Party, including all easements, rights-of-way, and similar rights relating thereto and all leases, tenancies, and occupancies thereof.

“Real Estate Advance Rate” means 50%.

“Realty Reserves” means such reserves as the Administrative Agent from time to time determines in the Administrative Agent’s reasonable discretion as being appropriate to reflect the impediments to the Agents’ ability to realize upon any Eligible Real Estate. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, Realty Reserves may include (but are not limited to) (i) Environmental Compliance Reserves, (ii) reserves for (A) municipal taxes and assessments, (B) repairs and (C) remediation of title defects, and (iii) reserves for Indebtedness secured by Liens having priority over the Lien of the Collateral Agent.

“Register” has the meaning specified in Section 10.06(c).

“Related Parties” means, with respect to any Person, such Person’s Affiliates and the partners, directors, officers, employees, agents and advisors of such Person and of such Person’s Affiliates.

“Reportable Event” means any of the events set forth in Section 4043(c) of ERISA, other than events for which the 30 day notice period has been waived.

“Reports” has the meaning provided in Section 9.11(a).

“Request for Credit Extension” means (a) with respect to a Committed Borrowing, conversion or continuation of Committed Loans, a Committed Loan Notice, (b) with respect to an L/C Credit Extension, a Letter of Credit Application and, if required by the L/C Issuer, a Standby Letter of Credit Agreement or Commercial Letter of Credit Agreement, as applicable, and (c) with respect to a Swing Line Loan, a Swing Line Loan Notice.

“Required Lenders” means, as of any date of determination, Lenders holding 50.1% or more of the Aggregate Commitments or, if the Commitment of each Lender to make Loans and the obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions have been terminated pursuant to Section 8.02, Lenders holding in the aggregate 50.1% or more of the Total Outstandings (with the aggregate amount of each Lender’s risk participation and funded participation in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans being deemed “held” by such Lender for purposes of this definition); provided that the Commitment of, and the portion of the Total Outstandings held or deemed held by, any Defaulting Lender shall be excluded for purposes of making a determination of Required Lenders.

“Reserves” means all Inventory Reserves, Availability Reserves and Realty Reserves.

“Responsible Officer” means the chief executive officer, president, chief financial officer or treasurer of a Loan Party or any of the other individuals designated in writing to the Administrative Agent by an existing Responsible Officer of a Loan Party as an authorized signatory of any certificate or other document to be delivered hereunder. Any document delivered hereunder that is signed by

a Responsible Officer of a Loan Party shall be conclusively presumed to have been authorized by all necessary corporate, partnership and/or other action on the part of such Loan Party and such Responsible Officer shall be conclusively presumed to have acted on behalf of such Loan Party.

“Restricted Payment” means any dividend or other distribution (whether in cash, securities or other property) with respect to any capital stock or other Equity Interest of any Person or any of its Subsidiaries, or any payment (whether in cash, securities or other property), including any sinking fund or similar deposit, on account of the purchase, redemption, retirement, defeasance, acquisition, cancellation or termination of any such capital stock or other Equity Interest, or on account of any return of capital to such Person’s stockholders, partners or members (or the equivalent of any thereof), or any option, warrant or other right to acquire any such dividend or other distribution or payment. Without limiting the foregoing, “Restricted Payments” with respect to any Person shall also include all payments made by such Person with any proceeds of a dissolution or liquidation of such Person.

“Revolving Credit Ceiling” $200,000,000 on and after the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date, as such amount may be modified in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

“S&P” means Standard & Poor’s Ratings Services, a division of The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. and any successor thereto.

“Secaucus Road Lease” means the Agreement of Lease dated June 30, 1998, as amended by Letter Agreement dated June 30, 1998, Lease Modification Agreement dated November 20, 1998, Second Lease Modification Agreement dated November 19, 2004, Consent to Assignment and Assumption of Lease Agreement dated October 30, 2004, Lease Termination Agreement dated May 3, 2006, and Agreement dated November 27, 2006, pursuant to which Hartz Mountain Associates, a New Jersey general partnership, as landlord, leased certain premises at 915 Secaucus Road, Secaucus, New Jersey to Services Company, as tenant.

“Secaucus Road Lease Termination Agreement” means the Lease Termination Agreement, dated as of March 11, 2009, between Hartz Mountain Associates, a New Jersey general partnership, as landlord, and Services Company, as tenant, pursuant to which the Secaucus Road Lease is terminated prior to the expiration of its stated term.

“Secaucus Road Lease Termination Payment” means the fee payable by Services Company pursuant to Section 6 of the Secaucus Road Lease Termination Agreement in order to terminate the Secaucus Road Lease prior to the expiration of its stated term.

“Security Agreement” means the Amended and Restated Security Agreement dated as of the Tenth Amendment Effective Date among the Loan Parties and the Collateral Agent.

“Security Documents” means the Security Agreement, the Mortgage, the Blocked Account Agreements, the Credit Card Notifications, and each other security agreement or other instrument or document executed and delivered to the Collateral Agent pursuant to this Agreement or any other Loan Document granting a Lien to secure any of the Obligations.

“Services Company” means The Children’s Place Services Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company.

“Settlement Date” has the meaning provided in Section 2.14(a).

“Seventh Amendment Effective Date” means August 16, 2011.

“Seventh Amendment Fee Letter” means the Fee Letter, dated as of the Seventh Amendment Effective Date, between the Agents and the Borrowers.

“Shareholders’ Equity” means, as of any date of determination, Consolidated shareholders’ equity of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of that date determined in accordance with GAAP.

“Shrink” means Inventory which has been lost, misplaced, stolen, or is otherwise unaccounted for.

“Solvent” and “Solvency” means, with respect to any Person on a particular date, that on such date (a) at fair valuation, all of the properties and assets of such Person are greater than the sum of the debts, including contingent liabilities, of such Person, (b) the present fair saleable value of the properties and assets of such Person is not less than the amount that would be required to pay the probable liability of such Person on its debts as they become absolute and matured, (c) such Person is able to realize upon its properties and assets and pay its debts and other liabilities, contingent obligations and other commitments as they mature in the normal course of business, (d) such Person does not intend to, and does not believe that it will, incur debts beyond such Person’s ability to pay as such debts mature, and (e) such Person is not engaged in a business or a transaction, and is not about to engage in a business or transaction, for which such Person’s properties and assets would constitute unreasonably small capital after giving due consideration to the prevailing practices in the industry in which such Person is engaged. The amount of all guarantees at any time shall be computed as the amount that, in light of all the facts and circumstances existing at the time, can reasonably be expected to become an actual or matured liability.

“Specified Event of Default” means the occurrence of any Event of Default described in any of Sections 8.01(a), 8.01(b)(i), 8.01(b)(ii), 8.01(d), 8.01(e), 8.01(f), 8.01(g), 8.01(h), 8.01(i), 8.01(j), 8.01(l), 8.01(m), 8.01(n), 8.01(q), 8.01(r) or 8.01(r).

“Standard Letter of Credit Practice” means, for the L/C Issuer, any domestic or foreign Law or letter of credit practices applicable in the city in which the L/C Issuer issued the applicable Letter of Credit or, for its branch or correspondent, such Laws and practices applicable in the city in which it has advised, confirmed or negotiated such Letter of Credit, as the case may be, in each case, (a) which letter of credit practices are of banks that regularly issue letters of credit in the particular city, and (b) which laws or letter of credit practices are required or permitted under ISP or UCP, as chosen in the applicable Letter of Credit.

“Standby Letter of Credit” means any Letter of Credit that is not a Commercial Letter of Credit and that (a) is used in lieu or in support of performance guaranties or performance, surety

or similar bonds (excluding appeal bonds) arising in the ordinary course of business, (b) is used in lieu or in support of stay or appeal bonds, (c) supports the payment of insurance premiums for reasonably necessary casualty insurance carried by any of the Loan Parties, or (d) supports payment or performance for identified purchases or exchanges of products or services in the ordinary course of business.

“Standby Letter of Credit Agreement” means the Standby Letter of Credit Agreement relating to the issuance of a Standby Letter of Credit in the form from time to time in use by the L/C Issuer.

“Stated Amount” means at any time the maximum amount for which a Letter of Credit may be honored.

“Statutory Reserve Rate” means a fraction (expressed as a decimal), the numerator of which is the number one and the denominator of which is the number one minus the aggregate of the maximum reserve percentages (including any marginal, special, emergency or supplemental reserves) expressed as a decimal established by the FRB to which any Lender is subject with respect to the Adjusted LIBO Rate, for eurocurrency funding (currently referred to as “Eurocurrency Liabilities” in Regulation D of the Board). Such reserve percentages shall include those imposed pursuant to such Regulation D. LIBO Rate Loans shall be deemed to constitute eurocurrency funding and to be subject to such reserve requirements without benefit of or credit for proration, exemptions or offsets that may be available from time to time to any Lender under such Regulation D or any comparable regulation. The Statutory Reserve Rate shall be adjusted automatically on and as of the effective date of any change in any reserve percentage.

“Stock Repurchase Transaction” has the meaning provided in Section 7.06(c) hereof.

“Store” means any retail store (which may include any real property, fixtures, equipment, inventory and other property related thereto) operated, or to be operated, by any Loan Party.

“Subordinated Indebtedness” means Indebtedness which is expressly subordinated in right of payment to the prior payment in full of the Obligations and which is in form and on terms approved in writing by the Administrative Agent.

“Subsidiary” of a Person means a corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company or other business entity of which a majority of the shares Equity Interests having ordinary voting power for the election of directors or other governing body are at the time beneficially owned, or the management of which is otherwise controlled, directly, or indirectly through one or more intermediaries, or both, by such Person. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to a “Subsidiary” or to “Subsidiaries” shall refer to a Subsidiary or Subsidiaries of a Loan Party. Any reference to the Subsidiaries of the Lead Borrower herein or in any other Loan Document shall not include Hoop, unless explicitly stated otherwise.

“Swap Contract” means (a) any and all rate swap transactions, basis swaps, credit derivative transactions, forward rate transactions, commodity swaps, commodity options, forward commodity contracts, equity or equity index swaps or options, bond or bond price or bond index swaps or

options or forward bond or forward bond price or forward bond index transactions, interest rate options, forward foreign exchange transactions, cap transactions, floor transactions, collar transactions, currency swap transactions, cross-currency rate swap transactions, currency options, spot contracts, or any other similar transactions or any combination of any of the foregoing (including any options to enter into any of the foregoing), whether or not any such transaction is governed by or subject to any master agreement, and (b) any and all transactions of any kind, and the related confirmations, which are subject to the terms and conditions of, or governed by, any form of master agreement published by the International Swaps and Derivatives Association, Inc., any International Foreign Exchange Master Agreement, or any other master agreement (any such master agreement, together with any related schedules, a “Master Agreement”), including any such obligations or liabilities under any Master Agreement.

“Swap Obligation” means, with respect to any Guarantor, any obligation to pay or perform under any agreement, contract or transaction that constitutes a “swap” within the meaning of section 1a(47) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

“Swap Termination Value” means, in respect of any one or more Swap Contracts, after taking into account the effect of any legally enforceable netting agreement relating to such Swap Contracts, (a) for any date on or after the date such Swap Contracts have been closed out and termination value(s) determined in accordance therewith, such termination value(s), and (b) for any date prior to the date referenced in clause (a), the amount(s) determined as the mark-to-market value(s) for such Swap Contracts, as determined based upon one or more mid-market or other readily available quotations provided by any recognized dealer in such Swap Contracts (which may include a Lender or any Affiliate of a Lender).

“Swing Line” means the revolving credit facility made available by the Swing Line Lender pursuant to Section 2.04.

“Swing Line Borrowing” means a borrowing of a Swing Line Loan pursuant to Section 2.04.

“Swing Line Lender” means Wells Fargo Bank, in its capacity as provider of Swing Line Loans, or any successor swing line lender hereunder.

“Swing Line Loan” has the meaning specified in Section 2.04(a).

“Swing Line Loan Notice” means a notice of a Swing Line Borrowing pursuant to Section 2.04(a), which, if in writing, shall be substantially in the form of Exhibit B.

“Swing Line Sublimit” means an amount equal to the lesser of (a) $20,000,000 or (b) the Aggregate Commitments. The Swing Line Sublimit is part of, and not in addition to, the Aggregate Commitments.

“Taxes” means all present or future taxes, levies, imposts, duties, deductions, withholdings, assessments, fees or other charges imposed by any Governmental Authority in connection with any and all payments to be made by or on account of any obligation of the Borrowers hereunder or

under any other Loan Document, including any interest, additions to tax or penalties applicable thereto.

“TCP Canada Holdings, LP” means TCP Canada Holdings, LP, an Alberta limited partnership, the general partner of which is The Children’s Place Canada Holdings, Inc. and the limited partner of which is TCP IH I, LLC.

“TCP IH I, LLC” means TCP IH I, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, the sole member of which is The Children’s Place Canada Holdings, Inc.

“TCP IH II, LLC” means TCP IH II, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, the sole member of which is The Children’s Place Canada Holdings, Inc.

“TCP International Financing, SARL” means TCP International Financing, SARL, a Luxembourg société à responsabilité limitée.

“TCP International Holdings, LP” means TCP International Holdings, LP, an Alberta limited partnership, the general partner of which is The Children’s Place Canada Holdings, Inc. and the limited partners of which upon completion of the Canadian Restructuring are TCP Canada Holdings, LP and TCP IH I, LLC.

“TCP Investment Canada I Corp.” means TCP Investment Canada I Corp., a Nova Scotia unlimited liability company.

“TCP Investment Canada II Corp.” means TCP Investment Canada II Corp., a Nova Scotia unlimited liability company.

“TCP Investment Policy” means the investment policy of the Lead Borrower as reviewed and approved annually by the audit committee of the Lead Borrower and consented to by the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed).

“Tenth Amendment” means the Tenth Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of December 20, 2012 by and among the Borrowers, the Guarantors, the Lenders and Wells Fargo Bank, National Association, as Administrative Agent, Collateral Agent, and Swing Line Lender.

“Tenth Amendment Effective Date” means December 20, 2012.

“The Children’s Place Canada Holdings, Inc.” means The Children’s Place Canada Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation and a wholly owned Subsidiary of the Lead Borrower.

“Termination Date” means the earliest to occur of (i) the Maturity Date, (ii) the date on which the maturity of the Obligations is accelerated (or deemed accelerated) and the Commitments are irrevocably terminated (or deemed terminated) in accordance with Article VIII.

“Total Outstandings” means the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Loans and all L/C Obligations.

“Twin Brook” means Twin Brook Insurance Company, Inc., a New York captive insurance company.

“Type” means, with respect to a Committed Loan, its character as a Base Rate Loan or a LIBO Rate Loan.

“UCC” or “Uniform Commercial Code” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect from time to time in the State of New York; provided, however, that if a term is defined in Article 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code differently than in another Article thereof, the term shall have the meaning set forth in Article 9; provided further that, if by reason of mandatory provisions of law, perfection, or the effect of perfection or non-perfection, of a security interest in any Collateral or the availability of any remedy hereunder is governed by the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in a jurisdiction other than New York, “Uniform Commercial Code” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in such other jurisdiction for purposes of the provisions hereof relating to such perfection or effect of perfection or non-perfection or availability of such remedy, as the case may be.

“UCP” means, with respect to any Letter of Credit, the Uniform Customs and Practice for Documentary Credits 2007 Revision, International Chamber of Commerce Publication No. 600 and any subsequent revision thereof adopted by the International Chamber of Commerce on the date such Letter of Credit is issued.

“Uncapped Excess Availability” means, as of any date of determination thereof by the Administrative Agent, the result, if a positive number, of:

(a) the Borrowing Base;

minus

(b) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all Credit Extensions.

“Uncommitted Increases” shall have the meaning provided in Section 2.15(b)(i).

“Unfunded Pension Liability” means the excess of a Pension Plan’s benefit liabilities under Section 4001(a)(16) of ERISA, over the current value of that Pension Plan’s assets, determined in accordance with the assumptions used for funding the Pension Plan pursuant to Section 412 of the Code for the applicable plan year.

“United States” and “U.S.” mean the United States of America.

“Wells Fargo Bank” means Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., a national banking association.

(b) Other Interpretive Provisions. With reference to this Agreement and each other Loan Document, unless otherwise specified herein or in such other Loan Document:

(i) The definitions of terms herein shall apply equally to the singular and plural forms of the terms defined. Whenever the context may require, any pronoun shall include

the corresponding masculine, feminine and neuter forms. The words “include,” “includes” and “including” shall be deemed to be followed by the phrase “without limitation.” The word “will” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect as the word “shall.” Unless the context requires otherwise, (i) any definition of or reference to any agreement, instrument or other document (including any Organization Document) shall be construed as referring to such agreement, instrument or other document as from time to time amended, supplemented or otherwise modified (subject to any restrictions on such amendments, supplements or modifications set forth herein or in any other Loan Document), (ii) any reference herein to any Person shall be construed to include such Person’s successors and assigns, (iii) the words “herein,” “hereof” and “hereunder,” and words of similar import when used in any Loan Document, shall be construed to refer to such Loan Document in its entirety and not to any particular provision thereof, (iv) all references in a Loan Document to Articles, Sections, Exhibits and Schedules shall be construed to refer to Articles and Sections of, and Exhibits and Schedules to, the Loan Document in which such references appear, (v) any reference to any law shall include all statutory and regulatory provisions consolidating, amending replacing or interpreting such law and any reference to any law or regulation shall, unless otherwise specified, refer to such law or regulation as amended, modified or supplemented from time to time, and (vi) the words “asset” and “property” shall be construed to have the same meaning and effect and to refer to any and all tangible and intangible assets and properties, including cash, securities, accounts and contract rights.

(ii) In the computation of periods of time from a specified date to a later specified date, the word “from” means “from and including;” the words “to” and “until” each mean “to but excluding;” and the word “through” means “to and including.”

(iii) Section headings herein and in the other Loan Documents are included for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

(i) Generally. All accounting terms not specifically or completely defined herein shall be construed in conformity with, and all financial data (including financial ratios and other financial calculations) required to be submitted pursuant to this Agreement shall be prepared in conformity with, GAAP applied on a consistent basis, as in effect from time to time, applied in a manner consistent with that used in preparing the Audited Financial Statements, except as otherwise specifically prescribed herein.

(ii) Changes in GAAP. If at any time any change in GAAP would affect the computation of any financial ratio or requirement set forth in any Loan Document, and either the Lead Borrower or the Required Lenders shall so request, the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the Borrowers shall negotiate in good faith to amend such ratio or requirement to preserve the original intent thereof in light of such change in GAAP (subject to the approval of the Required Lenders); provided that, until so amended, (i) such ratio or requirement shall continue to be computed in accordance with GAAP prior to such change therein and (ii) the Borrowers shall provide to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders financial statements

and other documents required under this Agreement or as reasonably requested hereunder setting forth a reconciliation between calculations of such ratio or requirement made before and after giving effect to such change in GAAP.

(d) Times of Day. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to times of day shall be references to Eastern time (daylight or standard, as applicable).

(e) Letter of Credit Amounts. Unless otherwise specified, all references herein to the amount of a Letter of Credit at any time shall be deemed to be the Stated Amount of such Letter of Credit in effect at such time; provided, however, that, except as otherwise provided in Section 2.03(l), with respect to any Letter of Credit that, by its terms or the terms of any Issuer Documents related thereto, provides for one or more automatic increases in the Stated Amount thereof, the amount of such Letter of Credit shall be deemed to be the maximum Stated Amount of such Letter of Credit after giving effect to all such increases, whether or not such maximum Stated Amount is in effect at such time.

10.
THE COMMITMENTS AND CREDIT EXTENSIONS

(a) Committed Loans; Reserves.

(iv) Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, each Lender severally agrees to make loans (each such loan, a “Committed Loan”) to the Borrowers from time to time, on any Business Day during the Availability Period, in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the lesser of (x) the amount of such Lender’s Commitment, or (y) such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Borrowing Base; subject in each case to the following limitations:

(1) after giving effect to any Committed Borrowing, the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the lesser of (A) the Aggregate Commitments, or (B) the Borrowing Base;

(2) after giving effect to any Committed Borrowing, the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment;

(3) The Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations shall not at any time exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit; and

(4) After giving effect to all Credit Extensions, no Overadvance shall exist.

Within the limits of each Lender’s Commitment, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrowers may borrow under this Section 2.01, prepay under Section 2.05, and

reborrow under this Section 2.01 Committed Loans may be Base Rate Loans or LIBO Rate Loans, as further provided herein.

(v) The following are the Reserves as of the Closing Date:

(1) Shrink (an Inventory Reserve): An amount equal to 0.70% of the gross sales of the Borrowers for the Fiscal Year to date; and

(2) Rent (an Availability Reserve): An amount equal to (A) one (1) months’ rent for all of the Borrowers’ leased locations in Pennsylvania, Virginia and Washington, other than leased locations with respect to which the Collateral Agent has received a Collateral Access Agreement, and (B) three (3) months’ rent for the Borrowers’ distribution center located in Dayton, New Jersey.

(vi) The Administrative Agent shall have the right, at any time and from time to time on or after the Closing Date in its reasonable discretion to establish, modify or eliminate Reserves.

(b) Borrowings, Conversions and Continuations of Committed Loans.

(iii) Committed Loans (other than Swing Line Loans) shall be either Base Rate Loans or LIBO Rate Loans, as the Lead Borrower may request subject to and in accordance with this Section 2.02. Subject to the other provisions of this Section 2.02, Committed Borrowings of more than one Type may be incurred at the same time.

(iv) Each Committed Borrowing, each conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and each continuation of LIBO Rate Loans shall be made upon the Lead Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. (i) three Business Days prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of LIBO Rate Loans or of any conversion of LIBO Rate Loans to Base Rate Loans, and (ii) one Business Day prior to the requested date of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans. Each telephonic notice by the Lead Borrower pursuant to this Section 2.02(b) must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Administrative Agent of a written Committed Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Lead Borrower. Each Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of LIBO Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of $500,000 in excess thereof. Except as provided in Sections 2.03 and 2.04(c), each Borrowing of, or conversion to, Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof. Each Committed Loan Notice (whether telephonic or written) shall specify (i) whether the Lead Borrower is requesting a Borrowing, a conversion of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, or a continuation of LIBO Rate Loans, (ii) the requested date of the Borrowing, conversion or continuation, as the case may be (which shall be a Business Day), (iii) the principal amount of Committed Loans to be borrowed, converted or continued, (iv) the Type of Committed Loans to be borrowed or to which existing Committed Loans are to be converted, and (v) if applicable, the duration of the Interest Period with respect

thereto. If the Lead Borrower fails to specify a Type of Committed Loan in a Committed Loan Notice or if the Lead Borrower fails to give a timely notice requesting a conversion or continuation, then the applicable Committed Loans shall be made as, or converted to, Base Rate Loans. Any such automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans shall be effective as of the last day of the Interest Period then in effect with respect to the applicable LIBO Rate Loans. If the Lead Borrower requests a Borrowing of, conversion to, or continuation of LIBO Rate Loans in any such Committed Loan Notice, but fails to specify an Interest Period, it will be deemed to have specified an Interest Period of one month. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, a Swing Line Loan may not be converted to a LIBO Rate Loan.

(v) Following receipt of a Committed Loan Notice, the Administrative Agent shall promptly notify each Lender of the amount of its Applicable Percentage of the applicable Committed Loans, and if no timely notice of a conversion or continuation is provided by the Lead Borrower, the Administrative Agent shall notify each Lender of the details of any automatic conversion to Base Rate Loans described in Section 2.02(b). In the case of a Committed Borrowing, each Lender shall make the amount of its Committed Loan available to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than 1:00 p.m. on the Business Day specified in the applicable Committed Loan Notice. Upon satisfaction of the applicable conditions set forth in Section 4.02 (and, if such Borrowing is the initial Credit Extension, Section 4.01), the Administrative Agent shall use reasonable efforts to make all funds so received available to the Borrowers in like funds by no later than 4:00 p.m. on the day of receipt by the Administrative Agent either by (i) crediting the account of the Lead Borrower on the books of the Administrative Agent with the amount of such funds or (ii) wire transfer of such funds, in each case in accordance with instructions provided to (and reasonably acceptable to) the Administrative Agent by the Lead Borrower.

(vi) The Administrative Agent, without the request of the Lead Borrower, may advance any interest, fee, service charge, Credit Party Expenses, or other payment to which any Credit Party is entitled from the Loan Parties pursuant hereto or any other Loan Document, as and when due and payable, and may charge the same to the Loan Account notwithstanding that an Overadvance may result thereby. The Administrative Agent shall advise the Lead Borrower of any such advance or charge promptly after the making thereof. Such action on the part of the Administrative Agent shall not constitute a waiver of the Administrative Agent’s rights and the Borrowers’ obligations under Section 2.05(c). Any amount which is added to the principal balance of the Loan Account as provided in this Section 2.02(d) shall bear interest at the interest rate then and thereafter applicable to Base Rate Loans.

(vii) Except as otherwise provided herein, a LIBO Rate Loan may be continued or converted only on the last day of an Interest Period for such LIBO Rate Loan. Upon the occurrence and during the continuance of a Default, the Administrative Agent may, and at the direction of the Required Lenders shall, prohibit Loans from being requested as, converted to or continued as, LIBO Rate Loans.

(viii) The Administrative Agent shall promptly notify the Lead Borrower and the Lenders of the interest rate applicable to any Interest Period for LIBO Rate Loans upon determination of such interest rate. At any time that Base Rate Loans are outstanding, the Administrative Agent shall notify the Lead Borrower and the Lenders of any change in Wells Fargo Bank’s prime rate used in determining the Base Rate promptly following the public announcement of such change.

(ix) After giving effect to all Committed Borrowings, all conversions of Committed Loans from one Type to the other, and all continuations of Committed Loans as the same Type, there shall not be more than ten (10) Interest Periods in effect with respect to Committed Loans.

(x) The Administrative Agent, the Lenders, the Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer shall have no obligation to make any Loan or to provide any Letter of Credit if an Overadvance would result. The Administrative Agent may, in its discretion, make Permitted Overadvances without the consent of the Lenders, the Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer and each Lender shall be bound thereby. Any Permitted Overadvance may constitute a Swing Line Loan. A Permitted Overadvance is for the account of the Borrowers and shall constitute a Loan and an Obligation and shall be repaid by the Borrowers in accordance with the provisions of Section 2.05(c). The making of any such Permitted Overadvance on any one occasion shall not obligate the Administrative Agent or any Lender to make or permit any Permitted Overadvance on any other occasion or to permit such Permitted Overadvances to remain outstanding. The making by the Administrative Agent of a Permitted Overadvance shall not modify or abrogate any of the provisions of Section 2.03 regarding the Lenders’ obligations to purchase participations with respect to Letters of Credit or of Section 2.04 regarding the Lenders’ obligations to purchase participations with respect to Swing Line Loans. Without limiting the foregoing, the Administrative Agent shall have no liability for, and no Loan Party or Credit Party shall have the right to, or shall, bring any claim of any kind whatsoever against the Administrative Agent with respect to “inadvertent Overadvances” (i.e. where an Overadvance results from changed circumstances beyond the control of the Administrative Agent (such as a reduction in the collateral value)) regardless of the amount of any such Overadvance(s).

(i) Subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, upon the request of the Lead Borrower made in accordance herewith, and prior to the Maturity Date, the L/C Issuer agrees to issue a requested Letter of Credit (including Canadian Letters of Credit) for the account of one or more of the Loan Parties. By submitting a request to the L/C Issuer for the issuance of a Letter of Credit, the Borrowers shall be deemed to have requested that the L/C Issuer issue the requested Letter of Credit. Each request for the issuance of a Letter of Credit, or the amendment, renewal, or extension of any outstanding Letter of Credit, shall be irrevocable and shall be made in writing pursuant to a Letter of Credit Application by a Responsible Officer and delivered to the L/C Issuer and the Administrative Agent via telefacsimile or other electronic method of transmission reasonably acceptable to the L/C

Issuer not later than 11:00 a.m. at least two Business Days (or such shorter period as the Agent and the L/C Issuer may agree in a particular instance in their sole discretion) prior to the requested date of issuance, amendment, renewal, or extension. Each such request shall be in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the L/C Issuer and (i) shall specify (A) the amount of such Letter of Credit, (B) the date of issuance, amendment, renewal, or extension of such Letter of Credit, (C) the proposed expiration date of such Letter of Credit, (D) the name and address of the beneficiary of the Letter of Credit, and (E) such other information (including, the conditions to drawing, and, in the case of an amendment, renewal, or extension, identification of the Letter of Credit to be so amended, renewed, or extended) as shall be necessary to prepare, amend, renew, or extend such Letter of Credit, and (ii) shall be accompanied by such Issuer Documents as the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer may request or require, to the extent that such requests or requirements are consistent with the Issuer Documents that the L/C Issuer generally requests for Letters of Credit in similar circumstances. The Administrative Agent’s records of the content of any such request will be conclusive.

(ii) The L/C Issuer shall have no obligation to issue a Letter of Credit if, after giving effect to the requested issuance, (i) the Total Outstandings would exceed the lesser of the Aggregate Commitments or the Borrowing Base, (ii) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations with respect to Canadian Letters of Credit would exceed the Canadian Letter of Credit Sublimit, (iii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans would exceed such Lender’s Commitment, or (iv) the Outstanding Amount of the L/C Obligations would exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit.

(iii) In the event there is a Defaulting Lender as of the date of any request for the issuance of a Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer shall not be required to issue or arrange for such Letter of Credit to the extent (i) the Defaulting Lender’s participation with respect to such Letter of Credit may not be reallocated pursuant to Section 9.15(b), or (ii) the L/C Issuer has not otherwise entered into arrangements reasonably satisfactory to it and the Borrowers to eliminate the L/C Issuer’s risk with respect to the participation in such Letter of Credit of the Defaulting Lender, which arrangements may include the Borrowers cash collateralizing such Defaulting Lender’s participation with respect to such Letter of Credit in accordance with Section 9.15(b). Additionally, the L/C Issuer shall have no obligation to issue a Letter of Credit if (A) any order, judgment, or decree of any Governmental Authority or arbitrator shall, by its terms, purport to enjoin or restrain the L/C Issuer from issuing such Letter of Credit, or any Law applicable to the L/C Issuer or any request or directive (whether or not having the force of Law) from any Governmental Authority with jurisdiction over the L/C Issuer shall prohibit or request that the L/C Issuer refrain from the issuance of letters of credit generally or such Letter of Credit in particular, or (B) the issuance of such Letter of Credit would violate one or more policies of the L/C Issuer applicable to letters of credit generally, or (C) if the expiry date of such requested Letter of Credit would occur after the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, unless either such Letter of Credit is Cash Collateralized on or prior to the date of issuance of such Letter of Credit (or such later date

as to which the Administrative Agent may agree) or all the Lenders have approved such expiry date.

(iv) Any L/C Issuer (other than Wells Fargo Bank or any of its Affiliates) shall notify the Administrative Agent in writing no later than the Business Day immediately following the Business Day on which such L/C Issuer issued any Letter of Credit; provided that (i) until the Administrative Agent advises any such L/C Issuer that the provisions of Section 4.02 are not satisfied, or (ii) unless the aggregate amount of the Letters of Credit issued in any such week exceeds such amount as shall be agreed by the Administrative Agent and such L/C Issuer, such L/C Issuer shall be required to so notify the Administrative Agent in writing only once each week of the Letters of Credit issued by such L/C Issuer during the immediately preceding week as well as the daily amounts outstanding for the prior week, such notice to be furnished on such day of the week as the Administrative Agent and such L/C Issuer may agree. Each Letter of Credit shall be in form and substance reasonably acceptable to the L/C Issuer, including the requirement that the amounts payable thereunder must be payable in Dollars. If the L/C Issuer makes a payment under a Letter of Credit, the Borrowers shall pay to the Administrative Agent an amount equal to the applicable Letter of Credit Disbursement on the Business Day such Letter of Credit Disbursement is made and, in the absence of such payment, the amount of the Letter of Credit Disbursement immediately and automatically shall be deemed to be a Committed Loan hereunder (notwithstanding any failure to satisfy any condition precedent set forth in Section 4.02 hereof) and, initially, shall bear interest at the rate then applicable to Committed Loans that are Base Rate Loans. If a Letter of Credit Disbursement is deemed to be a Committed Loan hereunder, the Borrowers’ obligation to pay the amount of such Letter of Credit Disbursement to the L/C Issuer shall be automatically converted into an obligation to pay the resulting Committed Loan. Promptly following receipt by the Administrative Agent of any payment from the Borrowers pursuant to this paragraph, the Administrative Agent shall distribute such payment to the L/C Issuer or, to the extent that the Lenders have made payments pursuant to Section 2.03(e) to reimburse the L/C Issuer, then to such Lenders and the L/C Issuer as their interests may appear.

(v) Promptly following receipt of a notice of a Letter of Credit Disbursement pursuant to Section 2.03(d), each Lender agrees to fund its Applicable Percentage of any Committed Loan deemed made pursuant to Section 2.03(d) on the same terms and conditions as if the Borrowers had requested the amount thereof as a Committed Loan and the Administrative Agent shall promptly pay to the L/C Issuer the amounts so received by it from the Lenders. By the issuance of a Letter of Credit (or an amendment, renewal, or extension of a Letter of Credit) and without any further action on the part of the L/C Issuer or the Lenders, the L/C Issuer shall be deemed to have granted to each Lender, and each Lender shall be deemed to have purchased, a participation in each Letter of Credit issued by the L/C Issuer, in an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of such Letter of Credit, and each such Lender agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the L/C Issuer, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of any Letter of Credit Disbursement made by the L/C Issuer under the applicable Letter of Credit. In consideration and in furtherance of the foregoing, each Lender hereby absolutely and unconditionally agrees to pay to the

Administrative Agent, for the account of the L/C Issuer, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of each Letter of Credit Disbursement made by the L/C Issuer and not reimbursed by Borrowers on the date due as provided in Section 2.03(d), or of any reimbursement payment that is required to be refunded (or that the Administrative Agent or the L/C Issuer elects, based upon the advice of counsel, to refund) to the Borrowers for any reason. Each Lender acknowledges and agrees that its obligation to deliver to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the L/C Issuer, an amount equal to its respective Applicable Percentage of each Letter of Credit Disbursement pursuant to this Section 2.03(e) shall be absolute and unconditional and such remittance shall be made notwithstanding the occurrence or continuation of a Default or Event of Default or the failure to satisfy any condition set forth in Section 4.02 hereof. If any such Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of a Letter of Credit Disbursement as provided in this Section, such Lender shall be deemed to be a Defaulting Lender and the Administrative Agent (for the account of the L/C Issuer) shall be entitled to recover such amount on demand from such Lender together with interest thereon at the Defaulting Lender Rate until paid in full.

(vi) Each Borrower agrees to indemnify, defend and hold harmless each Credit Party (including the L/C Issuer and its branches, Affiliates, and correspondents) and each such Person’s respective directors, officers, employees, attorneys and agents (each, including the L/C Issuer, a “Letter of Credit Related Person”) (to the fullest extent permitted by Law) from and against any and all claims, demands, suits, actions, investigations, proceedings, liabilities, fines, costs, penalties, and damages, and all reasonable fees and disbursements of attorneys, experts, or consultants and all other costs and expenses actually incurred in connection therewith or in connection with the enforcement of this indemnification (as and when they are incurred and irrespective of whether suit is brought), which may be incurred by or awarded against any such Letter of Credit Related Person (other than Taxes, which shall be governed by Section 3.01) (the “Letter of Credit Indemnified Costs”), and which arise out of or in connection with, or as a result of:

(1) any Letter of Credit or any pre-advice of its issuance;

(2) any transfer, sale, delivery, surrender or endorsement of any Drawing Document at any time(s) held by any such Letter of Credit Related Person in connection with any Letter of Credit;

(3) any action or proceeding arising out of, or in connection with, any Letter of Credit (whether administrative, judicial or in connection with arbitration), including any action or proceeding to compel or restrain any presentation or payment under any Letter of Credit, or for the wrongful dishonor of, or honoring a presentation under, any Letter of Credit;

(4) any independent undertakings issued by the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit;

(5) any unauthorized instruction or request made to the L/C Issuer in connection with any Letter of Credit or requested Letter of Credit or error in computer or electronic transmission;

(6) an adviser, confirmer or other nominated person seeking to be reimbursed, indemnified or compensated;

(7) any third party seeking to enforce the rights of an applicant, beneficiary, nominated person, transferee, assignee of Letter of Credit proceeds or holder of an instrument or document;

(8) the fraud, forgery or illegal action of parties other than the Letter of Credit Related Person;

(9) the L/C Issuer’s performance of the obligations of a confirming institution or entity that wrongfully dishonors a confirmation; or

(10) the acts or omissions, whether rightful or wrongful, of any present or future de jure or de facto governmental or regulatory authority or cause or event beyond the control of the Letter of Credit Related Person;

in each case, including that resulting from the Letter of Credit Related Person’s own negligence; provided, however, that such indemnity shall not be available to any Letter of Credit Related Person claiming indemnification under clauses (i) through (x) above to the extent that such Letter of Credit Indemnified Costs may be finally determined in a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction to have resulted directly from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of the Letter of Credit Related Person claiming indemnity. The Borrowers hereby agree to pay the Letter of Credit Related Person claiming indemnity on demand from time to time all amounts owing under this Section 2.03(f). If and to the extent that the obligations of the Borrowers under this Section 2.03(f) are unenforceable for any reason, the Borrowers agree to make the maximum contribution to the Letter of Credit Indemnified Costs permissible under applicable Law. This indemnification provision shall survive termination of this Agreement and all Letters of Credit.

(vii) The liability of the L/C Issuer (or any other Letter of Credit Related Person) under, in connection with or arising out of any Letter of Credit (or pre-advice), regardless of the form or legal grounds of the action or proceeding, shall be limited to direct damages suffered by the Borrowers that are caused directly by the L/C Issuer’s gross negligence or willful misconduct in (i) honoring a presentation under a Letter of Credit that on its face does not at least substantially comply with the terms and conditions of such Letter of Credit, (ii) failing to honor a presentation under a Letter of Credit that strictly complies with the terms and conditions of such Letter of Credit or (iii) retaining Drawing Documents presented under a Letter of Credit. The L/C Issuer shall be deemed to have acted with due diligence and reasonable care if the L/C Issuer’s conduct is in accordance with Standard Letter of Credit Practice or in accordance with this Agreement. The Borrowers’ aggregate remedies

against the L/C Issuer and any Letter of Credit Related Person for wrongfully honoring a presentation under any Letter of Credit or wrongfully retaining honored Drawing Documents shall in no event exceed the aggregate amount paid by the Borrowers to the L/C Issuer in respect of the honored presentation in connection with such Letter of Credit under Section 2.03(d), plus interest at the rate then applicable to Base Rate Loans hereunder. The Borrowers shall take action to avoid and mitigate the amount of any damages claimed against the L/C Issuer or any other Letter of Credit Related Person, including by enforcing its rights against the beneficiaries of the Letters of Credit. Any claim by the Borrowers under or in connection with any Letter of Credit shall be reduced by an amount equal to the sum of (x) the amount (if any) saved by the Borrowers as a result of the breach or alleged wrongful conduct complained of; and (y) the amount (if any) of the loss that would have been avoided had the Borrowers taken all reasonable steps to mitigate any loss, and in case of a claim of wrongful dishonor, by specifically and timely authorizing the L/C Issuer to effect a cure.

(viii) The Borrowers shall be responsible for preparing or approving the final text of the Letter of Credit as issued by the L/C Issuer, irrespective of any assistance the L/C Issuer may provide such as drafting or recommending text or by the L/C Issuer’s use or refusal to use text submitted by the Borrowers. The Borrowers are solely responsible for the suitability of the Letter of Credit for the Borrowers’ purposes. With respect to any Letter of Credit containing an “automatic amendment” to extend the expiration date of such Letter of Credit, the L/C Issuer, in its sole and absolute discretion, may give notice of nonrenewal of such Letter of Credit and, if the Borrowers do not at any time want such Letter of Credit to be renewed, the Borrowers will so notify the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer at least 15 calendar days before the L/C Issuer is required to notify the beneficiary of such Letter of Credit or any advising bank of such nonrenewal pursuant to the terms of such Letter of Credit.

(ix) The Borrowers’ reimbursement and payment obligations under this Section 2.03 are absolute, unconditional and irrevocable and shall be performed strictly in accordance with the terms of this Agreement under any and all circumstances whatsoever, including:

(1) any lack of validity, enforceability or legal effect of any Letter of Credit or this Agreement or any term or provision therein or herein;

(2) payment against presentation of any draft, demand or claim for payment under any Drawing Document that does not comply in whole or in part with the terms of the applicable Letter of Credit or which proves to be fraudulent, forged or invalid in any respect or any statement therein being untrue or inaccurate in any respect, or which is signed, issued or presented by a Person or a transferee of such Person purporting to be a successor or transferee of the beneficiary of such Letter of Credit;

(3) the L/C Issuer or any of its branches or Affiliates being the beneficiary of any Letter of Credit;

(4) the L/C Issuer or any correspondent honoring a drawing against a Drawing Document up to the amount available under any Letter of Credit even if such Drawing Document claims an amount in excess of the amount available under the Letter of Credit;

(5) the existence of any claim, set-off, defense or other right that the Lead Borrower or any of its Subsidiaries may have at any time against any beneficiary, any assignee of proceeds, the L/C Issuer or any other Person;

(6) any other event, circumstance or conduct whatsoever, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing that might, but for this Section 2.03(i), constitute a legal or equitable defense to or discharge of, or provide a right of set-off against, any Borrower’s or any of its Subsidiaries’ reimbursement and other payment obligations and liabilities, arising under, or in connection with, any Letter of Credit, whether against the L/C Issuer, the beneficiary or any other Person; or

(7) the fact that any Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing;

provided, however, that subject to Section 2.03(g) above, the foregoing shall not release the L/C Issuer from such liability to the Borrowers as may be finally determined in a final, non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction against the L/C Issuer following reimbursement or payment of the obligations and liabilities, including reimbursement and other payment obligations, of the Borrowers to the L/C Issuer arising under, or in connection with, this Section 2.03 or any Letter of Credit.

(x) Without limiting any other provision of this Agreement, the L/C Issuer and each other Letter of Credit Related Person (if applicable) shall not be responsible to the Borrowers for, and the L/C Issuer’s rights and remedies against the Borrowers and the obligation of the Borrowers to reimburse the L/C Issuer for each drawing under each Letter of Credit shall not be impaired by:

(1) honor of a presentation under any Letter of Credit that on its face substantially complies with the terms and conditions of such Letter of Credit, even if the Letter of Credit requires strict compliance by the beneficiary;

(2) honor of a presentation of any Drawing Document that appears on its face to have been signed, presented or issued (A) by any purported successor or transferee of any beneficiary or other Person required to sign, present or issue such Drawing Document or (B) under a new name of the beneficiary;

(3) acceptance as a draft of any written or electronic demand or request for payment under a Letter of Credit, even if nonnegotiable or not in the form of a draft or notwithstanding any requirement that such draft, demand or request bear any or adequate reference to the Letter of Credit;

(4) the identity or authority of any presenter or signer of any Drawing Document or the form, accuracy, genuineness or legal effect of any Drawing Document (other than the L/C Issuer’s determination that such Drawing Document appears on its face substantially to comply with the terms and conditions of the Letter of Credit);

(5) acting upon any instruction or request relative to a Letter of Credit or requested Letter of Credit that the L/C Issuer in good faith believes to have been given by a Person authorized to give such instruction or request;

(6) any errors, omissions, interruptions or delays in transmission or delivery of any message, advice or document (regardless of how sent or transmitted) or for errors in interpretation of technical terms or in translation or any delay in giving or failing to give notice to the Borrowers;

(7) any acts, omissions or fraud by, or the insolvency of, any beneficiary, any nominated person or entity or any other Person or any breach of contract between any beneficiary and any Borrower or any of the parties to the underlying transaction to which the Letter of Credit relates;

(8) assertion or waiver of any provision of the ISP or UCP that primarily benefits an issuer of a letter of credit, including any requirement that any Drawing Document be presented to it at a particular hour or place;

(9) payment to any paying or negotiating bank (designated or permitted by the terms of the applicable Letter of Credit) claiming that it rightfully honored or is entitled to reimbursement or indemnity under Standard Letter of Credit Practice applicable to it;

(10) acting or failing to act as required or permitted under Standard Letter of Credit Practice applicable to where the L/C Issuer has issued, confirmed, advised or negotiated such Letter of Credit, as the case may be;

(11) honor of a presentation after the expiration date of any Letter of Credit notwithstanding that a presentation was made prior to such expiration date and dishonored by the L/C Issuer if subsequently the L/C Issuer or any court or other finder of fact determines such presentation should have been honored;

(12) dishonor of any presentation that does not strictly comply or that is fraudulent, forged or otherwise not entitled to honor; or

(13) honor of a presentation that is subsequently determined by the L/C Issuer to have been made in violation of international, federal, state or local restrictions on the transaction of business with certain prohibited Persons;

(xi) Upon the request of the Administrative Agent, (i) if the L/C Issuer has honored any full or partial drawing request under any Letter of Credit and such drawing has resulted in an L/C Obligation that remains outstanding (other than L/C Obligations consisting of the remaining undrawn stated amount resulting from a partial drawing), or (ii) if, as of the Letter of Credit Expiration Date, any L/C Obligation for any reason remains outstanding, the Borrowers shall, in each case, promptly Cash Collateralize the then Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations. Sections 2.05 and 8.02(c) set forth certain additional requirements to deliver Cash Collateral hereunder. For purposes of this Section 2.03, Section 2.05 and Section 8.02(c), “Cash Collateralize” means to pledge and deposit with or deliver to the Administrative Agent, for the benefit of the L/C Issuer and the Lenders, as collateral for the L/C Obligations, cash or deposit account balances in an amount equal to 105% (in the case of Letters of Credit denominated in a currency other than Dollars, in an amount at least equal to 110%) of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, pursuant to documentation in form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the L/C Issuer (which documents are hereby Consented to by the Lenders). Derivatives of such term have corresponding meanings. The Borrowers hereby grant to the Collateral Agent a security interest in all such cash, deposit accounts and all balances therein and all proceeds of the foregoing. Cash Collateral shall be maintained in blocked, non-interest bearing deposit accounts at Wells Fargo Bank or an account maintained by the Administrative Agent. If at any time the Administrative Agent determines that any funds held as Cash Collateral are subject to any right or claim of any Person other than the Administrative Agent or that the total amount of such funds is less than the aggregate Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations, the Borrowers will, forthwith upon demand by the Administrative Agent, pay to the Administrative Agent, as additional funds to be deposited as Cash Collateral, an amount equal to the excess of (x) such aggregate Outstanding Amount over (y) the total amount of funds, if any, then held as Cash Collateral that the Administrative Agent determines to be free and clear of any such right and claim. Upon the drawing of any Letter of Credit for which funds are on deposit as Cash Collateral, such funds shall be applied, to the extent permitted under applicable Laws, to reimburse the L/C Issuer and, to the extent not so applied, shall thereafter be applied to satisfy other Obligations.

(xii) The Borrowers shall pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each Lender in accordance with its Applicable Percentage, a Letter of Credit fee (the “Letter of Credit Fee”) (i) for each Commercial Letter of Credit, equal to the Applicable Margin multiplied by the daily Stated Amount under such Letter of Credit, and (ii) for each Standby Letter of Credit, equal to the Applicable Margin multiplied by the daily Stated Amount under such Letter of Credit. For purposes of computing the daily Stated Amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit, the Stated Amount of the Letter of Credit shall be determined in accordance with Section 1.05; provided that, for purposes only of calculating the Letter of Credit Fee owing hereunder, the daily Stated Amount available to be drawn under any Letter of Credit that provides for one or more automatic increases in the Stated Amount thereof shall be deemed to be the maximum Stated Amount then in effect under such Letter of Credit (at the time of each such calculation of the Letter of Credit Fee), rather than the maximum Stated Amount for which such Letter of Credit may be honored. Letter of Credit Fees shall be (i) due and payable on the first day of each month (or if such day is

not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day), commencing with the first such date to occur after the issuance of such Letter of Credit, on the Letter of Credit Expiration Date and thereafter on demand, and (ii) computed on a monthly basis in arrears. If there is any change in the Applicable Margin during any month, the daily amount available to be drawn under of each Letter of Credit shall be computed and multiplied by the Applicable Margin separately for each period during such month that such Applicable Margin was in effect. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, while any Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Administrative Agent may, and upon the request of the Required Lenders shall, notify the Lead Borrower that all Letter of Credit Fees shall accrue at the Default Rate and thereafter such Letter of Credit Fees shall accrue at the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

(xiii) The Borrowers shall, upon the request of the Administrative Agent, consign to the Borrowers, the Collateral Agent or the L/C Issuer any bill of lading for Inventory which is supported by an Eligible Letter of Credit issued by the L/C Issuer.

(xiv) In the event of any conflict between the terms hereof and the terms of any Issuer Document, the terms hereof shall control.

(xv) The Borrowers, the Agents, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer agree that the Existing Letters of Credit shall be deemed Letters of Credit hereunder as if issued by the L/C Issuer hereunder and, from and after the Closing Date, shall be subject to and governed by the terms and conditions hereof.

(d) Swing Line Loans.

(i) The Swing Line. Subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Swing Line Lender agrees, in reliance upon the agreements of the other Lenders set forth in this Section 2.04, to make loans (each such loan, a “Swing Line Loan”) to the Borrowers from time to time on any Business Day during the Availability Period in an aggregate amount not to exceed at any time outstanding the amount of the Swing Line Sublimit, notwithstanding the fact that such Swing Line Loans, when aggregated with the Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of Committed Loans and L/C Obligations of the Lender acting as Swing Line Lender, may exceed the amount of such Lender’s Commitment; provided, however, that after giving effect to any Swing Line Loan, (i) the Total Outstandings shall not exceed the lesser of (A) the Aggregate Commitments, or (B) the Borrowing Base, and (ii) the aggregate Outstanding Amount of the Committed Loans of any Lender at such time, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all L/C Obligations at such time, plus such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the Outstanding Amount of all Swing Line Loans at such time shall not exceed such Lender’s Commitment, and provided, further, that the Borrowers shall not use the proceeds of any Swing Line Loan to refinance any outstanding Swing Line Loan. Within the foregoing limits, and subject to the other terms and conditions hereof, the Borrowers may borrow under this Section 2.04, prepay under Section 2.05, and reborrow under this Section 2.04. Each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest only at a rate based on the Base Rate. Immediately upon the making of a Swing Line Loan, each Lender shall be deemed to, and hereby irrevocably and unconditionally

agrees to, purchase from the Swing Line Lender a risk participation in such Swing Line Loan in an amount equal to the product of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage times the amount of such Swing Line Loan. The Swing Line Lender shall have all of the benefits and immunities (A) provided to the Agents in Article IXwith respect to any acts taken or omissions suffered by the Swing Line Lender in connection with Swing Line Loans made by it or proposed to be made by it as if the term “Agent” as used in Article IX included the Swing Line Lender with respect to such acts or omissions, and (B) as additionally provided herein with respect to the Swing Line Lender.

(ii) Borrowing Procedures. Each Swing Line Borrowing shall be made upon the Lead Borrower’s irrevocable notice to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent, which may be given by telephone. Each such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 3:00 p.m. on the requested borrowing date, and shall specify (i) the amount to be borrowed, and (ii) the requested borrowing date, which shall be a Business Day. Each such telephonic notice must be confirmed promptly by delivery to the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent of a written Swing Line Loan Notice, appropriately completed and signed by a Responsible Officer of the Lead Borrower. Promptly after receipt by the Swing Line Lender of any telephonic Swing Line Loan Notice, the Swing Line Lender will confirm with the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) that the Administrative Agent has also received such Swing Line Loan Notice and, if not, the Swing Line Lender will notify the Administrative Agent (by telephone or in writing) of the contents thereof. Unless the Swing Line Lender has received notice (by telephone or in writing) from the Administrative Agent at the request of the Required Lenders prior to 3:00 p.m. on the date of the proposed Swing Line Borrowing (A) directing the Swing Line Lender not to make such Swing Line Loan as a result of the limitations set forth in the proviso to the first sentence of Section 2.04(a), or (B) that one or more of the applicable conditions specified in Article IV is not then satisfied, then, subject to the terms and conditions hereof, the Swing Line Lender shall, not later than 4:00 p.m. on the borrowing date specified in such Swing Line Loan Notice, make the amount of its Swing Line Loan available to the Borrowers at its office by crediting the account of the Lead Borrower on the books of the Swing Line Lender in immediately available funds.

(iii) Refinancing of Swing Line Loans.

(1) The Swing Line Lender, at any time in its sole and absolute discretion, may request, on behalf of the Borrowers (which hereby irrevocably authorize the Swing Line Lender to so request on their behalf), that each Lender make a Base Rate Loan in an amount equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of the amount of Swing Line Loans then outstanding. Such request shall be made in writing (which written request shall be deemed to be a Committed Loan Notice for purposes hereof) and in accordance with the requirements of Section 2.02, without regard to the minimum and multiples specified therein for the principal amount of Base Rate Loans, but subject to the unutilized portion of the Aggregate Commitments and the conditions set forth in Section 4.02. The Swing Line Lender shall furnish the Lead Borrower with a copy of the applicable Committed Loan Notice promptly after

delivering such notice to the Administrative Agent. Each Lender shall make an amount equal to its Applicable Percentage of the amount specified in such Committed Loan Notice available to the Administrative Agent in immediately available funds for the account of the Swing Line Lender at the Administrative Agent’s Office not later than 1:00 p.m. on the day specified in such Committed Loan Notice, whereupon each Lender that so makes funds available shall be deemed to have made a Base Rate Loan to the Borrowers in such amount. The Administrative Agent shall remit the funds so received to the Swing Line Lender.

(2) If for any reason any Swing Line Loan cannot be refinanced by such a Committed Borrowing in accordance with Section 2.04(c)(i), the request for Base Rate Loans submitted by the Swing Line Lender as set forth herein shall be deemed to be a request by the Swing Line Lender that each of the Lenders fund its risk participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan and each Lender’s payment to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender pursuant to Section 2.04(c)(i) shall be deemed payment in respect of such participation.

(3) If any Lender fails to make available to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Swing Line Lender any amount required to be paid by such Lender pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section 2.04(c) by the time specified in Section 2.04(c)(i), the Swing Line Lender shall be entitled to recover from such Lender (acting through the Administrative Agent), on demand, such amount with interest thereon for the period from the date such payment is required to the date on which such payment is immediately available to the Swing Line Lender at a rate per annum equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Swing Line Lender in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation plus any administrative, processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Swing Line Lender in connection with the foregoing. If such Lender pays such amount (with interest and fees as aforesaid), the principal amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in the relevant Committed Borrowing or funded participation in the relevant Swing Line Loan, as the case may be. A certificate of the Swing Line Lender submitted to any Lender (through the Administrative Agent) with respect to any amounts owing under this clause (iii) shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(4) Each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans or to purchase and fund risk participations in Swing Line Loans pursuant to this Section 2.04(c) shall be absolute and unconditional and shall not be affected by any circumstance, including (A) any setoff, counterclaim, recoupment, defense or other right which such Lender may have against the Swing Line Lender, the Borrowers or any other Person for any reason whatsoever, (B) the occurrence or continuance of a Default, or (C) any other occurrence, event or condition, whether or not similar to any of the foregoing; provided, however, that each Lender’s obligation to make Committed Loans pursuant to this Section 2.04(c) is subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.02. No such funding of risk participations shall relieve or otherwise impair the

obligation of the Borrowers to repay Swing Line Loans, together with interest as provided herein.

(iv) Repayment of Participations.

(1) At any time after any Lender has purchased and funded a risk participation in a Swing Line Loan, if the Swing Line Lender receives any payment on account of such Swing Line Loan, the Swing Line Lender will distribute to such Lender its Applicable Percentage of such payment (appropriately adjusted, in the case of interest payments, to reflect the period of time during which such Lender’s risk participation was funded) in the same funds as those received by the Swing Line Lender.

(2) If any payment received by the Swing Line Lender in respect of principal or interest on any Swing Line Loan is required to be returned by the Swing Line Lender under any of the circumstances described in Section 10.05 (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by the Swing Line Lender in its discretion), each Lender shall pay to the Swing Line Lender its Applicable Percentage thereof on demand of the Administrative Agent, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such amount is returned, at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate. The Administrative Agent will make such demand upon the request of the Swing Line Lender. The obligations of the Lenders under this clause shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

(v) Interest for Account of Swing Line Lender. The Swing Line Lender shall be responsible for invoicing the Borrowers for interest on the Swing Line Loans. Until each Lender funds its Base Rate Loan or risk participation pursuant to this Section 2.04 to refinance such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of any Swing Line Loan, interest in respect of such Applicable Percentage shall be solely for the account of the Swing Line Lender.

(vi) Payments Directly to Swing Line Lender. The Borrowers shall make all payments of principal and interest in respect of the Swing Line Loans directly to the Swing Line Lender.

(e) Prepayments.

(i) The Borrowers may, upon irrevocable notice from the Lead Borrower to the Administrative Agent, at any time or from time to time voluntarily prepay Committed Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. (A) three Business Days prior to any date of prepayment of LIBO Rate Loans and (B) on the date of prepayment of Base Rate Loans; (ii) any prepayment of LIBO Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $1,000,000 or a whole multiple of $500,000 in excess thereof; and (iii) any prepayment of Base Rate Loans shall be in a principal amount of $500,000 or a whole multiple of $100,000 in excess thereof or, in each case, if less, the entire principal amount thereof then outstanding. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment and the Type(s) of

Committed Loans to be prepaid and, if LIBO Rate Loans, the Interest Period(s) of such Committed Loans. The Administrative Agent will promptly notify each Lender of its receipt of each such notice, and of the amount of such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such prepayment. If such notice is given by the Lead Borrower, the Borrowers shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein. Any prepayment of a LIBO Rate Loan shall be accompanied by all accrued interest on the amount prepaid, together with any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05. Each such prepayment shall be applied to the Committed Loans of the Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages.

(ii) The Borrowers may, upon irrevocable notice from the Lead Borrower to the Swing Line Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at any time or from time to time, voluntarily prepay Swing Line Loans in whole or in part without premium or penalty; provided that (i) such notice must be received by the Swing Line Lender and the Administrative Agent not later than 3:00 p.m. on the date of the prepayment, and (ii) any such prepayment shall be in a minimum principal amount of $100,000. Each such notice shall specify the date and amount of such prepayment. If such notice is given by the Lead Borrower, the Borrowers shall make such prepayment and the payment amount specified in such notice shall be due and payable on the date specified therein.

(iii) If for any reason the Total Outstandings at any time exceed the lesser of the Aggregate Commitments or the Borrowing Base, each as then in effect, the Borrowers shall immediately prepay Committed Loans and/or Swing Line Loans and/or Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an aggregate amount equal to such excess; provided, however, that the Borrowers shall not be required to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations pursuant to this Section 2.05(c) unless after the prepayment in full of the Loans the Total Outstandings exceed the lesser of the Aggregate Commitments or the Borrowing Base, each as then in effect.

(iv) After the occurrence and during the continuance of a Cash Dominion Event, the Borrowers shall prepay the Loans and Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations in accordance with the provisions of Section 6.13 hereof. In addition, the Borrowers shall prepay the Loans and Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations in an amount equal to the Net Proceeds received by a Loan Party on account of a Prepayment Event, irrespective of whether or not a Cash Dominion Event then exists and is continuing. The Agents shall not be obligated to release their Liens on any Collateral until such Net Proceeds have been so received (to the extent required in this clause (d)). The application of such Net Proceeds to the Loans shall not reduce the Commitments. If all Obligations then due are paid, any excess Net Proceeds shall be remitted to the operating account of the Borrowers maintained with the Administrative Agent.

(v) Prepayments made pursuant to this Section 2.05, first, shall be applied to the Swing Line Loans, second, shall be applied ratably to the outstanding Committed Loans, third, shall be used to Cash Collateralize the remaining L/C Obligations; and, fourth, the amount remaining, if any, after the prepayment in full of all Swing Line Loans and Committed

Loans outstanding at such time and the Cash Collateralization of the remaining L/C Obligations in full may be retained by the Borrowers for use in the ordinary course of their business. Upon the drawing of any Letter of Credit that has been Cash Collateralized, the funds held as Cash Collateral shall be applied (without any further action by or notice to or from the Borrowers or any other Loan Party) to reimburse the L/C Issuer or the Lenders, as applicable, and, to the extent not so applied, shall thereafter be returned to the Borrowers.

(f) Termination or Reduction of Commitments.

(i) The Borrowers may, upon irrevocable notice from the Lead Borrower to the Administrative Agent, terminate the Aggregate Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit or from time to time permanently reduce the Aggregate Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit; provided that (i) any such notice shall be received by the Administrative Agent not later than 1:00 p.m. (A) thirty (30) days prior to the date of any termination of the Aggregate Commitments and (B) five (5) Business Days prior to the date of any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit, (ii) any such partial reduction shall be in an aggregate amount of $5,000,000 or any whole multiple of $1,000,000 in excess thereof, (iii) the Borrowers shall not terminate or reduce (A) the Aggregate Commitments if, after giving effect thereto and to any concurrent prepayments hereunder, the Total Outstandings would exceed the Aggregate Commitments, (B) the Letter of Credit Sublimit if, after giving effect thereto, the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations not fully Cash Collateralized hereunder would exceed the Letter of Credit Sublimit, and (C) the Swing Line Sublimit if, after giving effect thereto, and to any concurrent payments hereunder, the Outstanding Amount of Swing Line Loans hereunder would exceed the Swing Line Sublimit.

(ii) If, after giving effect to any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments, the Letter of Credit Sublimit or the Swing Line Sublimit exceeds the amount of the Aggregate Commitments, such Letter of Credit Sublimit or Swing Line Sublimit shall be automatically reduced by the amount of such excess.

(iii) The Administrative Agent will promptly notify the Lenders of any termination or reduction of the Letter of Credit Sublimit, Swing Line Sublimit or the Aggregate Commitments under this Section 2.06. Upon any reduction of the Aggregate Commitments, the Commitment of each Lender shall be reduced by such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such reduction amount. All fees (including, without limitation, Commitment Fees, Early Termination Fees and Letter of Credit Fees) and interest in respect of the Aggregate Commitments accrued until the effective date of any termination of the Aggregate Commitments shall be paid on the effective date of such termination.

(g) Repayment of Loans.

(i) The Borrowers shall repay to the Lenders on the Termination Date the aggregate principal amount of Committed Loans outstanding on such date.

(ii) To the extent not previously paid, the Borrowers shall repay the outstanding balance of the Swing Line Loans on the Termination Date.

(h) Interest.

(i) Subject to the provisions of Section 2.08(b) below, (i) each LIBO Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof for each Interest Period at a rate per annum equal to the Adjusted LIBO Rate for such Interest Period plus the Applicable Margin; (ii) each Base Rate Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Margin; and (iii) each Swing Line Loan shall bear interest on the outstanding principal amount thereof from the applicable borrowing date at a rate per annum equal to the Base Rate plus the Applicable Margin.

(ii) (i) If any amount payable under any Loan Document is not paid when due (without regard to any applicable grace periods), whether at stated maturity, by acceleration or otherwise, such amount shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

(iii) (ii) If any other Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, then the Administrative Agent may, and upon the request of the Required Lenders shall, notify the Lead Borrower that all outstanding Obligations shall thereafter bear interest at a fluctuating interest rate per annum at all times equal to the Default Rate and thereafter, until such Event of Default has been duly waived as provided in Section 10.01 hereof, such Obligations shall bear interest at the Default Rate to the fullest extent permitted by applicable Laws.

(iv) (iii) Accrued and unpaid interest on past due amounts (including interest on past due interest) shall be due and payable upon demand.

(v) Interest on each Loan shall be due and payable in arrears on each Interest Payment Date applicable thereto and at such other times as may be specified herein. Interest hereunder shall be due and payable in accordance with the terms hereof before and after judgment, and before and after the commencement of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law.

(i) Fees. In addition to certain fees described in subsection (l) of Section 2.03:

(i) Commitment Fee. The Borrowers shall pay to the Administrative Agent, for the account of each Lender, in accordance with its Applicable Percentage, a commitment fee (the “Commitment Fee”) equal to the Applicable Commitment Fee Percentage” times the average daily amount by which the Aggregate Commitments exceed the sum of (i) the Outstanding Amount of Loans and (ii) the Outstanding Amount of L/C Obligations. The Commitment Fee shall accrue at all times during the Availability Period, including at any time during which one or more of the conditions in Article IV is not met, and shall be due and payable monthly in arrears on the first day of each month (or if such day is not a Business

Day, on the next succeeding Business Day), commencing with the first such date to occur after the Closing Date, and on the last day of the Availability Period. The Commitment Fee shall be calculated monthly in arrears.

(ii) Early Termination Fee. In the event that the Termination Date occurs, for any reason, prior to the Maturity Date, the Borrowers shall pay to the Administrative Agent, for the ratable benefit of the Lenders, a fee (the “Early Termination Fee”) in respect of amounts which are or become payable by reason thereof equal to: (i) one-half of one percent (0.50%) of the Revolving Credit Ceiling then in effect if the Termination Date shall occur at any time on or before July 31, 2009; and (ii) one-quarter of one percent (0.25%) of the Revolving Credit Ceiling then in effect if the Termination Date shall occur at any time on or after July 31, 2009 but on or before July 31, 2010. No Early Termination Fee shall be due if the Termination Date shall occur at any time after July 31, 2010. All parties to this Agreement agree and acknowledge that the Lenders will have suffered damages on account of the early termination of this Agreement and that, in view of the difficulty in ascertaining the amount of such damages, the Early Termination Fee constitutes reasonable compensation and liquidated damages to compensate the Lenders on account thereof.

(iii) Other Fees. The Borrowers shall pay to the Administrative Agent fees in the amounts and at the times specified in the Fee Letter. Such fees shall be fully earned when paid and shall not be refundable for any reason whatsoever.

(j) Computation of Interest and Fees. All computations of interest and fees shall be made on the basis of a 360-day year and actual days elapsed. Interest shall accrue on each Loan for the day on which the Loan is made, and shall not accrue on a Loan, or any portion thereof, for the day on which the Loan or such portion is paid, provided that any Loan that is repaid on the same day on which it is made shall, subject to Section 2.12, bear interest for one day. Each determination by the Administrative Agent of an interest rate or fee hereunder shall be conclusive and binding for all purposes, absent manifest error.

(k) Evidence of Debt.

(i) The Credit Extensions made by each Lender shall be evidenced by one or more accounts or records maintained by the Administrative Agent (the “Loan Account”) in the ordinary course of business. In addition, each Lender may record in such Lender’s internal records, an appropriate notation evidencing the date and amount of each Loan from such Lender, each payment and prepayment of principal of any such Loan, and each payment of interest, fees and other amounts due in connection with the Obligations due to such Lender. The accounts or records maintained by the Administrative Agent and each Lender shall be conclusive absent manifest error of the amount of the Credit Extensions made by the Lenders to the Borrowers and the interest and payments thereon. Any failure to so record or any error in doing so shall not, however, limit or otherwise affect the obligation of the Borrowers hereunder to pay any amount owing with respect to the Obligations. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by any Lender and the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error. Upon the request

of any Lender made through the Administrative Agent, the Borrowers shall execute and deliver to such Lender (through the Administrative Agent) a Note, which shall evidence such Lender’s Loans in addition to such accounts or records. Each Lender may attach schedules to its Note and endorse thereon the date, Type (if applicable), amount and maturity of its Loans and payments with respect thereto. Upon receipt of an affidavit of a Lender as to the loss, theft, destruction or mutilation of such Lender’s Note and upon cancellation of such Note, the Borrowers will issue, in lieu thereof, a replacement Note in favor of such Lender, in the same principal amount thereof and otherwise of like tenor.

(ii) In addition to the accounts and records referred to in Section 2.11(a), each Lender and the Administrative Agent shall maintain in accordance with its usual practice accounts or records evidencing the purchases and sales by such Lender of participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans. In the event of any conflict between the accounts and records maintained by the Administrative Agent and the accounts and records of any Lender in respect of such matters, the accounts and records of the Administrative Agent shall control in the absence of manifest error.

(l) Payments Generally; Administrative Agent’s Clawback.

(i) General. All payments to be made by the Borrowers shall be made without condition or deduction for any counterclaim, defense, recoupment or setoff. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, all payments by the Borrowers hereunder shall be made to the Administrative Agent, for the account of the respective Lenders to which such payment is owed, at the Administrative Agent’s Office in Dollars and in immediately available funds not later than 2:00 p.m. on the date specified herein. The Administrative Agent will promptly distribute to each Lender its Applicable Percentage (or other applicable share as provided herein) of such payment in like funds as received by wire transfer to such Lender’s Lending Office. All payments received by the Administrative Agent after 2:00 p.m. shall be deemed received on the next succeeding Business Day and any applicable interest or fee shall continue to accrue. If any payment to be made by the Borrowers shall come due on a day other than a Business Day, payment shall be made on the next following Business Day, and such extension of time shall be reflected in computing interest or fees, as the case may be.

(ii) (a) Funding by Lenders; Presumption by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from a Lender prior to the proposed date of any Borrowing of LIBO Rate Loans (or in the case of any Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, prior to 12:00 noon on the date of such Borrowing) that such Lender will not make available to the Administrative Agent such Lender’s share of such Borrowing, the Administrative Agent may assume that such Lender has made such share available on such date in accordance with Section 2.02 (or in the case of a Borrowing of Base Rate Loans, that such Lender has made such share available in accordance with and at the time required by Section 2.02) and may, in reliance upon such assumption, make available to the Borrowers a corresponding amount. In such event, if a Lender has not in fact made its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing available to the Administrative Agent, then the applicable Lender and the Borrowers severally agree to pay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on

demand such corresponding amount in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is made available to the Borrowers to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at (A) in the case of a payment to be made by such Lender, the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation plus any administrative processing or similar fees customarily charged by the Administrative Agent in connection with the foregoing, and (B) in the case of a payment to be made by the Borrowers, the interest rate applicable to Base Rate Loans. If the Borrowers and such Lender shall pay such interest to the Administrative Agent for the same or an overlapping period, the Administrative Agent shall promptly remit to the Borrowers the amount of such interest paid by the Borrowers for such period. If such Lender pays its share of the applicable Committed Borrowing to the Administrative Agent, then the principal amount so paid shall constitute such Lender’s Committed Loan included in such Committed Borrowing. Any payment by the Borrowers shall be without prejudice to any claim the Borrowers may have against a Lender that shall have failed to make such payment to the Administrative Agent.

(1) Payments by Borrowers; Presumptions by Administrative Agent. Unless the Administrative Agent shall have received notice from the Lead Borrower prior to the time at which any payment is due to the Administrative Agent for the account of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer hereunder that the Borrowers will not make such payment, the Administrative Agent may assume that the Borrowers have made such payment on such date in accordance herewith and may, in reliance upon such assumption, distribute to the Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount due. In such event, if the Borrowers have not in fact made such payment, then each of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, severally agrees to repay to the Administrative Agent forthwith on demand the amount so distributed to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, in immediately available funds with interest thereon, for each day from and including the date such amount is distributed to it to but excluding the date of payment to the Administrative Agent, at the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation.

A notice of the Administrative Agent to any Lender or the Lead Borrower with respect to any amount owing under this subsection (b) shall be conclusive, absent manifest error.

(iii) Failure to Satisfy Conditions Precedent. If any Lender makes available to the Administrative Agent funds for any Loan to be made by such Lender as provided in the foregoing provisions of this Article II, and such funds are not made available to the Borrowers by the Administrative Agent because the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Article IV are not satisfied or waived in accordance with the terms hereof (subject to the provisions of the last paragraph of Section 4.02 hereof), the Administrative Agent shall return such funds (in like funds as received from such Lender) to such Lender, without interest, within seven (7) days after it is determined by the Administrative Agent that the conditions to the applicable Credit Extension set forth in Article IV have not been satisfied.

(iv) Obligations of Lenders Several. The obligations of the Lenders hereunder to make Committed Loans, to fund participations in Letters of Credit and Swing Line Loans and to make payments pursuant to Section 10.04(c) are several and not joint. The failure of any Lender to make any Committed Loan, to fund any such participation or to make any payment under Section 10.04(c) on any date required hereunder shall not relieve any other Lender of its corresponding obligation to do so on such date, and no Lender shall be responsible for the failure of any other Lender to so make its Committed Loan, to purchase its participation or to make its payment under Section 10.04(c).

(v) Funding Source. Nothing herein shall be deemed to obligate any Lender to obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner or to constitute a representation by any Lender that it has obtained or will obtain the funds for any Loan in any particular place or manner.

(m) Sharing of Payments by Lenders. If any Credit Party shall, by exercising any right of setoff or counterclaim or otherwise, obtain payment in respect of any principal of, interest on, or other amounts with respect to, any of the Obligations resulting in such Lender’s receiving payment of a proportion of the aggregate amount of such Obligations greater than its pro rata share thereof as provided herein (including as in contravention of the priorities of payment set forth in Section 8.03), then the Credit Party receiving such greater proportion shall (a) notify the Administrative Agent of such fact, and (b) purchase (for cash at face value) participations in the Obligations of the other Credit Parties, or make such other adjustments as shall be equitable, so that the benefit of all such payments shall be shared by the Credit Parties ratably and in the priorities set forth in Section 8.03, provided that:

(i) if any such participations or subparticipations are purchased and all or any portion of the payment giving rise thereto is recovered, such participations or subparticipations shall be rescinded and the purchase price restored to the extent of such recovery, without interest; and

(ii) the provisions of this Section shall not be construed to apply to (x) any payment made by the Loan Parties pursuant to and in accordance with the express terms of this Agreement or (y) any payment obtained by a Lender as consideration for the assignment of or sale of a participation in any of its Committed Loans or subparticipations in L/C Obligations or Swing Line Loans to any assignee or participant, other than to the Borrowers or any Subsidiary thereof (as to which the provisions of this Section shall apply).

Each Loan Party consents to the foregoing and agrees, to the extent it may effectively do so under applicable law, that any Lender acquiring a participation pursuant to the foregoing arrangements may exercise against such Loan Party rights of setoff and counterclaim with respect to such participation as fully as if such Lender were a direct creditor of such Loan Party in the amount of such participation.

(n) Settlement Among Lenders.

(i) The amount of each Lender’s Applicable Percentage of outstanding Loans (including outstanding Swing Line Loans) shall be computed weekly (or more frequently in the Administrative Agent’s discretion) and shall be adjusted upward or downward based on all Loans (including Swing Line Loans) and repayments of Loans (including Swing Line Loans) received by the Administrative Agent as of 3:00 p.m. on the first Business Day (such date, the “Settlement Date”) following the end of the period specified by the Administrative Agent.

(ii) The Administrative Agent shall deliver to each of the Lenders promptly after a Settlement Date a summary statement of the amount of outstanding Committed Loans for the period and the amount of repayments received for the period. As reflected on the summary statement, (i) the Administrative Agent shall transfer to each Lender its Applicable Percentage of repayments, and (ii) each Lender shall transfer to the Administrative Agent (as provided below) or the Administrative Agent shall transfer to each Lender, such amounts as are necessary to insure that, after giving effect to all such transfers, the amount of Committed Loans made by each Lender shall be equal to such Lender’s Applicable Percentage of all Committed Loans outstanding as of such Settlement Date. If the summary statement requires transfers to be made to the Administrative Agent by the Lenders and is received prior to 1:00 p.m. on a Business Day, such transfers shall be made in immediately available funds no later than 3:00 p.m. that day; and, if received after 1:00 p.m., then no later than 3:00 p.m. on the next Business Day. The obligation of each Lender to transfer such funds is irrevocable, unconditional and without recourse to or warranty by the Administrative Agent. If and to the extent any Lender shall not have so made its transfer to the Administrative Agent, such Lender agrees to pay to the Administrative Agent, forthwith on demand such amount, together with interest thereon, for each day from such date until the date such amount is paid to the Administrative Agent, equal to the greater of the Federal Funds Rate and a rate determined by the Administrative Agent in accordance with banking industry rules on interbank compensation plus any administrative, processing, or similar fees customarily charged by the Administrative Agent in connection with the foregoing.

(o) Increase in Commitments.

(i) Committed Increase. Provided that no Default or Event of Default then exists or would arise therefrom, upon notice to the Agent, the Lead Borrower may from time to time, request an increase in the Aggregate Commitments by an amount not exceeding $25,000,000 in the aggregate (the “Committed Increase”); provided that (i) each such Committed Increase shall be in a minimum amount of $5,000,000, (ii) the amount of the Aggregate Commitments, as the same may be increased pursuant to any Committed Increase, shall not exceed $175,000,000 at any time, and (iii) the Lead Borrower may make a maximum of 3 such requests; provided, however, that the Lead Borrower shall not be permitted to make any additional request for a Commitment Increase following the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date. Each such Committed Increase shall be effectuated as soon as reasonably practicable after the request of the Lead Borrower therefor and the Agent shall provide the Lead Borrower with written confirmation thereof. Any such Committed Increase shall be

provided solely by Wells Fargo (or any permitted assignee of Wells Fargo) (Wells Fargo or any such permitted assignee in such capacity or any Lender increasing its Commitment pursuant to Section 2.15(b) and any Eligible Assignee providing a new Commitment pursuant to Section 2.15(b), an “Increased Lender”) and shall otherwise be on the same terms as the existing facility under this Agreement; provided that the upfront fees payable in connection with any such Committed Increase shall be in an amount equal to the upfront fees payable to Wells Fargo under the Seventh Amendment Fee Letter. Upon the effective date of any such Committed Increase (i) the Aggregate Commitments under, and for all purposes of, this Agreement shall be increased by the aggregate amount of such Committed Increase, and (ii) Schedule 2.01 shall be deemed modified, without further action, to reflect the revised Commitments and Applicable Percentages of the Lenders.

(ii) Uncommitted Increase.

(1) Request for Increase. Provided that (x) no Default or Event of Default then exists or would arise therefrom, and (y) no additional requests for a Committed Increase are permitted under Section 2.15(a) above, upon notice to the Agent (which shall promptly notify the Lenders), the Lead Borrower may from time to time, request an increase in the Aggregate Commitments by an amount not exceeding $50,000,000 in the aggregate (the “Uncommitted Increase”, and, together with all Committed Increases, collectively, the “Commitment Increases”); provided that (i) any such request for an increase shall be in a minimum amount of $10,000,000, (ii) the Lead Borrower may make a maximum of 3 such requests, and (iii) the amount of the Aggregate Commitments, as the same may be increased pursuant to any Commitment Increases, shall not exceed $225,000,000 at any time; provided, however, that the aggregate increases of the Commitments requested by the Lead Borrower under this Section 2.15(b) at any time following the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date, shall not exceed $25,000,000. At the time of sending such notice, the Lead Borrower (in consultation with the Agent) shall specify the time period within which each Lender is requested to respond to the Agent (which shall in no event be less than ten Business Days from the date of delivery of such notice to the Lenders).

(2) Lender Elections to Increase. Each Lender shall notify the Agent within such time period whether or not it agrees to increase its Commitment and, if so, whether by an amount equal to, greater than, or less than its Applicable Percentage of such requested increase. Any Lender not responding within such time period shall be deemed to have declined to increase its Commitment.

(3) Notification by Agent; Additional Commitment Lenders. The Agent shall notify the Borrowers and each Lender of the Lenders’ responses to each request made hereunder. To achieve the full amount of a requested increase and subject to the approval of the Agent, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender (which approvals shall not be unreasonably withheld), to the extent that the existing Lenders decline to increase their Commitments, or decline to increase their Commitments to the amount requested by the Lead Borrower, the Agent, in consultation with the Lead

Borrower, will use its reasonable efforts to arrange for other Eligible Assignees to become Lenders (each an “Additional Commitment Lender”) hereunder and to issue commitments in an amount equal to the amount of the increase in the Aggregate Commitments requested by the Borrowers and not accepted by the existing Lenders, provided, however, that without the consent of the Agent, at no time shall the Commitment of any Additional Commitment Lender be less than $10,000,000.

(4) Effective Date and Allocations. If the Aggregate Commitments are increased in accordance with this Section, the Agent, in consultation with the Lead Borrower, shall determine the effective date (the “Increase Effective Date”) and the final allocation of such increase. The Agent shall promptly notify the Lead Borrower and the Lenders of the final allocation of such increase and the Increase Effective Date and on the Increase Effective Date (i) the Aggregate Commitments under, and for all purposes of, this Agreement shall be increased by the aggregate amount of such Commitment Increases, and (ii) Schedule 2.01 shall be deemed modified, without further action, to reflect the revised Commitments and Applicable Percentages of the Lenders.

(iii) Conditions to Effectiveness of Commitment Increase. As a condition precedent to such Commitment Increase, (i) the Borrowers shall deliver to the Agent a certificate of each Loan Party dated as of the Increase Effective Date (in sufficient copies for each Lender) signed by a Responsible Officer of such Loan Party (A) certifying and attaching the resolutions adopted by such Loan Party approving or consenting to such Commitment Increase, and (B) in the case of the Borrowers, certifying that, before and after giving effect to such Commitment Increase, (1) the representations and warranties contained in Article V and the other Loan Documents are true and correct on and as of the Increase Effective Date, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they are true and correct as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 2.15, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01, and (2) no Default or Event of Default exists or would arise therefrom, (ii) the Borrowers, the Agent, and any Additional Commitment Lender shall have executed and delivered a Joinder to the Loan Documents in such form as the Agent shall reasonably require; (iii) the Borrowers shall have paid such fees and other compensation to, in the case of any Committed Increase, Wells Fargo, and in the case of the Uncommitted Increase, the Additional Commitment Lenders as the Borrowers and such Additional Commitment Lenders shall agree; (iv) the Borrowers shall have paid such arrangement fees to the Agent as the Borrowers and the Agent may agree, including, without limitation, the fees set forth in the Seventh Amendment Fee Letter; (v) the Borrowers and the Additional Commitment Lender shall have delivered such other instruments, documents and agreements as the Agent may reasonably have requested; and (vi) no Default or Event of Default exists. The Borrowers shall prepay any Committed Loans outstanding on the Increase Effective Date (and pay any additional amounts required pursuant to Section 3.05) to the extent necessary to keep the outstanding

Committed Loans ratable with any revised Applicable Percentages arising from any nonratable increase in the Commitments under this Section.

(iv) Adjustments Upon Increase. If Committed Loans shall be outstanding immediately after giving effect to an increase pursuant to Section 2.15(a) or 2.15(b), upon the Agent’s execution and delivery of written confirmation thereof, each Lender shall be deemed to have sold and assigned to the applicable Increased Lender, without recourse, and each applicable Increased Lender shall be deemed to have purchased and assumed from each Lender the amount of such Lender’s outstanding Committed Loans as shall be necessary to result (after giving effect to the assignments of all Lenders) in the Committed Loans made by each Lender and by each Increased Lender being equal to its Applicable Percentage multiplied by the aggregate amount of all Committed Loans outstanding as of such date. At the direction of the Agent, each Increased Lender shall make all payments to the Agent and the Agent shall make such payments to the Lenders as may be necessary to carry the foregoing into effect. The Borrowers hereby agree that any amount that an Increased Lender so pays to another Lender pursuant to Section 2.15(a) or 2.15(b) shall be entitled to all rights of a Lender under this Agreement and such payments to the Lenders shall constitute Committed Loans held by each such Increased Lender under this Agreement and that each such Increased Lender may, to the fullest extent permitted by law, exercise all of its right of payment (including the right of set off) with respect to such amounts as fully as if such Increased Lender had initially advanced to the Borrowers the amount of such payments. In connection with the assignment and acceptance provided in this Section 2.15(d), the assignment of LIBO Rate Loans shall not be treated as a prepayment of such LIBO Rate Loans for purposes of Section 3.05.

(v) Conflicting Provisions. This Section shall supersede any provisions in Sections 2.13 or 10.01 to the contrary.

11.
TAXES, YIELD PROTECTION AND ILLEGALITY;
APPOINTMENT OF LEAD BORROWER

(a) Taxes.

(xi) Payments Free of Taxes. Any and all payments by or on account of any obligation of the Borrowers hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall be made free and clear of and without reduction or withholding for any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes, provided that if the Borrowers shall be required by applicable Law to deduct any Indemnified Taxes (including any Other Taxes) from such payments, then (i) the sum payable shall be increased as necessary so that after making all required deductions (including deductions applicable to additional sums payable under this Section) the Administrative Agent, Lender or L/C Issuer, as the case may be, receives an amount equal to the sum it would have received had no such deductions been made, (ii) the Borrowers shall make such deductions and (iii) the Borrowers shall timely pay the full amount deducted to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable Law.

(xii) Payment of Other Taxes by the Borrowers. Without limiting the provisions of subsection (a) above, the Borrowers shall timely pay any Other Taxes to the relevant Governmental Authority in accordance with applicable Law.

(xiii) Indemnification by the Loan Parties. The Loan Parties shall indemnify the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the L/C Issuer, within 10 days after demand therefor, for the full amount of any Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes (including Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes imposed or asserted on or attributable to amounts payable under this Section) paid by the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, and any penalties, interest and reasonable expenses arising therefrom or with respect thereto, whether or not such Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes were correctly or legally imposed or asserted by the relevant Governmental Authority. A certificate as to the amount of such payment or liability delivered to the Lead Borrower by a Lender or the L/C Issuer (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), or by the Administrative Agent on its own behalf or on behalf of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, shall be conclusive absent manifest error.

(xiv) Evidence of Payments. As soon as practicable after any payment of Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes by the Borrowers to a Governmental Authority, the Lead Borrower shall deliver to the Administrative Agent the original or a certified copy of a receipt issued by such Governmental Authority evidencing such payment, a copy of the return reporting such payment or other evidence of such payment reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(xv) Status of Lenders. Any Foreign Lender that is entitled to an exemption from or reduction of withholding tax under the law of the jurisdiction in which any Borrower is resident for tax purposes, or any treaty to which such jurisdiction is a party, with respect to payments hereunder or under any other Loan Document shall deliver to the Lead Borrower (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), at the time or times prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Lead Borrower or the Administrative Agent, such properly completed and executed documentation prescribed by applicable law as will permit such payments to be made without withholding or at a reduced rate of withholding. In addition, any Lender, if requested by the Lead Borrower or the Administrative Agent, shall deliver such other documentation prescribed by applicable law or reasonably requested by the Lead Borrower or the Administrative Agent as will enable the Lead Borrower or the Administrative Agent to determine whether or not such Lender is subject to backup withholding or information reporting requirements.

Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, in the event that any Borrower is resident for tax purposes in the United States, any Foreign Lender shall deliver to the Lead Borrower and the Administrative Agent (in such number of copies as shall be requested by the recipient) on or prior to the date on which such Foreign Lender becomes a Lender under this Agreement (and from time to time thereafter upon the request of the Lead Borrower or the Administrative Agent, but only if such Foreign Lender is legally entitled to do so), whichever of the following is applicable:

(5) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN claiming eligibility for benefits of an income tax treaty to which the United States is a party;

(6) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8ECI;

(7) in the case of a Foreign Lender claiming the benefits of the exemption for portfolio interest under section 881(c) of the Code, (x) a certificate to the effect that such Foreign Lender is not (A) a “bank” within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(A) of the Code, (B) a “10 percent shareholder” of the Borrowers within the meaning of section 881(c)(3)(B) of the Code, or (C) a “controlled foreign corporation” described in section 881(c)(3)(C) of the Code and (y) duly completed copies of Internal Revenue Service Form W-8BEN; or

(8) any other form prescribed by applicable law as a basis for claiming exemption from or a reduction in United States Federal withholding tax duly completed together with such supplementary documentation as may be prescribed by applicable law to permit the Lead Borrower to determine the withholding or deduction required to be made.

(xvi) Treatment of Certain Refunds. If the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer determines, in its sole discretion, that it has received a refund of any Taxes or Other Taxes as to which it has been indemnified by the Borrowers or with respect to which the Borrowers have paid additional amounts pursuant to this Section, it shall pay to the Borrowers an amount equal to such refund (but only to the extent of indemnity payments made, or additional amounts paid, by the Borrowers under this Section with respect to the Taxes or Other Taxes giving rise to such refund), net of all out-of-pocket expenses of the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, and without interest (other than any interest paid by the relevant Governmental Authority with respect to such refund), provided that the Borrowers, upon the request of the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer, agree to repay the amount paid over to the Borrowers (plus any penalties, interest or other charges imposed by the relevant Governmental Authority) to the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer in the event the Administrative Agent, such Lender or the L/C Issuer is required to repay such refund to such Governmental Authority. This subsection shall not be construed to require the Administrative Agent, any Lender or the L/C Issuer to make available its tax returns (or any other information relating to its taxes that it deems confidential) to the Borrowers or any other Person.

(b) Illegality. If any Lender determines that any Law has made it unlawful, or that any Governmental Authority has asserted that it is unlawful, for any Lender or its applicable Lending Office to make, maintain or fund LIBO Rate Loans, or to determine or charge interest rates based upon the LIBO Rate, or any Governmental Authority has imposed material restrictions on the authority of such Lender to purchase or sell, or to take deposits of, Dollars in the London interbank market, then, on notice thereof by such Lender to the Lead Borrower through the Administrative Agent, any obligation of such Lender to make or continue LIBO Rate Loans or to convert Base Rate Loans to LIBO Rate Loans shall be suspended until such Lender notifies the Administrative

Agent and the Lead Borrower that the circumstances giving rise to such determination no longer exist. Upon receipt of such notice, the Borrowers shall, upon demand from such Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent), prepay or, if applicable, convert all LIBO Rate Loans of such Lender to Base Rate Loans, either on the last day of the Interest Period therefor, if such Lender may lawfully continue to maintain such LIBO Rate Loans to such day, or immediately, if such Lender may not lawfully continue to maintain such LIBO Rate Loans. Upon any such prepayment or conversion, the Borrowers shall also pay accrued interest on the amount so prepaid or converted.

(c) Inability to Determine Rates. If the Required Lenders determine that for any reason in connection with any request for a LIBO Rate Loan or a conversion to or continuation thereof that (a) Dollar deposits are not being offered to banks in the London interbank market for the applicable amount and Interest Period of such LIBO Rate Loan, (b) adequate and reasonable means do not exist for determining the LIBO Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed LIBO Rate Loan, or (c) the LIBO Rate for any requested Interest Period with respect to a proposed LIBO Rate Loan does not adequately and fairly reflect the cost to such Lenders of funding such Loan, the Administrative Agent will promptly so notify the Lead Borrower and each Lender. Thereafter, the obligation of the Lenders to make or maintain LIBO Rate Loans shall be suspended until the Administrative Agent (upon the instruction of the Required Lenders) revokes such notice. Upon receipt of such notice, the Lead Borrower may revoke any pending request for a Borrowing of, conversion to or continuation of LIBO Rate Loans or, failing that, will be deemed to have converted such request into a request for a Committed Borrowing of Base Rate Loans in the amount specified therein.

(d) Increased Costs; Reserves on LIBO Rate Loans.

(vi) Increased Costs Generally. If any Change in Law shall:

(1) impose, modify or deem applicable any reserve, special deposit, compulsory loan, insurance charge or similar requirement against assets of, deposits with or for the account of, or credit extended or participated in by, any Lender (except any reserve requirement reflected in the LIBO Rate) or the L/C Issuer;

(2) subject any Lender or the L/C Issuer to any tax of any kind whatsoever with respect to this Agreement, any Letter of Credit, any participation in a Letter of Credit or any LIBO Rate Loan made by it, or change the basis of taxation of payments to such Lender or the L/C Issuer in respect thereof (except for Indemnified Taxes or Other Taxes covered by Section 3.01 and the imposition of, or any change in the rate of, any Excluded Tax payable by such Lender or the L/C Issuer); or

(3) impose on any Lender or the L/C Issuer or the London interbank market any other condition, cost or expense affecting this Agreement or LIBO Rate Loans made by such Lender or any Letter of Credit or participation therein;

and the result of any of the foregoing shall be to increase the cost to such Lender of making or maintaining any LIBO Rate Loan (or of maintaining its obligation to make any such Loan), or to increase the cost to such Lender or the L/C Issuer of participating in, issuing or maintaining any

Letter of Credit (or of maintaining its obligation to participate in or to issue any Letter of Credit), or to reduce the amount of any sum received or receivable by such Lender or the L/C Issuer hereunder (whether of principal, interest or any other amount) then, upon request of such Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Borrowers will pay to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, for such additional costs incurred or reduction suffered.

(vii) Capital Requirements. If any Lender or the L/C Issuer determines that any Change in Law affecting such Lender or the L/C Issuer or any Lending Office of such Lender or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, regarding capital requirements has or would have the effect of reducing the rate of return on such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s capital or on the capital of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company, if any, as a consequence of this Agreement, the Commitments of such Lender or the Loans made by, or participations in Letters of Credit held by, such Lender, or the Letters of Credit issued by the L/C Issuer, to a level below that which such Lender or the L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company could have achieved but for such Change in Law (taking into consideration such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s policies and the policies of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company with respect to capital adequacy), then from time to time, the Borrowers will pay to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, such additional amount or amounts as will compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer or such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s holding company for any such reduction suffered.

(viii) Certificates for Reimbursement. A certificate of a Lender or the L/C Issuer setting forth the amount or amounts necessary to compensate such Lender or the L/C Issuer or its holding company, as the case may be, as specified in subsection (a) or (b) of this Section and delivered to the Lead Borrower shall be conclusive absent manifest error. The Borrowers shall pay such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, the amount shown as due on any such certificate within 10 days after receipt thereof.

(ix) Delay in Requests. Failure or delay on the part of any Lender or the L/C Issuer to demand compensation pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section shall not constitute a waiver of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s right to demand such compensation, provided that the Borrowers shall not be required to compensate a Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to the foregoing provisions of this Section for any increased costs incurred or reductions suffered more than nine months prior to the date that such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as the case may be, notifies the Lead Borrower of the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions and of such Lender’s or the L/C Issuer’s intention to claim compensation therefor (except that, if the Change in Law giving rise to such increased costs or reductions is retroactive, then the nine-month period referred to above shall be extended to include the period of retroactive effect thereof).

(x) Reserves on LIBO Rate Loans. Without duplication of any amounts reflected in the Adjusted LIBO Rate, the Borrowers shall pay to each Lender, as long as such Lender shall be required to maintain reserves with respect to liabilities or assets consisting of or including Eurocurrency funds or deposits (currently known as "Eurocurrency liabilities"),

additional interest on the unpaid principal amount of each LIBO Rate Loan equal to the actual costs of such reserves allocated to such Loan by such Lender (as determined by such Lender in good faith, which determination shall be conclusive), which shall be due and payable on each date on which interest is payable on such Loan, provided the Lead Borrower shall have received at least 10 days’ prior notice (with a copy to the Agent) of such additional interest from such Lender. If a Lender fails to give notice 10 days prior to the relevant Interest Payment Date, such additional interest shall be due and payable 10 days from receipt of such notice.

(e) Compensation for Losses. Upon demand of any Lender (with a copy to the Administrative Agent) from time to time, the Borrowers shall promptly compensate such Lender for and hold such Lender harmless from any loss, cost or expense incurred by it as a result of:

(iv) any continuation, conversion, payment or prepayment of any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period for such Loan (whether voluntary, mandatory, automatic, by reason of acceleration, or otherwise);

(v) any failure by the Borrowers (for a reason other than the failure of such Lender to make a Loan) to prepay, borrow, continue or convert any Loan other than a Base Rate Loan on the date or in the amount notified by the Lead Borrower; or

(vi) any assignment of a LIBO Rate Loan on a day other than the last day of the Interest Period therefor as a result of a request by the Lead Borrower pursuant to Section 10.13;

including any loss of anticipated profits and any loss or expense arising from the liquidation or reemployment of funds obtained by it to maintain such Loan or from fees payable to terminate the deposits from which such funds were obtained. The Borrowers shall also pay any customary administrative fees charged by such Lender in connection with the foregoing.

For purposes of calculating amounts payable by the Borrowers to the Lenders under this Section 3.05, each Lender shall be deemed to have funded each LIBO Rate Loan made by it at the LIBO Rate for such Loan by a matching deposit or other borrowing in the London interbank market for a comparable amount and for a comparable period, whether or not such LIBO Rate Loan was in fact so funded.

(f) Mitigation Obligations; Replacement of Lenders.

(iii) Designation of a Different Lending Office. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or the Borrowers are required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 3.01, or if any Lender gives a notice pursuant to Section 3.02, then such Lender shall use commercially reasonable efforts to designate a different Lending Office for funding or booking its Loans hereunder or to assign its rights and obligations hereunder to another of its offices, branches or affiliates, if, in the judgment of such Lender, such designation or assignment (i) would eliminate or reduce amounts payable pursuant to Section 3.01 or 3.04,

as the case may be, in the future, or eliminate the need for the notice pursuant to Section 3.02, as applicable, and (ii) in each case, would not subject such Lender to any unreimbursed cost or expense and would not otherwise be disadvantageous to such Lender. The Borrowers hereby agree to pay all reasonable costs and expenses incurred by any Lender in connection with any such designation or assignment.

(iv) Replacement of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or if the Borrowers are required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 3.01, the Borrowers may replace such Lender in accordance with Section 10.13.

(g) Survival. All of the Borrowers’ obligations under this Article III shall survive termination of the Aggregate Commitments and repayment of all other Obligations hereunder.

(h) Designation of Lead Borrower as Borrowers’ Agent.

(iv) Each Borrower hereby irrevocably designates and appoints the Lead Borrower as such Borrower’s agent to obtain Credit Extensions, the proceeds of which shall be available to each Borrower for such uses as are permitted under this Agreement. As the disclosed principal for its agent, each Borrower shall be obligated to each Credit Party on account of Credit Extensions so made as if made directly by the applicable Credit Party to such Borrower, notwithstanding the manner by which such Credit Extensions are recorded on the books and records of the Lead Borrower and of any other Borrower. In addition, each Loan Party other than the Borrowers hereby irrevocably designates and appoints the Lead Borrower as such Loan Party’s agent to represent such Loan Party in all respects under this Agreement and the other Loan Documents.

(v) Each Borrower recognizes that credit available to it hereunder is in excess of and on better terms than it otherwise could obtain on and for its own account and that one of the reasons therefor is its joining in the credit facility contemplated herein with all other Borrowers. Consequently, each Borrower hereby assumes and agrees to discharge all Obligations of each of the other Borrowers.

(vi) The Lead Borrower shall act as a conduit for each Borrower (including itself, as a “Borrower”) on whose behalf the Lead Borrower has requested a Credit Extension. Neither the Administrative Agent nor any other Credit Party shall have any obligation to see to the application of such proceeds therefrom.

12.
CONDITIONS PRECEDENT TO CREDIT EXTENSIONS

(a) Conditions of Initial Credit Extension. The Closing Date of this Agreement was conditioned upon satisfaction of the following conditions precedent:

(xvi) The Administrative Agent’s receipt of the following, each of which shall be originals or telecopies (followed promptly by originals) unless otherwise specified, each

properly executed by a Responsible Officer of the signing Loan Party, each dated the Closing Date (or, in the case of certificates of governmental officials, a recent date before the Closing Date) and each in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent:

(1) executed counterparts of this Agreement sufficient in number for distribution to the Administrative Agent, each Lender and the Lead Borrower;

(2) a Note executed by the Borrowers in favor of each Lender requesting a Note;

(3) such certificates of resolutions or other action, incumbency certificates and/or other certificates of Responsible Officers of each Loan Party as the Administrative Agent may require evidencing (A) the authority of each Loan Party to enter into this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party or is to be a party and (B) the identity, authority and capacity of each Responsible Officer thereof authorized to act as a Responsible Officer in connection with this Agreement and the other Loan Documents to which such Loan Party is a party or is to be a party;

(4) copies of each Loan Party’s Organization Documents and such other documents and certifications as the Administrative Agent may reasonably require to evidence that each Loan Party is duly organized or formed, and that each Loan Party is validly existing and in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization;

(5) favorable opinions of (A) Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP, counsel to the Loan Parties, (B) Maynard, Cooper & Gale, P.C., LLC, local Alabama real estate counsel, (C) Stroock & Stroock & Lavan LLP, special counsel to Twin Brook, and (D) McGuireWoods LLP, special counsel to The Children’s Place (Virginia), LLC, each addressed to the Administrative Agent and each Lender, as to such matters concerning the Loan Parties and the Loan Documents as the Administrative Agent may reasonably request;

(6) a certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Lead Borrower certifying (A) that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied, (B) that, excluding the filing for bankruptcy and the implementation of the bankruptcy proceeding of Hoop, there has been no event or circumstance since the date of the Audited Financial Statements that has had or could be reasonably expected to have, either individually or in the aggregate, a Material Adverse Effect, (C) either that (1) no consents, licenses or approvals (other than those referenced in Section 4.01(a)(iii) of this Agreement) are required in connection with the execution, delivery and performance by such Loan Party and the validity against such Loan Party of the Loan Documents to which it is a party, or (2) that all such consents, licenses and approvals have been obtained and are in full force and effect, and (D) to the Solvency of the Loan Parties on a Consolidated basis as of the Closing Date after giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby;

(7) evidence that all insurance required to be maintained pursuant to the Loan Documents and all endorsements in favor of the Agents required under the Loan Documents have been obtained and are in effect;

(8) a payoff letter from the lenders under the Existing Credit Agreement satisfactory in form and substance to the Administrative Agent evidencing that the Existing Credit Agreement has been or concurrently with the Closing Date is being terminated, all obligations thereunder are being paid in full, and all Liens securing obligations under the Existing Credit Agreement have been or concurrently with the Closing Date are being released;

(9) the Security Documents (including, without limitation, the Mortgage) and, to the extent not previously delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant to the Existing Credit Agreement, certificates evidencing any stock being pledged thereunder, together with undated stock powers executed in blank, each duly executed by the applicable Loan Parties;

(10) the Intercreditor Agreement, duly executed by each of the parties thereto;

(11) all other Loan Documents, each duly executed by the applicable Loan Parties and the other parties thereto;

(12) results of searches or other evidence reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent (in each case dated as of a date reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent) indicating the absence of Liens on the assets of the Loan Parties, except for Permitted Encumbrances and Liens for which termination statements and releases, satisfactions and discharges of any mortgages, or subordination agreements reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent are being tendered concurrently with such extension of credit or other arrangements reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent for the delivery of such termination statements and releases have been made;

(13) certified copies of the Note Documents, duly executed by the parties thereto, together with such other agreements, instruments and documents delivered in connection therewith as the Administrative Agent shall reasonably request;

(14) (A) all documents and instruments, including Uniform Commercial Code financing statements, required by law or reasonably requested by the Collateral Agent to be filed, registered or recorded to create or perfect the first priority Liens intended to be created under the Loan Documents and all such documents and instruments shall have been so filed, registered or recorded to the satisfaction of the Collateral Agent and (B) the Credit Card Notifications and Blocked Account Agreements required pursuant to Section 6.13 hereof;

(15) a Phase I environmental site assessment report in accordance with ASTM Standard E1527-05, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, from an environmental consulting firm reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent, which report shall identify recognized environmental conditions with respect to the Alabama Property and shall, to the extent possible, quantify any related costs and liabilities associated with such conditions, and the Collateral Agent shall be satisfied with the nature and amount of any such matters;

(16) an appraisal (based upon FMV) of the Alabama Property complying with the requirements of FIRREA by a third party appraiser reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent and otherwise in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent; and

(17) such other assurances, certificates, documents, consents or opinions as the Agents reasonably may require.

(xvii) After giving effect to (i) the first funding under the Loans and the funding under the Note Purchase Facility, (ii) any charges to the Loan Account made in connection with the establishment of the credit facility contemplated hereby and (iii) all Letters of Credit to be issued at, or immediately subsequent to, such establishment, Excess Availability shall be not less than $80,000,000.

(xviii) The Administrative Agent shall have received a Borrowing Base Certificate dated the Closing Date, relating to the week ended on July 26, 2008, and executed by a Responsible Officer of the Lead Borrower.

(xix) The Administrative Agent shall be reasonably satisfied that any financial statements delivered to it fairly present the business and financial condition of the Loan Parties and that there has been no Material Adverse Effect since the date of the most recent financial information delivered to the Administrative Agent.

(xx) The Administrative Agent shall have received and be satisfied with (i) a detailed forecast for the period commencing on the Closing Date and ending with the end of the then Fiscal Year, which condition shall be deemed to have been satisfied by the Administrative Agent’s receipt of the lender presentation dated June 2, 2008.

(xxi) There shall not be pending any litigation or other proceeding, the result of which, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(xxii) The consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby shall not violate any Applicable Law or any Organization Document.

(xxiii) The Borrowers shall have entered into the Note Purchase Facility, and the terms of, and the documentation evidencing, the Note Purchase Facility shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(xxiv) All fees required to be paid to the Agents on or before the Closing Date shall have been paid in full, and all fees required to be paid to the Lenders on or before the Closing Date shall have been paid in full.

(xxv) The Borrowers shall have paid all fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent to the extent invoiced prior to or on the Closing Date, plus such additional amounts of such fees, charges and disbursements as shall constitute its reasonable estimate of such fees, charges and disbursements incurred or to be incurred by it through the closing proceedings (provided that such estimate shall not thereafter preclude a final settling of accounts between the Borrowers and the Administrative Agent).

(xxvi) The Administrative Agent shall have received all documentation and other information required by regulatory authorities under applicable “know your customer” and anti-money laundering rules and regulations, including, without limitation, the USA PATRIOT Act.

(xxvii) No material changes in governmental regulations or policies affecting any Loan Party or any Credit Party shall have occurred prior to the Closing Date.

(b) Conditions to all Credit Extensions. The obligation of each Lender to honor any Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type, or a continuation of LIBO Rate Loans) is subject to the following conditions precedent:

(vii) The representations and warranties of each other Loan Party contained in Article V or any other Loan Document, or which are contained in any document furnished at any time under or in connection herewith or therewith, shall be true and correct in all material respects on and as of the date of such Credit Extension, except to the extent that such representations and warranties specifically refer to an earlier date, in which case they shall be true and correct in all material respects as of such earlier date, and except that for purposes of this Section 4.02, the representations and warranties contained in subsections (a) and (b) of Section 5.05 shall be deemed to refer to the most recent statements furnished pursuant to clauses (a) and (b), respectively, of Section 6.01.

(viii) Except for good faith disputes between a Borrower and its landlords, no Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing, or would result from such proposed Credit Extension or from the application of the proceeds thereof.

(ix) The Administrative Agent and, if applicable, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender shall have received a Request for Credit Extension in accordance with the requirements hereof.

(x) No injunction, writ, restraining order, or other order of any nature prohibiting, directly or indirectly, the extending of such credit shall have been issued and remain in force by any Governmental Authority against any Borrower, any Agent, any Lender or any of their Affiliate.

(xi) The amount of any requested Loan or Letter of Credit shall not exceed Availability at such time.

Each Request for Credit Extension (other than a Committed Loan Notice requesting only a conversion of Committed Loans to the other Type or a continuation of LIBO Rate Loans) submitted by the Lead Borrower shall be deemed to be a representation and warranty by the Borrowers that the conditions specified in Sections 4.02(a) and (b) have been satisfied on and as of the date of the applicable Credit Extension. The conditions set forth in this Section 4.02 are for the sole benefit of the Credit Parties, but until the Required Lenders otherwise direct the Administrative Agent to cease making Committed Loans, the Lenders will fund their Applicable Percentage of all Committed Loans and participate in all Swing Line Loans and Letters of Credit whenever made or issued, which are requested by the Lead Borrower and which, notwithstanding the failure of the Loan Parties to comply with the provisions of this Article IV, are agreed to by the Administrative Agent; provided, however, the making of any such Loans or the issuance of any Letters of Credit shall not be deemed a modification or waiver by any Credit Party of the provisions of this Article IV on any future occasion or a waiver of any rights or the Credit Parties as a result of any such failure to comply.

13.
REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES

To induce the Credit Parties to enter into this Agreement and to make Loans and to issue Letters of Credit hereunder, each Loan Party represents and warrants to the Administrative Agent and the other Credit Parties that:

(a) Existence, Qualification and Power. Each Loan Party and each Subsidiary thereof: (a) is a corporation, limited liability company, partnership or limited partnership, duly organized or formed, validly existing and, where applicable, in good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its incorporation or organization; (b) has all requisite power and authority and all requisite governmental licenses, permits, authorizations, consents and approvals to (i) own or lease its assets and carry on its business as currently conducted or as proposed to be conducted and (ii) execute, deliver and perform its obligations under the Loan Documents to which it is a party; and (c) is duly qualified and is licensed and, where applicable, in good standing under the Laws of each jurisdiction where its ownership, lease or operation of properties or the conduct of its business requires such qualification or license; except in each case referred to in clause (b)(i) or (c), to the extent that failure to do so could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Schedule 5.01 annexed hereto sets forth, as of the Closing Date, each Loan Party’s name as it appears in official filings in its state of incorporation or organization and the name under which each Loan Party conducts its business (if different), its state of incorporation or organization, organization type, organization number, if any, issued by its state of incorporation or organization, its federal employer identification number and the address of its chief executive office and principal place of business.

(b) Authorization; No Contravention. The execution, delivery and performance by each Loan Party of each Loan Document to which such Person is, or is to be, a party has been duly authorized by all necessary corporate or other organizational action and does not and will not: (a) contravene the terms of any of such Person’s Organization Documents; (b) conflict in any material respect with, or result in any breach, termination, or contravention of, or constitute a default under,

or require any payment to be made under (i) any Material Contract or any Material Indebtedness to which such Person is a party or affecting such Person or the properties of such Person or any of its Subsidiaries, (ii) any order, injunction, writ or decree of any Governmental Authority or any arbitral award to which such Person or its property is subject, or (iii) any governmental licenses, permits, authorizations, consents and approvals; except, in each case referred to in this clause (b), to the extent that any such conflict, breach, termination, contravention or default could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; (c) result in or require the creation of any Lien upon any asset of any Loan Party (other than Liens in favor of the Collateral Agent under the Security Documents); or (d) violate any Law.

(c) Governmental Authorization; Other Consents. No approval, consent, exemption, authorization, or other action by, or notice to, or filing with, any Governmental Authority or any other Person is necessary or required in connection with the execution, delivery or performance by, or enforcement against, any Loan Party of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, except for (a) the perfection or maintenance of the Liens created under the Security Documents (having the priority set forth in the Intercreditor Agreement), or (b) such as have been obtained or made and are in full force and effect.

(d) Binding Effect. This Agreement has been, and each other Loan Document, when delivered, will have been, duly executed and delivered by each Loan Party that is party thereto. This Agreement constitutes, and each other Loan Document when so delivered will constitute, a legal, valid and binding obligation of such Loan Party, enforceable against each Loan Party that is party thereto in accordance with its terms, subject to applicable bankruptcy, insolvency, reorganization, moratorium or other laws affecting creditors’ rights generally and subject to general principles of equity, regardless of whether considered in a proceeding in equity or at law.

(e) Financial Statements; No Material Adverse Effect.

(vi) The Audited Financial Statements (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; (ii) fairly present the financial condition of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein; and (iii) show all Material Indebtedness and other liabilities, direct or contingent, of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof, including liabilities for taxes, material commitments and Indebtedness.

(vii) The unaudited Consolidated balance sheet of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries dated May, 2008, and the related Consolidated statements of income or operations and cash flows for the Fiscal Month ended on that date (i) were prepared in accordance with GAAP consistently applied throughout the period covered thereby, except as otherwise expressly noted therein, and (ii) fairly present the financial condition of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the date thereof and their results of operations for the period covered thereby, subject, in the case of clauses (i) and (ii), to the absence of footnotes and to normal year-end audit adjustments.

(viii) Since the date of the Audited Financial Statements, excluding the filing for bankruptcy and the implementation of the bankruptcy proceeding of Hoop, there has been no event or circumstance, either individually or in the aggregate, that has had or could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(f) Litigation. Except as otherwise set forth in Schedule 5.06, there are no actions, suits, proceedings, claims or disputes pending or, to the knowledge of the Loan Parties after due and diligent investigation, threatened or contemplated, at law, in equity, in arbitration or before any Governmental Authority, by or against any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries or against any of its properties or revenues that (a) purport to affect or pertain to this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or any of the transactions contemplated hereby, or (b) either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(g) No Default. No Loan Party or any Subsidiary is in default under or with respect to, or party to, any Material Contract or any Material Indebtedness. No Default has occurred and is continuing or would result from the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or any other Loan Document.

(h) Ownership of Property; Liens.

(iii) Each of the Loan Parties and each Subsidiary thereof has good record and marketable title in fee simple to, or valid leasehold interests in, all real property necessary or used in the ordinary conduct of its business, free and clear of all Liens, other than Permitted Encumbrances, except for such defects in title and leasehold interests as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect Each of the Loan Parties and each Subsidiary has good and marketable title to, valid leasehold interests in, or valid licenses to use, all personal property (including Intellectual Property) and assets material to the ordinary conduct of its business as currently conducted or as proposed to be conducted, free and clear of all Liens, other than Permitted Encumbrances, except for such defects in title, leasehold interests and licenses as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(iv) Schedule 5.08(b)(1) sets forth the address (including street address, county and state) of all Real Estate that is owned by the Loan Parties, together with a list of the holders of any mortgage or other Lien thereon as of the Closing Date. Each Loan Party and each of its Subsidiaries has good, marketable and insurable fee simple title to the real property owned by such Loan Party or such Subsidiary, free and clear of all Liens, other than Permitted Encumbrances, except for such defects in title as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Schedule 5.08(b)(2) sets forth the address (including street address, county and state) of all Leases of the Loan Parties, together with a list of the lessor and its contact information with respect to each such Lease as of the Closing Date. Each of such Leases is in full force and effect as of the Closing Date and the Loan Parties are not in default of the terms thereof, except for such defaults as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(v) Schedule 7.01 sets forth a complete and accurate list of all Liens on the property or assets of each Loan Party and each of its Subsidiaries, showing as of the date hereof the lienholder thereof and the property or assets of such Loan Party or such Subsidiary subject thereto. The property of each Loan Party and each of its Subsidiaries is subject to no Liens, other than Liens set forth on Schedule 7.01, and Permitted Encumbrances.

(vi) Schedule 7.02 sets forth a complete and accurate list of all Investments held by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party on the date hereof, showing as of the date hereof the amount, obligor or issuer and maturity, if any, thereof.

(vii) Schedule 7.03 sets forth a complete and accurate list of all Indebtedness of each Loan Party or any Subsidiary of a Loan Party as of the Closing Date, showing as of the Closing Date the amount, obligor or issuer and maturity thereof. As of the Closing Date, after giving effect to the transactions contemplated hereby, the Loan Parties have no Indebtedness except for the Note Obligations, the Indebtedness set forth on Schedule 7.03 and Permitted Indebtedness.

(i) Environmental Compliance.

(vi) No Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof (i) has failed to comply with any Environmental Law or to obtain, maintain or comply with any permit, license or other approval required under any Environmental Law, (ii) has become subject to any Environmental Liability, (iii) has received notice of any claim with respect to any Environmental Liability or (iv) knows of any basis for any Environmental Liability, except, in each case, as could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(vii) Except as otherwise set forth in Schedule 5.09, to the knowledge of the Loan Parties, none of the properties currently or formerly owned or operated by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof is listed or proposed for listing on the NPL or on the CERCLIS or any analogous foreign, state or local list or is adjacent to any such property; there are no and never have been any underground or above-ground storage tanks or any surface impoundments, septic tanks, pits, sumps or lagoons in which Hazardous Materials are being or have been treated, stored or disposed on any property currently owned or operated by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof or, to the best of the knowledge of the Loan Parties, on any property formerly owned or operated by any Loan Party or Subsidiary thereof; there is no asbestos or asbestos-containing material on any property currently owned or operated by any Loan Party or Subsidiary thereof; and Hazardous Materials have not been released, discharged or disposed of on any property currently or formerly owned or operated by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof.

(viii) Except as otherwise set forth on Schedule 5,09, no Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof is undertaking, and no Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof has completed, either individually or together with other potentially responsible parties, any investigation or assessment or remedial or response action relating to any actual or threatened release, discharge or disposal of Hazardous Materials at any site, location or operation, either

voluntarily or pursuant to the order of any Governmental Authority or the requirements of any Environmental Law; and all Hazardous Materials generated, used, treated, handled or stored at, or transported to or from, any property currently or formerly owned or operated by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof have been disposed of in a manner not reasonably expected to result in material liability to any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof.

(j) Insurance. The properties of the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries are insured with financially sound and reputable insurance companies which are not Affiliates of the Loan Parties, in such amounts, with such deductibles and covering such risks (including, without limitation, workmen’s compensation, public liability, business interruption and property damage insurance) as are customarily carried by companies engaged in similar businesses and owning similar properties in localities where the Loan Parties or the applicable Subsidiary operates. Schedule 5.10 sets forth a description of all insurance maintained by or on behalf of the Loan Parties as of the Closing Date. Each insurance policy listed on Schedule 5.10 is in full force and effect and all premiums in respect thereof that are due and payable have been paid.

(k) Taxes. The Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have filed all Federal, state and other material tax returns and reports required to be filed, and have paid all Federal, state and other material taxes, assessments, fees and other governmental charges levied or imposed upon them or their properties, income or assets otherwise due and payable, except those which are being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings being diligently conducted, for which adequate reserves have been provided in accordance with GAAP, as to which Taxes no Lien has been filed and which contest effectively suspends the collection of the contested obligation and the enforcement of any Lien securing such obligation. There is no proposed tax assessment against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary that would, if made, have a Material Adverse Effect. No Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof is a party to any tax sharing agreement.

(l) ERISA Compliance.

(vi) Each Plan is in compliance in all material respects with the applicable provisions of ERISA, the Code and other Federal or state Laws. Each Plan that is intended to qualify under Section 401(a) of the Code has received a favorable determination or opinion letter from the IRS or an application for such a letter is currently being processed by the IRS with respect thereto and, to the best knowledge of the Lead Borrower, nothing has occurred which would prevent, or cause the loss of, such qualification. The Loan Parties and each ERISA Affiliate have made all required contributions to each Plan subject to Section 412 of the Code, and no application for a funding waiver or an extension of any amortization period pursuant to Section 412 of the Code has been made with respect to any Plan. No Lien imposed under the Code or ERISA exists or, to the knowledge of the Lead Borrower, is likely to arise on account of any Plan.

(vii) There are no pending or, to the best knowledge of the Lead Borrower, threatened claims, actions or lawsuits, or action by any Governmental Authority, with respect to any Plan that could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. To the best knowledge of the Lead Borrower, there has been no prohibited transaction or violation

of the fiduciary responsibility rules with respect to any Plan that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

(viii) Except as could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, individually or in the aggregate, (i) no ERISA Event has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur; (ii) no Pension Plan has any Unfunded Pension Liability; (iii) neither any Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability under Title IV of ERISA with respect to any Pension Plan (other than premiums due and not delinquent under Section 4007 of ERISA); (iv) neither any Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate has incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any liability (and no event has occurred which, with the giving of notice under Section 4219 of ERISA, would result in such liability) under Sections 4201 or 4243 of ERISA with respect to a Multiemployer Plan; and (v) neither any Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate has engaged in a transaction that could be subject to Sections 4069 or 4212(c) of ERISA.

(m) Subsidiaries; Equity Interests. The Loan Parties have no Subsidiaries other than those specifically disclosed in Part (a) of Schedule 5.13, which Schedule sets forth the legal name, jurisdiction of incorporation or formation and authorized Equity Interests of each such Subsidiary, listed by class, and setting forth the number and percentage of the outstanding Equity Interests of each such class owned directly or indirectly by the applicable Loan Party. All of the outstanding Equity Interests in such Subsidiaries have been validly issued, are fully paid and non-assessable and are owned by a Loan Party (or a Subsidiary of a Loan Party) in the amounts specified on Part (a) of Schedule 5.13, free and clear of all Liens except for those created under the Security Documents. No Loan Party or any of its respective Subsidiaries is subject to any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to repurchase or otherwise acquire or retire any shares of any Loan Party’s Subsidiaries’ Equity Interests or any security convertible into or exchangeable for any such Equity Interests. The Loan Parties have no equity investments in any other corporation or entity other than those specifically disclosed in Part (b) of Schedule 5.13. Part (c) of Schedule 5.13 is a complete and accurate description of the authorized Equity Interests of each Loan Party, by class, and a description of the number of shares of each such class that are issued and outstanding. All of the outstanding Equity Interests in the Loan Parties have been validly issued, and are fully paid and non-assessable and, other than with respect to the Lead Borrower, are owned in the amounts specified on Part (c) of Schedule 5.13, free and clear of all Liens except for those created under the Security Documents. Except as set forth in Schedule 5.13, there are no subscriptions, options, warrants, or calls relating to any shares of any Loan Party’s Equity Interests, including any right of conversion or exchange under any outstanding security or other instrument. No Loan Party is subject to any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to repurchase or otherwise acquire or retire any shares of its Equity Interests or any security convertible into or exchangeable for any of its Equity Interests. The copies of the Organization Documents of each Loan Party and each amendment thereto provided pursuant to Section 4.01 are true and correct copies of each such document, each of which is valid and in full force and effect.

(n) Margin Regulations; Investment Company Act.

(i) No Loan Party is engaged or will be engaged, principally or as one of its important activities, in the business of purchasing or carrying margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U issued by the FRB), or extending credit for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock. None of the proceeds of the Credit Extensions shall be used directly or indirectly for the purpose of purchasing or carrying any margin stock, for the purpose of reducing or retiring any Indebtedness that was originally incurred to purchase or carry any margin stock or for any other purpose that might cause any of the Credit Extensions to be considered a “purpose credit” within the meaning of Regulations T, U, or X issued by the FRB.

(ii) None of the Loan Parties, any Person Controlling any Loan Party, or any Subsidiary is or is required to be registered as an “investment company” under the Investment Company Act of 1940.

(o) Disclosure. Each Loan Party has disclosed to the Administrative Agent and the Lenders all agreements, instruments and corporate or other restrictions to which it or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, and all other matters known to it, that, individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. No report, financial statement, certificate or other information furnished (whether in writing or orally) by or on behalf of any Loan Party to the Administrative Agent or any Lender in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby and the negotiation of this Agreement or delivered hereunder or under any other Loan Document (in each case, as modified or supplemented by other information so furnished), contains any material misstatement of fact or omits to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; provided that, with respect to projected financial information, the Loan Parties represent only that such information was prepared in good faith based upon assumptions believed to be reasonable at the time.

(p) Compliance with Laws. Each of the Loan Parties and each Subsidiary is in compliance in all material respects with the requirements of all applicable Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its properties, except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted or (b) the failure to comply therewith, either individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(q) Intellectual Property; Licenses, Etc. Each Loan Party owns, or holds licenses in, all Intellectual Property, trade names, patent rights and other authorizations that are necessary to the conduct of its business as currently conducted and as proposed to be conducted, and attached hereto as Schedule 5.17 is a true, correct, and complete listing of all material patents, patent applications, trademarks, trademark applications, copyrights, and copyright registrations as to which a Loan Party is the owner or is an exclusive licensee. To the best knowledge of the Lead Borrower after reasonable inquiry, (i) there is no action, proceeding, claim or complaint pending or, threatened in writing to be brought against any Loan Party which might jeopardize any of such Person’s interest in any of the foregoing licenses, patents, copyrights, trademarks, trade names, designs or applications, except those which are not, in the aggregate, material to the Loan Parties’ financial condition, results of

operations or business and (ii) no slogan or other advertising device, product, process, method, substance, part or other material now employed, or now contemplated to be employed, by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary infringes upon any rights held by any other Person.

(r) Labor Matters. There are no strikes, lockouts, slowdowns or other material labor disputes against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof pending or, to the knowledge of any Loan Party, threatened which, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth on Part (a) of Schedule 5.18, the hours worked by and payments made to employees of the Loan Parties comply with the Fair Labor Standards Act and any other applicable federal, state, local or foreign Law dealing with such matters, except for any noncompliance which, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Except as set forth on Part (b) of Schedule 5.18, no Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries has incurred any liability or obligation under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act or similar state Law. All material payments due from any Loan Party and its Subsidiaries, or for which any claim may be made against any Loan Party, on account of wages and employee health and welfare insurance and other benefits, have been paid or properly accrued in accordance with GAAP as a liability on the books of such Loan Party. Except as set forth on Part (c) of Schedule 5.18, no Loan Party or any Subsidiary is a party to or bound by (i) any collective bargaining agreement or (ii) any management agreement, employment agreement, bonus, restricted stock, stock option, or stock appreciation plan or agreement or any similar plan, agreement or arrangement which, in each case in this clause (ii), imposes commitments on such Loan Party or its Subsidiary in excess of $3,000,000 per year. There are no representation proceedings pending or, to any Loan Party’s knowledge, threatened to be filed with the National Labor Relations Board, and no labor organization or group of employees of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary has made a pending demand for recognition. There are no complaints, unfair labor practice charges, grievances, arbitrations, unfair employment practices charges or any other claims or complaints against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary pending or, to the knowledge of any Loan Party, threatened to be filed with any Governmental Authority or arbitrator based on, arising out of, in connection with, or otherwise relating to the employment or termination of employment of any employee of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries which, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. The consummation of the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents will not give rise to any right of termination or right of renegotiation on the part of any union under any collective bargaining agreement to which any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries is bound. Each Loan Party and its Subsidiaries are in material compliance with all requirements pursuant to employment standards, labor relations, health and safety, workers compensation and human rights laws, immigration laws and other applicable employment legislation. To the knowledge of the Loan Parties, no officer or director of any Loan Party who is party to an employment agreement with such Loan Party is in violation of any term of any employment contract or proprietary information agreement with such Loan Party; and to the knowledge of the Loan Parties, the execution of the employment agreements and the continued employment by the Loan Parties of the such persons, will not result in any such violation.

(s) Security Documents. The Security Documents are effective to create in favor of the Collateral Agent a legal, valid and enforceable security interest in the Collateral, and the Security Documents constitute, or will upon the filing of financing statements and/or the obtaining of

“control”, in each case with respect to the relevant Collateral as required under the applicable UCC, the creation of a fully perfected Lien on, and security interest in, all right, title and interest of the Loan Parties thereunder in such Collateral, in each case prior and superior in right to any other Person, except for Permitted Encumbrances having priority under applicable Law.

(t) Solvency. After giving effect to the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and before and after giving effect to each Credit Extension, the Loan Parties, on a Consolidated basis, are Solvent. No transfer of property has been or will be made by any Loan Party and no obligation has been or will be incurred by any Loan Party in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the other Loan Documents with the intent to hinder, delay, or defraud either present or future creditors of any Loan Party.

(u) Deposit Accounts; Credit Card Arrangements.

(i) Annexed hereto as Schedule 5.21(a) is a list of all DDAs maintained by the Loan Parties as of the Closing Date, which Schedule includes, with respect to each DDA (i) the name and address of the depository; (ii) the account number(s) maintained with such depository; (iii) a contact person at such depository, and (iv) the identification of each Blocked Account Bank.

(ii) Annexed hereto as Schedule 5.21(b) is a list describing all arrangements as of the Closing Date to which any Loan Party is a party with respect to the processing and/or payment to such Loan Party of the proceeds of any credit card charges for sales made by such Loan Party.

(v) Brokers. No broker or finder brought about the obtaining, making or closing of the Loans or transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents, and no Loan Party or Affiliate thereof has any obligation to any Person in respect of any finder’s or brokerage fees in connection therewith. Each Loan Party hereby jointly and severally indemnifies each Credit Party against, and agrees that such Person will hold each such Credit Party harmless from, any claim, demand or liability, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, for any broker’s, finder’s or placement fee or commission incurred by such indemnifying party or the Lead Borrower or its Affiliates or a representative of such Person.

(w) Customer and Trade Relations. Except for matters which, either individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, there exists no actual or, to the knowledge of any Loan Party, threatened, termination or cancellation of, or any material adverse modification or change in, the business relationship of any Loan Party with any supplier material to its operations.

(x) Material Contracts. No Loan Party is in default under any Material Contract to which such Person is a party or by which such Person is bound, the effect of which default is to cause, or to permit the other party(ies) to such Material Contract to cause, with the giving of notice if required, such Material Contract to be terminated. Set forth on Schedule 5.24 is a description of all Material Contracts of the Loan Parties, showing the parties and principal subject matter thereof and amendments and modifications thereto; provided, however, that the Lead Borrower may amend Schedule 5.24 to add additional Material Contracts so long as such amendment occurs by written

notice to the Administrative Agent not less than 5 days after the date on which such Loan Party enters into such Material Contract after the Closing Date. Except for matters which, either individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to either result in a Material Adverse Effect or expose the Loan Parties to liabilities greater than $5,000,000, each Material Contract (other than those that have expired at the end of their normal terms) (a) is in full force and effect and is binding upon and enforceable against the applicable Loan Party or its Subsidiaries and, to the best of the Lead Borrower’s knowledge, each other Person that is a party thereto in accordance with its terms, (b) is not in default due to the action or inaction of any Loan Party or its Subsidiaries and (c) the consummation of the financing arrangements contemplated hereunder, will not constitute or create a default or create a right of termination under any Material Contract.

(y) Casualty. Neither the businesses nor the properties of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries are affected by any fire, explosion, accident, strike, lockout or other labor dispute, drought, storm, hail, earthquake, embargo, act of God or of the public enemy or other casualty (whether or not covered by insurance) that, either individually or in the aggregate, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(z) Anti-Terrorism Laws.

(i) General. To the knowledge of the Loan Parties, after reasonable inquiry, none of the Loan Parties nor any direct or indirect investor in any Loan Party (other than the Lenders or any direct or indirect investors in the Lenders), is in violation of any Anti-Terrorism Law or engages in or conspires to engage in any transaction that evades or avoids, or has the purpose of evading or avoiding, or attempts to violate, any of the prohibitions set forth in any Anti-Terrorism Law.

(ii) Executive Order No. 13224. To the knowledge of the Loan Parties, after reasonable inquiry, none of the Loan Parties nor any direct or indirect investor in any Loan Party (other than the Lenders or any direct or indirect investors in the Lenders), or their respective agents acting or benefiting in any capacity in connection with the transactions hereunder, is any of the following (each a “Blocked Person”):

(1) a Person that is listed in the annex to, or is otherwise subject to the provisions of, the Executive Order No. 13224;

(2) a Person owned or controlled by, or acting for or on behalf of, any Person that is listed in the annex to, or is otherwise subject to the provisions of, the Executive Order No. 13224;

(3) a Person or entity with which any Lender is prohibited from dealing or otherwise engaging in any transaction by any Anti-Terrorism Law;

(4) a Person or entity that commits, threatens or conspires to commit or supports “terrorism” as defined in the Executive Order No. 13224;

(5) a Person or entity that is named as a “specially designated national” on the most current list published by the U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Asset Control at its official website or any replacement website or other replacement official publication of such list; or

(6) a person or entity who is affiliated or associated with a person or entity listed above.

(iii) To the best knowledge of the Loan Parties, after reasonable inquiry, none of the Loan Parties nor, to the knowledge of the Loan Parties, any of its or their agents acting in any capacity in connection with the transactions hereunder (i) conducts any business or engages in making or receiving any contribution of funds, goods or services to or for the benefit of any Blocked Person, or (ii) deals in, or otherwise engages in any transaction relating to, any property or interests in property blocked pursuant to the Executive Order No. 13224.

14.
AFFIRMATIVE COVENANTS

So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding, the Loan Parties shall, and shall (except in the case of the covenants set forth in Sections 6.01, 6.02, and 6.03) cause each Subsidiary to:

(a) Financial Statements. Deliver to the Administrative Agent, in form and detail satisfactory to the Administrative Agent:

(xi) as soon as available, but in any event within ninety (90) days after the end of each Fiscal Year of the Lead Borrower (commencing with the Fiscal Year ending in January 2009), a Consolidated and consolidating balance sheet of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such Fiscal Year, the related Consolidated and consolidating statements of income or operations and Shareholders’ Equity and the related Consolidated statement of cash flows for such Fiscal Year, setting forth in each case, but only with respect to the Consolidated statements, in comparative form the figures for (i) the previous Fiscal Year and (ii) such period set forth in the projections delivered pursuant to Section 6.01(c) hereof, all in reasonable detail and prepared in accordance with GAAP, such Consolidated and (where relevant) consolidating statements to be audited and accompanied by (i) a report and unqualified opinion of BDO USA, LLP or another public accounting firm of nationally recognized standing reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent, which report and opinion shall be prepared in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards and shall not be subject to any “going concern” or like qualification or exception or any qualification or exception as to the scope of such audit, (ii) an opinion of such public accounting firm independently assessing the Loan Parties’ internal controls over financial reporting in accordance with Item 308 of SEC Regulation S-K, PCAOB Auditing Standard No. 2, and Section 404 of Sarbanes-Oxley expressing a conclusion that contains no statement that there is a material weakness in such internal controls, except for such material weaknesses as to

which the Required Lenders do not object and (iii) as to statements not covered by an audit, certification by a Responsible Officer of the Lead Borrower to the effect that such statements are fairly stated in all material respects when considered in relation to the Consolidated and consolidating financial statements of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries;

(xii) as soon as available, but in any event within forty-five (45) days after the end of each of the first three (3) Fiscal Quarters of each Fiscal Year of the Lead Borrower, and within sixty (60) days after the end of the last Fiscal Quarter of each Fiscal Year of the Lead Borrower (or after the occurrence of an Increased Financial Reporting Event, within thirty (30) days after the end of each Fiscal Month of each Fiscal Year (except with respect to the last Fiscal Month of each Fiscal Quarter, with respect to which the applicable period for delivery shall be forty-five (45) days rather than thirty (30) days), a Consolidated and consolidating balance sheet of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries as at the end of such Fiscal Quarter (or Fiscal Month, as applicable), the related Consolidated and consolidating statements of income or operations and Shareholders’ Equity and the related Consolidated statement of cash flows for such Fiscal Quarter (or Fiscal Month, as applicable), and for the portion of the Fiscal Year then ended, setting forth in each case, but only with respect to the Consolidated statements, in comparative form the figures for (i) such period set forth in the projections delivered pursuant to Section 6.01(c) hereof, (ii) the corresponding Fiscal Quarter (or Fiscal Month, as applicable) of the previous Fiscal Year and (iii) the corresponding portion of the previous Fiscal Year, all in reasonable detail, such Consolidated and (where relevant) consolidating statements to be certified by a Responsible Officer of the Lead Borrower as fairly presenting the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries as of the end of such Fiscal Quarter and for the period then ended (or as of the end of such Fiscal Month and for the period then ended, as applicable) in accordance with GAAP, subject only to normal year-end audit adjustments and the absence of footnotes;

(xiii) as soon as available, but in any event (i) on or before January 31^st of each Fiscal Year of the Lead Borrower, a preliminary month-by-month business plan for the following Fiscal Year prepared by management of the Lead Borrower and reviewed by the board of directors of the Lead Borrower, and (ii) on or before March 1^st of each Fiscal Year of the Lead Borrower, a final month-by-month business plan for such Fiscal Year prepared by management of the Lead Borrower (which final business plan shall be approved by the board of directors of the Lead Borrower by March 31^st of such Fiscal Year), in each case the form of which shall be substantially similar to the business plan for the Fiscal Year ended on or about January 31, 2009 and the substance of which shall be reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, for such Fiscal Year; provided that, if the Lead Borrower delivers a business plan that is not reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, but that otherwise complies with this Section 6.01(c), this Section 6.01(c) shall be deemed to be satisfied to the extent that the Lead Borrower delivers a business plan reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent on or before March 31 of such Fiscal Year.

(b) Certificates; Other Information. Deliver to the Administrative Agent, in form and detail satisfactory to the Administrative Agent:

(vii) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section 6.01(a), a certificate of its public accounting firm certifying such financial statements;

(viii) concurrently with the delivery of the financial statements referred to in Section 6.01, (i) a duly completed Compliance Certificate signed by a Responsible Officer of the Lead Borrower, which shall include (A) a certification as to the amount, if any, of rent under any Leases, and any obligations and liabilities with respect to Taxes, that have not been timely paid, and (B) a certification as to the receipt of notice, if any, as to any obligations or liabilities with respect to utilities and/or insurance premiums that have not been timely paid. In the event of any change in generally accepted accounting principles used in the preparation of such financial statements, the Lead Borrower shall also provide a statement of reconciliation conforming such financial statements to GAAP;

(ix) on the first Friday of each Fiscal Month (or, if such day is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day), a certificate in the form of Exhibit G (a “Borrowing Base Certificate”) showing the Borrowing Base as of the close of business as of the last day of the immediately preceding Fiscal Month, each Borrowing Base Certificate to be certified as complete and correct by a Responsible Officer of the Lead Borrower; provided that (i) if Uncapped Excess Availability at any time is less than 12.5% of the Revolving Credit Ceiling or (ii) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, such Borrowing Base Certificate shall be delivered on Friday of each week (or, if Friday is not a Business Day, on the next succeeding Business Day), as of the close of business on the immediately preceding Saturday;

(x) Upon the request of the Administrative Agent or its auditors, appraisers, accountants, consultants or other representatives, copies of each of the Lead Borrower’s federal income tax returns, and any amendments thereto;

(xi) promptly upon receipt, copies of any detailed audit reports, management letters or recommendations submitted to the board of directors (or the audit committee of the board of directors) of any Loan Party by its public accounting firm in connection with the accounts or books of the Loan Parties or any Subsidiary, or any audit of any of them, in each case to the extent permitted by the policies of its public accounting firm at such time;

(xii) promptly after the same are available, copies of each annual report, proxy or financial statement, or other document, report or communication sent to the stockholders of the Loan Parties, and copies of all annual, regular, periodic and special reports and registration statements which any Loan Party files with the SEC under Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or with any national securities exchange, and in any case not otherwise required to be delivered to the Administrative Agent pursuant hereto;

(xiii) the financial and collateral reports described on Schedule 6.02 hereto, at the times set forth in such Schedule;

(xiv) promptly after the furnishing thereof, copies of any statement or report furnished to any holder of debt securities of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof pursuant to the terms of any indenture, loan or credit or similar agreement which indicate a breach or default of any such document, in each case not otherwise required to be furnished to the Lenders pursuant to Section 6.01 or any other clause of this Section 6.02;

(xv) as soon as available, but in any event within 30 days after the end of each Fiscal Year of the Loan Parties (or upon the request of the Administrative Agent or its auditors, appraisers, accountants, consultants or other representatives), (i) a certificate executed by an authorized officer of the Lead Borrower certifying the existence and adequacy of the property and casualty insurance program carried by the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries, and (ii) a written summary of said program identifying the name of each insurer, the number of each policy and expiration date of each policy, the amounts and types of each coverage, and a list of exclusions and deductibles for each policy.

(xvi) promptly, and in any event within five Business Days after receipt thereof by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof, copies of each notice or other correspondence received from any Governmental Authority (including, without limitation, the SEC (or comparable agency in any applicable non-U.S. jurisdiction)) concerning any proceeding with, or investigation or possible investigation or other inquiry by such Governmental Authority regarding financial or other operational results of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof or any other matter which, if adversely determined, could reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and

(xvii) promptly, such additional information regarding the business affairs, financial condition or operations of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary, or compliance with the terms of the Loan Documents, as the Administrative Agent or any Lender may from time to time reasonably request.

Financial statements required to be delivered pursuant to Sections 6.01(a), 6.01(b) or 6.02(f) (to the extent any such documents are included in materials otherwise filed with the SEC) may be delivered electronically and if so delivered, shall be deemed to have been delivered on the date (i) on which the Lead Borrower posts such documents, or provides a link thereto on the Lead Borrower’s website on the Internet at the website address listed on Schedule 10.02; or (ii) on which such documents are posted on the Lead Borrower’s behalf on EDGAR or another Internet or intranet website, if any, to which each Lender and the Administrative Agent have access (whether a commercial, third-party website or whether sponsored by the Administrative Agent); provided that: (i) the Lead Borrower shall deliver paper copies of such documents to the Administrative Agent or any Lender that requests the Lead Borrower to deliver such paper copies until a written request to cease delivering paper copies is given by the Administrative Agent or such Lender and (ii) the Lead Borrower shall notify the Administrative Agent and each Lender (by telecopier or electronic mail) of the posting of any such documents and provide to the Administrative Agent by electronic mail electronic versions (i.e., soft copies) of such documents. Notwithstanding anything contained herein, in every instance, the Lead Borrower shall be required to provide paper copies of the Compliance Certificates required by Section 6.02(b) to the Administrative Agent. The

Administrative Agent shall have no obligation to request the delivery or to maintain copies of the documents referred to above, and in any event shall have no responsibility to monitor compliance by the Loan Parties with any such request for delivery, and each Lender shall be solely responsible for requesting delivery to it or maintaining its copies of such documents.

(v) of the occurrence of any Default or Event of Default;

(vi) of any matter that has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect, including (i) breach or non-performance of, any default under, or termination of, a Material Contract or with respect to Material Indebtedness of any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof; (ii) any dispute, litigation, investigation, proceeding or suspension between any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof and any Governmental Authority; or (iii) the commencement of, or any material development in, any litigation or any administrative or arbitration proceeding affecting any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof, including pursuant to any applicable Environmental Laws;

(vii) of any undischarged or unpaid judgments or decrees in excess of $3,000,000, individually or in the aggregate;

(viii) of the occurrence of any ERISA Event;

(ix) of any material change in accounting policies or financial reporting practices by any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof;

(x) of any change in any Loan Party’s senior executive officers;

(xi) of the discharge by any Loan Party of its present public accounting firm or any withdrawal or resignation by such public accounting firm;

(xii) of any collective bargaining agreement or other labor contract to which a Loan Party becomes a party, the application for the certification of a collective bargaining agent, or any labor negotiations or strikes;

(xiii) of the filing of any Lien for unpaid Taxes against any Loan Party;

(xiv) of any casualty or other insured damage to any material portion of the Collateral or the commencement of any action or proceeding for the taking of any interest in a material portion of the Collateral under power of eminent domain or by condemnation or similar proceeding or if any material portion of the Collateral is damaged or destroyed; and

(xv) of any failure by any Loan Party to pay rent at (i) ten percent (10%) or more of such Loan Party’s locations or (ii) any of such Loan Party’s locations if such failure continues for more than ten (10) days following the day on which such rent first came due and such failure would be reasonably likely to result in a Material Adverse Effect.

Each notice pursuant to this Section 6.03 shall be accompanied by a statement of a Responsible Officer of the Lead Borrower setting forth details of the occurrence referred to therein and stating what action the Lead Borrower has taken and proposes to take with respect thereto. Each notice pursuant to Section 6.03(a) shall describe with particularity any and all provisions of this Agreement and any other Loan Document that have been breached.

(d) Payment of Obligations. Pay and discharge in full as the same shall become due and payable, all its obligations and liabilities, including (a) all tax liabilities, assessments and governmental charges or levies upon it or its properties or assets, (b) all lawful claims (including, without limitation, claims for labor, materials and supplies and claims of landlords, warehousemen, customs brokers, and carriers) which, if unpaid, would by law become a Lien upon its property (other than a Permitted Encumbrance), and (c) all Indebtedness, as and when due and payable, but subject to any subordination provisions contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing such Indebtedness, except, in each case, where (a) the validity or amount thereof (other than payroll taxes or taxes that are the subject of a United States federal tax lien) is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted, (b) such Loan Party has set aside on its books adequate reserves with respect thereto in accordance with GAAP, (c) such contest effectively suspends collection of the contested obligation and enforcement of any Lien securing such obligation, and (d) the failure to make payment pending such contest could not reasonably be expected to result in a Material Adverse Effect. The Lead Borrower will, upon request, furnish the Collateral Agent with proof satisfactory to the Collateral Agent indicating that the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries have made the payments or deposits described in clause (a) above. Each Loan Party shall, and shall cause each of its Subsidiaries to, pay in conformity with its customary practice all accounts payable incident to the operations of such Person not referred to in this Section 6.04, above. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to limit the rights of the Agents with respect to determining Reserves pursuant to this Agreement.

(e) Preservation of Existence, Etc. Preserve, renew and maintain in full force and effect its legal existence and good standing under the Laws of the jurisdiction of its organization or formation except in a transaction permitted by Section 7.04 or 7.05.

(f) Maintenance of Properties.

(i) Keep its properties in such repair, working order and condition, and shall from time to time make such repairs, replacements, additions and improvements thereto, as are reasonably necessary for the efficient operation of its business and shall comply at all times in all material respects with all material franchises, licenses and leases to which it is party so as to prevent any loss or forfeiture thereof or thereunder, except where (i) compliance is at the time being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings and (ii) failure to comply with the provisions being contested has not resulted, and which, in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ii) Take all reasonable actions to possess and maintain all Intellectual Property material to the conduct of their respective businesses and own all right, title and interest in and to, or have a valid license for, all such Intellectual Property. No Loan Party nor any of its Subsidiaries shall take any action, or fail to take any action, that could reasonably be

expected to (i) result in the invalidity, abandonment, misuse, lapse, or unenforceability of Intellectual Property which is material to the conduct of the business of the Loan Parties or (ii) knowingly infringe upon or misappropriate any rights of other Persons.

(iii) Do all things reasonably necessary in order to comply with all Environmental Laws at any Real Property or otherwise in connection with their operations noncompliance with which could reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Effect, and obtain all permits and other governmental authorizations for their operations under applicable Environmental Laws other than such permits and other authorizations the failure of which to obtain could not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to cause a Material Adverse Effect.

(g) Maintenance of Insurance.

(viii) Maintain with financially sound and reputable insurance companies reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent and not Affiliates of the Loan Parties, insurance with respect to its properties and business against loss or damage of the kinds customarily insured against by Persons engaged in the same or similar business and operating in the same or similar locations or as is required by applicable Law, of such types and in such amounts as are customarily carried under similar circumstances by such other Persons and as are reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent.

(ix) Fire and extended coverage policies maintained with respect to any Collateral shall be endorsed or otherwise amended to include (i) a non-contributing mortgage clause (regarding improvements to real property) and lenders’ loss payable clause (regarding personal property), in form and substance satisfactory to the Collateral Agent, which endorsements or amendments shall provide that the insurer shall pay all proceeds otherwise payable to the Loan Parties under the policies directly to the Collateral Agent, (ii) a provision to the effect that none of the Loan Parties, Credit Parties or any other Person shall be a co-insurer and (iii) such other provisions as the Collateral Agent may reasonably require from time to time to protect the interests of the Credit Parties. Commercial general liability policies shall be endorsed to name the Collateral Agent as an additional insured. Business interruption policies shall name the Collateral Agent as a loss payee and shall be endorsed or amended to include (i) a provision that, from and after the Closing Date, the insurer shall pay all proceeds otherwise payable to the Loan Parties under the policies directly to the Collateral Agent, (ii) a provision to the effect that none of the Loan Parties, the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent or any other party shall be a co‑insurer and (iii) such other provisions as the Collateral Agent may reasonably require from time to time to protect the interests of the Credit Parties. Each such policy referred to in this Section 6.07(b) shall also provide that it shall not be canceled, modified or not renewed (i) by reason of nonpayment of premium, except upon not less than ten (10) days’ prior written notice thereof by the insurer to the Collateral Agent (giving the Collateral Agent the right to cure defaults in the payment of premiums) or (ii) for any other reason, except upon not less than thirty (30) days’ prior written notice thereof by the insurer to the Collateral Agent. The Lead Borrower shall deliver to the Collateral Agent, prior to the cancellation, modification or non-renewal of any such

policy of insurance, a copy of a renewal or replacement policy (or other evidence of renewal of a policy previously delivered to the Collateral Agent, including an insurance binder) together with evidence satisfactory to the Collateral Agent of payment of the premium therefor.

(x) None of the Credit Parties, or their agents or employees shall be liable for any loss or damage insured by the insurance policies required to be maintained under this Section 6.07. Each Loan Party shall look solely to its insurance companies or any other parties other than the Credit Parties for the recovery of such loss or damage and such insurance companies shall have no rights of subrogation against any Credit Party or its agents or employees. If, however, the insurance policies do not provide waiver of subrogation rights against such parties, as required above, then the Loan Parties hereby agree, to the extent permitted by law, to waive their right of recovery, if any, against the Credit Parties and their agents and employees. The designation of any form, type or amount of insurance coverage by the any Credit Party under this Section 6.07 shall in no event be deemed a representation, warranty or advice by such Credit Party that such insurance is adequate for the purposes of the business of the Loan Parties or the protection of their properties.

(xi) Permit any representatives that are designated by the Collateral Agent to inspect the insurance policies maintained by or on behalf of the Loan Parties and to inspect books and records related thereto and any properties covered thereby. The Loan Parties shall pay the reasonable fees and expenses of any representatives retained by the Collateral Agent to conduct any such inspection.

(h) Compliance with Laws. Comply in all material respects with the requirements of all Laws and all orders, writs, injunctions and decrees applicable to it or to its business or property, except in such instances in which (a) such requirement of Law or order, writ, injunction or decree is being contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings diligently conducted and with respect to which adequate reserves have been set aside and maintained by the Loan Parties in accordance with GAAP; (b) such contest effectively suspends enforcement of the contested Laws, and (c) the failure to comply therewith could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(i) Books and Records; Accountants.

(iii) (i) Maintain proper books of record and account, in which full, true and correct entries in conformity with GAAP consistently applied shall be made of all financial transactions and matters involving the assets and business of the Loan Parties or such Subsidiary, as the case may be; and (ii) maintain such books of record and account in material conformity with all applicable requirements of any Governmental Authority having regulatory jurisdiction over the Loan Parties or such Subsidiary, as the case may be.

(iv) At all times retain BDO USA, LLP or another public accounting firm which is reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and instruct such public accounting firm in writing to cooperate with, and be available to, the Administrative Agent or its representatives to discuss the Loan Parties’ financial performance, financial condition, operating results, controls, and such other matters, within the scope of the retention of such

public accounting firm, as may be raised by the Administrative Agent; provided that the Lead Borrower shall be entitled to participate in any such meetings or discussions. The Lead Borrower hereby irrevocably authorizes and directs all auditors, accountants, or other third parties to deliver to the Administrative Agent, at the Borrowers’ expense, copies of the Borrowers’ financial statements, papers related thereto, and other accounting records of any nature in their possession, and to disclose to the Administrative Agent any information they may have regarding the Collateral or the financial condition of the Borrowers, in each case to the extent permitted by the policies of such auditors, accountants or other third parties at such time; provided that the Lead Borrower shall be entitled to be provided with copies of any such financial statements, papers, accounting records or disclosures contemporaneously therewith.

(j) Inspection Rights.

(iii) Permit representatives and independent contractors of the Administrative Agent to visit and inspect any of its properties, to examine its corporate, financial and operating records, and make copies thereof or abstracts therefrom, and to discuss its affairs, finances and accounts with its directors, officers, and public accounting firm, all at the expense of the Loan Parties and at such reasonable times during normal business hours and as often as may be reasonably desired, upon reasonable advance notice to the Lead Borrower; provided, however, that when an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Administrative Agent (or any of its representatives or independent contractors) may do any of the foregoing at the expense of the Loan Parties at any time during normal business hours and without advance notice.

(iv) Upon the request of the Administrative Agent after reasonable prior notice, permit the Administrative Agent or professionals (including investment bankers, consultants, accountants, lawyers and appraisers) retained by the Administrative Agent to conduct appraisals, commercial finance examinations and other evaluations, including, without limitation, of (i) the Lead Borrower’s practices in the computation of the Borrowing Base and (ii) the assets included in the Borrowing Base and related financial information such as, but not limited to, sales, gross margins, payables, accruals and reserves. Subject to the following sentences, the Loan Parties shall pay the fees and expenses of the Administrative Agent or such professionals with respect to such evaluations and appraisals as provided below. Without limiting the foregoing, the Loan Parties acknowledge that the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion, undertake one (1) real estate appraisal and one (1) inventory appraisal and one (1) commercial finance examination each Fiscal Year at the Loan Parties’ expense; provided that, in the event that Excess Availability is at any time less than 50% of the Borrowing Base, the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion, undertake an additional inventory appraisal (that is, up to two (2) inventory appraisals in total) and an additional commercial finance examination (that is, up to two (2) commercial finance examinations in total) each Fiscal Year at the Loan Parties’ expense; provided further that, in the event that Excess Availability is at any time less than 20% of the Borrowing Base, the Administrative Agent may, in its discretion, undertake up to three (3) inventory appraisals in total and up to three (3) commercial finance examinations in total each Fiscal Year at the

Loan Parties’ expense. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, the Administrative Agent may cause additional inventory appraisals and commercial finance examinations to be undertaken (i) as it in its reasonable discretion deems necessary or appropriate, at its own expense, or (ii) if a Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or if required by applicable Law, at the expense of the Loan Parties.

(k) Use of Proceeds. Use the proceeds of the Credit Extensions (a) to refinance the Indebtedness of the Lead Borrower and its Subsidiaries under the Existing Credit Agreement and the L/C Demand Facility, (b) to finance transaction fees and expenses related hereto, (c) to finance the acquisition of working capital assets of the Borrowers, including the purchase of Inventory and Equipment, in each case in the ordinary course of business, (d) to finance Capital Expenditures of the Borrowers, (e) to pay certain obligations owed by the Lead Borrower to third parties as a result of the Hoop bankruptcy in an aggregate amount not to exceed $13,400,000 (net of receipts from Disney), as more fully described on Schedule 6.11 attached hereto, (f) to make Restricted Payments in accordance with this Agreement, (g) to finance Permitted Investments in accordance with this Agreement, and (h) for general corporate purposes of the Loan Parties, in each case to the extent expressly permitted under applicable Law and the Loan Documents.

(l) Additional Loan Parties. Notify the Administrative Agent at the time that any Person becomes a Subsidiary, and promptly thereafter (and in any event within fifteen (15) days), cause any such Person which is not a CFC, to (a) become a Loan Party by executing and delivering to the Administrative Agent a Joinder to this Agreement or a counterpart of the Facility Guaranty or such other document as the Administrative Agent shall deem appropriate for such purpose, (b) grant a Lien to the Collateral Agent on such Person’s assets to secure the Obligations to the extent required under the Security Documents, and (c) deliver to the Administrative Agent documents of the types referred to in clauses (iii) and (iv) of Section 4.01(a) and favorable opinions of counsel to such Person (which shall cover, among other things, the legality, validity, binding effect and enforceability of the documentation referred to in clause (a)). In no event shall compliance with this Section 6.12 waive or be deemed a waiver or Consent to any transaction giving rise to the need to comply with this Section 6.12 if such transaction was not otherwise expressly permitted by this Agreement or constitute or be deemed to constitute, with respect to any Subsidiary, an approval of such Person as a Borrower or permit the inclusion of any acquired assets in the computation of the Borrowing Base.

(m) Cash Management.

(iii) On or prior to the Closing Date:

(1) deliver to the Administrative Agent copies of notifications (each, a “Credit Card Notification”) substantially in the form attached hereto as Exhibit H which have been executed on behalf of such Loan Party and delivered to such Loan Party’s credit card clearinghouses and processors listed on Schedule 5.21(b); and

(2) enter into a blocked account agreement (each, a “Blocked Account Agreement”) satisfactory in form and substance to the Agents with each Blocked Account Bank (collectively, the “Blocked Accounts”).

The Administrative Agent hereby acknowledges and agrees that, upon delivery of the Credit Card Notifications and Blocked Account Agreements described on Schedule 6.13, the requirements of this Section 6.13(a), and the requirements set forth below in each of Sections 6.13(b) and 6.13(c), shall be deemed to have been satisfied.

(iv) (i) Each Credit Card Notification shall require the ACH or wire transfer no less frequently than daily (and whether or not there are then any outstanding Obligations) to a Blocked Account of all payments due from credit card processors, and (ii) the Borrowers shall cause each depository institution listed on Schedule 5.21(a) to cause the ACH or wire transfer no less frequently than daily (and whether or not there are then any outstanding Obligations) to a Blocked Account of all amounts on deposit in each DDA.

(v) Each Blocked Account Agreement shall require, after the occurrence and during the continuance of a Cash Dominion Event, the ACH or wire transfer no less frequently than daily (and whether or not there are then any outstanding Obligations) to the concentration account maintained by the Collateral Agent at Wells Fargo Bank (the “Concentration Account”), of all cash receipts and collections, including, without limitation, the following:

(1) all available cash receipts from the sale of Inventory and other assets;

(2) all proceeds of collections of Accounts;

(3) all Net Proceeds, and all other cash payments received by a Loan Party from any Person or from any source or on account of any sale or other transaction or event;

(4) the then contents of each DDA (net of any minimum balance, not to exceed $2,500.00, as may be required to be kept in the subject DDA by the depository institution at which such DDA is maintained);

(5) the then entire ledger balance of each Blocked Account (net of any minimum balance, not to exceed $2,500.00, as may be required to be kept in the subject Blocked Account by the Blocked Account Bank); and

(6) the proceeds of all credit card charges.

Prior to the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 8.02 (or before the Loans have automatically become immediately due and payable and the L/C Obligations have automatically been required to be Cash Collateralized as set forth in the proviso to Section 8.02), subject to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement, all amounts received in the Concentration Account from any source, including the Blocked Account Banks, shall be applied by the Administrative Agent in the order set forth in Section 2.05(e).

(vi) The Loan Parties shall provide the Collateral Agent (i) with written notice of any Restricted Payment or other intercompany transfer to be made to any Loan Party by

any Subsidiary located outside of the United States, in each case as otherwise permitted pursuant to Sections 7.06 or 7.18, respectively, of this Agreement, no less than five (5) days prior to the receipt thereof and (ii) with written confirmation (which shall include a fed reference number, if applicable) on the date of the receipt of any such Restricted Payment or other intercompany transfer.

(vii) The Concentration Account shall at all times be under the sole dominion and control of the Collateral Agent. The Loan Parties hereby acknowledge and agree that (i) the Loan Parties have no right of withdrawal from the Concentration Account, (ii) the funds on deposit in the Concentration Account shall at all times be collateral security for all of the Obligations and (iii) the funds on deposit in the Concentration Account shall be applied as provided in this Agreement.

(viii) In the event that, after the occurrence and during the continuance of a Cash Dominion Event, any Loan Party receives or otherwise has dominion and control of any proceeds or collections described in Section 6.13(c), such proceeds and collections shall be held in trust by such Loan Party for the Collateral Agent, shall not be commingled with any of such Loan Party’s other funds or deposited in any account of such Loan Party and shall, not later than the Business Day after receipt thereof, be deposited into the Concentration Account or dealt with in such other fashion as such Loan Party may be instructed by the Collateral Agent.

(ix) Upon the request of the Administrative Agent, the Loan Parties shall cause bank statements and/or other reports to be delivered to the Administrative Agent not less often than monthly, accurately setting forth all amounts deposited in each Blocked Account to ensure the proper transfer of funds as set forth above.

(n) Information Regarding the Collateral.

(i) Furnish to the Administrative Agent at least thirty (30) days prior written notice of any change in: (i) any Loan Party’s name or in any trade name used to identify it in the conduct of its business or in the ownership of its properties; (ii) the location of any Loan Party’s chief executive office, its principal place of business, any office in which it maintains books or records relating to Collateral owned by it or any office or facility at which Collateral owned by it is located (including the establishment of any such new office or facility); (iii) any Loan Party’s organizational structure or jurisdiction of incorporation or formation; or (iv) any Loan Party’s Federal Taxpayer Identification Number or organizational identification number assigned to it by its state of organization. The Loan Parties agree not to effect or permit any change referred to in the preceding sentence unless all filings have been made under the UCC or otherwise that are required in order for the Collateral Agent to continue at all times following such change to have a valid, legal and perfected security interest in all the Collateral (subject only to Permitted Encumbrances having priority by operation of applicable Law) for its own benefit and the benefit of the other Credit Parties.

(ii) From time to time as may be reasonably requested by the Administrative Agent, the Lead Borrower shall supplement each Schedule hereto, or any representation herein or in any other Loan Document, with respect to any matter arising after the Closing Date that, if existing or occurring on the Closing Date, would have been required to be set forth or described in such Schedule or as an exception to such representation or that is necessary to correct any information in such Schedule or representation which has been rendered inaccurate thereby (and, in the case of any supplements to any Schedule, such Schedule shall be appropriately marked to show the changes made therein). Notwithstanding the foregoing, no supplement or revision to any Schedule or representation shall be deemed the Credit Parties’ consent to the matters reflected in such updated Schedules or revised representations nor permit the Loan Parties to undertake any actions otherwise prohibited hereunder or fail to undertake any action required hereunder from the restrictions and requirements in existence prior to the delivery of such updated Schedules or such revision of a representation; nor shall any such supplement or revision to any Schedule or representation be deemed the Credit Parties’ waiver of any Default resulting from the matters disclosed therein.

(o) Physical Inventories.

(i) Cause not less than one (1) physical inventory to be undertaken, at the expense of the Loan Parties, in each twelve month period, conducted by such inventory takers as are satisfactory to the Collateral Agent and following such methodology as is consistent with the methodology used in the immediately preceding inventory or as otherwise may be satisfactory to the Collateral Agent. The Collateral Agent, at the expense of the Loan Parties, may participate in and/or observe each scheduled physical count of Inventory which is undertaken on behalf of any Loan Party. Upon the request of the Collateral Agent, the Lead Borrower shall provide the Collateral Agent with a reconciliation of the results of such inventory (as well as of any other physical inventory undertaken by a Loan Party) and shall post such results to the Loan Parties’ stock ledgers and general ledgers, as applicable.

(ii) The Collateral Agent, in its discretion, if any Default shall have occurred and be continuing, may cause additional such inventories to be taken as the Collateral Agent determines (each, at the expense of the Loan Parties).

(p) Environmental Laws. (a) Conduct its operations and keep and maintain its Real Estate in material compliance with all Environmental Laws; (b) obtain and renew all environmental permits appropriate or necessary for its operations and properties; and (c) implement any and all investigation, remediation, removal and response actions that are necessary to maintain the value and marketability of the Real Estate or to otherwise comply with Environmental Laws pertaining to the presence, generation, treatment, storage, use, disposal, transportation or release of any Hazardous Materials on, at, in, under, above, to, from or about any of its Real Estate, provided, however, that neither a Loan Party nor any of its Subsidiaries shall be required to undertake any such cleanup, removal, remedial or other action to the extent that its obligation to do so is being contested in good faith and by proper proceedings and adequate reserves have been set aside and

are being maintained by the Loan Parties with respect to such circumstances in accordance with GAAP.

(q) Further Assurances.

(i) Execute any and all further documents, financing statements, agreements and instruments, and take all such further actions (including the filing and recording of financing statements and other documents), that may be required under any applicable Law, or which any Agent may request, to effectuate the transactions contemplated by the Loan Documents or to grant, preserve, protect or perfect the Liens created or intended to be created by the Security Documents or the validity or priority of any such Lien, all at the expense of the Loan Parties. The Loan Parties also agree to provide to the Agents, from time to time upon request, evidence satisfactory to the Agents as to the perfection and priority of the Liens created or intended to be created by the Security Documents.

(ii) If any material assets are acquired by any Loan Party after the Closing Date (other than assets constituting Collateral under the Security Agreement that become subject to the Lien of the Security Agreement upon acquisition thereof), notify the Agents thereof, and the Loan Parties will cause such assets to be subjected to a Lien securing the Obligations and will take such actions as shall be necessary or shall be requested by any Agent to grant and perfect such Liens, including actions described in paragraph (a) of this Section 6.17, all at the expense of the Loan Parties. In no event shall compliance with this Section 6.17(b) waive or be deemed a waiver or Consent to any transaction giving rise to the need to comply with this Section 6.17(b) if such transaction was not otherwise expressly permitted by this Agreement or constitute or be deemed to constitute Consent to the inclusion of any acquired assets in the computation of the Borrowing Base.

(iii) Upon the request of the Collateral Agent, cause each of its customs brokers, freight forwarders and other carriers which, individually, have control over, and/or hold the documents evidencing ownership of, Inventory or other Collateral of the Loan Parties with an aggregate retail value in excess of ten percent (10%) of the retail value of all Inventory or other Collateral of the Loan Parties at such time to deliver a Customs Broker Agreement to the Collateral Agent.

(iv) Upon the request of the Collateral Agent, cause any of its landlords with respect to Real Estate acquired or leased after the Closing Date to deliver a Collateral Access Agreement to the Collateral Agent in such form as the Collateral Agent may reasonably require if the aggregate retail value of the Inventory or other Collateral of the Loan Parties at any such location exceeds five percent (5%) of the retail value of all Inventory or other Collateral of the Loan Parties at such time.

(r) Compliance with Terms of Leaseholds. Except as otherwise expressly permitted hereunder (including, without limitation, in connection with Store closings permitted pursuant to clause (b) of the definition of Permitted Dispositions), make all payments and otherwise perform all obligations in respect of all Leases of real property to which any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries is a party, keep such Leases in full force and effect and not allow such Leases to lapse

or be terminated or any rights to renew such leases to be forfeited or cancelled, notify the Administrative Agent of any default by any party with respect to such Leases and cooperate with the Administrative Agent in all respects to cure any such default, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to do so, except, in any case, where the failure to do so, either individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; provided that Services Company (i) may terminate the Emerson Road Lease and make the Emerson Road Lease Termination Payment in connection therewith and (ii) may terminate the Secaucus Road Lease and make the Secaucus Road Lease Termination Payment in connection therewith, provided that, in each case, Services Company shall, simultaneously with such terminations, enter into the New Headquarters Lease. In the event that the Borrowers become delinquent in their rent payments, the Administrative Agent may establish Reserves against the Borrowing Base for the amount of any landlord liens arising from such delinquency.

(s) Material Contracts. Perform and observe all of the terms and provisions of each Material Contract to be performed or observed by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, take all such action required on the part of any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries to maintain each such Material Contract in full force and effect, enforce each such Material Contract in accordance with its terms, take all such action to such end as may be from time to time requested by the Administrative Agent and, upon request of the Administrative Agent, make to each other party to each such Material Contract such demands and requests for information and reports or for action as any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries is entitled to make under such Material Contract, and cause each of its Subsidiaries to do so, except, in any case, where the failure to do so, either individually or in the aggregate, could not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(t) ERISA.

(iii) Comply in all material respects with the applicable provisions of ERISA or any other applicable federal, state, provincial, local or foreign law dealing with such matters, except where the failure to comply could reasonably be expected to result in a claim or liability against any Loan Party or its Affiliates of $3,000,000 or more.

(iv) Pay and discharge promptly any liability imposed upon it pursuant to the provisions of Title IV of ERISA; provided, however, that neither any Loan Party nor any ERISA Affiliate or any other Subsidiary of the Loan Parties shall be required to pay any such liability if (i) the amount, applicability or validity thereof shall be diligently contested in good faith by appropriate proceedings, and (ii) such Person shall have set aside on its books reserves, in the opinion of the independent certified public accountants of such Person, adequate with respect thereto.

(v) Deliver to the Collateral Agent, promptly, and in any event within 20 days, after (i) the occurrence of any Reportable Event in respect of a Plan, a copy of the materials that are filed with the PBGC, (ii) any Loan Party or any ERISA Affiliate or an administrator of any Plan files with participants, beneficiaries or the PBGC a notice of intent to terminate any such Plan, a copy of any such notice, (iii) the receipt of notice by any Loan Party or any ERISA Affiliate or an administrator of any Plan from the PBGC of the PBGC’s intention to terminate any Plan or to appoint a trustee to administer any such Plan, a copy of such notice,

(iv) the request by any Lender of copies of each annual report that is filed on Treasury Form 5500 with respect to any Plan, together with certified financial statements (if any) for the Plan and any actuarial statements on Schedule B to such Form 5500, (v) any Loan Party or any ERISA Affiliate knows or has reason to know of any event or condition which could reasonably be expected to constitute grounds under the provisions of Section 4042 of ERISA for the termination of (or the appointment of a trustee to administer) any Plan, an explanation of such event or condition, (vi) the receipt by any Loan Party or any ERISA Affiliate of an assessment of withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA from a Multiemployer Plan, a copy of such assessment, (vii) any Loan Party or any ERISA Affiliate knows or has reason to know of any event or condition which would reasonably be expected to cause any one of them to incur a liability under Section 4062, 4063, 4064 or 4069 of ERISA or Section 412(n) or 4971 of the Code, an explanation of such event or condition, or (viii) any Loan Party or any ERISA Affiliate knows or has reason to know that an application is to be, or has been, made to the Secretary of the Treasury for a waiver of the minimum funding standard under the provisions of Section 412 of the Code, a copy of such application, and in each case described in clauses (i) through (iii) and (v) through (vii) together with a statement signed by an officer setting forth details as to such Reportable Event, notice, event or condition and the action which such Loan Party and any ERISA Affiliate proposes to take with respect thereto.

(u) Post-Closing Matters.

(i) Within 60 days of the Closing Date (or such longer period as may be agreed to by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion), the Borrowers shall deliver to the Collateral Agent: (i) an American Land Title Association/American Congress on Surveying and Mapping form survey, for which all necessary fees (where applicable) have been paid, certified to the Collateral Agent and the issuer of the Mortgage Policy in a manner reasonably satisfactory to the Collateral Agent by a land surveyor duly registered and licensed in the State of Alabama and reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent, showing all buildings and other improvements, the location of any easements, parking spaces, rights of way, building set-back lines and other dimensional regulations and the absence of encroachments, either by such improvements or on to such property, and other defects, other than encroachments and other defects reasonably acceptable to the Collateral Agent; (ii) an endorsement to the Mortgage Policy deleting the survey exception; (iii) comprehensive, same as survey, access, address/location and contiguity endorsements to the Mortgage Policy; and (iv) evidence that all other actions that the Collateral Agent may deem necessary or desirable in order to create a valid and subsisting Lien on the Alabama Property described in the Mortgage, subject only to Permitted Encumbrances having priority by operation of applicable Law, has been taken. Until such time as the Borrowers deliver the items described in this Section 6.21(a), the Administrative Agent is under no obligation to include the Alabama Property in the Borrowing Base.

(ii) Within 60 days of the Closing Date, a fully paid (or, as to which, evidence of the payment of the applicable premium has been provided to the Collateral Agent) American Land Title Association Lender’s Extended Coverage title insurance policy or

marked-up title commitment having the effect of a policy of title insurance (the “Mortgage Policy”) in form and substance, with endorsements and in an amount acceptable to the Collateral Agent, issued by Stewart Title Guaranty Company, insuring the Mortgage to be a valid and subsisting Lien on the property described therein, free and clear of all defects (including, but not limited to, mechanics’ and materialmen’s Liens) and encumbrances, excepting only Permitted Encumbrances and other Liens permitted under the Loan Documents, and providing for such other affirmative insurance (including endorsements for future advances under the Loan Documents and for zoning of the applicable property) and such coinsurance and direct access reinsurance as the Collateral Agent may deem necessary or desirable. Until such time as the Borrowers deliver the items described in this Section 6.21(b), the Administrative Agent is under no obligation to include the Alabama Property in the Borrowing Base.

(iii) Within 30 days of the Closing Date (or such longer period as may be agreed to by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion), the Borrowers shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a Blocked Account Agreement with Wachovia Bank, National Association with respect to account #203024911266. In the event that the Borrowers are unable to deliver the foregoing Blocked Account Agreement within the timeframe set forth herein or make other arrangements acceptable to the Administrative Agent, the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, require the Borrowers to move the applicable Blocked Account to Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. or another depository institution that is willing to execute and deliver a Blocked Account Agreement in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(iv) Within 30 days of the Closing Date (or such longer period as may be agreed to by the Administrative Agent in its sole discretion), the Borrowers shall deliver to the Administrative Agent a Blocked Account Agreement with Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. with respect to account #13038997.

15.
NEGATIVE COVENANTS

So long as any Lender shall have any Commitment hereunder, any Loan or other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied, or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding, no Loan Party shall, nor shall it permit any Subsidiary to, directly or indirectly:

(a) Liens. Create, incur, assume or suffer to exist any Lien upon any of its property, assets or revenues, whether now owned or hereafter acquired or sign or file or suffer to exist under the UCC or any similar Law or statute of any jurisdiction a financing statement that names any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof as debtor; sign or suffer to exist any security agreement authorizing any Person thereunder to file such financing statement; sell any of its property or assets subject to an understanding or agreement (contingent or otherwise) to repurchase such property or assets with recourse to it or any of its Subsidiaries; or assign or otherwise transfer any accounts or other rights to receive income, other than, as to all of the above, Permitted Encumbrances.

(b) Investments. Have outstanding, make, acquire or hold any Investment (or become contractually committed to do so), directly or indirectly, or incur any liabilities (including contingent obligations) for or in connection with any Investment, except Permitted Investments.

(c) Indebtedness. Create, incur, assume, guarantee, suffer to exist or otherwise become or remain liable with respect to, any Indebtedness, except Permitted Indebtedness.

(d) Fundamental Changes. (a) Merge, amalgamate, dissolve, liquidate, wind up, consolidate with or into another Person, reorganize, enter into a plan of reorganization, recapitalization or reclassify its Equity Interests (or agree to do any of the foregoing) or (b) suspend or go out of a substantial portion of its or their business or any material line of business, except that, so long as no Default shall have occurred and be continuing prior to or immediately after giving effect to any action described below or would result therefrom:

(vii) any Subsidiary may merge, consolidate or amalgamate with (i) a Loan Party, provided that the Loan Party shall be the continuing or surviving Person, or (ii) any one or more other Subsidiaries, provided further that when any wholly-owned Subsidiary is merging with another Subsidiary, the wholly-owned Subsidiary shall be the continuing or surviving Person;

(viii) any CFC that is not a Loan Party may merge into any CFC that is not a Loan Party; and

(ix) the Borrowers shall be permitted to liquidate or dissolve Twin Brook at any time upon prior written notice to the Administrative Agent, provided that before, or within three (3) Business Days after, the liquidation or dissolution of Twin Brook, Twin Brook shall have contributed all of its assets to the Lead Borrower and the Lead Borrower shall have caused the former assets of Twin Brook, including, without limitation, the equity interests in Services Company, to be pledged to the Collateral Agent for the benefit of the Credit Parties. In the event of any liquidation or dissolution of Twin Brook in accordance with the preceding sentence, Twin Brook will automatically cease to be a Guarantor hereunder.

(e) Dispositions. Make any Disposition or enter into any agreement to make any Disposition, except Permitted Dispositions.

(f) Restricted Payments. Declare or make, directly or indirectly, any Restricted Payment, or incur any obligation (contingent or otherwise) to do so, except that, so long as no Default shall have occurred and be continuing prior to or immediately after giving effect to any action described below or would result therefrom:

(xii) each Subsidiary of a Loan Party may make Restricted Payments to any Loan Party;

(xiii) the Loan Parties and each Subsidiary may declare and make dividend payments or other distributions payable solely in the common stock or other common Equity Interests of such Person;

(xiv) the Lead Borrower may repurchase its capital stock in any transaction or series of related transactions which are part of a common plan completed on or at any time within ninety (90) days after the commencement thereof (each, a “Stock Repurchase Transaction”) so long as the Payment Conditions are satisfied;

(xv) the Lead Borrower may make the 2009 Capital Stock Repurchase consummated in accordance with the terms and conditions of the 2009 Capital Stock Repurchase Agreement; provided that, no proceeds received from any Credit Extensions shall be used to make the 2009 Capital Stock Repurchase; and provided further that all shares of stock repurchased by the Lead Borrower pursuant to the 2009 Capital Stock Repurchase Agreement shall be permanently retired by the Lead Borrower;

(xvi) the Loan Parties may issue and sell Equity Interests provided that (i) (A) with respect to any Equity Interests, all dividends in respect of which are to be paid (and all other payments in respect of which are to be made) shall be in additional shares of such Equity Interests, in lieu of cash, (B) such Equity Interests shall not be subject to redemption other than redemption at the option of the Loan Party issuing such Equity Interests, and (C) all payments in respect of such Equity Interests are expressly subordinated to the Obligations, and (ii) no Loan Party shall issue any additional Equity Interests in a Subsidiary; and

(xvii) the Loan Parties may make other Restricted Payments if, on a pro forma basis after giving effect thereto, the Payment Conditions are satisfied.

(g) Payments and Prepayments of Indebtedness. Prepay, redeem, purchase, defease or otherwise satisfy prior to the scheduled maturity thereof in any manner any Indebtedness, or make any payment in violation of any subordination terms of any Subordinated Indebtedness, except (i) as long as no Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or would arise therefrom, regularly scheduled or mandatory repayments or redemptions of Permitted Indebtedness, (ii) refinancings and refundings of such Indebtedness permitted pursuant to Section 7.03, and (iii) as long as the Payment Conditions are satisfied, other repayments or prepayments of Permitted Indebtedness in an aggregate amount not to exceed $10,000,000.00 in any Fiscal Year.

(h) Change in Nature of Business. Engage in any line of business substantially different from the business (or any business substantially related or incidental thereto) conducted by the Loan Parties and their Subsidiaries on the Eleventh Amendment Effective Date.

(i) Transactions with Affiliates. Enter into, renew, extend or be a party to any transaction of any kind with any Affiliate of any Loan Party, except for: (a) transactions that are on fair and reasonable terms, that are fully disclosed to the Administrative Agent, and that are no less favorable to the Loan Parties than would be obtainable by the Loan Parties at the time in a comparable arm’s length transaction with a Person other than an Affiliate; (b) transactions between the Lead Borrower and Services Company in the ordinary course of business; (c) intercompany loans and advances or

other intercompany Indebtedness permitted pursuant to clauses (b), (c), (e), (i) and (j) of the definition of Permitted Indebtedness; and (d) intercompany Investments permitted pursuant to clauses (g), (h), (i) and (m) of the definition of Permitted Investments.

(j) Burdensome Agreements. Enter into or permit to exist any Contractual Obligation (other than this Agreement, any other Loan Document or the New Headquarters Lease Guaranty) that (a) limits the ability (i) of any Subsidiary to make Restricted Payments or other distributions to any Loan Party or to otherwise transfer property to or invest in a Loan Party, (ii) of any Subsidiary to Guarantee the Obligations, (iii) of any Subsidiary to make or repay loans to a Loan Party, or (iv) of the Loan Parties or any Subsidiary to create, incur, assume or suffer to exist Liens on property of such Person in favor of the Collateral Agent; provided, however, that this clause (iv) shall not prohibit any negative pledge incurred or provided in favor of any holder of Indebtedness permitted under Section 7.01 solely to the extent any such negative pledge relates to the property financed by or the subject of such Indebtedness; or (b) requires the grant of a Lien to secure an obligation of such Person if a Lien is granted to secure another obligation of such Person.

(k) Use of Proceeds. Use the proceeds of any Credit Extension, whether directly or indirectly, and whether immediately, incidentally or ultimately, to purchase or carry margin stock (within the meaning of Regulation U of the FRB) or to extend credit to others for the purpose of purchasing or carrying margin stock or to refund Indebtedness originally incurred for such purpose.

(l) Amendment of Material Documents. Amend, modify or waive any of a Loan Party’s rights under (a) its Organization Documents or (b) any Material Contract or Material Indebtedness (other than on account of any refinancing thereof otherwise permitted hereunder), in each case to the extent that such amendment, modification or waiver would be reasonably likely to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(m) Corporate Name; Fiscal Year.

(iii) Change the Fiscal Year of any Loan Party, or the accounting policies or reporting practices of the Loan Parties, except as required by GAAP.

(iv) Change its name as it appears in official filings in the state of its incorporation or other organization (b) change its chief executive office, principal place of business, corporate offices or warehouses or locations at which any material portion of the Collateral is held or stored, or the location of its records concerning the Collateral, (c) change the type of entity that it is, (d) change its organization identification number, if any, issued by its state of incorporation or other organization, or (e) change its state of incorporation or organization, in each case without at least thirty (30) days prior written notice to the Collateral Agent and after the Collateral Agent’s written acknowledgment, which acknowledgment shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed, that any reasonable action requested by the Collateral Agent in connection therewith, including to continue the perfection of any Liens in favor of the Collateral Agent, in any Collateral, has been completed or taken, and provided that any such new location of any Loan Party or Domestic Subsidiary shall be in the continental United States.

(n) Blocked Accounts; Credit Card Processors.

(i) Open new Blocked Accounts unless the Loan Parties shall have delivered to the Collateral Agent appropriate Blocked Account Agreements consistent with the provisions of Section 6.13 and otherwise satisfactory to the Collateral Agent.

(ii) Enter into new agreements with credit card processors other than the ones expressly contemplated herein or in Section 6.13 hereof unless the Loan Parties shall have delivered to the Collateral Agent appropriate Credit Card Notifications consistent with the provisions of Section 6.13 and otherwise satisfactory to the Collateral Agent.

(o) Consignments. Consign any Inventory or sell any Inventory on bill and hold, sale or return, sale on approval, or other conditional terms of sale.

(p) Antilayering. The Loan Parties will not, and will not permit any of their Subsidiaries to, incur or in any fashion become or remain liable with respect to any Indebtedness of the Loan Parties or any Subsidiary which, by its terms, is subordinated to any other Indebtedness of such Loan Party or such Subsidiary and which is not expressly subordinated to the Obligations on terms satisfactory to the Administrative Agent.

(q) Excess Availability. Permit Excess Availability at any time to be less than 10% of the Borrowing Base.

(r) Foreign Transfers. Permit the Loan Parties located within the United States to make intercompany transfers outside the ordinary course of business to their Affiliates outside the United States unless Payment Conditions are satisfied.

16.
EVENTS OF DEFAULT AND REMEDIES

(a) Events of Default. Any of the following shall constitute an Event of Default:

(xvi) Non-Payment. The Borrowers or any other Loan Party fails to pay when and as required to be paid herein, (i) any amount of principal of any Loan or any L/C Obligation, or deposit any funds as Cash Collateral in respect of L/C Obligations, or (ii) any interest on any Loan or on any L/C Obligation, or any fee due hereunder, or (iii) any other amount payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document; or

(xvii) Specific Covenants.

(1) Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in any of Sections 6.03, 6.05, 6.07, 6.10, 6.11, 6.12, 6.13 or 6.14 or Article VII of this Agreement or in Section 5.01 of the Security Agreement; or

(2) Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in Section 6.02(c) of this Agreement and such failure continues for five (5) days; or

(3) Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any term, covenant or agreement contained in any of Sections 6.01, 6.02(a) or 6.02(b) of this Agreement and such failure continues for fifteen (15) days; or

(xviii) Other Defaults. Any Loan Party fails to perform or observe any other covenant or agreement (not specified in subsection (a) or (b) above) contained in any Loan Document on its part to be performed or observed and such failure continues for thirty (30) days; or

(xix) Material Impairment. Any material impairment of the prospect of repayment of any portion of the Obligations owing to the Credit Parties or a material impairment of the value or priority of the Credit Parties’ security interests in the Collateral; or

(xx) Representations and Warranties in the Credit Agreement. Any representation, warranty, certification or statement of fact made or deemed made by or on behalf of any Borrower or any other Loan Party herein, in any other Loan Document, or in any document delivered in connection herewith or therewith (including, without limitation, any Borrowing Base Certificate) shall be incorrect or misleading in any material respect when made or deemed made; or

(xxi) Material Indebtedness; Swap Contracts. (i) Any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof (A) fails to make any payment when due (whether by scheduled maturity, required prepayment, acceleration, demand, or otherwise) in respect of any Material Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness hereunder and Indebtedness under Swap Contracts) or Guarantee having an aggregate principal amount (including undrawn committed or available amounts and including amounts owing to all creditors under any combined or syndicated credit arrangement) of more than $3,000,000, or (B) fails to observe or perform any other agreement or condition relating to any Material Indebtedness (other than Indebtedness hereunder and Indebtedness under Swap Contracts) or Guarantee having an aggregate principal amount (including undrawn committed or available amounts and including amounts owing to all creditors under any combined or syndicated credit arrangement) of more than $3,000,000, or contained in any instrument or agreement evidencing, securing or relating thereto, or any other event occurs, the effect of which default or other event is to cause, or to permit the holder or holders of such Indebtedness or the beneficiary or beneficiaries of such Guarantee (or a trustee or agent on behalf of such holder or holders or beneficiary or beneficiaries) to cause, with the giving of notice if required, such Indebtedness to be demanded or to become due or to be repurchased, prepaid, defeased or redeemed (automatically or otherwise), or an offer to repurchase, prepay, defease or redeem such Indebtedness to be made, prior to its stated maturity, or such Guarantee to become payable or cash collateral in respect thereof to be demanded; or (ii) there occurs under any Swap Contract an Early Termination Date (as defined in such Swap Contract) resulting from (A) any event of default under such Swap Contract as to which a Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof is the Defaulting Party (as

defined in such Swap Contract) or (B) any Termination Event (as so defined) under such Swap Contract as to which a Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof is an Affected Party (as so defined) and, in either event, the Swap Termination Value owed by the Loan Party or such Subsidiary as a result thereof is greater than $3,000,000; or

(xxii) Insolvency Proceedings, Etc. Any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries institutes or consents to the institution of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law, or makes an assignment for the benefit of creditors; or applies for or consents to the appointment of any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer for it or for all or any material part of its property; or a proceeding shall be commenced or a petition filed, without the application or consent of such Person, seeking or requesting the appointment of any receiver, trustee, custodian, conservator, liquidator, rehabilitator or similar officer is appointed and the appointment continues undischarged, undismissed or unstayed for 45 calendar days (provided, however, that, during the pendency of such period, the Credit Parties shall be relieved of their obligation to extend credit hereunder), or an order or decree approving or ordering any of the foregoing shall be entered; or any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law relating to any such Person or to all or any material portion of its property is instituted without the consent of such Person and continues undismissed or unstayed for 45 calendar days (provided, however, that, during the pendency of such period, the Credit Parties shall be relieved of their obligation to extend credit hereunder), or an order for relief is entered in any such proceeding; or

(xxiii) Inability to Pay Debts; Attachment. (i) Any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof becomes unable or admits in writing its inability or fails generally to pay its debts as they become due in the ordinary course of business, or (ii) any writ or warrant of attachment or execution or similar process is issued or levied against all or any material portion of the property of any such Person; or

(xxiv) Judgments. (i) There is entered against any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof one or more judgments or orders for the payment of money in an aggregate amount (as to all such judgments and orders) exceeding $3,000,000 (to the extent not covered by independent third-party insurance as to which the insurer is rated at least “A” by A.M. Best Company, has been notified of the potential claim and does not dispute coverage) which become Liens or encumbrances upon any material portion of any Borrower’s properties or assets, and all such judgments or orders shall not have been vacated, discharged, stayed or bonded pending appeal within thirty (30) days from the entry thereof, or (ii) an action or proceeding is brought against any Borrower which is reasonably likely to be decided adversely to such Borrower, and such adverse decision would materially impair the prospect of repayment of the Obligations or materially impair the value or priority of the Credit Parties’ security interests in the Collateral; or

(xxv) Liens. A notice of Lien, levy, or assessment is filed of record with respect to any of any Borrower’s properties or assets by the United States Government, or any department, agency, or instrumentality thereof, or by any state, county, municipal, or governmental agency, or any taxes or debts owing at any time hereafter to any one or more

of such entities becomes a Lien, whether choate or otherwise, upon any of any Borrower’s properties or assets and the same is not paid on the payment date thereof; or

(xxvi) ERISA. (i) An ERISA Event occurs with respect to a Pension Plan or Multiemployer Plan which has resulted or could reasonably be expected to result in liability of any Loan Party under Title IV of ERISA to the Pension Plan, Multiemployer Plan or the PBGC in an aggregate amount in excess of $3,000,000, or (ii) a Loan Party or any ERISA Affiliate fails to pay when due, after the expiration of any applicable grace period, any installment payment with respect to its withdrawal liability under Section 4201 of ERISA under a Multiemployer Plan in an aggregate amount in excess of $100,000; or

(xxvii) Invalidity of Loan Documents. (i) Any provision of any Loan Document, at any time after its execution and delivery and for any reason other than as expressly permitted hereunder or thereunder or satisfaction in full of all the Obligations, ceases to be in full force and effect; or any Loan Party or any other Person contests in any manner the validity or enforceability of any provision of any Loan Document; or any Loan Party denies that it has any or further liability or obligation under any provision of any Loan Document, or purports to revoke, terminate or rescind any provision of any Loan Document or seeks to avoid, limit or otherwise adversely affect any Lien purported to be created under any Security Document; or (ii) any Lien purported to be created under any Security Document shall cease to be (except as permitted pursuant to the terms hereof or thereof), or shall be asserted by any Loan Party or any other Person not to be, a valid and perfected Lien on any Collateral, with the priority required by the applicable Security Document; or

(xxviii) Change of Control. There occurs any Change of Control; or

(xxix) Cessation of Business. Except as otherwise expressly permitted hereunder, any Loan Party shall take any action to suspend the operation of its business in the ordinary course, liquidate all or substantially all of its assets or Store locations, or employ an agent or other third party to conduct a program of closings, liquidations or “Going-Out-Of-Business” sales of any material portion of its business; or

(xxx) Loss of Collateral. There occurs any uninsured loss to any material portion of the Collateral; or

(xxxi) Indictment. The indictment or institution of any legal process or proceeding against, any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof, under any federal, state, municipal, and other criminal statute, rule, regulation, order, or other requirement having the force of law for a felony; or

(xxxii) Guaranty. The termination or attempted termination of any Facility Guaranty (other than as expressly permitted hereunder); or

(xxxiii) Subordination. (i) The subordination provisions of the documents evidencing or governing any Subordinated Indebtedness (the “Subordinated Provisions”) shall, in whole or in part, terminate, cease to be effective or cease to be legally valid, binding

and enforceable against any holder of the applicable Subordinated Indebtedness; or (ii) any Borrower or any other Loan Party shall, directly or indirectly, (A) make any payment on account of any Subordinated Indebtedness that has been contractually subordinated in right of payment to the payment of the Obligations, except to the extent that such payment is permitted by the terms of the subordination provisions applicable to such Subordinated Indebtedness or (B) disavow or contest in any manner (x) the effectiveness, validity or enforceability of any of the Subordination Provisions, (y) that the Subordination Provisions exist for the benefit of the Credit Parties, or (z) that all payments of principal of or premium and interest on the applicable Subordinated Indebtedness, or realized from the liquidation of any property of any Loan Party, shall be subject to any of the Subordination Provisions.

(b) Remedies Upon Event of Default. If any Event of Default occurs and is continuing, the Administrative Agent may, or, at the request of the Required Lenders shall, take any or all of the following actions:

(ix) declare the commitment of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions to be terminated, whereupon such commitments and obligation shall be terminated;

(x) declare the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans, all interest accrued and unpaid thereon, and all other amounts owing or payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document to be immediately due and payable, without presentment, demand, protest or other notice of any kind, all of which are hereby expressly waived by the Loan Parties;

(xi) require that the Loan Parties Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations; and

(xii) whether or not the maturity of the Obligations shall have been accelerated pursuant hereto, may (and at the direction of the Required Lenders, shall) proceed to protect, enforce and exercise all rights and remedies of the Credit Parties under this Agreement, any of the other Loan Documents or applicable Law, including, but not limited to, by suit in equity, action at law or other appropriate proceeding, whether for the specific performance of any covenant or agreement contained in this Agreement and the other Loan Documents or any instrument pursuant to which the Obligations are evidenced, and, if such amount shall have become due, by declaration or otherwise, proceed to enforce the payment thereof or any other legal or equitable right of the Credit Parties;

provided, however, upon the occurrence of any Event of Default with respect to any Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof under Section 8.01(g), the obligation of each Lender to make Loans and any obligation of the L/C Issuer to make L/C Credit Extensions shall automatically terminate, the unpaid principal amount of all outstanding Loans and all interest and other amounts as aforesaid shall automatically become due and payable, and the obligation of the Loan Parties to Cash Collateralize the L/C Obligations as aforesaid shall automatically become effective, in each case without further act of the Administrative Agent or any Lender.

No remedy herein is intended to be exclusive of any other remedy and each and every remedy shall be cumulative and shall be in addition to every other remedy given hereunder or now or hereafter existing at law or in equity or by statute or any other provision of Law.

Each of the Lenders agrees that it shall not, unless specifically requested to do so in writing by the Administrative Agent, take or cause to be taken any action, including, the commencement of any legal or equitable proceedings to enforce any Loan Document against any Loan Party or to foreclose any Lien on, or otherwise enforce any security interest in, or other rights to, any of the Collateral.

(c) Application of Funds. After the exercise of remedies provided for in Section 8.02 (or after the Loans have automatically become immediately due and payable and the L/C Obligations have automatically been required to be Cash Collateralized as set forth in the proviso to Section 8.02), subject to the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement, any amounts received on account of the Obligations shall be applied by the Administrative Agent in the following order:

First, to payment of that portion of the Obligations (excluding the Other Liabilities) constituting fees, indemnities, Credit Party Expenses and other amounts (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the Administrative Agent and the Collateral Agent and amounts payable under Article III) payable to the Administrative Agent and the Collateral Agent, each in its capacity as such;

Second, to payment of that portion of the Obligations (excluding the Other Liabilities) constituting indemnities, Credit Party Expenses, and other amounts (other than principal, interest and fees) payable to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer (including fees, charges and disbursements of counsel to the respective Lenders and the L/C Issuer and amounts payable under Article III), ratably among them in proportion to the amounts described in this clause Second payable to them;

Third, to the extent not previously reimbursed by the Lenders, to payment to the Lenders of that portion of the Obligations constituting principal and accrued and unpaid interest on any Permitted Overadvances, ratably among the Lenders in proportion to the amounts described in this clause Third payable to them;

Fourth, to the extent that Swing Line Loans have not been refinanced by a Committed Loan, payment to the Swing Line Lender of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid interest on the Swing Line Loans;

Fifth, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting accrued and unpaid interest on the Committed Loans and other Obligations, and fees (including Letter of Credit Fees but excluding any Early Termination Fees), ratably among the Lenders and the L/C Issuer in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Fifth payable to them;

Sixth, to the extent that Swing Line Loans have not been refinanced by a Committed Loan, to payment to the Swing Line Lender of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Swing Line Loans;

Seventh, to payment of that portion of the Obligations constituting unpaid principal of the Committed Loans, ratably among the Lenders in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Seventh held by them;

Eighth, to the Administrative Agent for the account of the L/C Issuer, to Cash Collateralize that portion of L/C Obligations comprised of the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit;

Ninth, to payment of all other Obligations (including, without limitation, the cash collateralization of unliquidated indemnification obligations as provided in Section 10.04, but excluding any Other Liabilities), ratably among the Credit Parties in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Ninth held by them;

Tenth, to payment of that portion of the Obligations arising from Cash Management Services to the extent secured under the Security Documents, ratably among the Credit Parties in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Tenth held by them;

Eleventh, to payment of all other Obligations arising from Bank Products to the extent secured under the Security Documents, ratably among the Credit Parties in proportion to the respective amounts described in this clause Eleventh held by them; and

Last, the balance, if any, after all of the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full, to the Loan Parties or as otherwise required by Law.

Amounts used to Cash Collateralize the aggregate undrawn amount of Letters of Credit pursuant to clause Eighth above shall be applied to satisfy drawings under such Letters of Credit as they occur. If any amount remains on deposit as Cash Collateral after all Letters of Credit have either been fully drawn or expired, such remaining amount shall be applied to the other Obligations, if any, in the order set forth above.

17.
ADMINISTRATIVE AND COLLATERAL AGENT

(a) Appointment and Authority.

(xiii) Each of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints Wells Fargo Bank to act on its behalf as the Administrative Agent hereunder and under the other Loan Documents and authorizes the Administrative Agent to take such actions on its behalf and to exercise such powers as are delegated to the Administrative Agent by the terms hereof or thereof, together with such actions and powers as are reasonably incidental thereto. The provisions of this Article are solely for the benefit of the Administrative Agent, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, and no Loan Party or any Subsidiary thereof shall have rights as a third party beneficiary of any of such provisions.

(xiv) Each of the Lenders (in its capacities as a Lender), Swing Line Lender and the L/C Issuer hereby irrevocably appoints Wells Fargo Bank as Collateral Agent and

authorizes the Collateral Agent to act as the agent of such Lender and the L/C Issuer for purposes of acquiring, holding and enforcing any and all Liens on Collateral granted by any of the Loan Parties to secure any of the Obligations, together with such powers and discretion as are reasonably incidental thereto. In this connection, the Collateral Agent, as “collateral agent” and any co-agents, sub-agents and attorneys-in-fact appointed by the Collateral Agent pursuant to Section 9.05 for purposes of holding or enforcing any Lien on the Collateral (or any portion thereof) granted under the Collateral Documents, or for exercising any rights and remedies thereunder at the direction of the Collateral Agent), shall be entitled to the benefits of all provisions of this Article IX and Article X (including Section 10.04(b)), as though such co-agents, sub-agents and attorneys-in-fact were the “collateral agent” under the Loan Documents, as if set forth in full herein with respect thereto.

(b) Rights as a Lender. The Persons serving as the Agents hereunder shall have the same rights and powers in their capacity as a Lender as any other Lender and may exercise the same as though they were not the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent and the term “Lender” or “Lenders” shall, unless otherwise expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, include the Person serving as the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent hereunder in its individual capacity. Such Person and its Affiliates may accept deposits from, lend money to, act as the financial advisor or in any other advisory capacity for and generally engage in any kind of business with the Loan Parties or any Subsidiary or other Affiliate thereof as if such Person were not the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent hereunder and without any duty to account therefor to the Lenders.

(c) Exculpatory Provisions. The Agents shall not have any duties or obligations except those expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the Agents:

(iv) shall not be subject to any fiduciary or other implied duties, regardless of whether a Default has occurred and is continuing;

(v) shall not have any duty to take any discretionary action or exercise any discretionary powers, except discretionary rights and powers expressly contemplated hereby or by the other Loan Documents that the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent, as applicable, is required to exercise as directed in writing by the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be expressly provided for herein or in the other Loan Documents), provided that no Agent shall be required to take any action that, in its respective opinion or the opinion of its counsel, may expose such Agent to liability or that is contrary to any Loan Document or applicable law; and

(vi) shall not, except as expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents, have any duty to disclose, and shall not be liable for the failure to disclose, any information relating to the Loan Parties or any of its Affiliates that is communicated to or obtained by the Person serving as the Administrative Agent, the Collateral Agent or any of its Affiliates in any capacity.

No Agent shall be liable for any action taken or not taken by it (i) with the Consent or at the request of the Required Lenders (or such other number or percentage of the Lenders as shall be necessary, or as such Agent shall believe in good faith shall be necessary, under the circumstances as provided in Sections 10.01 and 8.02) or (ii) in the absence of its own gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a final and non-appealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction. The Agents shall not be deemed to have knowledge of any Default unless and until notice describing such Default is given to such Agent by the Loan Parties, a Lender or the L/C Issuer. Upon the occurrence of a Default or Event of Default, the Agents shall take such action with respect to such Default or Event of Default as shall be reasonably directed by the Required Lenders. Unless and until the Agents shall have received such direction, any Agent may (but shall not be obligated to) take such action, or refrain from taking such action, with respect to any such Default or Event of Default as it shall deem advisable in the best interest of the Credit Parties. In no event shall the Agents be required to comply with any such directions to the extent that any Agent believes that its compliance with such directions would be unlawful.

The Agents shall not be responsible for or have any duty to ascertain or inquire into (i) any statement, warranty or representation made in or in connection with this Agreement or any other Loan Document, (ii) the contents of any certificate, report or other document delivered hereunder or thereunder or in connection herewith or therewith, (iii) the performance or observance of any of the covenants, agreements or other terms or conditions set forth herein or therein or the occurrence of any Default, (iv) the validity, enforceability, effectiveness or genuineness of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, instrument or document or the creation, perfection or priority of any Lien purported to be created by the Security Documents, (v) the value or the sufficiency of any Collateral, or (vi) the satisfaction of any condition set forth in Article IV or elsewhere herein, other than to confirm receipt of items expressly required to be delivered to the Agents.

(d) Reliance by Agents. Each Agent shall be entitled to rely upon, and shall not incur any liability for relying upon, any notice, request, certificate, consent, statement, instrument, document or other writing (including, but not limited to, any electronic message, Internet or intranet website posting or other distribution) believed by it to be genuine and to have been signed, sent or otherwise authenticated by the proper Person. Each Agent also may rely upon any statement made to it orally or by telephone and believed by it to have been made by the proper Person, and shall not incur any liability for relying thereon. In determining compliance with any condition hereunder to the making of a Loan, or the issuance of a Letter of Credit, that by its terms must be fulfilled to the satisfaction of a Lender or the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent may presume that such condition is satisfactory to such Lender or the L/C Issuer unless the Administrative Agent shall have received written notice to the contrary from such Lender or the L/C Issuer prior to the making of such Loan or the issuance of such Letter of Credit. Each Agent may consult with legal counsel (who may be counsel for any Loan Party), independent accountants and other experts selected by it, and shall not be liable for any action taken or not taken by it in accordance with the advice of any such counsel, accountants or experts.

(e) Delegation of Duties. Each Agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers hereunder or under any other Loan Document by or through any one or more

sub‑agents appointed by such Agent. Each Agent and any such sub‑agent may perform any and all of its duties and exercise its rights and powers by or through their respective Related Parties. The exculpatory provisions of this Article shall apply to any such sub‑agent and to the Related Parties of the Agents and any such sub‑agent, and shall apply to their respective activities in connection with the syndication of the credit facilities provided for herein as well as activities as such Agent.

(f) Resignation of Agents. Either Agent may at any time give written notice of its resignation to the Lenders, the L/C Issuer and the Lead Borrower. Upon receipt of any such notice of resignation, the Required Lenders shall have the right, in consultation with the Lead Borrower, to appoint a successor, which shall be a bank with an office in the United States, or an Affiliate of any such bank with an office in the United States. If no such successor shall have been so appointed by the Required Lenders and shall have accepted such appointment within 30 days after the retiring Agent gives notice of its resignation, then the retiring Agent may on behalf of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, appoint a successor Administrative Agent or Collateral Agent, as applicable, meeting the qualifications set forth above; provided that if the Administrative Agent or the Collateral Agent shall notify the Lead Borrower and the Lenders that no qualifying Person has accepted such appointment, then such resignation shall nonetheless become effective in accordance with such notice and (1) the retiring Agent shall be discharged from its duties and obligations hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (except that in the case of any Collateral held by the Collateral Agent on behalf of the Lenders or the L/C Issuer under any of the Loan Documents, the retiring Collateral Agent shall continue to hold such collateral security until such time as a successor Collateral Agent is appointed) and (2) all payments, communications and determinations provided to be made by, to or through the Administrative Agent shall instead be made by or to each Lender and the L/C Issuer directly, until such time as the Required Lenders appoint a successor Administrative Agent as provided for above in this Section. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent or Collateral Agent, as applicable, hereunder, such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring (or retired) Agent, and the retiring Agent shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents (if not already discharged therefrom as provided above in this Section). The fees payable by the Borrowers to a successor Administrative Agent shall be the same as those payable to its predecessor unless otherwise agreed between the Lead Borrower and such successor. After the retiring Agent’s resignation hereunder and under the other Loan Documents, the provisions of this Article and Section 10.04 shall continue in effect for the benefit of such retiring Agent, its sub‑agents and their respective Related Parties in respect of any actions taken or omitted to be taken by any of them while the retiring Agent was acting as Administrative Agent or Collateral Agent hereunder.

Any resignation by Wells Fargo Bank as Administrative Agent pursuant to this Section shall also constitute the resignation of Wells Fargo Bank as Swing Line Lender and Wells Fargo Bank as L/C Issuer. Upon the acceptance of a successor’s appointment as Administrative Agent hereunder, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender, (b) the retiring L/C Issuer and Swing Line Lender shall be discharged from all of its duties and obligations hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, and (c) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters

of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to the retiring L/C Issuer to effectively assume the obligations of the retiring L/C Issuer with respect to such Letters of Credit.

(g) Non-Reliance on Administrative Agent and Other Lenders. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer acknowledges that it has, independently and without reliance upon the Agents or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it has deemed appropriate, made its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Agreement. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer also acknowledges that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Agents or any other Lender or any of their Related Parties and based on such documents and information as it shall from time to time deem appropriate, continue to make its own decisions in taking or not taking action under or based upon this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any related agreement or any document furnished hereunder or thereunder. Except as provided in Section 9.11, the Agents shall not have any duty or responsibility to provide any Credit Party with any other credit or other information concerning the affairs, financial condition or business of any Loan Party that may come into the possession of the Agents.

(h) Administrative Agent May File Proofs of Claim. In case of the pendency of any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or any other judicial proceeding relative to any Loan Party, the Administrative Agent (irrespective of whether the principal of any Loan or L/C Obligation shall then be due and payable as herein expressed or by declaration or otherwise and irrespective of whether the Administrative Agent shall have made any demand on the Loan Parties) shall be entitled and empowered, by intervention in such proceeding or otherwise:

(ix) to file and prove a claim for the whole amount of the principal and interest owing and unpaid in respect of the Loans, L/C Obligations and all other Obligations that are owing and unpaid and to file such other documents as may be necessary or advisable in order to have the claims of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent and the other Credit Parties (including any claim for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Lenders, the L/C Issuer, the Administrative Agent, such Credit Parties and their respective agents and counsel and all other amounts due the Lenders, the L/C Issuer the Administrative Agent and such Credit Parties under Sections 2.03(l), 2.09 and 10.04) allowed in such judicial proceeding; and

(x) to collect and receive any monies or other property payable or deliverable on any such claims and to distribute the same;

and any custodian, receiver, assignee, trustee, liquidator, sequestrator or other similar official in any such judicial proceeding is hereby authorized by each Lender and the L/C Issuer to make such payments to the Administrative Agent and, if the Administrative Agent shall consent to the making of such payments directly to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer, to pay to the Administrative Agent any amount due for the reasonable compensation, expenses, disbursements and advances of the Administrative Agent and its agents and counsel, and any other amounts due the Administrative Agent under Sections 2.09 and 10.04.

Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to authorize the Administrative Agent to authorize or consent to or accept or adopt on behalf of any Lender or the L/C Issuer any plan of reorganization, arrangement, adjustment or composition affecting the Obligations or the rights of any Lender or the L/C Issuer or to authorize the Administrative Agent to vote in respect of the claim of any Lender or the L/C Issuer in any such proceeding.

(i) Collateral and Guaranty Matters. The Credit Parties irrevocably authorize the Agents, at their option and in their discretion,

(i) to release any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Collateral Agent under any Loan Document (i) upon termination of the Aggregate Commitments and payment in full of all Obligations (other than contingent indemnification obligations for which no claim has been asserted) and the expiration or termination of all Letters of Credit, (ii) that is sold or to be sold as part of or in connection with any sale permitted hereunder or under any other Loan Document, or (iii) if approved, authorized or ratified in writing by the Required Lenders in accordance with Section 10.01;

(ii) to subordinate any Lien on any property granted to or held by the Collateral Agent under any Loan Document to the holder of any Lien on such property that is permitted by clause (h) of the definition of Permitted Encumbrances; and

(iii) to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Facility Guaranty if such Person ceases to be a Subsidiary as a result of a transaction permitted hereunder.

Upon request by any Agent at any time, the Required Lenders will confirm in writing such Agent’s authority to release or subordinate its interest in particular types or items of property, or to release any Guarantor from its obligations under the Facility Guaranty pursuant to this Section 9.09. In each case as specified in this Section 9.09, the Agents will, at the Loan Parties’ expense, execute and deliver to the applicable Loan Party such documents as such Loan Party may reasonably request to evidence the release of such item of Collateral from the assignment and security interest granted under the Security Documents or to subordinate its interest in such item, or to release such Guarantor from its obligations under the Facility Guaranty, in each case in accordance with the terms of the Loan Documents and this Section 9.09.

(j) Notice of Transfer. The Agents may deem and treat a Lender party to this Agreement as the owner of such Lender’s portion of the Obligations for all purposes, unless and until, and except to the extent, an Assignment and Acceptance shall have become effective as set forth in Section 10.06.

(k) Reports and Financial Statements. By signing this Agreement, each Lender:

(v) agrees to furnish the Administrative Agent on the first day of each month with a summary of all Other Liabilities due or to become due to such Lender;

(vi) is deemed to have requested that the Administrative Agent furnish such Lender, promptly after they become available, copies of all financial statements and

Borrowing Base Certificates required to be delivered by the Lead Borrower hereunder and all commercial finance examinations and appraisals of the Collateral received by the Agents (collectively, the “Reports”);

(vii) expressly agrees and acknowledges that the Administrative Agent makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the Reports, and shall not be liable for any information contained in any Report;

(viii) expressly agrees and acknowledges that the Reports are not comprehensive audits or examinations, that the Agents or any other party performing any audit or examination will inspect only specific information regarding the Loan Parties and will rely significantly upon the Loan Parties’ books and records, as well as on representations of the Loan Parties’ personnel;

(ix) agrees to keep all Reports confidential in accordance with the provisions of Section 10.07 hereof; and

(x) without limiting the generality of any other indemnification provision contained in this Agreement, agrees: (i) to hold the Agents and any such other Lender preparing a Report harmless from any action the indemnifying Lender may take or conclusion the indemnifying Lender may reach or draw from any Report in connection with any Credit Extensions that the indemnifying Lender has made or may make to the Borrowers, or the indemnifying Lender’s participation in, or the indemnifying Lender’s purchase of, a Loan or Loans; and (ii) to pay and protect, and indemnify, defend, and hold the Agents and any such other Lender preparing a Report harmless from and against, the claims, actions, proceedings, damages, costs, expenses, and other amounts (including attorney costs) incurred by the Agents and any such other Lender preparing a Report as the direct or indirect result of any third parties who might obtain all or part of any Report through the indemnifying Lender.

(l) Agency for Perfection. Each Lender hereby appoints each other Lender as agent for the purpose of perfecting Liens for the benefit of the Agents and the Lenders, in assets which, in accordance with Article 9 of the UCC or any other Applicable Law of the United States can be perfected only by possession. Should any Lender (other than the Agents) obtain possession of any such Collateral, such Lender shall notify the Agents thereof, and, promptly upon the Collateral Agent’s request therefor shall deliver such Collateral to the Collateral Agent or otherwise deal with such Collateral in accordance with the Collateral Agent’s instructions.

(m) Indemnification of Agents. The Lenders agree to indemnify the Agents (to the extent not reimbursed by the Loan Parties and without limiting the obligations of Loan Parties hereunder), ratably according to their respective pro rata shares, from and against any and all liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions, judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements of any kind or nature whatsoever that may be imposed on, incurred by, or asserted against any Agent in any way relating to or arising out of this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any action taken or omitted to be taken by any Agent in connection therewith; provided, that no Lender shall be liable for any portion of such liabilities, obligations, losses, damages, penalties, actions,

judgments, suits, costs, expenses or disbursements resulting from such Agent’s gross negligence or willful misconduct as determined by a final and nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(n) Relation among Lenders. The Lenders are not partners or co-venturers, and no Lender shall be liable for the acts or omissions of, or (except as otherwise set forth herein in case of the Agents) authorized to act for, any other Lender.

(o) Defaulting Lenders. Notwithstanding the provisions of Section 2.14 hereof, the Administrative Agent shall not be obligated to transfer to a Defaulting Lender any payments made by the Borrowers to the Administrative Agent for the Defaulting Lender’s benefit or any proceeds of Collateral that would otherwise be remitted hereunder to the Defaulting Lender, and, in the absence of such transfer to the Defaulting Lender, the Administrative Agent shall transfer any such payments (i) first, to the Swing Line Lender to the extent of any Swing Line Loans that were made by the Swing Line Lender and that were required to be, but were not, paid by the Defaulting Lender, (ii) second, to the L/C Issuer, to the extent of the portion of a Letter of Credit Disbursement that was required to be, but was not, paid by the Defaulting Lender, (iii) third, to each Non-Defaulting Lender ratably in accordance with its Commitments (but, in each case, only to the extent that such Defaulting Lender’s portion of a Loan (or other funding obligation) was funded by such Non-Defaulting Lender), (iv) to the Cash Collateral Account, the proceeds of which shall be retained by the Administrative Agent and may be made available to be re-advanced to or for the benefit of the Borrowers (upon the request of the Lead Borrower and subject to the conditions set forth in Section 4.02) as if such Defaulting Lender had made its portion of the Loans (or other funding obligations) hereunder, and (v) from and after the date on which all other Obligations have been paid in full, to such Defaulting Lender. Subject to the foregoing, the Administrative Agent may hold and, in its discretion, re-lend to the Borrowers for the account of such Defaulting Lender the amount of all such payments received and retained by the Administrative Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender. Solely for the purposes of voting or consenting to matters with respect to the Loan Documents (including the calculation of Applicable Percentages in connection therewith) and for the purpose of calculating the fee payable under Section 2.09(a), such Defaulting Lender shall be deemed not to be a “Lender” and such Lender’s Commitment shall be deemed to be zero; provided, that the foregoing shall not apply to any of the matters governed by Section 10.01(a) through (c). The provisions of this Section 9.15 shall remain effective with respect to such Defaulting Lender until the earlier of (y) the date on which all of the Non-Defaulting Lenders, the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, and the Borrowers shall have waived, in writing, the application of this Section 9.15 to such Defaulting Lender, or (z) the date on which such Defaulting Lender pays to the Administrative Agent all amounts owing by such Defaulting Lender in respect of the amounts that it was obligated to fund hereunder, and, if requested by the Administrative Agent, provides adequate assurance of its ability to perform its future obligations hereunder (on which earlier date, so long as no Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, any remaining cash collateral held by the Administrative Agent pursuant to Section 9.15(b) shall be released to the Borrowers). The operation of this Section 9.15 shall not be construed to increase or otherwise affect the Commitment of any Lender, to relieve or excuse the performance by such Defaulting Lender or any other Lender of its duties and obligations hereunder, or to relieve or excuse the performance by any Borrower of its duties and obligations hereunder to the Administrative Agent, the L/C Issuer, the Swing Line

Lender, or to the Lenders other than such Defaulting Lender. Any failure by a Defaulting Lender to fund amounts that it was obligated to fund hereunder shall constitute a material breach by such Defaulting Lender of this Agreement and shall entitle the Borrowers, at their option, upon written notice to the Administrative Agent, to arrange for a substitute Lender to assume the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender, such substitute Lender to be reasonably acceptable to the Administrative Agent. In connection with the arrangement of such a substitute Lender, the Defaulting Lender shall have no right to refuse to be replaced hereunder, and agrees to execute and deliver a completed form of Assignment and Assumption in favor of the substitute Lender (and agrees that it shall be deemed to have executed and delivered such document if it fails to do so) subject only to being paid its share of the outstanding Obligations (other than any Other Liabilities, but including (1) all interest, fees (except any Commitment Fees or Letter of Credit Fees not due to such Defaulting Lender in accordance with the terms of this Agreement), and other amounts that may be due and payable in respect thereof, and (2) an assumption of its Applicable Percentage of its participation in the Letters of Credit); provided, that any such assumption of the Commitment of such Defaulting Lender shall not be deemed to constitute a waiver of any of the Credit Parties’ or the Loan Parties’ rights or remedies against any such Defaulting Lender arising out of or in relation to such failure to fund. In the event of a direct conflict between the priority provisions of this Section 9.15 and any other provision contained in this Agreement or any other Loan Document, it is the intention of the parties hereto that such provisions be read together and construed, to the fullest extent possible, to be in concert with each other. In the event of any actual, irreconcilable conflict that cannot be resolved as aforesaid, the terms and provisions of this Section 9.15 shall control and govern.

(i) If any Swing Line Loan or Letter of Credit is outstanding at the time that a Lender becomes a Defaulting Lender then:

(1) such Defaulting Lender’s participation interest in any Swing Line Loan or Letter of Credit shall be reallocated among the Non-Defaulting Lenders in accordance with their respective Applicable Percentages but only to the extent (x) the Outstanding Amount sum of all Non-Defaulting Lenders’ Credit Extensions after giving effect to such reallocation does not exceed the total of all Non-Defaulting Lenders’ Commitments and (y) the conditions set forth in Section 4.02 are satisfied at such time;

(2) if the reallocation described in clause (b)(i) above cannot, or can only partially, be effected, the Borrowers shall within one Business Day following notice by the Administrative Agent (x) first, prepay such Defaulting Lender’s participation in any outstanding Swing Line Loans (after giving effect to any partial reallocation pursuant to clause (b)(i) above) and (y) second, cash collateralize such Defaulting Lender’s participation in Letters of Credit (after giving effect to any partial reallocation pursuant to clause (b)(i) above), pursuant to a cash collateral agreement to be entered into in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Administrative Agent, for so long as such L/C Obligations are outstanding; provided, that the Borrowers shall not be obligated to cash collateralize any Defaulting Lender’s participations in Letters of Credit if such Defaulting Lender is also the L/C Issuer;

(3) if the Borrowers cash collateralize any portion of such Defaulting Lender’s participation in Letters of Credit Exposure pursuant to this Section 9.15(b), the Borrowers shall not be required to pay any Letter of Credit Fees to the Administrative Agent for the account of such Defaulting Lender pursuant to Section 2.03 with respect to such cash collateralized portion of such Defaulting Lender’s participation in Letters of Credit during the period such participation is cash collateralized;

(4) to the extent the participation by any Non-Defaulting Lender in the Letters of Credit is reallocated pursuant to this Section 9.15(b), then the Letter of Credit Fees payable to the Non-Defaulting Lenders pursuant to Section 2.03 shall be adjusted in accordance with such reallocation;

(5) to the extent any Defaulting Lender’s participation in Letters of Credit is neither cash collateralized nor reallocated pursuant to this Section 9.15(b), then, without prejudice to any rights or remedies of the L/C Issuer or any Lender hereunder, all Letter of Credit Fees that would have otherwise been payable to such Defaulting Lender under Section 2.03 with respect to such portion of such participation shall instead be payable to the L/C Issuer until such portion of such Defaulting Lender’s participation is cash collateralized or reallocated;

(6) so long as any Lender is a Defaulting Lender, the Swing Line Lender shall not be required to make any Swing Line Loan and the L/C Issuer shall not be required to issue, amend, or increase any Letter of Credit, in each case, to the extent (x) the Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of such Swing Line Loans or Letter of Credit cannot be reallocated pursuant to this Section 9.15(b) or (y) the Swing Line Lender or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, has not otherwise entered into arrangements reasonably satisfactory to the Swing Line Lender or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, and the Borrowers to eliminate the Swing Line Lender’s or L/C Issuer’s risk with respect to the Defaulting Lender’s participation in Swing Line Loans or Letters of Credit; and

(7) The Administrative Agent may release any cash collateral provided by the Borrowers pursuant to this Section 9.15(b) to the L/C Issuer and the L/C Issuer may apply any such cash collateral (i) to the payment of such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of any Letter of Credit Disbursement that is not reimbursed by the Borrowers pursuant to Section 2.03 or (ii) to the funding of such Defaulting Lender’s Applicable Percentage of any Committed Loan deemed made pursuant to Section 2.03(d), as applicable.

18.
MISCELLANEOUS

(a) Amendments, Etc. No amendment or waiver of any provision of this Agreement or any other Loan Document, and no Consent to any departure by any Loan Party therefrom, shall be effective unless in writing signed by the Administrative Agent, with the Consent of the Required

Lenders, and the Lead Borrower or the applicable Loan Party, as the case may be, and acknowledged by the Administrative Agent, and each such waiver or Consent shall be effective only in the specific instance and for the specific purpose for which given; provided, however, that no such amendment, waiver or consent shall:

(x) extend or increase the Commitment of any Lender (or reinstate any Commitment terminated pursuant to Section 8.02) without the written Consent of such Lender;

(xi) postpone any date fixed by this Agreement or any other Loan Document for (i) any payment or mandatory prepayment of principal, interest, fees or other amounts due to the Lenders (or any of them) hereunder or under any of the other Loan Documents without the written Consent of each Lender entitled to such payment, or (ii) any scheduled or mandatory reduction of the Aggregate Commitments hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the written Consent of each Lender;

(xii) reduce the principal of, or the rate of interest specified herein on, any Loan, or (subject to clause (iv) of the second proviso to this Section 10.01) any fees or other amounts payable hereunder or under any other Loan Document, without the written Consent of each Lender entitled to such amount; provided, however, that only the Consent of the Required Lenders shall be necessary (i) to amend the definition of “Default Rate” or to waive any obligation of the Borrowers to pay interest or Letter of Credit Fees at the Default Rate;

(xiii) change Section 2.13 or Section 8.03 in a manner that would alter the pro rata sharing of payments required thereby without the written Consent of each Lender;

(xiv) change any provision of this Section or the definition of “Required Lenders”, or any other provision hereof specifying the number or percentage of Lenders required to amend, waive or otherwise modify any rights hereunder or make any determination or grant any consent hereunder, without the written Consent of each Lender;

(xv) except as expressly permitted hereunder or under any other Loan Document, release, or limit the liability of, any Loan Party without the written Consent of each Lender;

(xvi) except as provided in Section 2.15, increase the Aggregate Commitments without the written Consent of each Lender;

(xvii) except for Permitted Dispositions, release all or substantially all of the Collateral from the Liens of the Security Documents without the written Consent of each Lender;

(xviii) change the definition of the term “Borrowing Base” or any component definition thereof if as a result thereof the amounts available to be borrowed by the Borrowers would be increased without the written Consent of each Lender, provided that the foregoing

shall not limit the discretion of the Administrative Agent to change, establish or eliminate any Reserves;

(xix) modify the definition of Permitted Overadvance so as to increase the amount thereof or, except as provided in such definition, the time period for a Permitted Overadvance without the written Consent of each Lender; and

(xx) except as expressly permitted herein or in any other Loan Document, subordinate the Obligations hereunder or the Liens granted hereunder or under the other Loan Documents, to any other Indebtedness or Lien, as the case may be without the written Consent of each Lender;

and, provided further, that (i) no amendment, waiver or Consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the L/C Issuer in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the L/C Issuer under this Agreement or any Issuer Document relating to any Letter of Credit issued or to be issued by it; (ii) no amendment, waiver or Consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Swing Line Lender in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Swing Line Lender under this Agreement; (iii) no amendment, waiver or Consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Administrative Agent in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Administrative Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document; and (iv) no amendment, waiver or Consent shall, unless in writing and signed by the Collateral Agent in addition to the Lenders required above, affect the rights or duties of the Collateral Agent under this Agreement or any other Loan Document. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, no Defaulting Lender shall have any right to approve or disapprove any amendment, waiver or Consent hereunder, except that the Commitment of such Lender may not be increased or extended without the consent of such Lender.

If any Lender does not Consent (a “Non-Consenting Lender”) to a proposed amendment, waiver, consent or release with respect to any Loan Document that requires the Consent of each Lender and that has been approved by the Required Lenders, the Lead Borrower may replace such Non-Consenting Lender in accordance with Section 10.13; provided that such amendment, waiver, consent or release can be effected as a result of the assignment contemplated by such Section (together with all other such assignments required by the Lead Borrower to be made pursuant to this paragraph).

(b) Notices; Effectiveness; Electronic Communications.

(vii) Notices Generally. Except in the case of notices and other communications expressly permitted to be given by telephone (and except as provided in subsection (b) below), all notices and other communications provided for herein shall be in writing and shall be delivered by hand or overnight courier service, mailed by certified or registered mail or sent by telecopier as follows, and all notices and other communications expressly permitted hereunder to be given by telephone shall be made to the applicable telephone number, as follows:

(9) if to the Loan Parties, the Agents, the L/C Issuer or the Swing Line Lender, to the address, telecopier number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified for such Person on Schedule 10.02; and

(10) if to any other Lender, to the address, telecopier number, electronic mail address or telephone number specified in its Administrative Questionnaire.

Notices sent by hand or overnight courier service, or mailed by certified or registered mail, shall be deemed to have been given when received; notices sent by telecopier shall be deemed to have been given when sent (except that, if not given during normal business hours for the recipient, shall be deemed to have been given at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient). Notices delivered through electronic communications to the extent provided in subsection (b) below, shall be effective as provided in such subsection (b).

(viii) Electronic Communications. Notices and other communications to the Lenders and the L/C Issuer hereunder may be delivered or furnished by electronic communication (including e‑mail and Internet or intranet websites) pursuant to procedures approved by the Administrative Agent, provided that the foregoing shall not apply to notices to any Lender or the L/C Issuer pursuant to Article II if such Lender or the L/C Issuer, as applicable, has notified the Administrative Agent that it is incapable of receiving notices under such Article by electronic communication. The Administrative Agent or the Lead Borrower may, in its discretion, agree to accept notices and other communications to it hereunder by electronic communications pursuant to procedures approved by it, provided that approval of such procedures may be limited to particular notices or communications.

Unless the Administrative Agent otherwise prescribes, (i) notices and other communications sent to an e-mail address shall be deemed received upon the sender’s receipt of an acknowledgement from the intended recipient (such as by the “return receipt requested” function, as available, return e-mail or other written acknowledgement), provided that if such notice or other communication is not sent during the normal business hours of the recipient, such notice or communication shall be deemed to have been sent at the opening of business on the next Business Day for the recipient, and (ii) notices or communications posted to an Internet or intranet website shall be deemed received upon the deemed receipt by the intended recipient at its e-mail address as described in the foregoing clause (i) of notification that such notice or communication is available and identifying the website address therefor.

(ix) Change of Address, Etc. Each of the Loan Parties, the Agents, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender may change its address, telecopier or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the other parties hereto. Each other Lender may change its address, telecopier or telephone number for notices and other communications hereunder by notice to the Lead Borrower, the Agents, the L/C Issuer and the Swing Line Lender. In addition, each Lender agrees to notify the Administrative Agent from time to time to ensure that the Administrative Agent has on record (i) an effective address, contact name, telephone number, telecopier number and electronic mail address to which notices and other communications may be sent and (ii) accurate wire instructions for such Lender.

(x) Reliance by Agents, L/C Issuer and Lenders. The Agents, the L/C Issuer and the Lenders shall be entitled to rely and act upon any notices (including telephonic Committed Loan Notices and Swing Line Loan Notices) purportedly given by or on behalf of the Loan Parties even if (i) such notices were not made in a manner specified herein, were incomplete or were not preceded or followed by any other form of notice specified herein, or (ii) the terms thereof, as understood by the recipient, varied from any confirmation thereof. The Loan Parties shall indemnify the Agents, the L/C Issuer, each Lender and the Related Parties of each of them from all losses, costs, expenses and liabilities resulting from the reliance by such Person on each notice purportedly given by or on behalf of the Loan Parties. All telephonic notices to and other telephonic communications with the Agents may be recorded by the Agents, and each of the parties hereto hereby consents to such recording.

(c) No Waiver; Cumulative Remedies. No failure by any Credit Party to exercise, and no delay by any such Person in exercising, any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder shall operate as a waiver thereof; nor shall any single or partial exercise of any right, remedy, power or privilege hereunder or under any other Loan Document preclude any other or further exercise thereof or the exercise of any other right, remedy, power or privilege. The rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided herein and in the other Loan Documents are cumulative and not exclusive of any rights, remedies, powers and privileges provided by law. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the making of a Loan or issuance of a Letter of Credit shall not be construed as a waiver of any Default, regardless of whether any Credit Party may have had notice or knowledge of such Default at the time.

(d) Expenses; Indemnity; Damage Waiver.

(ix) Costs and Expenses. The Borrowers shall pay all Credit Party Expenses.

(x) Indemnification by the Loan Parties. The Loan Parties shall indemnify the Agents (and any sub-agent thereof), each other Credit Party, and each Related Party of any of the foregoing Persons (each such Person being called an “Indemnitee”) against, and hold each Indemnitee harmless from, any and all losses, claims, damages, liabilities and related expenses (including the reasonable fees, charges and disbursements of any counsel for any Indemnitee), incurred by any Indemnitee or asserted against any Indemnitee by any third party or by the Borrowers or any other Loan Party arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of (i) the execution or delivery of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby, the performance by the parties hereto of their respective obligations hereunder or thereunder or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or, in the case of the Agents (and any sub-agents thereof) and their Related Parties only, the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents, (ii) any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use or proposed use of the proceeds therefrom (including any refusal by the L/C Issuer to honor a demand for payment under a Letter of Credit if the documents presented in connection with such demand do not strictly comply with the terms of such Letter of Credit), any bank advising or confirming a Letter of Credit or any other nominated person with respect to a Letter of Credit seeking to be reimbursed or indemnified or compensated, and any third party seeking to enforce the

rights of a Borrower, beneficiary, nominated person, transferee, assignee of Letter of Credit proceeds, or holder of an instrument or document related to any Letter of Credit), (iii) any actual or alleged presence or release of Hazardous Materials on or from any property owned or operated by any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, or any Environmental Liability related in any way to any Loan Party or any of its Subsidiaries, (iv) any claims of, or amounts paid by any Credit Party to, a Blocked Account Bank or other Person which has entered into a control agreement with any Credit Party hereunder, or (v) any actual or prospective claim, litigation, investigation or proceeding relating to any of the foregoing, whether based on contract, tort or any other theory, whether brought by a third party or by any Borrower or any other Loan Party or any of the Loan Parties’ directors, shareholders or creditors, and regardless of whether any Indemnitee is a party thereto, in all cases, whether or not caused by or arising, in whole or in part, out of the comparative, contributory or sole negligence of the Indemnitee; provided that such indemnity shall not, as to any Indemnitee, be available to the extent that such losses, claims, damages, liabilities or related expenses (x) are determined by a court of competent jurisdiction by final and nonappealable judgment to have resulted from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee or any of its Related Parties or (y) result from a claim brought by a Borrower or any other Loan Party against an Indemnitee for breach in bad faith of such Indemnitee’s obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document, if the Borrowers or such Loan Party has obtained a final and nonappealable judgment in its favor on such claim as determined by a court of competent jurisdiction.

(xi) Reimbursement by Lenders. To the extent that the Loan Parties for any reason fail to indefeasibly pay any amount required under subsection (a) or (b) of this Section to be paid by it, each Lender severally agrees to pay to the Agents (or any such sub-agent), the L/C Issuer or such Related Party, as the case may be, such Lender’s Applicable Percentage (determined as of the time that the applicable unreimbursed expense or indemnity payment is sought) of such unpaid amount, provided that the unreimbursed expense or indemnified loss, claim, damage, liability or related expense, as the case may be, was incurred by or asserted against the Agents (or any such sub-agent) or the L/C Issuer in its capacity as such, or against any Related Party of any of the foregoing acting for the Agents (or any such sub-agent) or L/C Issuer in connection with such capacity. The obligations of the Lenders under this subsection (c) are subject to the provisions of Section 2.12(c).

(xii) Waiver of Consequential Damages, Etc. To the fullest extent permitted by applicable Law, the Loan Parties shall not assert, and hereby waive, any claim against any Indemnitee, on any theory of liability, for special, indirect, consequential or punitive damages (as opposed to direct or actual damages) arising out of, in connection with, or as a result of, this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby, the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, any Loan or Letter of Credit or the use of the proceeds thereof. No Indemnitee shall be liable for any damages arising from the use by unintended recipients of any information or other materials distributed to such unintended recipients by such Indemnitee through telecommunications, electronic or other information transmission systems in connection with this Agreement or the other Loan Documents or the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby other than for direct or actual

damages resulting from the gross negligence or willful misconduct of such Indemnitee as determined by a final and nonappealable judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.

(xiii) Payments. All amounts due under this Section shall be payable not later than ten Business Days after demand therefor.

(xiv) Survival. The agreements in this Section shall survive the resignation of any Agent and the L/C Issuer, the assignment of any Commitment or Loan by any Lender, the replacement of any Lender, the termination of the Aggregate Commitments and the repayment, satisfaction or discharge of all the other Obligations.

(e) Payments Set Aside. To the extent that any payment by or on behalf of the Loan Parties is made to any Credit Party, or any Credit Party exercises its right of setoff, and such payment or the proceeds of such setoff or any part thereof is subsequently invalidated, declared to be fraudulent or preferential, set aside or required (including pursuant to any settlement entered into by such Credit Party in its discretion) to be repaid to a trustee, receiver or any other party, in connection with any proceeding under any Debtor Relief Law or otherwise, then (a) to the extent of such recovery, the obligation or part thereof originally intended to be satisfied shall be revived and continued in full force and effect as if such payment had not been made or such setoff had not occurred, and (b) each Lender and the L/C Issuer severally agrees to pay to the Agents upon demand its applicable share (without duplication) of any amount so recovered from or repaid by the Agents, plus interest thereon from the date of such demand to the date such payment is made at a rate per annum equal to the Federal Funds Rate from time to time in effect. The obligations of the Lenders and the L/C Issuer under clause (b) of the preceding sentence shall survive the payment in full of the Obligations and the termination of this Agreement.

(f) Successors and Assigns.

(v) Successors and Assigns Generally. The provisions of this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, except that no Loan Party may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder or under any other Loan Document without the prior written Consent of the Administrative Agent and each Lender and no Lender may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights or obligations hereunder except (i) to an Eligible Assignee in accordance with the provisions of Section 10.06(b), (ii) by way of participation in accordance with the provisions of subsection Section 10.06(d), or (iii) by way of pledge or assignment of a security interest subject to the restrictions of Section 10.06(f) (and any other attempted assignment or transfer by any party hereto shall be null and void). Nothing in this Agreement, expressed or implied, shall be construed to confer upon any Person (other than the parties hereto, their respective successors and assigns permitted hereby, Participants to the extent provided in subsection (d) of this Section and, to the extent expressly contemplated hereby, the Related Parties of each of the Credit Parties) any legal or equitable right, remedy or claim under or by reason of this Agreement.

(vi) Assignments by Lenders. Any Lender may at any time assign to one or more Eligible Assignees all or a portion of its rights and obligations under this Agreement

(including all or a portion of its Commitment(s) and the Loans (including for purposes of this Section 10.06(b), participations in L/C Obligations and Swing Line Loans) at the time owing to it); provided that any such assignment shall be subject to the following conditions:

(3) Minimum Amounts.

(A) in the case of an assignment of the entire remaining amount of the assigning Lender’s Commitment and the Loans at the time owing to it or in the case of an assignment to a Lender or an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund with respect to a Lender, no minimum amount need be assigned; and

(B) in any case not described in subsection (b)(i)(A) of this Section, the aggregate amount of the Commitment (which for this purpose includes Loans outstanding thereunder) or, if the Commitment is not then in effect, the principal outstanding balance of the Loans of the assigning Lender subject to each such assignment, determined as of the date the Assignment and Assumption with respect to such assignment is delivered to the Administrative Agent or, if “Trade Date” is specified in the Assignment and Assumption, as of the Trade Date, shall not be less than $5,000,000 unless the Administrative Agent consents (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed); provided, however, that concurrent assignments to members of an Assignee Group and concurrent assignments from members of an Assignee Group to a single Eligible Assignee (or to an Eligible Assignee and members of its Assignee Group) will be treated as a single assignment for purposes of determining whether such minimum amount has been met;

(4) Proportionate Amounts. Each partial assignment shall be made as an assignment of a proportionate part of all the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement with respect to the Loans or the Commitment assigned, except that this clause (ii) shall not apply to the Swing Line Lender’s rights and obligations in respect of Swing Line Loans;

(5) Required Consents. The following consents shall be required for the assignments described below in this Section 10.06(b)(iii):

(A) the consent of the Lead Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required unless (1) an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing at the time of such assignment, (2) such assignment is in connection with any merger, consolidation, sale, transfer or other disposition of all or any substantial portion of the business or loan portfolio of the assigning Lender, or (3) such assignment is to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund; and

(B) the consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required unless (1) such assignment is in connection with any merger, consolidation, sale, transfer or other disposition of all or any substantial portion of the business or loan portfolio of the assigning

Lender, or (2) such assignment is to a Lender, an Affiliate of a Lender or an Approved Fund;

(C) the consent of the L/C Issuer (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required for any assignment that increases the obligation of the assignee to participate in exposure under one or more Letters of Credit (whether or not then outstanding); and

(D) the consent of the Swing Line Lender (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) shall be required for any assignment in respect of the assignment of any Commitment.

(6) Assignment and Assumption. The parties to each assignment shall execute and deliver to the Administrative Agent an Assignment and Assumption, together with a processing and recordation fee of $5,000; provided, however, that the Administrative Agent may, in its sole discretion, elect to waive such processing and recordation fee in the case of any assignment. The assignee, if it shall not be a Lender, shall deliver to the Administrative Agent an Administrative Questionnaire.

Subject to acceptance and recording thereof by the Administrative Agent pursuant to subsection (c) of this Section, from and after the effective date specified in each Assignment and Assumption, the Eligible Assignee thereunder shall be a party to this Agreement and, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, have the rights and obligations of a Lender under this Agreement, and the assigning Lender thereunder shall, to the extent of the interest assigned by such Assignment and Assumption, be released from its obligations under this Agreement (and, in the case of an Assignment and Assumption covering all of the assigning Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement, such Lender shall cease to be a party hereto) but shall continue to be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04, 3.05, and 10.04 with respect to facts and circumstances occurring prior to the effective date of such assignment. Upon request, the Borrowers (at their expense) shall execute and deliver a Note to the assignee Lender. Any assignment or transfer by a Lender of rights or obligations under this Agreement that does not comply with this subsection shall be treated for purposes of this Agreement as a sale by such Lender of a participation in such rights and obligations in accordance with Section 10.06(d).

(vii) Register. The Administrative Agent, acting solely for this purpose as an agent of the Borrowers, shall maintain at the Administrative Agent’s Office a copy of each Assignment and Assumption delivered to it and a register for the recordation of the names and addresses of the Lenders, and the Commitments of, and principal amounts of the Loans and L/C Obligations owing to, each Lender pursuant to the terms hereof from time to time (the “Register”). The entries in the Register shall be conclusive, absent manifest error, and the Loan Parties, the Administrative Agent and the Lenders may treat each Person whose name is recorded in the Register pursuant to the terms hereof as a Lender hereunder for all purposes of this Agreement, notwithstanding notice to the contrary. The Register shall be available for inspection by the Lead Borrower and any Lender at any reasonable time and from time to time upon reasonable prior notice.

(viii) Participations. Any Lender may at any time, with the written consent of the Administrative Agent (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed) and, unless an Event of Default has occurred and is continuing, the Lead Borrower (such consent not to be unreasonably withheld or delayed), sell participations to any Person (other than a natural person or the Loan Parties or any of the Loan Parties’ Affiliates or Subsidiaries) (each, a “Participant”) in all or a portion of such Lender’s rights and/or obligations under this Agreement (including all or a portion of its Commitment and/or the Loans (including such Lender’s participations in L/C Obligations and/or Swing Line Loans) owing to it); provided that (i) such Lender’s obligations under this Agreement shall remain unchanged, (ii) such Lender shall remain solely responsible to the other parties hereto for the performance of such obligations, and (iii) the Loan Parties, the Agents, the Lenders and the L/C Issuer shall continue to deal solely and directly with such Lender in connection with such Lender’s rights and obligations under this Agreement. Any Participant shall agree in writing to comply with all confidentiality obligations set forth in Section 10.07 as if such Participant was a Lender hereunder.

Any agreement or instrument pursuant to which a Lender sells such a participation shall provide that such Lender shall retain the sole right to enforce this Agreement and to approve any amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Agreement; provided that such agreement or instrument may provide that such Lender will not, without the consent of the Participant, agree to any amendment, waiver or other modification described in the first proviso to Section 10.01 that affects such Participant. Subject to subsection (e) of this Section, the Loan Parties agree that each Participant shall be entitled to the benefits of Sections 3.01, 3.04 and 3.05 to the same extent as if it were a Lender and had acquired its interest by assignment pursuant to Section 10.06(b). To the extent permitted by law, each Participant also shall be entitled to the benefits of Section 10.08 as though it were a Lender, provided that such Participant agrees to be subject to Section 2.13 as though it were a Lender.

(ix) Limitations upon Participant Rights. A Participant shall not be entitled to receive any greater payment under Section 3.01 or 3.04 than the applicable Lender would have been entitled to receive with respect to the participation sold to such Participant, unless the sale of the participation to such Participant is made with the Lead Borrower’s prior written consent. A Participant that would be a Foreign Lender if it were a Lender shall not be entitled to the benefits of Section 3.01 unless the Lead Borrower is notified of the participation sold to such Participant and such Participant agrees, for the benefit of the Loan Parties, to comply with Section 3.01(e) as though it were a Lender.

(x) Certain Pledges. Any Lender may at any time pledge or assign a security interest in all or any portion of its rights under this Agreement (including under its Note, if any) to secure obligations of such Lender, including any pledge or assignment to secure obligations to a Federal Reserve Bank; provided that no such pledge or assignment shall release such Lender from any of its obligations hereunder or substitute any such pledgee or assignee for such Lender as a party hereto.

(xi) Electronic Execution of Assignments. The words “execution,” “signed,” “signature,” and words of like import in any Assignment and Assumption shall be deemed to include electronic signatures or the keeping of records in electronic form, each of which shall be of the same legal effect, validity or enforceability as a manually executed signature or the use of a paper-based recordkeeping system, as the case may be, to the extent and as provided for in any applicable law, including the Federal Electronic Signatures in Global and National Commerce Act, the New York State Electronic Signatures and Records Act, or any other similar state laws based on the Uniform Electronic Transactions Act.

(xii) Resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender after Assignment. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained herein, if at any time any Lender acting as L/C Issuer and/or Swing Line Lender assigns all of its Commitment and Loans pursuant to subsection (b) above, (i) such Lender shall, upon 30 days’ notice to the Lead Borrower and the Lenders, resign as L/C Issuer, if applicable, and/or (ii) such Lender shall, upon 30 days’ notice to the Lead Borrower, resign as Swing Line Lender, if applicable. In the event of any such resignation as L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, the Lead Borrower shall be entitled to appoint from among the Lenders a successor L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender hereunder; provided, however, that no failure by the Lead Borrower to appoint any such successor shall affect the resignation of such Lender as L/C Issuer and/or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be. If any Lender resigns as L/C Issuer, it shall retain all the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the L/C Issuer hereunder with respect to all Letters of Credit outstanding as of the effective date of its resignation as L/C Issuer and all L/C Obligations with respect thereto (including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans pursuant to Section 2.03(e)). If any Lender resigns as Swing Line Lender, it shall retain all the rights of the Swing Line Lender provided for hereunder with respect to Swing Line Loans made by it and outstanding as of the effective date of such resignation, including the right to require the Lenders to make Base Rate Loans or fund risk participations in outstanding Swing Line Loans pursuant to Section 2.04(c). Upon the appointment of a successor L/C Issuer and/or Swing Line Lender, (a) such successor shall succeed to and become vested with all of the rights, powers, privileges and duties of the retiring L/C Issuer or Swing Line Lender, as the case may be, and (b) the successor L/C Issuer shall issue letters of credit in substitution for the Letters of Credit, if any, outstanding at the time of such succession or make other arrangements satisfactory to the resigning L/C Issuer to effectively assume the obligations of the resigning L/C Issuer with respect to such Letters of Credit.

(g) Treatment of Certain Information; Confidentiality. Each of the Credit Parties agrees to maintain the confidentiality of the Information (as defined below), except that Information may be disclosed (a) to its Affiliates and to its and its Affiliates’ respective partners, directors, officers, employees, agents, advisors and representatives in connection with, or as a result of, the performance by such Credit Party or its Affiliates of their respective obligations under this Agreement or any other Loan Document or any agreement or instrument contemplated hereby or thereby or the consummation of the transactions contemplated hereby or thereby, or, in the case of the Agents (and any sub-agents thereof) and their Related Parties only, the administration of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents (it being understood that the Persons to whom such disclosure is made will be informed of the confidential nature of such Information and instructed to keep such Information

confidential), (b) to the extent requested by any regulatory authority purporting to have jurisdiction over it (including any self-regulatory authority, such as the National Association of Insurance Commissioners), (c) to the extent required by applicable Laws or regulations or by any subpoena or similar legal process, (d) to any other party hereto, (e) in connection with the exercise of any remedies hereunder or under any other Loan Document or any action or proceeding relating to this Agreement or any other Loan Document or the enforcement of rights hereunder or thereunder, (f) subject to an agreement containing provisions substantially the same as those of this Section, to (i) any assignee of or Participant in, or any prospective assignee of or Participant in, any of its rights or obligations under this Agreement or (ii) any actual or prospective counterparty (or its advisors) to any swap or derivative transaction relating to any Loan Party and its obligations, (g) with the consent of the Lead Borrower or (h) to the extent such Information (x) becomes publicly available other than as a result of a breach of this Section or (y) becomes available to any Credit Party or any of their respective Affiliates on a nonconfidential basis from a source other than the Loan Parties.

For purposes of this Section, “Information” means all information received from the Loan Parties or any Subsidiary thereof relating to the Loan Parties or any Subsidiary thereof or their respective businesses, other than any such information that is available to any Credit Party on a nonconfidential basis prior to disclosure by the Loan Parties or any Subsidiary thereof. Any Person required to maintain the confidentiality of Information as provided in this Section shall be considered to have complied with its obligation to do so if such Person has exercised the same degree of care to maintain the confidentiality of such Information as such Person would accord to its own confidential information.

Each of the Credit Parties acknowledges that (a) the Information may include material non-public information concerning the Loan Parties or a Subsidiary, as the case may be, (b) it has developed compliance procedures regarding the use of material non-public information and (c) it will handle such material non-public information in accordance with applicable Law, including Federal and state securities Laws.

(h) Right of Setoff. If an Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing or if any Lender shall have been served with a trustee process or similar attachment relating to property of a Loan Party, each Lender, the L/C Issuer and each of their respective Affiliates is hereby authorized at any time and from time to time, after obtaining the prior written consent of the Administrative Agent or the Required Lenders, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, to set off and apply any and all deposits (general or special, time or demand, provisional or final, in whatever currency) at any time held and other obligations (in whatever currency) at any time owing by such Lender, the L/C Issuer or any such Affiliate to or for the credit or the account of the Borrowers or any other Loan Party against any and all of the Obligations now or hereafter existing under this Agreement or any other Loan Document to such Lender or the L/C Issuer, irrespective of whether or not such Lender or the L/C Issuer shall have made any demand under this Agreement or any other Loan Document and although such obligations of the Borrowers or such Loan Party may be contingent or unmatured or are owed to a branch or office of such Lender or the L/C Issuer different from the branch or office holding such deposit or obligated on such indebtedness. The rights of each Lender, the L/C Issuer and their respective Affiliates under this Section are in addition to other rights and remedies (including other rights of setoff) that such Lender, the L/C Issuer or their

respective Affiliates may have. Each Lender and the L/C Issuer (through the Administrative Agent) agrees to notify the Lead Borrower and the Administrative Agent promptly after any such setoff and application, provided that the failure to give such notice shall not affect the validity of such setoff and application.

(i) Interest Rate Limitation. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary contained in any Loan Document, the interest paid or agreed to be paid under the Loan Documents shall not exceed the maximum rate of non-usurious interest permitted by applicable Law (the “Maximum Rate”). If the Administrative Agent or any Lender shall receive interest in an amount that exceeds the Maximum Rate, the excess interest shall be applied to the principal of the Loans or, if it exceeds such unpaid principal, refunded to the Borrowers. In determining whether the interest contracted for, charged, or received by the Administrative Agent or a Lender exceeds the Maximum Rate, such Person may, to the extent permitted by applicable Law, (a) characterize any payment that is not principal as an expense, fee, or premium rather than interest, (b) exclude voluntary prepayments and the effects thereof, and (c) amortize, prorate, allocate, and spread in equal or unequal parts the total amount of interest throughout the contemplated term of the Obligations hereunder.

(j) Counterparts; Integration; Effectiveness. This Agreement may be executed in counterparts (and by different parties hereto in different counterparts), each of which shall constitute an original, but all of which when taken together shall constitute a single contract. This Agreement and the other Loan Documents constitute the entire contract among the parties relating to the subject matter hereof and supersede any and all previous agreements and understandings, oral or written, relating to the subject matter hereof. Except as provided in Section 4.01, this Agreement shall become effective when it shall have been executed by the Administrative Agent and when the Administrative Agent shall have received counterparts hereof that, when taken together, bear the signatures of each of the other parties hereto. Delivery of an executed counterpart of a signature page of this Agreement by telecopy shall be as effective as delivery of a manually executed counterpart of this Agreement.

(k) Survival. All representations and warranties made hereunder and in any other Loan Document or other document delivered pursuant hereto or thereto or in connection herewith or therewith shall survive the execution and delivery hereof and thereof. Such representations and warranties have been or will be relied upon by the Credit Parties, regardless of any investigation made by any Credit Party or on their behalf and notwithstanding that any Credit Party may have had notice or knowledge of any Default at the time of any Credit Extension, and shall continue in full force and effect as long as any Loan or any other Obligation hereunder shall remain unpaid or unsatisfied or any Letter of Credit shall remain outstanding. Further, the provisions of Sections 3.01, 3.04, 3.05 and 10.05 and Article IX shall survive and remain in full force and effect regardless of the repayment of the Obligations, the expiration or termination of the Letters of Credit and the Commitments or the termination of this Agreement or any provision hereof. In connection with the termination of this Agreement and the release and termination of the security interests in the Collateral, the Agents may require such indemnities and collateral security as they shall reasonably deem necessary or appropriate to protect the Credit Parties against (x) loss on account of credits previously applied to the Obligations that may subsequently be reversed or revoked, and (y) any obligations that may thereafter arise with respect to the Other Liabilities.

(l) Severability. If any provision of this Agreement or the other Loan Documents is held to be illegal, invalid or unenforceable, (a) the legality, validity and enforceability of the remaining provisions of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents shall not be affected or impaired thereby and (b) the parties shall endeavor in good faith negotiations to replace the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions with valid provisions the economic effect of which comes as close as possible to that of the illegal, invalid or unenforceable provisions. The invalidity of a provision in a particular jurisdiction shall not invalidate or render unenforceable such provision in any other jurisdiction.

(m) Replacement of Lenders. If any Lender requests compensation under Section 3.04, or if the Borrowers are required to pay any additional amount to any Lender or any Governmental Authority for the account of any Lender pursuant to Section 3.01, or if any Lender is a Defaulting Lender or a Non-Consenting Lender, then the Borrowers may, at their sole expense and effort, upon notice to such Lender and the Administrative Agent, require such Lender to assign and delegate, without recourse (in accordance with and subject to the restrictions contained in, and consents required by, Section 10.06), all of its interests, rights and obligations under this Agreement and the related Loan Documents to an assignee that shall assume such obligations (which assignee may be another Lender, if a Lender accepts such assignment), provided that:

(v) the Borrowers shall have paid to the Administrative Agent the assignment fee specified in Section 10.06(b);

(vi) such Lender shall have received payment of an amount equal to the outstanding principal of its Loans, accrued interest thereon, accrued fees and all other amounts payable to it hereunder and under the other Loan Documents (including any amounts under Section 3.05) from the assignee (to the extent of such outstanding principal and accrued interest and fees) or the Borrowers (in the case of all other amounts);

(vii) in the case of any such assignment resulting from a claim for compensation under Section 3.04 or payments required to be made pursuant to Section 3.01, such assignment will result in a reduction in such compensation or payments thereafter; and

(viii) such assignment does not conflict with applicable Laws.

A Lender shall not be required to make any such assignment or delegation if, prior thereto, as a result of a waiver by such Lender or otherwise, the circumstances entitling the Borrowers to require such assignment and delegation cease to apply.

(n) Governing Law; Jurisdiction; Etc.

(ii) GOVERNING LAW. THIS AGREEMENT SHALL BE GOVERNED BY, AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH, THE LAWS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK.

(iii) SUBMISSION TO JURISDICTION. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY SUBMITS, FOR ITSELF AND ITS

PROPERTY, TO THE NONEXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF THE COURTS OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SITTING IN NEW YORK COUNTY AND OF THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT OF THE SOUTHERN DISTRICT OF NEW YORK, AND ANY APPELLATE COURT FROM ANY THEREOF, IN ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT, OR FOR RECOGNITION OR ENFORCEMENT OF ANY JUDGMENT, AND EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY AGREES THAT ALL CLAIMS IN RESPECT OF ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING MAY BE HEARD AND DETERMINED IN SUCH NEW YORK STATE COURT OR, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, IN SUCH FEDERAL COURT. EACH OF THE PARTIES HERETO AGREES THAT A FINAL JUDGMENT IN ANY SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING SHALL BE CONCLUSIVE AND MAY BE ENFORCED IN OTHER JURISDICTIONS BY SUIT ON THE JUDGMENT OR IN ANY OTHER MANNER PROVIDED BY LAW. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT OR IN ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL AFFECT ANY RIGHT THAT ANY CREDIT PARTY HERETO MAY OTHERWISE HAVE TO BRING ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT AGAINST ANY LOAN PARTY OR ITS PROPERTIES IN THE COURTS OF ANY JURISDICTION.

(iv) WAIVER OF VENUE. EACH LOAN PARTY IRREVOCABLY AND UNCONDITIONALLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY OBJECTION THAT IT MAY NOW OR HEREAFTER HAVE TO THE LAYING OF VENUE OF ANY ACTION OR PROCEEDING ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT IN ANY COURT REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS SECTION. EACH OF THE LOAN PARTIES HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE DEFENSE OF AN INCONVENIENT FORUM TO THE MAINTENANCE OF SUCH ACTION OR PROCEEDING IN ANY SUCH COURT.

(v) SERVICE OF PROCESS. EACH PARTY HERETO IRREVOCABLY CONSENTS TO SERVICE OF PROCESS IN THE MANNER PROVIDED FOR NOTICES IN SECTION 10.02. NOTHING IN THIS AGREEMENT WILL AFFECT THE RIGHT OF ANY PARTY HERETO TO SERVE PROCESS IN ANY OTHER MANNER PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW.

(vi) ACTIONS COMMENCED BY LOAN PARTIES. EACH LOAN PARTY AGREES THAT ANY ACTION COMMENCED BY ANY LOAN PARTY ASSERTING ANY CLAIM OR COUNTERCLAIM ARISING UNDER OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT SHALL BE BROUGHT SOLELY IN A COURT OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK SITTING IN NEW YORK COUNTY OR ANY FEDERAL COURT SITTING THEREIN AS THE ADMINISTRATIVE AGENT MAY ELECT IN ITS SOLE DISCRETION AND

CONSENTS TO THE EXCLUSIVE JURISDICTION OF SUCH COURTS WITH RESPECT TO ANY SUCH ACTION.

(o) Waiver of Jury Trial. EACH PARTY HERETO HEREBY IRREVOCABLY WAIVES, TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, ANY RIGHT IT MAY HAVE TO A TRIAL BY JURY IN ANY LEGAL PROCEEDING DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY ARISING OUT OF OR RELATING TO THIS AGREEMENT OR ANY OTHER LOAN DOCUMENT OR THE TRANSACTIONS CONTEMPLATED HEREBY OR THEREBY (WHETHER BASED ON CONTRACT, TORT OR ANY OTHER THEORY). EACH PARTY HERETO (A) CERTIFIES THAT NO REPRESENTATIVE, AGENT OR ATTORNEY OF ANY OTHER PERSON HAS REPRESENTED, EXPRESSLY OR OTHERWISE, THAT SUCH OTHER PERSON WOULD NOT, IN THE EVENT OF LITIGATION, SEEK TO ENFORCE THE FOREGOING WAIVER AND (B) ACKNOWLEDGES THAT IT AND THE OTHER PARTIES HERETO HAVE BEEN INDUCED TO ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT AND THE OTHER LOAN DOCUMENTS BY, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE MUTUAL WAIVERS AND CERTIFICATIONS IN THIS SECTION.

(p) No Advisory or Fiduciary Responsibility. In connection with all aspects of each transaction contemplated hereby, the Loan Parties each acknowledge and agree that: (i) the credit facility provided for hereunder and any related arranging or other services in connection therewith (including in connection with any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or of any other Loan Document) are an arm’s-length commercial transaction between the Loan Parties, on the one hand, and the Credit Parties, on the other hand, and each of the Loan Parties is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated hereby and by the other Loan Documents (including any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or thereof); (ii) in connection with the process leading to such transaction, the each Credit Party is and has been acting solely as a principal and is not the financial advisor, agent or fiduciary, for the Loan Parties or any of their respective Affiliates, stockholders, creditors or employees or any other Person; (iii) none of the Credit Parties has assumed or will assume an advisory, agency or fiduciary responsibility in favor of the Loan Parties with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby or the process leading thereto, including with respect to any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or of any other Loan Document (irrespective of whether any of the Credit Parties has advised or is currently advising any Loan Party or any of its Affiliates on other matters) and none of the Credit Parties has any obligation to any Loan Party or any of its Affiliates with respect to the transactions contemplated hereby except those obligations expressly set forth herein and in the other Loan Documents; (iv) the Credit Parties and their respective Affiliates may be engaged in a broad range of transactions that involve interests that differ from those of the Loan Parties and their respective Affiliates, and none of the Credit Parties has any obligation to disclose any of such interests by virtue of any advisory, agency or fiduciary relationship; and (v) the Credit Parties have not provided and will not provide any legal, accounting, regulatory or tax advice with respect to any of the transactions contemplated hereby (including any amendment, waiver or other modification hereof or of any other Loan Document) and each of the Loan Parties has consulted its own legal, accounting, regulatory and tax advisors to the extent it has deemed appropriate. Each of the Loan Parties hereby waives and releases, to the fullest extent permitted

by law, any claims that it may have against each of the Credit Parties with respect to any breach or alleged breach of agency or fiduciary duty.

(q) USA PATRIOT Act Notice. Each Lender that is subject to the Act (as hereinafter defined) and the Administrative Agent (for itself and not on behalf of any Lender) hereby notifies the Loan Parties that pursuant to the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)) (the “Act”), it is required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies each Loan Party, which information includes the name and address of each Loan Party and other information that will allow such Lender or the Administrative Agent, as applicable, to identify each Loan Party in accordance with the Act. Each Loan Party is in compliance, in all material respects, with the Patriot Act. No part of the proceeds of the Loans will be used by the Loan Parties, directly or indirectly, for any payments to any governmental official or employee, political party, official of a political party, candidate for political office, or anyone else acting in an official capacity, in order to obtain, retain or direct business or obtain any improper advantage, in violation of the United States Foreign Corrupt Practices Act of 1977, as amended.

(r) Time of the Essence. Time is of the essence of the Loan Documents.

(s) Press Releases. Each Credit Party executing this Agreement agrees that neither it nor its Affiliates will in the future issue any press releases or other public disclosure using the name of Administrative Agent or its Affiliates or referring to this Agreement or the other Loan Documents without at least two (2) Business Days’ prior notice to Administrative Agent and without the prior written consent of Administrative Agent unless (and only to the extent that) such Credit Party or Affiliate is required to do so under Applicable Law and then, in any event, such Credit Party or Affiliate will consult with Administrative Agent before issuing such press release or other public disclosure. Each Loan Party consents to the publication by Administrative Agent or any Lender of advertising material relating to the financing transactions contemplated by this Agreement using any Loan Party’s name, product photographs, logo or trademark. Administrative Agent or such Lender shall provide a draft reasonably in advance of any advertising material to the Lead Borrower for review and comment prior to the publication thereof. Administrative Agent reserves the right to provide to industry trade organizations information necessary and customary for inclusion in league table measurements.

(t) Additional Waivers.

(i) The Obligations are the joint and several obligation of each Loan Party. To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, the obligations of each Loan Party shall not be affected by (i) the failure of any Credit Party to assert any claim or demand or to enforce or exercise any right or remedy against any other Loan Party under the provisions of this Agreement, any other Loan Document or otherwise, (ii) any rescission, waiver, amendment or modification of, or any release from any of the terms or provisions of, this Agreement or any other Loan Document, or (iii) the failure to perfect any security interest in, or the release of, any of the Collateral or other security held by or on behalf of the Collateral Agent or any other Credit Party.

(ii) The obligations of each Loan Party shall not be subject to any reduction, limitation, impairment or termination for any reason (other than the indefeasible payment in full in cash of the Obligations after the termination of the Commitments), including any claim of waiver, release, surrender, alteration or compromise of any of the Obligations, and shall not be subject to any defense or setoff, counterclaim, recoupment or termination whatsoever by reason of the invalidity, illegality or unenforceability of any of the Obligations or otherwise. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the obligations of each Loan Party hereunder shall not be discharged or impaired or otherwise affected by the failure of any Agent or any other Credit Party to assert any claim or demand or to enforce any remedy under this Agreement, any other Loan Document or any other agreement, by any waiver or modification of any provision of any thereof, any default, failure or delay, willful or otherwise, in the performance of any of the Obligations, or by any other act or omission that may or might in any manner or to any extent vary the risk of any Loan Party or that would otherwise operate as a discharge of any Loan Party as a matter of law or equity (other than the indefeasible payment in full in cash of all the Obligations after the termination of the Commitments).

(iii) To the fullest extent permitted by Applicable Law, each Loan Party waives any defense based on or arising out of any defense of any other Loan Party or the unenforceability of the Obligations or any part thereof from any cause, or the cessation from any cause of the liability of any other Loan Party, other than the indefeasible payment in full in cash of all the Obligations and the termination of the Commitments. After the occurrence and during the continuance of an Event of Default, the Collateral Agent and the other Credit Parties may, at their election, foreclose on any security held by one or more of them by one or more judicial or nonjudicial sales, accept an assignment of any such security in lieu of foreclosure, compromise or adjust any part of the Obligations, make any other accommodation with any other Loan Party, or exercise any other right or remedy available to them against any other Loan Party, without affecting or impairing in any way the liability of any Loan Party hereunder except to the extent that all the Obligations have been indefeasibly paid in full in cash and the Commitments have been terminated. Each Loan Party waives any defense arising out of any such election even though such election operates, pursuant to Applicable Law, to impair or to extinguish any right of reimbursement or subrogation or other right or remedy of such Loan Party against any other Loan Party, as the case may be, or any security.

(iv) Each Borrower is obligated to repay the Obligations as joint and several obligors under this Agreement. Upon payment by any Loan Party of any Obligations, all rights of such Loan Party against any other Loan Party arising as a result thereof by way of right of subrogation, contribution, reimbursement, indemnity or otherwise shall in all respects be subordinate and junior in right of payment to the prior indefeasible payment in full in cash of all the Obligations and the date that the Commitments have been terminated. In addition, any indebtedness of any Loan Party now or hereafter held by any other Loan Party is hereby subordinated in right of payment to the prior indefeasible payment in full of the Obligations and no Loan Party will demand, sue for or otherwise attempt to collect any such indebtedness. If any amount shall erroneously be paid to any Loan Party on account

of (i) such subrogation, contribution, reimbursement, indemnity or similar right or (ii) any such indebtedness of any Loan Party, such amount shall be held in trust for the benefit of the Credit Parties and shall forthwith be paid to the Administrative Agent to be credited against the payment of the Obligations, whether matured or unmatured, in accordance with the terms of this Agreement and the other Loan Documents. Subject to the foregoing, to the extent that any Borrower shall, under this Agreement as a joint and several obligor, repay any of the Obligations constituting Revolving Loans made to another Borrower hereunder or other Obligations incurred directly and primarily by any other Borrower (an “Accommodation Payment”), then the Borrower making such Accommodation Payment shall be entitled to contribution and indemnification from, and be reimbursed by, each of the other Borrowers in an amount, for each of such other Borrowers, equal to a fraction of such Accommodation Payment, the numerator of which fraction is such other Borrower’s Allocable Amount and the denominator of which is the sum of the Allocable Amounts of all of the Borrowers. As of any date of determination, the “Allocable Amount” of each Borrower shall be equal to the maximum amount of liability for Accommodation Payments which could be asserted against such Borrower hereunder without (a) rendering such Borrower “insolvent” within the meaning of Section 101 (31) of the Bankruptcy Code, Section 2 of the Uniform Fraudulent Transfer Act (“UFTA”) or Section 2 of the Uniform Fraudulent Conveyance Act (“UFCA”), (b) leaving such Borrower with unreasonably small capital or assets, within the meaning of Section 548 of the Bankruptcy Code, Section 4 of the UFTA, or Section 5 of the UFCA, or (c) leaving such Borrower unable to pay its debts as they become due within the meaning of Section 548 of the Bankruptcy Code or Section 4 of the UFTA, or Section 5 of the UFCA.

(u) No Strict Construction. The parties hereto have participated jointly in the negotiation and drafting of this Agreement. In the event an ambiguity or question of intent or interpretation arises, this Agreement shall be construed as if drafted jointly by the parties hereto and no presumption or burden of proof shall arise favoring or disfavoring any party by virtue of the authorship of any provisions of this Agreement.

(v) Foreign Asset Control Regulations. Neither of the advance of the Loans nor the use of the proceeds of any thereof will violate the Trading With the Enemy Act (50 U.S.C. § 1 et seq., as amended) (the “Trading With the Enemy Act”) or any of the foreign assets control regulations of the United States Treasury Department (31 CFR, Subtitle B, Chapter V, as amended) (the “Foreign Assets Control Regulations”) or any enabling legislation or executive order relating thereto (which for the avoidance of doubt shall include, but shall not be limited to (a) Executive Order 13224 of September 21, 2001 Blocking Property and Prohibiting Transactions With Persons Who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism (66 Fed. Reg. 49079 (2001)) (the “Executive Order”) and (b) the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (Public Law 107-56)). Furthermore, none of the Borrowers or their Affiliates (a) is or will become a “blocked person” as described in the Executive Order, the Trading With the Enemy Act or the Foreign Assets Control Regulations or (b) engages or will engage in any dealings or transactions, or be otherwise associated, with any such “blocked person” or in any manner violative of any such order

(w) Attachments. The exhibits, schedules and annexes attached to this Agreement are incorporated herein and shall be considered a part of this Agreement for the purposes stated herein, except that in the event of any conflict between any of the provisions of such exhibits and the provisions of this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall prevail.

(x) Intercreditor Agreement. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the exercise of any right or remedy by the Collateral Agent pursuant to this Agreement is subject to the provisions of the Intercreditor Agreement. In the event of any conflict between the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement and this Agreement, the terms of the Intercreditor Agreement shall govern and control.

(y) Keepwell.

Each Qualified ECP Guarantor hereby jointly and severally absolutely, unconditionally and irrevocably undertakes to provide such funds or other support as may be needed from time to time by each other Loan Party to honor all of its obligations under the Facility Guaranty in respect of Swap Obligations (provided, however, that each Qualified ECP Guarantor shall only be liable under this Section 10.25 for the maximum amount of such liability that can be hereby incurred without rendering its obligations under this Section 10.25, or otherwise under the Facility Guaranty, voidable under applicable Law relating to fraudulent conveyance or fraudulent transfer, and not for any greater amount). The obligations of each Qualified ECP Guarantor under this Section shall remain in full force and effect until payment in full of the Obligations. Each Qualified ECP Guarantor intends that this Section 10.25 constitute, and this Section 10.25 shall be deemed to constitute, a “keepwell, support, or other agreement” for the benefit of each other Loan Party for all purposes of Section 1a(18)(A)(v)(II) of the Commodity Exchange Act.

[SIGNATURE PAGES FOLLOW]

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties hereto have caused this Agreement to be duly executed as of the date first above written.

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC., as Lead Borrower and as a Borrower

By: ____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa

Title: Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE SERVICES COMPANY, LLC, as a Borrower

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa

Title: Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

THE CHILDRENSPLACE.COM, INC., as a Guarantor

By: ___________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa

Title: Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE INTERNATIONAL, LLC, as a Guarantor

By: ____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa

Title: Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE CANADA HOLDINGS, INC., as a Guarantor

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa

Title: Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

TCP IH II, LLC, as a Guarantor

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa

Title: Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

TCP INTERNATIONAL IP HOLDINGS, LLC, as a Guarantor

By: _____________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa

Title: Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

TCP INTERNATIONAL PRODUCT HOLDINGS, LLC, as a Guarantor

By: ___________________________

Name: Michael Scarpa

Title: Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer

WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION, as Administrative Agent, as Collateral Agent, as L/C Issuer, as Swing Line Lender and as a Lender

By: ________________________________
Name: Michele L. Ayou
Title: Authorized Officer

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A., as a Lender

By: ______________________________
Name: ___________________________
Title: ____________________________

HSBC BUSINESS CREDIT (USA) INC.,
as a Lender

By: ___________________________
Name: _________________________
Title: __________________________

JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A., as a Lender

By: ______________________________
Name: ____________________________
Title: _____________________________

SCHEDULE 2.01

Commitments and Applicable Percentages



Lender	Commitment	Applicable Percentage
Wells Fargo Bank, National Association	$87,708,334.00	43.900000000%
Bank of America, N.A.	$61,250,000.00	30.600000000%
HSBC Bank (USA), N.A.	$25,520,833.00	12.800000000%
JPMorgan Chase Bank, N.A.	$25,520,833.00	12.800000000%
TOTAL	$200,000,000.00	100.000000000%

PLCE-EX21.1-2.1.2014

EXHIBIT 21.1

THE CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

SUBSIDIARIES OF THE COMPANY

The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. has the following direct and indirect wholly-owned subsidiaries:

The Children’s Place (Hong Kong) Limited, a Hong Kong corporation

thechildrensplace.com, inc. a Delaware corporation

The Children’s Place International, LLC, a Virginia limited liability company

TCP Canada, Inc., a Nova Scotia limited liability company

The Children’s Place Canada Holdings, Inc., a Delaware corporation

TCP Investment Canada I Corp., a Nova Scotia unlimited liability company

TCP Investment Canada II Corp., a Nova Scotia unlimited liability company

The Children’s Place (Canada), LP, an Ontario limited partnership

The Children’s Place (Barbados) Inc., a Barbados corporation

Twin Brook Insurance Company, Inc., an inactive New York insurance captive corporation

The Children’s Place Services Company, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company

The Children's Place Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd., a wholly foreign owned Shanghai trading company incorporated under the laws of the Peoples Republic of China

The Children's Place Asia Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong corporation

The Children's Place Hong Kong Holdings Limited, a Hong Kong corporation

The Children’s Place Mauritius Holdings Limited, a company incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Mauritius

The Children’s Place India Private Limited, a private company incorporated under the laws of India

The Children’s Place Bangladesh Ltd., a private company incorporated under the laws of Bangladesh

TCP IH I LLC, a Delaware limited liability company

TCP IH II LLC, a Delaware limited liability company

TCP Canada Holdings, LP, an Alberta limited partnership

TCP International Holdings, LP, an Alberta limited partnership

TCP International Financing SARL, a Luxembourg private limited liability company

TCP Global Holdings, SARL, a Luxembourg private limited liability company

TCP Global Sourcing Holdings, SARL, a Luxembourg private limited liability company

TCP (Gibraltar) Company Limited, a Gibraltar limited company

TCP International Product Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company

TCP International IP Holdings, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company

PLCE-EX23.1-2.1.2014

EXHIBIT 23.1

Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm

To the Stockholders and Board of Directors of

The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc.

Secaucus, New Jersey:

We hereby consent to the incorporation by reference in the Registration Statements on Form S3 (No. 333-88378) and Form S8 (No. 333-47065, 333-135211 and 333-85834) of The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries of our reports dated March 20, 2014, relating to the consolidated financial statements and financial statement schedule and the effectiveness of The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries’ internal control over financial reporting, which appear in this Form 10-K.

/S/ BDO USA, LLP

New York, NY

March 20, 2014

PLCE-EX31.1-2.1.2014

EXHIBIT 31.1

Certificate of Principal Executive Officer pursuant to

Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Jane T. Elfers, certify that:


1.	I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc.;


2.	Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;


3.	Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;


4.	The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:


(a)	Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;


(b)	Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;


(c)	Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and


(d)	Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and


5.	The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the registrant’s Board of Directors (or persons performing equivalent functions):


(a)	All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and


(b)	Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.



Date:	March 20, 2014	By:	/S/ JANE T. ELFERS
			JANE T. ELFERS
			Chief Executive Officer and President
			(Principal Executive Officer)

PLCE-EX31.2-2.1.2014

EXHIBIT 31.2

Certificate of Principal Accounting Officer pursuant to

Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

I, Michael Scarpa, certify that:


1.	I have reviewed this annual report on Form 10-K of The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc.;


2.	Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;


3.	Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;


4.	The registrant’s other certifying officers and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:


(a)	Designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;


(b)	Designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;


(c)	Evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and


(d)	Disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and


5.	The registrant’s other certifying officers and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the Audit Committee of the registrant’s Board of Directors (or persons performing equivalent functions):


(a)	All significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and


(b)	Any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.



Date:	March 20, 2014	By:	/S/ MICHAEL SCARPA
			MICHAEL SCARPA Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)

PLCE-EX32-2.1.2014

EXHIBIT 32

Certification pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant

to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.

I, Jane T. Elfers, Chief Executive Officer and President of The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, do hereby certify that to my knowledge:


1.	The Annual Report of the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended February 1, 2014 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and


2.	The information contained in such annual report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have executed this Certification this 20th day of March, 2014.



	By:	/S/ JANE T. ELFERS
		Chief Executive Officer and President (Principal Executive Officer)

I, Michael Scarpa, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer of The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. (the “Company”), pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, do hereby certify that to my knowledge:


1.	The Annual Report of the Company on Form 10-K for the year ended February 1, 2014 fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and


2.	The information contained in such annual report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have executed this Certification this 20th day of March, 2014.



	By:	/S/ MICHAEL SCARPA
		Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Accounting and Financial Officer)

This certification accompanies the Annual Report on Form 10-K of The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. for the year ended February 1, 2014 pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and shall not, except to the extent required by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, be deemed filed by the Company for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

A signed original copy of this written statement required by Section 906 of the Sarbanes Oxley Act of 2002 has been provided to the Company and will be retained by the Company and furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission and its staff upon request.