Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Nov. 03, 2018	Feb. 03, 2018	Oct. 28, 2017
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 736	$ 1,455	$ 534
Receivables	180	363	219
Merchandise inventories	7,147	5,178	7,065
Income tax receivable	10	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	594	650	610
Total Current Assets	8,667	7,646	8,428
Property and Equipment - net	6,572	6,672	6,742
Goodwill	3,908	3,897	3,897
Other Intangible Assets - net	481	488	491
Other Assets	733	880	835
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	20,361	19,583	20,393
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	65	22	22
Merchandise accounts payable	3,381	1,590	3,173
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	2,998	3,271	3,257
Income taxes	0	296	34
Total Current Liabilities	6,444	5,179	6,486
Long-Term Debt	5,469	5,861	6,297
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	1,185	1,148	1,586
Other Liabilities	1,618	1,662	1,750
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	5,667	5,745	4,282
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	(22)	(12)	(8)
Total Shareholders’ Equity	5,645	5,733	4,274
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	20,361	19,583	20,393
Parent
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	426	1,109	116
Receivables	1	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Income tax receivable	81		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Total Current Assets	508	1,109	116
Property and Equipment - net	0	0	0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Other Intangible Assets - net	0	0	0
Other Assets	0	1	1
Deferred Income Taxes	11	11	27
Intercompany Receivable	1,725	884	1,436
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,639	4,032	2,932
Total Assets	5,883	6,037	4,512
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	192	159	139
Income taxes	0	113	20
Total Current Liabilities	192	272	159
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Other Liabilities	24	20	71
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	5,667	5,745	4,282
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	5,667	5,745	4,282
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	5,883	6,037	4,512
Subsidiary Issuer
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	74	58	89
Receivables	25	85	67
Merchandise inventories	3,112	2,344	3,218
Income tax receivable	0		2
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	139	165	141
Total Current Assets	3,350	2,652	3,517
Property and Equipment - net	3,244	3,349	3,370
Goodwill	3,326	3,315	3,315
Other Intangible Assets - net	40	44	46
Other Assets	39	89	62
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,028	4,126	3,700
Total Assets	13,027	13,575	14,010
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	42	6	6
Merchandise accounts payable	1,515	653	1,339
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	874	980	1,008
Income taxes	40	30	0
Total Current Liabilities	2,471	1,669	2,353
Long-Term Debt	5,453	5,844	6,280
Intercompany Payable	2,607	3,272	3,597
Deferred Income Taxes	619	559	731
Other Liabilities	431	430	476
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	1,446	1,801	573
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	1,446	1,801	573
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	13,027	13,575	14,010
Other Subsidiaries
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	236	288	329
Receivables	154	278	152
Merchandise inventories	4,035	2,834	3,847
Income tax receivable	0		0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	455	485	469
Total Current Assets	4,880	3,885	4,797
Property and Equipment - net	3,328	3,323	3,372
Goodwill	582	582	582
Other Intangible Assets - net	441	444	445
Other Assets	694	790	772
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	882	2,388	2,161
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	10,807	11,412	12,129
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	23	16	16
Merchandise accounts payable	1,866	937	1,834
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,932	2,132	2,110
Income taxes	31	153	16
Total Current Liabilities	3,852	3,238	3,976
Long-Term Debt	16	17	17
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	577	600	882
Other Liabilities	1,163	1,212	1,203
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	5,221	6,357	6,059
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	(22)	(12)	(8)
Total Shareholders’ Equity	5,199	6,345	6,051
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	10,807	11,412	12,129
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Income tax receivable	(71)		(2)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Total Current Assets	(71)	0	(2)
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	(11)	(11)	(27)
Intercompany Receivable	(2,607)	(3,272)	(3,597)
Investment in Subsidiaries	(6,667)	(8,158)	(6,632)
Total Assets	(9,356)	(11,441)	(10,258)
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0	0	0
Income taxes	(71)	0	(2)
Total Current Liabilities	(71)	0	(2)
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Intercompany Payable	(2,607)	(3,272)	(3,597)
Deferred Income Taxes	(11)	(11)	(27)
Other Liabilities	0	0	0
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	(6,667)	(8,158)	(6,632)
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	(6,667)	(8,158)	(6,632)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	$ (9,356)	$ (11,441)	$ (10,258)