Earnings per share (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	May 03, 2013	May 04, 2012
Net Income
Basic earnings	$ 220,083	$ 213,415
Diluted Earnings	$ 220,083	$ 213,415
Shares
Shares outstanding, basic	326,975,000	336,080,000
Effect of dilutive share-based awards	1,157,000	3,410,000
Shares outstanding, diluted	328,132,000	339,490,000
Per Share Amount
Basic earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.67	$ 0.64
Diluted earnings per share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.67	$ 0.63
Shares of common stock outstanding excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share	1,200,000	500,000