Related party transactions (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 01, 2013	Feb. 03, 2012	Jan. 28, 2011	Oct. 09, 2012 Credit Facilities	Feb. 01, 2013 Credit Facilities	Feb. 01, 2013 Affiliates of KKR and Goldman, Sachs & Co. Term loan facility	Feb. 03, 2012 Affiliates of KKR and Goldman, Sachs & Co. Term loan facility	Jan. 28, 2011 Affiliates of KKR and Goldman, Sachs & Co. Term loan facility	Feb. 01, 2013 Affiliates of KKR and Goldman, Sachs & Co. ABL Facility	Feb. 03, 2012 Affiliates of KKR and Goldman, Sachs & Co. ABL Facility	Jan. 28, 2011 Affiliates of KKR and Goldman, Sachs & Co. ABL Facility	Feb. 01, 2013 Affiliates of KKR and Goldman, Sachs & Co. Senior notes	Feb. 01, 2013 Goldman, Sachs & Co. and affiliates	Feb. 03, 2012 Goldman, Sachs & Co. and affiliates	Jan. 28, 2011 Goldman, Sachs & Co. and affiliates	Feb. 01, 2013 Goldman, Sachs & Co. and affiliates Term loan facility	Feb. 01, 2013 Goldman, Sachs & Co. and affiliates ABL Facility	Feb. 01, 2013 KKR person	Feb. 01, 2013 KKR Term loan facility	Feb. 01, 2013 Buck Holdings, L.P. Credit Facilities
Related party transactions
Amendment fees					$ 1,700,000															$ 1,700,000
Number of members serving on the entity's board of directors																		2
Interest paid	121,712,000	209,351,000	244,752,000			62,000,000	66,400,000	53,400,000	6,000,000	2,800,000	0
Payments of financing costs												2,300,000				400,000	100,000		400,000
Incremental financing under the credit agreement for repurchase, redemption or acquisition of capital stock				250,000,000
Interest rate swap payment													$ 2,500,000	$ 13,900,000	$ 12,900,000