The Company administers non-contributory defined benefit retirement plans for some non-union employees and union-represented employees as determined by the terms and conditions of collective bargaining agreements. These include several qualified pension plans (the “Qualified Plans”) and non-qualified pension plans (the “Non-Qualified Plans”). The Non-Qualified Plans pay benefits to any employee that earns in excess of the maximum allowed for the Qualified Plans by Section 415 of the Internal Revenue Code. The Company only funds obligations under the Qualified Plans. Funding for the company-sponsored pension plans is based on a review of the specific requirements and on evaluation of the assets and liabilities of each plan.

In addition to providing pension benefits, the Company provides certain health care benefits for retired employees. Based on employee’s age, years of service and position with the Company, the employee may be eligible for retiree health care benefits. Funding of retiree health care benefits occurs as claims or premiums are paid.

The Company recognizes the funded status of its retirement plans on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Actuarial gains or losses, prior service costs or credits and transition obligations that have not yet been recognized as part of net periodic benefit cost are required to be recorded as a component of AOCI. The Company has elected to measure defined benefit plan assets and obligations as of January 31, which is the month-end that is closest to its fiscal year-ends, which were January 30, 2021 for fiscal 2020 and February 1, 2020 for fiscal 2019.

Amounts recognized in AOCI as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020 consists of the following (pre-tax):

Other changes recognized in other comprehensive income (loss) in 2020, 2019 and 2018 were as follows (pre-tax):

Information with respect to change in benefit obligation, change in plan assets, the funded status of the plans recorded in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, net amounts recognized at the end of fiscal years, weighted average assumptions and components of net periodic benefit cost follow:

As of January 30, 2021, other assets and other current liabilities include $21 and $35, respectively, of the net asset and liability recognized for the above benefit plans. As of February 1, 2020, other assets and other current liabilities include $19 and $33, respectively, of the net asset and liability recognized for the above benefit plans.

The Company announced changes to certain non-union company-sponsored pension plans. The Company froze the compensation and service periods used to calculate pension benefits for active employees who participate in the affected pension plans as of December 31, 2019. Beginning January 1, 2020, the affected active employees no longer accrue additional benefits for future service and eligible compensation received under these plans.

As of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020, pension plan assets do not include common shares of The Kroger Co.

The Company’s discount rate assumptions were intended to reflect the rates at which the pension benefits could be effectively settled. They take into account the timing and amount of benefits that would be available under the plans. The Company’s policy is to match the plan’s cash flows to that of a hypothetical bond portfolio whose cash flow from coupons and maturities match the plan’s projected benefit cash flows. The discount rates are the single rates that produce the same present value of cash flows. The selection of the 2.72% and 2.43% discount rates as of year-end 2020 for pension and other benefits, respectively, represents the hypothetical bond portfolio using bonds with an AA or better rating constructed with the assistance of an outside consultant. A 100 basis point increase in the discount rate would decrease the projected pension benefit obligation as of January 30, 2021, by approximately $410.

The Company’s 2020 assumed pension plan investment return rate was 5.50% compared to 6.00% in 2019 and 5.90% in 2018. The value of all investments in the company-sponsored defined benefit pension plans during the calendar year ended December 31, 2020, net of investment management fees and expenses, increased 16.9% and for fiscal year 2020 investments increased 10.2%. Historically, the Company’s pension plans’ average rate of return was 7.7% for the 10 calendar years ended December 31, 2020, net of all investment management fees and expenses. For the past 20 years, the Company’s pension plans’ average annual rate of return has been 7.2%. To determine the expected rate of return on pension plan assets held by the Company, the Company considers current and forecasted plan asset allocations as well as historical and forecasted rates of return on various asset categories.

The Company calculates its expected return on plan assets by using the market-related value of plan assets. The market-related value of plan assets is determined by adjusting the actual fair value of plan assets for gains or losses on plan assets. Gains or losses represent the difference between actual and expected returns on plan investments for each plan year. Gains or losses on plan assets are recognized evenly over a five-year period. Using a different method to calculate the market-related value of plan assets would provide a different expected return on plan assets.

The pension benefit unfunded status decreased in 2020, compared to 2019, due to higher than anticipated asset returns, partially offset by a decline in the discount rate from 2019 to 2020 and changes in demographic assumptions in 2020.

The following table provides the components of the Company’s net periodic benefit costs for 2020, 2019 and 2018:

The following table provides the projected benefit obligation (“PBO”) and the fair value of plan assets for those company-sponsored pension plans with projected benefit obligations in excess of plan assets.

The following table provides the accumulated benefit obligation (“ABO”) and the fair value of plan assets for those company-sponsored pension plans with accumulated benefit obligations in excess of plan assets.


	Qualified Plans				Non-Qualified Plans
	2020		2019		2020		2019
ABO at end of fiscal year	$	3,415	$	3,271	$	351	$	328
Fair value of plan assets at end of year	$	3,349	$	3,157	$	—	$	—

The following table provides information about the Company’s estimated future benefit payments.

The following table provides information about the target and actual pension plan asset allocations as of January 30, 2021.

Investment objectives, policies and strategies are set by the Retirement Benefit Plan Management Committee (the “Committee”). The primary objectives include holding and investing the assets and distributing benefits to participants and beneficiaries of the pension plans. Investment objectives have been established based on a comprehensive review of the capital markets and each underlying plan’s current and projected financial requirements. The time horizon of the investment objectives is long-term in nature and plan assets are managed on a going-concern basis.

Investment objectives and guidelines specifically applicable to each manager of assets are established and reviewed annually. Derivative instruments may be used for specified purposes, including rebalancing exposures to certain asset classes. Any use of derivative instruments for a purpose or in a manner not specifically authorized is prohibited, unless approved in advance by the Committee.

The target allocations shown for 2020 were established in 2020 in conjunction with the continuation of the Company’s transition to a LDI strategy, which began in 2017. A LDI strategy focuses on maintaining a close to fully-funded status over the long-term with minimal funded status risk. This is achieved by investing more of the plan assets in fixed income instruments to more closely match the duration of the plan liability. This LDI strategy will be phased in over time as the Company is able to transition out of illiquid investments. During this transition, the Company’s target allocation will change by increasing the Company’s fixed income instruments. Cash flow from employer contributions and redemption of plan assets to fund participant benefit payments can be used to fund underweight asset classes and divest overweight asset classes, as appropriate. The Company expects that cash flow will be sufficient to meet most rebalancing needs.

The Company did not make any contributions to its company-sponsored pension plans in 2020 and the Company is not required to make any contributions to these plans in 2021. If the Company does make any contributions in 2021, the Company expects these contributions will decrease its required contributions in future years. Among other things, investment performance of plan assets, the interest rates required to be used to calculate the pension obligations, and future changes in legislation, will determine the amounts of any contributions. The Company expects 2021 net periodic benefit costs for company-sponsored pension plans to be approximately ($45).

Assumed health care cost trend rates have a significant effect on the amounts reported for the health care plans. The Company used a 5.50% initial health care cost trend rate, which is assumed to decrease on a linear basis to a 4.50% ultimate health care cost trend rate in 2037, to determine its expense.

The following tables, set forth by level within the fair value hierarchy, present the Qualified Plans’ assets at fair value as of January 30, 2021 and February 1, 2020:

Certain investments that are measured at fair value using the NAV per share (or its equivalent) have not been classified in the fair value hierarchy. The fair value amounts presented for these investments in the preceding tables are intended to permit reconciliation of the fair value hierarchies to the total fair value of plan assets.

For measurements using significant unobservable inputs (Level 3) during 2020 and 2019, a reconciliation of the beginning and ending balances is as follows:

See Note 8 for a discussion of the levels of the fair value hierarchy. The assets’ fair value measurement level above is based on the lowest level of any input that is significant to the fair value measurement.

The following is a description of the valuation methods used for the Qualified Plans’ assets measured at fair value in the above tables:

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Cash and cash equivalents: The carrying value approximates fair value.

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Corporate Stocks: The fair values of these securities are based on observable market quotations for identical assets and are valued at the closing price reported on the active market on which the individual securities are traded.

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Corporate Bonds: The fair values of these securities are primarily based on observable market quotations for similar bonds, valued at the closing price reported on the active market on which the individual securities are traded. When such quoted prices are not available, the bonds are valued using a discounted cash flow approach using current yields on similar instruments of issuers with similar credit ratings, including adjustments for certain risks that may not be observable, such as credit and liquidity risks.

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U.S. Government Securities: Certain U.S. Government securities are valued at the closing price reported in the active market in which the security is traded. Other U.S. government securities are valued based on yields currently available on comparable securities of issuers with similar credit ratings. When quoted prices are not available for similar securities, the security is valued under a discounted cash flow approach that maximizes observable inputs, such as current yields of similar instruments, but includes adjustments for certain risks that may not be observable, such as credit and liquidity risks.

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Mutual Funds: The fair values of these securities are based on observable market quotations for identical assets and are valued at the closing price reported on the active market on which the individual securities are traded.

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Collective Trusts: The collective trust funds are public investment vehicles valued using a Net Asset Value (NAV) provided by the manager of each fund. These assets have been valued using NAV as a practical expedient.

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Hedge Funds: The Hedge funds classified as Level 3 include investments that are not readily tradeable and have valuations that are not based on readily observable data inputs. The fair value of these assets is estimated based on information provided by the fund managers or the general partners. Therefore, these assets are classified as Level 3. Certain other hedge funds are private investment vehicles valued using a NAV provided by the manager of each fund. These assets have been valued using NAV as a practical expedient.

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Private Equity: Private Equity investments are valued based on the fair value of the underlying securities within the fund, which include investments both traded on an active market and not traded on an active market. For those investments that are traded on an active market, the values are based on the closing price reported on the active market on which those individual securities are traded. For investments not traded on an active market, or for which a quoted price is not publicly available, a variety of unobservable valuation methodologies, including discounted cash flow, market multiple and cost valuation approaches, are employed by the fund manager to value investments. Fair values of all investments are adjusted annually, if necessary, based on audits of the private equity fund financial statements; such adjustments are reflected in the fair value of the plan’s assets.

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Real Estate: Real estate investments include investments in real estate funds managed by a fund manager. These investments are valued using a variety of unobservable valuation methodologies, including discounted cash flow, market multiple and cost valuation approaches. The valuations for these investments are not based on readily observable inputs and are classified as Level 3 investments. Certain other real estate investments are valued using a NAV provided by the manager of each fund. These assets have been valued using NAV as a practical expedient.

The methods described above may produce a fair value calculation that may not be indicative of net realizable value or reflective of future fair values. Furthermore, while the Company believes its valuation methods are appropriate and consistent with other market participants, the use of different methodologies or assumptions to determine the fair value of certain financial instruments could result in a different fair value measurement.

The Company contributed and expensed $294, $264 and $263 to employee 401(k) retirement savings accounts in 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. The 401(k) retirement savings account plans provide to eligible employees both matching contributions and automatic contributions from the Company based on participant contributions, compensation as defined by the plan and length of service.

In 2019, the Company approved and implemented a plan to reorganize certain portions of its division management structure. This reorganization increased operational effectiveness and reduced overhead costs while maintaining a high quality customer experience. The Company recorded a charge for severance and related benefits of $80, $61 net of tax, in 2019, which is included in the OG&A caption within the Consolidated Statements of Operations. Of the total charge, $42 was unpaid as of February 1, 2020 and was included in Other Current Liabilities within the Consolidated Balance Sheet and the remaining balance was paid in 2020.