Selected Quarterly Data (Unaudited) (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		May 03, 2020	Feb. 02, 2020	Nov. 03, 2019	Aug. 04, 2019	Apr. 28, 2019	Jan. 27, 2019	Oct. 28, 2018	Jul. 29, 2018	May 03, 2020		Apr. 28, 2019		Apr. 29, 2018
INCOME STATEMENT DATA
net sales		$ 47,378	$ 68,518	$ 69,550	$ 70,719	$ 67,023	$ 73,127	$ 72,275	$ 68,898	$ 256,166		$ 281,325		$ 323,725
cost of sales		(44,333)	(56,998)	(56,024)	(58,307)	(55,828)	(60,054)	(60,666)	(58,998)	(215,668)		(235,556)		(259,092)
gross profit from continuing operations		3,045	11,520	13,526	12,412	11,195	13,073	11,609	9,900	40,498		45,769		64,633
selling, general and administrative expenses		(7,327)	(8,831)	(9,117)	(9,149)	(8,758)	(8,677)	(8,409)	(7,397)	(34,424)		(33,243)		(37,172)
asset impairments		(13,712)								(13,712)	[1]
restructuring (credit) expense			35		35		214	1,061	(451)	70		825
(loss) income from continuing operations		(17,994)	2,724	4,409	3,298	2,437	4,610	4,261	2,052	(7,568)		13,351		27,461
interest expense		(84)		(21)				(14)	(17)	(106)		(35)		(94)
interest income		121	258	258	260	221	259	155	150	897		789		534
other expense		(426)	(282)	(99)	(95)	(670)	(294)	(164)	(254)	(902)		(1,383)		(1,018)
(loss) income before income taxes from continuing operations		(18,383)	2,700	4,547	3,463	1,988	4,575	4,238	1,931	(7,679)		12,722		26,883
income tax (expense) benefit		(704)	973	(1,930)	(1,692)	(3,091)	(1,274)	(1,270)	(906)	(3,354)		(6,537)		(5,740)
Income (loss) from investment in unconsolidated joint venture		(65)	(56)	(16)	13	(5)	23	(55)	(77)	(125)		(114)		(266)
net (loss) income from continuing operations		(19,152)	3,617	2,601	1,784	(1,108)	3,324	2,913	948	(11,158)		6,071		20,877
(loss) income before income taxes from discontinued operation		(8,698)	(7,824)	(441)	(621)	(477)	(313)	37	17	(17,577)		(726)
income tax benefit (expense)		25		32	11	74	49	(6)		68		113
net (loss) income from discontinued operation		(8,673)	(7,824)	(409)	(610)	(403)	(264)	31	17	(17,509)		(613)
net (loss) income		(27,825)	(4,207)	2,192	1,174	(1,511)	3,060	2,944	965	(28,667)		5,458		20,877
depreciation		$ 1,946	$ 1,987	$ 1,988	$ 1,905	$ 2,030	$ 2,031	$ 2,041	$ 2,015	$ 7,827		$ 8,117		$ 7,672
weighted average shares outstanding		12,297,000	12,409,000	12,408,000	12,399,000	12,384,000	12,438,000	12,515,000	12,510,000	12,378,000		12,462,000		12,431,000
weighted average shares outstanding , assuming dilution		12,297,000	12,420,000	12,408,000	12,410,000	12,384,000	12,465,000	12,551,000	12,600,000	12,378,000		12,548,000		12,633,000
PER SHARE DATA
net (loss) income from continuing operations per share - basic		$ (1.56)	$ 0.29	$ 0.21	$ 0.14	$ (0.09)	$ 0.27	$ 0.23	$ 0.08	$ (0.90)		$ 0.49		$ 1.68
net (loss) income from continuing operations per share - diluted		(1.56)	0.29	0.21	0.14	(0.09)	0.27	0.23	0.08	(0.90)		0.48		1.65
net (loss) income from discontinued operation per share - basic		(0.71)	(0.63)	(0.03)	(0.05)	(0.03)	(0.02)			(1.41)		(0.05)
net (loss) income from discontinued operation per share - diluted		(0.71)	(0.63)	(0.03)	(0.05)	(0.03)	(0.02)			(1.41)		(0.05)
net (loss) income from per share-basic		(2.26)	(0.34)	0.18	0.09	(0.12)	0.25	0.24	0.08	(2.32)		0.44		1.68
net (loss) income per share-diluted		(2.26)	(0.34)	0.18	0.09	(0.12)	0.25	0.24	0.08	$ (2.32)		$ 0.43		$ 1.65
book value		$ 10.56	$ 12.93	$ 13.01	$ 12.91	$ 12.91	$ 13.16	$ 13.04	$ 12.90
BALANCE SHEET DATA
operating working capital	[2]	$ 49,389	$ 58,862	$ 48,220	$ 48,662	$ 47,736	$ 50,997	$ 48,776	$ 50,884	$ 49,389		$ 47,736
property, plant and equipment, net		43,147	44,652	45,221	45,475	46,479	48,144	49,243	51,037	43,147		46,479
total assets		215,084	212,140	233,522	226,247	220,556	225,738	223,041	227,122	215,084		220,556
capital expenditures		462	1,431	1,831	909	295	835	590	1,255	4,633	[3]	2,975	[3]	$ 7,439	[3]
dividends paid		1,289	1,304	1,241	1,241	1,239	1,240	1,126	1,127	5,075		4,732		$ 6,843
lines of credit and Paycheck Protection Program loan	[4]	38,371							4,000	38,371
shareholders' equity attributable to Culp Inc.		129,698	159,843	161,520	160,146	159,933	162,775	162,918	161,490	129,698		159,933
capital employed		$ 94,526	$ 116,181	$ 107,018	$ 107,832	$ 107,561	$ 112,599	$ 112,403	$ 116,743	$ 94,526		$ 107,561
RATIOS & OTHER DATA
gross profit margin from continuing operations		6.40%	16.80%	19.40%	17.60%	16.70%	17.90%	16.10%	14.40%
operating income margin from continuing operations		(38.00%)	4.00%	6.30%	4.70%	3.60%	6.30%	5.90%	3.00%
net (loss) income margin from continuing operations		(40.40%)	5.30%	3.70%	2.50%	(1.70%)	4.50%	4.00%	1.40%
effective income tax rate associated with continuing operations		(3.80%)	(36.00%)	42.40%	48.90%	155.50%	27.80%	30.00%	46.90%	(43.70%)		51.40%		21.40%
Debt-to-total capital employed ratio	[4],[5]	40.60%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%	3.40%	40.60%		0.00%
operating working capital turnover	[2]	5.1	5.4	5.7	5.7	5.7	5.9	6.2	6.6
days sales in receivables		48	33	30	30	33	30	29	32
inventory turnover		3.5	4.3	4.5	4.9	4.5	5.1	5.1	4.4
stock price
high		$ 12.93	$ 16.92	$ 17.49	$ 21.08	$ 21.06	$ 23.84	$ 27.78	$ 32.05
low		5.87	12.35	13.09	16.41	17.05	18.06	21.04	23.90
close		$ 6.91	$ 12.63	$ 15.35	$ 17.39	$ 20.74	$ 18.47	$ 22.31	$ 24.75	$ 6.91		$ 20.74
daily average trading volume (shares)		75.9	41.6	31.4	23.5	35.6	43.3	29.8	27.0

[1] During fiscal 2020, we incurred asset impairment charges totaling $13.7 million, of which $13.6 million and $143,000 were associated with goodwill and a tradename associated Read, respectively. Of this $13.7 million, $11.5 million and $2.2 million pertained to the mattress fabrics segment and upholstery fabrics segment, respectively.

[2] Operating working capital includes accounts receivable and inventories, less accounts payable-trade, accounts payable-capital expenditures, and deferred revenue.

[3] Capital expenditure amounts are stated on an accrual basis. See the Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows for capital expenditure amounts on a cash basis.

[4] Debt represents outstanding borrowings on our lines of credit and the Paycheck Protection Program loan.

[5] Capital employed does not include cash and cash equivalents, short-term investments-held-to-maturity, short-term investments-available for sale, long-term investments – rabbi trust, long-term investments-held-to-maturity, noncurrent deferred income tax assets and liabilities, current and noncurrent income taxes receivable and payable, lines of credit, Paycheck Protection Program loan, deferred compensation, and financial statement line items associated with our discontinued operation.