SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

FORM 10-Q

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (D)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For The Quarterly Period Ended May 1, 2004

Commission File Number 1-14770

PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC.

(785) 233-5171
(Registrant’s telephone number,
including area code)

     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 and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

YES [X] NO [   ]            

     Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934).

YES [X] NO [  ]            

     Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

Common Stock, $.01 par value
68,050,533 shares as of June 2, 2004

Table of Contents

PART I - FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1 - FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(UNAUDITED)

(dollars in millions)

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF EARNINGS
(UNAUDITED)

(dollars and shares in millions, except per share)

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(UNAUDITED)

(dollars in millions)

See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

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PAYLESS SHOESOURCE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1. INTERIM RESULTS. These unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements of Payless ShoeSource, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) have been prepared in accordance with the instructions to Form 10-Q of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and should be read in conjunction with the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements (pages 30-52) in the Company’s 2003 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted pursuant to such rules and regulations. In the opinion of management, the unaudited Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements are fairly presented and all adjustments (consisting only of normal recurring adjustments) necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods have been included; however, certain items are included in these statements based upon estimates for the entire year. During 2003, the Company changed the reporting period for its operations in the Central American and South American Regions to use a December 31 year-end. The Central American Region is composed of operations in Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama and Trinidad & Tobago. The South American Region is composed of operations in Chile, Ecuador and Peru. The effect of this one-month lag on the Company’s financial position and results of operations is not significant. The results for the three-month period ended May 1, 2004, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the entire fiscal year ending January 29, 2005.

NOTE 2. STOCK-BASED COMPENSATION. The Company follows the disclosure provisions of Statement of Financial Accounting Standards (“SFAS”) No. 148, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation - Transition and Disclosure, an amendment of FASB Statement No. 123.” The Statement requires prominent disclosures in both annual and interim financial statements regarding the method of accounting for stock-based employee compensation and the effect of the method used on reported results. The Company accounts for stock compensation awards under the intrinsic value method of Accounting Principles Board (“APB”) Opinion No. 25. APB Opinion No. 25 requires compensation cost to be recognized based on the excess, if any, between the quoted market price of the stock at the date of grant and the amount an employee must pay to acquire the stock. All options awarded under all of the Company’s plans are granted with an exercise price equal to the fair market value on the date of the grant.

SFAS 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation,” provides an alternative method of accounting for stock-based compensation, which establishes a fair value based method of accounting for employee stock options or similar equity instruments. The Company uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model to estimate the grant date fair value of its 1996 and later option grants. The fair value is recognized over the option vesting period. The following table presents the effect on net earnings and earnings per share had the Company adopted the fair value based method of accounting for stock-based compensation under SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation.”

(dollars in millions, except per share amounts)

NOTE 3. INVENTORIES. Merchandise inventories in our stores are valued by the retail method and are stated at the lower of cost, determined using the first-in, first-out (FIFO) basis, or market. Prior to shipment to a specific store, inventories are valued at the lower of cost using the FIFO basis, or market. Raw materials of $13.5 million, $13.7 million and $19.5 million are included in inventories in the condensed consolidated balance sheet at May 1, 2004, May 3, 2003, and January 31, 2004, respectively.

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NOTE 4. INTANGIBLES. The Company follows SFAS No. 142, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets.” SFAS No. 142 requires that an intangible asset that is acquired other than by business combination shall be initially recognized and measured based on its fair value. This Statement also provides that goodwill and indefinitely-lived intangible assets should not be amortized, but shall be tested for impairment annually, or more frequently if circumstances indicate potential impairment, through a comparison of fair value to its carrying amount. Intangible assets with finite lives will continue to be amortized over their useful lives. The Company assesses the fair value of its relevant reporting units annually. No impairment loss was recorded during the first quarter of 2004.

Favorable lease rights subject to amortization pursuant to SFAS 142 are as follows:

Amortization expense on intangible assets was as follows:

(dollars in millions)

The Company expects annual amortization expense for all intangible assets for the next five years to be as follows (in millions):

NOTE 5. LONG-TERM DEBT AND LINE OF CREDIT. In January 2004, the Company replaced its $150 million senior secured revolving credit facility with a new senior secured revolving credit facility. Funds borrowed under the new facility are secured by domestic merchandise inventory and receivables. The Company may borrow up to $200 million through the new revolving credit facility, subject to a sufficient borrowing base. The new revolving credit facility bears interest at the LIBOR rate, plus a variable margin of 1.25 percent to 2.0 percent, or the base rate defined in the credit agreement. The margin on the revolving credit facility varies based upon certain borrowing levels specified in the credit agreement. The variable interest rate including the applicable variable margin at May 1, 2004, was 2.4 percent. A quarterly commitment fee of 0.30 percent per annum is payable on the unborrowed balance. The new revolving credit facility is scheduled to expire in January 2008, with a one-year extension to January 2009 at the Company’s option. No amounts were drawn on the revolving credit facility as of May 1, 2004. Based on its borrowing base, the Company may borrow up to $200.0 million under its new revolving credit facility, less $16.1 million in outstanding letters of credit as of May 1, 2004.

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In July 2003, the Company sold $200.0 million of 8.25% Senior Subordinated Notes (the “Notes”) for $196.7 million, due 2013. The discount of $3.3 million is being amortized to interest expense over the life of the Notes. The Notes are guaranteed by all of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries. Interest on the Notes is payable semi-annually, beginning February 1, 2004. The Notes contain various covenants including those that may limit the Company’s ability to pay dividends, repurchase stock, accelerate the retirement of other subordinated debt or make certain investments. As of May 1, 2004, the Company is in compliance with all covenants. The proceeds of the Notes and additional general funds were used to repay the entire $200.0 million term loan portion of the Company’s previous credit facility. As of May 1, 2004, the fair value of the Notes is $196.0 million based on recent trading activity of the Notes. On or after August 1, 2008, the Company may, on any one or more occasions, redeem all or a part of the Notes at the redemption prices set forth below, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, on the Notes redeemed, to the applicable redemption date:

NOTE 6. PENSION PLAN. The Company has a nonqualified, supplementary defined benefit plan for certain management employees. The plan is an unfunded, noncontributory plan and provides for benefits based upon years of service and cash compensation during employment.

Pension expense is based on information provided to an outside actuarial firm that uses assumptions to estimate the total benefits ultimately payable to management employees and allocates this cost to service periods. The actuarial assumptions used to calculate pension expense are reviewed annually for reasonableness.

The components of net periodic benefit costs and actuarial assumptions for the plan were:

(dollars in millions)

NOTE 7. INCOME TAXES. The Company’s effective income tax rate was 36.5 percent in the first quarter of 2004 and 2003.

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NOTE 8. COMPREHENSIVE INCOME. The following table shows the computation of comprehensive income:

(dollars in millions)

The changes in the Company’s cumulative foreign currency translation adjustment were not adjusted for income taxes, as they relate to specific indefinite investments in foreign subsidiaries.

NOTE 9. EARNINGS PER SHARE. Basic earnings per share are computed by dividing net earnings by the weighted average number of shares of common stock outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per share include the effect of exercise of stock options.

NOTE 10. SEGMENT REPORTING. The Company and its subsidiaries are principally engaged in the operation of retail locations offering family footwear and accessories. The Company operates its business in two reportable business segments: Payless Domestic and Payless International. These segments have been determined based on internal management reporting and management responsibilities. The Payless Domestic segment includes retail operations in the United States, Guam and Saipan. The Payless International segment includes retail operations in Canada, the South American Region, the Central American Region, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Company’s operations in its Central American and South American Regions are operated as joint ventures in which the Company maintains a 60-percent ownership interest. Certain management costs for services performed by Payless Domestic and certain royalty fees and sourcing fees charged by Payless Domestic are allocated to the Payless International segment. These total costs and fees amounted to $3.7 million during the first quarter of 2004 and $4.3 million during the same period in 2003. During 2003, the Company changed the reporting period for its operations in the South American and Central American Regions to use a December 31 year-end. The effect of this one-month lag on the Company’s financial position and results of operations is not significant. Information on the segments is as follows:

(dollars in millions)

NOTE 11. RECLASSIFICATIONS. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior years’ balances to conform to the current year presentation.

NOTE 12. FOREIGN CURRENCY TRANSLATION. Local currencies are the functional currencies for all subsidiaries. Accordingly, assets and liabilities of foreign subsidiaries are translated at the rate of exchange at the balance sheet date. Adjustments from the translation process are accumulated as part of other comprehensive income and are included as a separate component of shareowners’ equity. The changes in foreign currency translation adjustments were not adjusted for income taxes since they relate to indefinite term investments in non-United States subsidiaries. Income and expense items of these subsidiaries are translated at average rates of exchange.

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NOTE 13. CONTINGENCIES. On or about December 20, 2001, a First Amended Complaint was filed against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, captioned Adidas America, Inc. and Adidas-Salomon AG v. Payless ShoeSource, Inc. The First Amended Complaint seeks injunctive relief and unspecified monetary damages for trademark and trade dress infringement, unfair competition, deceptive trade practices and breach of contract. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to claims asserted in the lawsuit and has filed an answer and a motion for summary judgment which the court granted in part. An estimate of the possible loss, if any, or the range of loss cannot be made.

On or about January 20, 2000, a complaint was filed against the Company in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Hampshire, captioned Howard J. Dananberg, D.P.M. v. Payless ShoeSource, Inc. The Complaint seeks injunctive relief, unspecified treble monetary damages, attorneys’ fees, interest and costs for patent infringement. The Company believes it has meritorious defenses to claims asserted in the lawsuit. An estimate of the possible loss, if any, or the range of loss cannot be made.

NOTE 14. IMPACT OF RECENTLY ISSUED ACCOUNTING STANDARDS. During May 2003, the FASB issued SFAS 150, “Accounting for Certain Financial Instruments with Characteristics of both Liabilities and Equity.” SFAS 150 clarifies the accounting for certain financial instruments with characteristics of both liabilities and equity and requires that those instruments be classified as liabilities in statements of financial position. SFAS 150 is effective for financial instruments entered into or modified after May 31, 2003, and otherwise is effective at the beginning of the first interim period beginning after June 15, 2003, except that certain provisions have been deferred pursuant to FASB Staff Position No. FAS 150-3. The application of SFAS 150-3 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements, and the adoption of SFAS 150 did not have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.

In December 2003, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 46R, “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities and Interpretation of ARB No. 51.” This interpretation, which replaces FASB Interpretation No. 46, “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities,” clarifies the application of Accounting Research Bulletin No. 51, “Consolidated Financial Statements,” to certain entities in which equity investors do not have the characteristics of a controlling financial interest or do not have sufficient equity at risk for the entity to finance its activities without additional subordinated financial support. This interpretation is required in financial statements for periods ending after March 15, 2004, for those companies that have yet to adopt the provisions of FIN 46. The application of FASB Interpretation No. 46R did not have a material impact on the Company’s condensed consolidated financial statements.

In January 2003, the FASB issued SFAS 132 (revised 2003), “Employers’ Disclosures about Pensions and Other Postretirement Benefits,” which retains all of the disclosures that are required by SFAS 132 and includes several additional disclosures. It also amends APB Opinion 28, “Interim Financial Reporting,” to require certain disclosures about pension and other postretirement benefit plans in interim financial statements. The provisions of SFAS 132 (revised 2003) are effective for fiscal years ending after June 15, 2004. The interim disclosure provisions are effective for interim periods beginning December 15, 2003. The Company has adopted the provisions of SFAS 132 (revised 2003) in the first quarter of fiscal year 2004.

NOTE 15. SUBSIDIARY GUARANTORS OF SENIOR NOTES – CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL INFORMATION. The Company has issued Notes guaranteed by certain of its subsidiaries (the “Guarantor Subsidiaries”). The Guarantor Subsidiaries are direct or indirect wholly owned domestic subsidiaries of the Company. The guarantees are full and unconditional, to the extent allowed by law, and joint and several.

The following supplemental financial information sets forth, on a consolidating basis, the statements of earnings and cash flows for the Company (the “Parent Company”), for the Guarantor Subsidiaries and for the Company’s non-guarantor subsidiaries (the “Non-guarantor Subsidiaries”) and total consolidated Payless ShoeSource, Inc. and subsidiaries for the thirteen-week periods ended May 1, 2004, and May 3, 2003, and the related condensed consolidating balanced sheets as of May 1, 2004, May 3, 2003, and January 31, 2004. The inter-company investment for each subsidiary is recorded by its parent in Other Assets.

The Non-guarantor Subsidiaries are made up of the Company’s retail operations in the Central American and South American Regions, Canada, Saipan, and Puerto Rico, and the Company’s sourcing organization in Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Indonesia and Brazil. During 2003, the Company changed the reporting period for its operations in the Central American and South American Regions to use a December 31 year-end. Stores in our Central American and South American Regions are included in our results on a one-month lag relative to results from other regions. The effect of this one-month lag on our financial position and results of operations is not significant.

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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
(UNAUDITED)
As of May 1, 2004

(dollars in millions)

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CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
(UNAUDITED)
As of May 3, 2003

(dollars in millions)