<ARTICLE>                          5
<LEGEND>
This schedule  contains summary  financial  information  extracted from our Form
10-Q for the  thirty-nine  week period ended February 23, 1997, and is qualified
in its entirety by reference to such financial statements.
</LEGEND>
       
                                 
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                9-MOS
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                      MAY-25-1997
<PERIOD-START>                         MAY-27-1996
<PERIOD-END>                           FEB-23-1997
<CASH>                                  31,000,000
<SECURITIES>                                     0
<RECEIVABLES>                          413,700,000
<ALLOWANCES>                                     0
<INVENTORY>                            413,000,000
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                     1,106,300,000
<PP&E>                               2,532,200,000
<DEPRECIATION>                      (1,251,600,000)
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                       3,987,800,000
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                1,559,900,000
<BONDS>                              1,224,700,000
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                            0
<PREFERRED>                                      0
<COMMON>                               578,900,000
<OTHER-SE>                              70,100,000
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>         3,987,800,000
<SALES>                              4,165,300,000
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                     4,165,300,000
<CGS>                                1,743,500,000
<TOTAL-COSTS>                        1,743,500,000
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                       131,000,000
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                 0
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                      72,500,000
<INCOME-PRETAX>                        601,700,000
<INCOME-TAX>                           219,700,000
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                    377,200,000
<DISCONTINUED>                                   0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                  0
<CHANGES>                                        0
<NET-INCOME>                           377,200,000
<EPS-PRIMARY>                                 2.40
<EPS-DILUTED>                                 2.35