Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 27, 2012	Jan. 28, 2012	Oct. 29, 2011	Jan. 29, 2011
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,264	$ 2,827	$ 1,097	$ 1,464
Receivables	281	368	288
Merchandise inventories	7,208	5,117	7,158
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	410	465	408
Income taxes	0		0
Total Current Assets	9,163	8,777	8,951
Property and Equipment - net	8,212	8,420	8,423
Goodwill	3,743	3,743	3,743
Other Intangible Assets - net	570	598	608
Other Assets	582	557	538
Deferred Income Tax Assets	0		0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	22,270	22,095	22,263
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	123	1,103	805
Merchandise accounts payable	3,627	1,593	3,576
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	2,419	2,788	2,375
Income taxes	89	371	66
Deferred income taxes	426	408	388
Total Current Liabilities	6,684	6,263	7,210
Long-Term Debt	6,817	6,655	6,151
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	1,182	1,141	1,402
Other Liabilities	2,024	2,103	1,648
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	5,563	5,933	5,852
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	22,270	22,095	22,263
Parent
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	938	2,533	779	1,174
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Income taxes	127		44
Total Current Assets	1,065	2,533	823
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	11		0
Intercompany Receivable	1,260	520	2,176
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,467	3,210	3,094
Total Assets	5,807	6,267	6,097
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	212	248	211
Income taxes	0	46	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	212	294	211
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	0	4	1
Other Liabilities	32	36	33
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	5,563	5,933	5,852
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	5,807	6,267	6,097
Subsidiary Issuer
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	36	38	34	41
Receivables	31	58	49
Merchandise inventories	3,712	2,722	3,781
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	103	152	102
Income taxes	0		0
Total Current Assets	3,882	2,970	3,966
Property and Equipment - net	4,696	4,827	4,812
Goodwill	3,315	3,315	3,315
Other Intangible Assets - net	131	153	161
Other Assets	65	73	92
Deferred Income Tax Assets	0		0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	2,675	2,435	2,790
Total Assets	14,764	13,773	15,136
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	121	1,099	802
Merchandise accounts payable	1,730	731	1,748
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	919	1,103	928
Income taxes	54	29	30
Deferred income taxes	322	314	293
Total Current Liabilities	3,146	3,276	3,801
Long-Term Debt	6,793	6,630	6,125
Intercompany Payable	4,374	3,483	5,130
Deferred Income Taxes	389	351	446
Other Liabilities	746	771	648
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	(684)	(738)	(1,014)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	14,764	13,773	15,136
Other Subsidiaries
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	290	256	284	249
Receivables	250	310	239
Merchandise inventories	3,496	2,395	3,377
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	307	313	306
Income taxes	0		0
Total Current Assets	4,343	3,274	4,206
Property and Equipment - net	3,516	3,593	3,611
Goodwill	428	428	428
Other Intangible Assets - net	439	445	447
Other Assets	513	480	442
Deferred Income Tax Assets	0		0
Intercompany Receivable	3,114	2,963	2,954
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	12,353	11,183	12,088
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	2	4	3
Merchandise accounts payable	1,897	862	1,828
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,288	1,437	1,236
Income taxes	162	296	80
Deferred income taxes	104	94	95
Total Current Liabilities	3,453	2,693	3,242
Long-Term Debt	24	25	26
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	804	786	955
Other Liabilities	1,246	1,296	967
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	6,826	6,383	6,898
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	12,353	11,183	12,088
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	(127)		(44)
Total Current Assets	(127)	0	(44)
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	(11)		0
Intercompany Receivable	(4,374)	(3,483)	(5,130)
Investment in Subsidiaries	(6,142)	(5,645)	(5,884)
Total Assets	(10,654)	(9,128)	(11,058)
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0	0
Income taxes	(127)	0	(44)
Deferred income taxes	0	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	(127)	0	(44)
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	(4,374)	(3,483)	(5,130)
Deferred Income Taxes	(11)	0	0
Other Liabilities	0	0	0
Shareholders' Equity (Deficit)	(6,142)	(5,645)	(5,884)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	$ (10,654)	$ (9,128)	$ (11,058)