Earnings per share (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	May 04, 2012	Apr. 29, 2011
Net Income
Basic earnings	$ 213,415	$ 156,969
Diluted Earnings	$ 213,415	$ 156,969
Shares
Shares outstanding, basic	336,080,000	341,522,000
Effect of dilutive share-based awards	3,410,000	3,871,000
Shares outstanding, diluted	339,490,000	345,393,000
Per Share Amount
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.64	$ 0.46
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.63	$ 0.45
Shares of common stock outstanding excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share	500,000	400,000