Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jul. 29, 2017	Jan. 28, 2017	Jul. 30, 2016	Jan. 30, 2016
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 783	$ 1,297	$ 1,000	$ 1,109
Receivables	382	522	423
Merchandise inventories	4,980	5,399	5,322
Income tax receivable			0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	412	408	471
Total Current Assets	6,557	7,626	7,216
Property and Equipment - net	6,822	7,017	7,187
Goodwill	3,897	3,897	3,897
Other Intangible Assets - net	493	498	502
Other Assets	810	813	904
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	18,579	19,851	19,706
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	16	309	1,063
Merchandise accounts payable	1,669	1,423	1,877
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	2,873	3,563	2,514
Income taxes	52	352	23
Total Current Liabilities	4,610	5,647	5,477
Long-Term Debt	6,301	6,562	6,567
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	1,512	1,443	1,448
Other Liabilities	1,773	1,877	2,164
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	4,388	4,323	4,046
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	(5)	(1)	4
Total Shareholders’ Equity	4,383	4,322	4,050
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	18,579	19,851	19,706
Parent
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	421	938	621	741
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Income tax receivable			8
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Total Current Assets	421	938	629
Property and Equipment - net	0	0	0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Other Intangible Assets - net	0	0	0
Other Assets	1	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	25	26	23
Intercompany Receivable	1,011	375	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,054	3,137	4,524
Total Assets	4,512	4,476	5,176
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	24	16	29
Income taxes	28	71	0
Total Current Liabilities	52	87	29
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	0	0	1,043
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Other Liabilities	72	66	58
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	4,388	4,323	4,046
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	4,388	4,323	4,046
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	4,512	4,476	5,176
Subsidiary Issuer
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	78	81	89	91
Receivables	132	169	146
Merchandise inventories	2,236	2,565	2,500
Income tax receivable			11
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	82	84	84
Total Current Assets	2,528	2,899	2,830
Property and Equipment - net	3,202	3,397	3,586
Goodwill	3,315	3,315	3,315
Other Intangible Assets - net	47	51	49
Other Assets	53	47	155
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,690	3,540	3,247
Total Assets	12,835	13,249	13,182
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	6	306	1,062
Merchandise accounts payable	698	590	825
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	900	1,064	1,380
Income taxes	2	16	0
Total Current Liabilities	1,606	1,976	3,267
Long-Term Debt	6,284	6,544	6,549
Intercompany Payable	3,076	2,803	1,667
Deferred Income Taxes	720	688	653
Other Liabilities	425	500	573
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	724	738	473
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	724	738	473
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	12,835	13,249	13,182
Other Subsidiaries
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	284	278	290	277
Receivables	250	353	277
Merchandise inventories	2,744	2,834	2,822
Income tax receivable			0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	330	324	387
Total Current Assets	3,608	3,789	3,776
Property and Equipment - net	3,620	3,620	3,601
Goodwill	582	582	582
Other Intangible Assets - net	446	447	453
Other Assets	756	766	749
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	2,065	2,428	2,710
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	11,077	11,632	11,871
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	10	3	1
Merchandise accounts payable	971	833	1,052
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,949	2,483	1,105
Income taxes	22	265	42
Total Current Liabilities	2,952	3,584	2,200
Long-Term Debt	17	18	18
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	817	781	818
Other Liabilities	1,276	1,311	1,533
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	6,020	5,939	7,298
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	(5)	(1)	4
Total Shareholders’ Equity	6,015	5,938	7,302
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	11,077	11,632	11,871
Consolidating Adjustments
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	$ 0
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Income tax receivable			(19)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Total Current Assets	0	0	(19)
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	(25)	(26)	(23)
Intercompany Receivable	(3,076)	(2,803)	(2,710)
Investment in Subsidiaries	(6,744)	(6,677)	(7,771)
Total Assets	(9,845)	(9,506)	(10,523)
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	(19)
Total Current Liabilities	0	0	(19)
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	(3,076)	(2,803)	(2,710)
Deferred Income Taxes	(25)	(26)	(23)
Other Liabilities	0	0	0
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	(6,744)	(6,677)	(7,771)
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	(6,744)	(6,677)	(7,771)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	$ (9,845)	$ (9,506)	$ (10,523)