Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Jun. 28, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Consolidation	Consolidation The accompanying Interim Financial Statements include the accounts of Big 5 Sporting Goods Corporation, Big 5 Corp. and Big 5 Services Corp. Intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
Reporting Period	Reporting Period The Company follows the concept of a 52-53 week fiscal year, which ends on the Sunday nearest December 31. Fiscal year 2015 is comprised of 53 weeks and ends on January 3, 2016. Fiscal year 2014 was comprised of 52 weeks and ended on December 28, 2014. The first three quarters in fiscal 2015 are each comprised of 13 weeks, and the fourth quarter of fiscal 2015 is comprised of 14 weeks. The four quarters of fiscal 2014 were each comprised of 13 weeks.
Recently Issued Accounting Updates	Recently Issued Accounting Updates In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), which includes amendments that create Topic 606 and supersede the revenue recognition requirements in Topic 605, Revenue Recognition, including most industry-specific revenue recognition guidance throughout the Industry Topics of the Codification. In addition, the amendments supersede the cost guidance in Subtopic 605-35, Revenue Recognition—Construction-Type and Production-Type Contracts, and create new Subtopic 340-40, Other Assets and Deferred Costs—Contracts with Customers. In summary, the core principle of Topic 606 is that an entity recognizes revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The amendments in ASU No. 2014-09 were originally effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early application was not permitted. On July 9, 2015, the FASB decided to defer for one year the effective date of ASU No. 2014-09, while also deciding to permit early application. With these changes, ASU No. 2014-09 will become effective for annual reporting periods (including interim reporting periods within those periods) beginning after December 15, 2017, with early application permitted as of the original effective date in ASU 2014-09 (i.e., annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016). The Company is evaluating the future impact of the issuance of ASU No. 2014-09, as well as the deferral decisions reached by the FASB. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03, Interest—Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) – Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs, which requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. This ASU requires retrospective adoption and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted. When adopted, ASU No. 2015-03 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015–05, Intangibles—Goodwill and Other—Internal-Use Software (Subtopic 350-40) – Customer’s Accounting for Fees Paid in a Cloud Computing Arrangement, which provides guidance to customers about whether a cloud computing arrangement includes a software license. If an arrangement includes a software license, the customer should account for the fees related to the software license element in a manner consistent with licenses of other intangible assets. If the arrangement does not include a license, the arrangement will be accounted for as a service contract. This ASU permits either retrospective or prospective adoption and is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. Early adoption is also permitted. When adopted, ASU No. 2015-05 is not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Other relevant recently issued accounting updates are not expected to have a material impact on the Company’s Interim Financial Statements.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates Management has made a number of estimates and assumptions relating to the reporting of assets, liabilities and stockholders’ equity and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the Interim Financial Statements and reported amounts of revenue and expense during the reporting period to prepare these Interim Financial Statements in conformity with GAAP. Certain items subject to such estimates and assumptions include the carrying amount of merchandise inventories, property and equipment, and goodwill; valuation allowances for receivables, sales returns and deferred income tax assets; estimates related to gift card breakage and the valuation of share-based compensation awards; and obligations related to asset retirements, litigation, self-insurance liabilities and employee benefits. Actual results could differ significantly from these estimates under different assumptions and conditions.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition The Company recognizes revenue from retail sales at the point of sale through its retail stores. For e-commerce sales, revenue is recognized when the merchandise is delivered to the customer. Shipping and handling fees, when billed to customers for e-commerce sales, are included in net sales. An allowance for sales returns is estimated based upon historical experience and recorded as a reduction in sales in the relevant period. Cash received from the sale of gift cards is recorded as a liability, and revenue is recognized upon the redemption of the gift card or when it is determined that the likelihood of redemption is remote (“gift card breakage”) and no liability to relevant jurisdictions exists. The Company determines the gift card breakage rate based upon historical redemption patterns and recognizes gift card breakage on a straight-line basis over the estimated gift card redemption period (20 quarters as of the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2015). The Company recognized approximately $112,000 and $223,000 in gift card breakage revenue for the 13 and 26 weeks ended June 28, 2015, respectively, compared to approximately $109,000 and $217,000 in gift card breakage revenue for the 13 and 26 weeks ended June 29, 2014, respectively. The Company records sales tax collected from its customers on a net basis, and therefore excludes it from revenue as defined in Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 605, Revenue Recognition.
Share-Based Compensation	Share-Based Compensation The Company accounts for share-based compensation in accordance with ASC 718, Compensation—Stock Compensation. The Company recognizes compensation expense on a straight-line basis over the requisite service period using the fair-value method for share option awards, nonvested share awards and nonvested share unit awards granted with service-only conditions. See Note 10 to the Interim Financial Statements for a further discussion on share-based compensation.
Valuation of Merchandise Inventories, Net	Valuation of Merchandise Inventories, Net The Company’s merchandise inventories are made up of finished goods and are valued at the lower of cost or market using the weighted-average cost method that approximates the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method. Average cost includes the direct purchase price of merchandise inventory, net of certain vendor allowances and cash discounts, in-bound freight-related expense and allocated overhead expense associated with the Company’s distribution center. Management regularly reviews inventories and records valuation reserves for damaged and defective merchandise, merchandise items with slow-moving or obsolescence exposure and merchandise that has a carrying value that exceeds market value. These reserves are estimates of a reduction in value to reflect inventory valuation at the lower of cost or market. Because of its merchandise mix, the Company has not historically experienced significant occurrences of obsolescence. Inventory shrinkage is accrued as a percentage of merchandise sales based on historical inventory shrinkage trends. The Company performs physical inventories of its stores at least once per year and cycle counts inventories at its distribution center throughout the year. The reserve for inventory shrinkage primarily represents an estimate for inventory shrinkage for each store since the last physical inventory date through the reporting date. These reserves are estimates, which could vary significantly, either favorably or unfavorably, from actual results if future economic conditions, consumer demand and competitive environments differ from expectations.
Valuation of Long-Lived Assets	Valuation of Long-Lived Assets The Company reviews long-lived assets for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. Long-lived assets are reviewed for recoverability at the lowest level in which there are identifiable cash flows (“asset group”), usually at the store level. Each store typically requires investments of approximately $0.5 million in long-lived assets to be held and used, subject to recoverability testing. The carrying amount of an asset group is not considered recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset group. If the asset group is determined not to be recoverable, then an impairment charge will be recognized in the amount by which the carrying amount of the asset group exceeds its fair value, determined using discounted cash flow valuation techniques, as defined in ASC 360, Property, Plant, and Equipment. The Company determines the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the asset group by projecting future revenue, gross margin and operating expense for each store under evaluation for impairment. The estimates of future cash flows involve management judgment and are based upon assumptions about expected future operating performance. Assumptions used in these forecasts are consistent with internal planning, and include assumptions about sales growth rates, gross margins and operating expense in relation to the current economic environment and future expectations, competitive factors in various markets and inflation. The actual cash flows could differ from management’s estimates due to changes in business conditions, operating performance and economic conditions.
Leases and Deferred Rent	Leases and Deferred Rent The Company accounts for its leases under the provisions of ASC 840, Leases. The Company evaluates and classifies its leases as either operating or capital leases for financial reporting purposes. Operating lease commitments consist principally of leases for the Company’s retail store facilities, distribution center and corporate office. Capital lease obligations consist principally of leases for some of the Company’s distribution center delivery tractors, management information systems hardware and point-of-sale equipment for the Company’s stores. Certain of the leases for the Company’s retail store facilities provide for payments based on future sales volumes at the leased location, which are not measurable at the inception of the lease. These contingent rents are expensed as they accrue. Deferred rent represents the difference between rent paid and the amounts expensed for operating leases. Certain leases have scheduled rent increases, and certain leases include an initial period of free or reduced rent as an inducement to enter into the lease agreement (“rent holidays”). The Company recognizes rent expense for rent increases and rent holidays on a straight-line basis over the term of the underlying leases, without regard to when rent payments are made. The calculation of straight-line rent is based on the “reasonably assured” lease term as defined in ASC 840 and may exceed the initial non-cancelable lease term. Landlord allowances for tenant improvements, or lease incentives, are recorded as deferred rent and amortized on a straight-line basis over the “reasonably assured” lease term as a component of rent expense.