<ARTICLE>                          5
<LEGEND>
This schedule  contains summary  financial  information  extracted from our Form
10-Q for the  thirty-nine  week period ended February 22, 1998, and is qualified
in its entirety by reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
       
                                 
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                      MAY-31-1998
<PERIOD-START>                         MAY-26-1997
<PERIOD-END>                           FEB-22-1998
<CASH>                                  16,800,000
<SECURITIES>                                     0
<RECEIVABLES>                          425,100,000
<ALLOWANCES>                                     0
<INVENTORY>                            447,600,000
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                     1,100,100,000
<PP&E>                               2,437,200,000
<DEPRECIATION>                      (1,270,900,000)
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                       3,899,800,000
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                1,230,800,000
<BONDS>                              1,656,000,000
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                            0
<PREFERRED>                                      0
<COMMON>                               608,200,000
<OTHER-SE>                            (175,100,000)
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>         3,899,800,000
<SALES>                              4,479,500,000
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                     4,479,500,000
<CGS>                                1,750,000,000
<TOTAL-COSTS>                        1,750,000,000
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                       144,200,000
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                 0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                      85,300,000
<INCOME-PRETAX>                        522,500,000
<INCOME-TAX>                           190,400,000
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                    330,000,000
<DISCONTINUED>                                   0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                  0
<CHANGES>                                        0
<NET-INCOME>                           330,000,000
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                 2.08
<EPS-DILUTED>                                 2.03