Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Apr. 28, 2012	Jan. 28, 2012	Apr. 30, 2011	Jan. 29, 2011
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,891	$ 2,827	$ 1,152	$ 1,464
Receivables	277	368	225
Merchandise inventories	5,465	5,117	5,159
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	400	465	378
Income taxes	0		0
Total Current Assets	8,033	8,777	6,914
Property and Equipment - net	8,359	8,420	8,636
Goodwill	3,743	3,743	3,743
Other Intangible Assets - net	589	598	628
Other Assets	553	557	496
Deferred Income Tax Assets			0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	21,277	22,095	20,417
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	313	1,103	741
Merchandise accounts payable	2,346	1,593	2,131
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	2,225	2,788	2,071
Income taxes	104	371	68
Deferred income taxes	411	408	397
Total Current Liabilities	5,399	6,263	5,408
Long-Term Debt	6,644	6,655	6,343
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	1,128	1,141	1,284
Other Liabilities	2,073	2,103	1,694
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	6,033	5,933	5,688
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	21,277	22,095	20,417
Parent
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,520	2,533	753	1,174
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Income taxes	43		4
Total Current Assets	1,563	2,533	757
Property and Equipment - net	0	0	0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Other Intangible Assets - net	0	0	0
Other Assets	4	4	4
Deferred Income Tax Assets			96
Intercompany Receivable	1,398	520	2,045
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,228	3,210	2,944
Total Assets	6,193	6,267	5,846
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	120	248	101
Income taxes	0	46	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	120	294	101
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	7	4	0
Other Liabilities	33	36	57
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	6,033	5,933	5,688
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	6,193	6,267	5,846
Subsidiary Issuer
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	36	38	37	41
Receivables	46	58	35
Merchandise inventories	2,840	2,722	2,738
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	89	152	94
Income taxes	0		0
Total Current Assets	3,011	2,970	2,904
Property and Equipment - net	4,736	4,827	4,908
Goodwill	3,315	3,315	3,315
Other Intangible Assets - net	145	153	176
Other Assets	70	73	80
Deferred Income Tax Assets			0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	2,508	2,435	2,696
Total Assets	13,785	13,773	14,079
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	310	1,099	738
Merchandise accounts payable	1,106	731	1,015
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	871	1,103	857
Income taxes	18	29	35
Deferred income taxes	313	314	291
Total Current Liabilities	2,618	3,276	2,936
Long-Term Debt	6,619	6,630	6,315
Intercompany Payable	4,152	3,483	4,609
Deferred Income Taxes	341	351	506
Other Liabilities	795	771	683
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	(740)	(738)	(970)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	13,785	13,773	14,079
Other Subsidiaries
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	335	256	362	249
Receivables	231	310	190
Merchandise inventories	2,625	2,395	2,421
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	311	313	284
Income taxes	0		0
Total Current Assets	3,502	3,274	3,257
Property and Equipment - net	3,623	3,593	3,728
Goodwill	428	428	428
Other Intangible Assets - net	444	445	452
Other Assets	479	480	412
Deferred Income Tax Assets			0
Intercompany Receivable	2,754	2,963	2,564
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	11,230	11,183	10,841
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	3	4	3
Merchandise accounts payable	1,240	862	1,116
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,234	1,437	1,113
Income taxes	129	296	37
Deferred income taxes	98	94	106
Total Current Liabilities	2,704	2,693	2,375
Long-Term Debt	25	25	28
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	780	786	874
Other Liabilities	1,245	1,296	954
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	6,476	6,383	6,610
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	11,230	11,183	10,841
Consolidating Adjustments
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Income taxes	(43)		(4)
Total Current Assets	(43)	0	(4)
Property and Equipment - net	0	0	0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Other Intangible Assets - net	0	0	0
Other Assets	0	0	0
Deferred Income Tax Assets			(96)
Intercompany Receivable	(4,152)	(3,483)	(4,609)
Investment in Subsidiaries	(5,736)	(5,645)	(5,640)
Total Assets	(9,931)	(9,128)	(10,349)
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0	0
Income taxes	(43)	0	(4)
Deferred income taxes	0	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	(43)	0	(4)
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	(4,152)	(3,483)	(4,609)
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	(96)
Other Liabilities	0	0	0
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	(5,736)	(5,645)	(5,640)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	$ (9,931)	$ (9,128)	$ (10,349)