QUARTERLY DATA (UNAUDITED) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions, $ in Millions	3 Months Ended						4 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jan. 30, 2016	Nov. 07, 2015	Aug. 15, 2015	Jan. 31, 2015	Nov. 08, 2014	Aug. 16, 2014	May. 23, 2015	May. 24, 2014	Jan. 30, 2016	Jan. 31, 2015	Feb. 01, 2014
Quarterly Financial Information
Fiscal Period Duration	84 days	84 days	84 days	84 days	84 days	84 days	112 days	112 days	364 days	364 days	364 days
Sales	$ 26,165	$ 25,075	$ 25,539	$ 25,207	$ 24,987	$ 25,310	$ 33,051	$ 32,961	$ 109,830	$ 108,465	$ 98,375
Merchandise costs, including advertising, warehousing, and transportation, excluding items shown separately below	20,193	19,478	20,065	19,547	19,764	20,136	25,760	26,065	85,496	85,512	78,138
Operating, general and administrative	4,355	4,169	4,068	4,119	3,954	3,920	5,354	5,168	17,946	17,161	15,196
Rent	181	172	155	162	162	166	215	217	723	707	613
Depreciation and amortization	508	484	477	467	456	444	620	581	2,089	1,948	1,703
Operating profit	928	772	774	912	651	644	1,102	930	3,576	3,137	2,725
Interest expense	113	107	114	115	114	112	148	147	482	488	443
Earnings before income tax expense	815	665	660	797	537	532	954	783	3,094	2,649	2,282
Income tax expense	250	238	227	274	172	182	330	274	1,045	902	751
Net earnings including noncontrolling interests	565	427	433	523	365	350	624	509	2,049	1,747	1,531
Net earnings (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interests	6	(1)		5	3	3	5	8	10	19	12
Net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co.	$ 559	$ 428	$ 433	$ 518	$ 362	$ 347	$ 619	$ 501	$ 2,039	$ 1,728	$ 1,519
Net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. per basic common share	$ 0.57	$ 0.44	$ 0.44	$ 0.53	$ 0.37	$ 0.35	$ 0.63	$ 0.50	$ 2.09	$ 1.74	$ 1.47
Average number of common shares used in basic calculation	966	965	963	972	972	970	969	1,002	966	981	1,028
Net earnings attributable to The Kroger Co. per diluted common share	$ 0.57	$ 0.43	$ 0.44	$ 0.52	$ 0.36	$ 0.35	$ 0.62	$ 0.49	$ 2.06	$ 1.72	$ 1.45
Average number of common shares used in diluted calculation	980	979	977	987	984	982	983	1,014	980	993	1,040
Dividends declared per common share	$ 0.105	$ 0.105	$ 0.105	$ 0.093	$ 0.093	$ 0.083	$ 0.093	$ 0.083	$ 0.408	$ 0.35	$ 0.315
OG&A expenses due to contributions to the company's charitable foundation				$ 60	$ 25
Income tax benefit due to certain tax items					$ 17
UFCW Consolidated Pension Plan
Quarterly Financial Information
Operating, general and administrative	$ 30	$ 80		$ 55
Pension Benefits
Quarterly Financial Information
Operating, general and administrative								$ 87