Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Apr. 29, 2017	Jan. 28, 2017	Apr. 30, 2016	Jan. 30, 2016
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 1,201	$ 1,297	$ 734	$ 1,109
Receivables	345	522	399
Merchandise inventories	5,626	5,399	5,738
Income tax receivable	0	0	19
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	397	408	490
Total Current Assets	7,569	7,626	7,380
Property and Equipment - net	6,886	7,017	7,475
Goodwill	3,897	3,897	3,897
Other Intangible Assets - net	496	498	511
Other Assets	793	813	898
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	19,641	19,851	20,161
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	313	309	642
Merchandise accounts payable	2,028	1,423	2,015
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	2,905	3,563	2,690
Income taxes	355	352	0
Total Current Liabilities	5,601	5,647	5,347
Long-Term Debt	6,412	6,562	6,990
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	1,482	1,443	1,536
Other Liabilities	1,846	1,877	2,134
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	4,302	4,323	4,148
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	(2)	(1)	6
Total Shareholders’ Equity	4,300	4,322	4,154
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	19,641	19,851	20,161
Parent
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	779	938	287	741
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Income tax receivable			66
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Total Current Assets	779	938	353
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	26	23
Intercompany Receivable	920	375	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,003	3,137	4,651
Total Assets	4,726	4,476	5,027
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	22	16	34
Income taxes	317	71	0
Total Current Liabilities	339	87	34
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	18	0	787
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Other Liabilities	67	66	58
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	4,302	4,323	4,148
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	4,302	4,323	4,148
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	4,726	4,476	5,027
Subsidiary Issuer
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	99	81	112	91
Receivables	118	169	158
Merchandise inventories	2,560	2,565	2,707
Income tax receivable			0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	71	84	121
Total Current Assets	2,848	2,899	3,098
Property and Equipment - net	3,293	3,397	3,840
Goodwill	3,315	3,315	3,315
Other Intangible Assets - net	49	51	50
Other Assets	45	47	154
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,535	3,540	3,810
Total Assets	13,085	13,249	14,267
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	306	306	641
Merchandise accounts payable	841	590	872
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	916	1,064	1,192
Income taxes	6	16	9
Total Current Liabilities	2,069	1,976	2,714
Long-Term Debt	6,395	6,544	6,971
Intercompany Payable	2,801	2,803	2,646
Deferred Income Taxes	704	688	726
Other Liabilities	498	500	547
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	618	738	663
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	618	738	663
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	13,085	13,249	14,267
Other Subsidiaries
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	323	278	335	277
Receivables	227	353	241
Merchandise inventories	3,066	2,834	3,031
Income tax receivable			0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	326	324	369
Total Current Assets	3,942	3,789	3,976
Property and Equipment - net	3,593	3,620	3,635
Goodwill	582	582	582
Other Intangible Assets - net	447	447	461
Other Assets	748	766	744
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	1,833	2,428	3,433
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	11,145	11,632	12,831
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	7	3	1
Merchandise accounts payable	1,187	833	1,143
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,967	2,483	1,464
Income taxes	32	265	38
Total Current Liabilities	3,193	3,584	2,646
Long-Term Debt	17	18	19
Intercompany Payable	(66)	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	802	781	833
Other Liabilities	1,281	1,311	1,529
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	5,920	5,939	7,798
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	(2)	(1)	6
Total Shareholders’ Equity	5,918	5,938	7,804
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	11,145	11,632	12,831
Consolidating Adjustments
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	$ 0
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Income tax receivable			(47)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Total Current Assets	0	0	(47)
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)	(26)	(23)
Intercompany Receivable	(2,753)	(2,803)	(3,433)
Investment in Subsidiaries	(6,538)	(6,677)	(8,461)
Total Assets	(9,315)	(9,506)	(11,964)
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0	0
Income taxes	0	0	(47)
Total Current Liabilities	0	0	(47)
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	(2,753)	(2,803)	(3,433)
Deferred Income Taxes	(24)	(26)	(23)
Other Liabilities	0	0	0
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	(6,538)	(6,677)	(8,461)
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	(6,538)	(6,677)	(8,461)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	$ (9,315)	$ (9,506)	$ (11,964)