RETIREMENT PLANS

The Company has defined benefit and defined contribution retirement plans for its employees, and provides certain health care benefits to eligible retirees and their dependents. The components of net periodic benefit (credits) costs for pension and other postretirement benefits, for Company sponsored plans, are provided below:



	13-Weeks Ended
	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Plans
	September 29, 2018			September 30, 2017			September 29, 2018			September 30, 2017
Components of net periodic benefit (credits) costs
Service cost	$	536		$	755		$	9		$	7
Interest cost	9,076			9,329			58			68
Expected return on plan assets	(12,890		)	(11,943		)	—			—
Amortization of prior service cost	1			35			2			2
Amortization of net loss (gain)	620			785			(39		)	(86		)
Settlements	—			1,000			—			—
Net periodic (credits) benefit costs	$	(2,657	)	$	(39	)	$	30		$	(9	)

	39-Weeks Ended
	Pension Benefits						Other Postretirement Plans
	September 29, 2018			September 30, 2017			September 29, 2018			September 30, 2017
Components of net periodic benefit (credits) costs
Service cost	$	1,670		$	1,767		$	26		$	26
Interest cost	26,738			29,606			176			212
Expected return on plan assets	(38,488		)	(35,871		)	—			—
Amortization of prior service cost	3			104			5			5
Amortization of net loss (gain)	2,236			2,886			(117		)	(112		)
Settlements	—			3,000			—			—
Net periodic (credits) benefit costs	$	(7,841	)	$	1,492		$	90		$	131

The service cost component of net periodic (credits) benefit costs is included in distribution, selling and administrative costs, while the other components of net periodic (credits) benefit costs are included in other income—net, respectively, in the Company's Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income.

The Company contributed approximately $70 million to its defined benefit and other postretirement plans during the 39-weeks ended September 29, 2018, of which $35 million was incremental to its originally planned 2018 contributions. As a result of the incremental contribution, the Company remeasured its defined benefit pension liability as of May 31, 2018, resulting in a reduction in the benefit obligation of $33 million, with a corresponding benefit to accumulated other comprehensive loss. The remeasurement resulted in an immaterial increase in the 2018 annual net periodic (credits) benefit costs. The Company has completed substantially all of the 2018 contributions to its defined benefit and other postretirement plans.

The Company’s employees are eligible to participate in a Company sponsored defined contribution 401(k) plan that provides for Company matching on the participant’s contributions of up to 100% of the first 3% of a participant’s compensation and 50% of the next 2% of a participant’s compensation, for a maximum Company matching contribution of 4%. The Company’s 401(k) plan matching contributions were $11 million for each of the 13-weeks ended September 29, 2018 and September 30, 2017, and $36 million and $34 million for the 39-weeks ended September 29, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively.

The Company also contributes to numerous multiemployer pension plans under the terms of certain collective bargaining agreements that cover its union-represented employees. The Company does not administer these multiemployer pension plans. The Company’s contributions to these plans were $9 million for each of the 13-weeks ended September 29, 2018 and September 30, 2017, and $27 million and $26 million for the 39-weeks ended September 29, 2018 and September 30, 2017, respectively.