Retirement-Related Benefits

12 Months Ended

Jan. 31, 2021

Retirement Benefits [Abstract]

Retirement-Related Benefits

Retirement-Related Benefits

The Company offers a 401(k) plan for associates in the U.S. under which eligible associates can begin contributing to the plan immediately upon hire. The Company also offers a 401(k) type plan for associates in Puerto Rico under which associates can begin to contribute generally after one year of employment. Under these plans, after one year of employment, the Company matches 100% of participant contributions up to 6% of annual eligible earnings. The matching contributions immediately vest at 100% for each associate. Participants can contribute up to 50% of their pre-tax earnings, but not more than the statutory limits.

Associates in international countries who are not U.S. citizens are covered by various defined contribution post-employment benefit arrangements. These plans are administered based upon the legislative and tax requirements in the countries in which they are established.

The following table summarizes the contribution expense related to the Company's defined contribution plans for fiscal 2021, 2020 and 2019:

	Fiscal Years Ended January 31,
(Amounts in millions)	2021		2020		2019
Defined contribution plans:
U.S.	$	1,290	$	1,184	$	1,165
International	200		177		126
Total contribution expense for defined contribution plans	$	1,490	$	1,361	$	1,291

Additionally, the Company's subsidiary in the United Kingdom has a sponsored defined benefit pension plan. In October 2019, Asda, Walmart and the Trustee of the Asda Group Pension Scheme (the "Plan") entered into an agreement pursuant to which Asda made a cash contribution of $1.0 billion to the Plan (the "Asda Pension Contribution") which enabled the Plan to purchase a bulk annuity insurance contract for the benefit of Plan participants. The agreement between Asda, Walmart and the Trustee of the Plan contemplates that subsequent to the purchase of the bulk annuity insurance contract by the Plan, each of the Plan participants will be issued an individual annuity contract. The issuer of the individual annuity insurance contracts will be solely responsible for paying each participant’s benefits in full and will release the Plan and Asda from any future obligations. In connection with the sale of Asda, all accumulated pension components of $2.3 billion were included in the disposal group and the estimated pre-tax loss recognized during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 as discussed in Note 8 and Note 12.