Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Oct. 29, 2016	Jan. 30, 2016	Oct. 31, 2015	Jan. 31, 2015
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 457	$ 1,109	$ 474	$ 2,246
Receivables	262	558	200
Merchandise inventories	7,587	5,506	7,971
Income tax receivable	60	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	454	479	426
Total Current Assets	8,820	7,652	9,071
Property and Equipment - net	7,149	7,616	7,629
Goodwill	3,897	3,897	3,897
Other Intangible Assets - net	499	514	518
Other Assets	909	897	768
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	21,274	20,576	21,883
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	938	642	857
Merchandise accounts payable	3,375	1,526	3,608
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	2,930	3,333	2,687
Income taxes	0	227	102
Total Current Liabilities	7,243	5,728	7,254
Long-Term Debt	6,563	6,995	7,076
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	1,548	1,477	1,453
Other Liabilities	2,129	2,123	2,125
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	3,789	4,250	3,971
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	2	3	4
Total Shareholders’ Equity	3,791	4,253	3,975
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	21,274	20,576	21,883
Parent
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	60	741	11	1,908
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Income tax receivable	99	44	32
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Total Current Assets	159	785	43
Property and Equipment - net	0	0	0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Other Intangible Assets - net	0	0	0
Other Assets	1	0	2
Deferred Income Taxes	24	14	17
Intercompany Receivable	878	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	2,954	4,725	4,644
Total Assets	4,016	5,524	4,706
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	164	35	103
Income taxes	0	0	0
Total Current Liabilities	164	35	103
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	0	1,218	601
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Other Liabilities	63	21	31
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	3,789	4,250	3,971
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	3,789	4,250	3,971
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	4,016	5,524	4,706
Subsidiary Issuer
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	99	91	94	94
Receivables	74	217	38
Merchandise inventories	3,621	2,702	3,959
Income tax receivable	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	89	135	93
Total Current Assets	3,883	3,145	4,184
Property and Equipment - net	3,534	3,925	4,112
Goodwill	3,315	3,315	3,315
Other Intangible Assets - net	47	52	59
Other Assets	153	154	44
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,173	3,804	3,621
Total Assets	14,105	14,395	15,335
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	935	641	856
Merchandise accounts payable	1,481	667	1,734
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	910	1,439	1,116
Income taxes	3	41	4
Total Current Liabilities	3,329	2,788	3,710
Long-Term Debt	6,545	6,976	7,057
Intercompany Payable	2,754	2,582	2,812
Deferred Income Taxes	694	693	700
Other Liabilities	565	558	580
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	218	798	476
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	218	798	476
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	14,105	14,395	15,335
Other Subsidiaries
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	298	277	369	244
Receivables	188	341	162
Merchandise inventories	3,966	2,804	4,012
Income tax receivable	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	365	344	333
Total Current Assets	4,817	3,766	4,876
Property and Equipment - net	3,615	3,691	3,517
Goodwill	582	582	582
Other Intangible Assets - net	452	462	459
Other Assets	755	743	722
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	1,876	3,800	3,413
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	12,097	13,044	13,569
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	3	1	1
Merchandise accounts payable	1,894	859	1,874
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,856	1,859	1,468
Income taxes	36	230	130
Total Current Liabilities	3,789	2,949	3,473
Long-Term Debt	18	19	19
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	878	798	770
Other Liabilities	1,501	1,544	1,514
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	5,909	7,731	7,789
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	2	3	4
Total Shareholders’ Equity	5,911	7,734	7,793
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	12,097	13,044	13,569
Consolidating Adjustments
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	$ 0
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Income tax receivable	(39)	(44)	(32)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Total Current Assets	(39)	(44)	(32)
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 Taxes	(24)	(14)	(17)
Intercompany Receivable	(2,754)	(3,800)	(3,413)
Investment in Subsidiaries	(6,127)	(8,529)	(8,265)
Total Assets	(8,944)	(12,387)	(11,727)
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0	0
Income taxes	(39)	(44)	(32)
Total Current Liabilities	(39)	(44)	(32)
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	(2,754)	(3,800)	(3,413)
Deferred Income Taxes	(24)	(14)	(17)
Other Liabilities	0	0	0
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	(6,127)	(8,529)	(8,265)
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	(6,127)	(8,529)	(8,265)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	$ (8,944)	$ (12,387)	$ (11,727)