Retirement plans 401(k) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 28, 2014 hour	Dec. 29, 2013	Dec. 30, 2012
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure 401(k) [Abstract]
Minimum number of employee working hours required to be eligible to participate in the 401(k) Savings Plan (in hours)	1,000
401(k) employee maximum matching contribution	50.00%
401(k) employer matching contribution	100.00%gci_Employer401KMatchingContribution
Contributions per employee subject to employer match	5.00%
Compensation expense related to 401(k) contributions	$ 48.1	$ 47.5	$ 51.3

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Defined Contribution Plan, Contributions Per Employee Subject to Employer Match

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No definition available.

+ Details

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- Definition

Employer 401(k) Matching Contribution

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No definition available.

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- Definition

Maximum 401(k) Plan Contribution Rates as a Percentage of Employees Earnings

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No definition available.

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- Definition

Minimum Number of Employee Working Hours Required to be Eligible to Participate in 401(k) Plan

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No definition available.

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- Definition

The amount of the cost recognized during the period for defined contribution plans.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 715

-SubTopic 70

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6414718&loc=d3e28014-114942

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