Debt (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	9 Months Ended				9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
	May 03, 2013	Jun. 03, 2013	Aug. 03, 2012		May 03, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Aug. 03, 2012 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	May 03, 2013 Term Loans Payable [Member]	Aug. 03, 2012 Term Loans Payable [Member]	May 03, 2013 Notes Payable [Member]	Aug. 03, 2012 Notes Payable [Member]	Jun. 03, 2013 Credit Facility [Member]	May 03, 2013 Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term debt, gross	$ 400,063		$ 525,142		$ 212,500	$ 312,500	$ 187,500	$ 212,500	$ 63	$ 142
Current maturities	(63)		(106)
Long-term debt	400,000		525,036	[1]
Line of credit facility, expiration date					Jul. 08, 2016
Maturity date							Jul. 08, 2016		Oct. 16, 2013
Maximum borrowing capacity					500,000							750,000
Amount of standby letters of credit					28,171
Current borrowing capacity					259,329
Weighted average interest rates of the Company's swapped term loans (in hundredths)	3.98%
Restrictions on dividends payable	The Credit Facility also imposes restrictions on the amount of dividends the Company is permitted to pay. Prior to the June 3, 2013 amendment described below, if there was no default existing and the total of the Company's availability under the Revolving Credit Facility plus the Company's cash and cash equivalents on hand was at least $100,000 (the "liquidity requirements"), the Company could declare and pay cash dividends on shares of its common stock if the aggregate amount of dividends paid in any fiscal year was less than 20% of Consolidated EBITDA from continuing operations (as defined in the Credit Facility) (the "20% limitation") during the immediately preceding fiscal year. In any event, as long as the liquidity requirements were met, dividends could be declared and paid in any fiscal year up to the amount of dividends permitted and paid in the preceding fiscal year without regard to the 20% limitation.
Term of debt instrument									5 years
Original principal amount of notes payable									507
Monthly installment of principal and interest on notes payable									9
Interest rate during the period (in hundredths)									2.88%
Liquidity requirements												100,000
Dividend limitation (in hundredths)											20.00%	20.00%
Dividends limit											$ 100,000
Leverage ratio		3.25

[1] This Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet has been derived from the audited Consolidated Balance Sheet as of August 3, 2012, as filed in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 3, 2012.