Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Leases

v3.22.0.1
Leases
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021
Leases [Abstract]  
Leases

14. Leases

Lessee

As of December 31, 2021, the Company leases 1,150 of the convenience stores that it operates, 161 independent dealer locations and certain office spaces used as its headquarters in the US, including land and buildings in certain cases. Most of the lease agreements are for long-term periods, ranging from 15 to 20 years, and generally include several renewal options for extension periods for five to 25 years each. Additionally, the Company leases certain store equipment, office equipment, automatic tank gauges, store lighting and fuel dispensers.

As of December 31, 2021, there are approximately 720 sites which are leased under 37 separate master lease agreements. Master leases with 10 lessors encompass a total of approximately 670 sites. Master leases with the same landlord contain cross-default provisions, in most cases. In most instances of leases of multiple stores from one landlord, each one under a separate lease agreement, the lease agreements contain cross-default provisions between all or some of the other lease agreements with the same landlord.

The lease agreements include lease payments that are set at the beginning of the lease, but which may increase by a specified increment or pursuant to a formula both during the course of the initial period and any additional option periods.

Some of the lease agreements include escalation clauses based on the consumer price index, and some of the lease agreements include an increase in the consumer price index coupled with a multiplier and a percentage increase cap effectively assures the cap will be reached each year. Lease payments determined as in-substance fixed payments are included in the lease payments used for the measurement of the lease liabilities. Some of the lease agreements include lease payments which are contingent upon petroleum and merchandise sales (these amounts were not material during the above periods). In some of the lease agreements, the right of first refusal to purchase the sites from the lessor is given and in some of the lease agreements an option to purchase the sites from the lessor is given.

The leases are typically triple net leases whereby the lessor is responsible for the repair and maintenance at the site, insurance and property taxes in addition to environmental compliance.

The components of lease cost recorded on the consolidated statements of operations were as follows:

 

 

 

For the Year Ended December 31,

 

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Finance lease cost:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Depreciation of right-of-use assets

 

$

13,393

 

 

$

12,743

 

Interest on lease liabilities

 

 

17,515

 

 

 

17,391

 

Operating lease costs included in store
   operating expenses

 

 

131,106

 

 

 

112,541

 

Operating lease costs included in general and
   administrative expenses

 

 

1,652

 

 

 

1,404

 

Lease cost related to variable lease payments,
   short-term leases and leases of low value
   assets

 

 

2,037

 

 

 

1,153

 

Right-of-use asset impairment charges

 

 

1,799

 

 

 

2,352

 

Total lease costs

 

$

167,502

 

 

$

147,584

 

 

In 2021 and 2020, the total cash outflows for leases amounted to approximately $128.4 million and $106.3 million for operating leases, respectively, and $25.0 million and $24.7 million for financing leases, respectively.

Supplemental balance sheet data related to leases was as follows:

 

 

 

As of December 31,

 

 

 

2021

 

 

2020

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

Operating leases

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right-of-use assets under operating leases

 

$

1,064,982

 

 

$

961,561

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Operating leases, current portion

 

 

51,261

 

 

 

48,878

 

Operating leases

 

 

1,076,905

 

 

 

973,695

 

Total operating leases

 

 

1,128,166

 

 

 

1,022,573

 

Weighted average remaining lease term
   (in years)

 

 

14.1

 

 

 

13.4

 

Weighted average discount rate

 

 

7.3

%

 

 

7.7

%

Financing leases

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Right-of-use assets

 

$

236,963

 

 

$

237,740

 

Accumulated amortization

 

 

(44,585

)

 

 

(39,423

)

Right-of-use assets under financing leases, net

 

 

192,378

 

 

 

198,317

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financing leases, current portion

 

 

6,383

 

 

 

7,834

 

Financing leases

 

 

229,215

 

 

 

226,440

 

Total financing leases

 

 

235,598

 

 

 

234,274

 

Weighted average remaining lease term
   (in years)

 

 

23.8

 

 

 

23.7

 

Weighted average discount rate

 

 

7.3

%

 

 

7.7

%

 

As of December 31, 2021, maturities of lease liabilities for operating lease obligations and finance lease obligations having an initial or remaining non-cancellable lease terms in excess of one year were as follows. The minimum lease payments presented below

include periods where an option is reasonably certain to be exercised and do not take into consideration any future consumer price index adjustments for these agreements.

 

 

 

Operating

 

 

Financing

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

2022

 

$

130,841

 

 

$

23,388

 

2023

 

 

131,437

 

 

 

21,833

 

2024

 

 

132,293

 

 

 

20,778

 

2025

 

 

132,759

 

 

 

20,896

 

2026

 

 

131,829

 

 

 

20,522

 

Thereafter

 

 

1,185,934

 

 

 

447,743

 

Gross lease payments

 

$

1,845,093

 

 

$

555,160

 

Less: imputed interest

 

 

(716,927

)

 

 

(319,562

)

Total lease liabilities

 

$

1,128,166

 

 

$

235,598

 

 

Lessor

The Company leases and subleases owned and leased properties to independent dealers and other tenants and subtenants which are accounted for as operating subleases. These leases and subleases are generally for periods of up to 10 years, which may be a fixed period or a shorter period with an option or series of renewal options, and in certain cases with additional renewal options past such 10-year period. Some of the lease agreements include lease payments which are based upon such tenant’s or subtenants’ sales subject to fixed minimum lease payments. At the time that an agreement is entered into, the independent dealers and other tenants and subtenants often post a security deposit as collateral. Total operating sublease income was approximately $20.7 million, $11.8 million and $8.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Sublease income is included in other revenues, net in the consolidated statements of operations.

As of December 31, 2021, the future minimum cash payments to be received under these operating subleases that have initial or remaining non-cancelable terms in excess of one year were as follows:

 

 

 

Amount

 

 

 

(in thousands)

 

2022

 

$

19,001

 

2023

 

 

12,847

 

2024

 

 

10,525

 

2025

 

 

9,394

 

2026

 

 

8,061

 

Thereafter

 

 

21,668

 

 

 

$

81,496