LEASES - Leased Property (Details)	12 Months Ended
	Aug. 31, 2012 sqft
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Square footage of club warehouse	1,932,612
Warehouse Club
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	420,647
Via Brazil, Panama | Warehouse Club
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	68,696
Remaining Opition(s) to Extend	10 years
Miraflores, Guatemala | Warehouse Club
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	66,059
Remaining Opition(s) to Extend	5 years
Pradera, Guatemala | Warehouse Club
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	48,438
Tegucigalpa, Honduras | Warehouse Club
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	64,735
Oranjestad, Aruba | Warehouse Club
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	64,627
Remaining Opition(s) to Extend	10 years
Port of Spain, Trinidad | Warehouse Club
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	54,046
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. | Warehouse Club
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	54,046
Remaining Opition(s) to Extend	10 years
Barbados | Storage Facility
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	4,800
Remaining Opition(s) to Extend	1 year
Chaguanas, Trinidad | Employee Parking
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	4,944
Chaguanas, Trinidad | Container Parking
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	65,340
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Square footage of club warehouse	322,920
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic | Central Offices
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	2,002
Remaining Opition(s) to Extend	1 year
Bogota, Columbia | Central Offices
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	4,100
Remaining Opition(s) to Extend	2 years
San Diego, California | Corporate Headquarters
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	39,225
Remaining Opition(s) to Extend	5 years
Miami, Florida | Distribution Facility
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	274,652
Remaining Opition(s) to Extend	10 years
Cali, Colombia | Temporary Offices
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	2,490
Remaining Opition(s) to Extend	3 months
Panama | Storage and Distribution Facility
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	25,690
Costa Rica | Storage and Distribution Facility
Operating Leased Assets [Line Items]
Leased Property, Approximate Square Footage	27,201