Share-based payments (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Feb. 02, 2018	Feb. 03, 2017	Jan. 29, 2016
Share-based payments
Number of shares of common stock authorized for grant	31,142,858
Share-based compensation expense
Pre-tax	$ 34,323	$ 36,967	$ 38,547
Net of tax	21,373	22,550	23,513
Total unrecognized compensation cost	$ 60,600
Expected weighted average expense recognition period (in years)	2 years 2 months 12 days
Board members
Share-based payments
Vesting period	1 year
Other stock option | Employee
Share-based payments
Vesting period	4 years
Old Options
Options Issued
Exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	51,308
Average Exercise Price
Exercisable at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 22.31
Remaining Contractual Term
Exercisable at the end of the period	2 years 1 month 6 days
Intrinsic Value
Exercisable at the end of the period	$ 4,000
Intrinsic value of options exercised	$ 6,900	$ 10,800	$ 11,500
Performance Options
Units Issued
Unvested but expected to vest at the end of the period	34,864
Stock options
Weighted average for key assumptions used in determining the fair value
Expected dividend yield (as a percent)	1.30%	1.30%	1.20%
Expected stock price volatility (as a percent)	25.50%	25.40%	25.30%
Weighted average risk-free interest rate (as a percent)	2.10%	1.60%	1.80%
Expected term of options	6 years 3 months 18 days	6 years 3 months 18 days	6 years 4 months 24 days
Share-based compensation expense
Pre-tax	$ 11,599	$ 12,008	$ 11,113
Net of tax	$ 7,223	$ 7,325	$ 6,779
Stock options | Other stock option
Options Issued
Balance at the beginning of the period (in shares)	2,698,658
Granted (in shares)	1,031,608
Exercise of share-based awards (in shares)	(303,530)
Canceled (in shares)	(349,823)
Balance, at the end of the period (in shares)	3,076,913	2,698,658
Exercisable at the end of the period (in shares)	916,545
Average Exercise Price
Balance at the beginning of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 70.64
Granted (in dollars per share)	71.70
Exercised (in dollars per share)	62.38
Canceled (in dollars per share)	75.13
Balance at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	71.31	$ 70.64
Exercisable at the end of the period (in dollars per share)	$ 61.09
Remaining Contractual Term
Balance, at the end of the period	7 years 7 months 6 days
Exercisable at the end of the period	6 years 1 month 6 days
Intrinsic Value
Balance at the end of the period	$ 86,568
Exercisable at the end of the period	$ 35,146
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per share)	$ 17.66	$ 20.06	$ 18.48
Intrinsic value of options exercised	$ 7,300	$ 17,300	$ 20,800
Performance Share Units
Share-based payments
Vesting period	3 years
Weighted average grant date fair value of awards issued (in dollars per share)	$ 70.68	$ 84.67	$ 74.72
Intrinsic Value
Balance at the end of the period	$ 20,792
Units Issued
Awards outstanding at the beginning of the period (in shares or rights)	174,383
Granted (in shares or rights)	145,141
Converted to common stock (in shares or rights)	(80,464)
Canceled (in shares or rights)	(29,970)
Awards outstanding at the end of the period (in shares or rights)	209,090	174,383
Share-based compensation expense
Pre-tax	$ 6,159	$ 7,258	$ 4,856
Net of tax	$ 3,835	$ 4,427	$ 2,962
Performance Share Units | Minimum
Share-based payments
Performance period	2 years
Performance Share Units | Maximum
Share-based payments
Performance period	3 years
Restricted Stock Units
Share-based payments
Weighted average grant date fair value of awards issued (in dollars per share)	$ 70.90	$ 84.56	$ 74.67
Intrinsic Value
Balance at the end of the period	$ 48,921
Units Issued
Awards outstanding at the beginning of the period (in shares or rights)	501,961
Granted (in shares or rights)	327,167
Converted to common stock (in shares or rights)	(261,108)
Canceled (in shares or rights)	(76,052)
Awards outstanding at the end of the period (in shares or rights)	491,968	501,961
Share-based compensation expense
Pre-tax	$ 16,565	$ 17,701	$ 22,578
Net of tax	$ 10,315	$ 10,798	$ 13,772
Restricted Stock Units | Employee
Share-based payments
Vesting period	3 years