Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	May 04, 2019	Feb. 02, 2019	May 05, 2018	Feb. 03, 2018
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 737	$ 1,162	$ 1,531
Receivables	237	400	250
Merchandise inventories	5,498	5,263	5,291
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	633	620	638
Total Current Assets	7,105	7,445	7,710
Property and Equipment - net	6,499	6,637	6,575
Right of Use Assets	2,631	0	0
Goodwill	3,908	3,908	3,908
Other Intangible Assets - net	441	478	486
Other Assets	712	726	889
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	21,296	19,194	19,568
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	41	43	25
Merchandise accounts payable	1,950	1,655	2,045
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	2,846	3,366	2,695
Income taxes	182	168	312
Total Current Liabilities	5,019	5,232	5,077
Long-Term Debt	4,680	4,708	5,857
Long-Term Lease Liabilities	2,823	0	0
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	1,193	1,238	1,169
Other Liabilities	1,258	1,580	1,664
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	6,323	6,436	5,821
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	(20)
Total Shareholders’ Equity	6,323	6,436	5,801	$ 5,733
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	21,296	19,194	19,568
Parent
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	293	889	1,070
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Total Current Assets	293	889	1,070
Property and Equipment - net	0	0	0
Right of Use Assets	0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Other Intangible Assets - net	0	0	0
Other Assets	0	0	1
Deferred Income Taxes	6	12	5
Intercompany Receivable	2,436	1,713	1,156
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,776	4,030	3,975
Total Assets	6,511	6,644	6,207
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0	0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	73	170	109
Income taxes	87	14	253
Total Current Liabilities	160	184	362
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Long-Term Lease Liabilities	0
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Other Liabilities	28	24	24
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	6,323	6,436	5,821
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	6,323	6,436	5,821
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	6,511	6,644	6,207
Subsidiary Issuer
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	151	59	79
Receivables	40	68	48
Merchandise inventories	2,369	2,342	2,283
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	163	143	150
Total Current Assets	2,723	2,612	2,560
Property and Equipment - net	3,202	3,287	3,298
Right of Use Assets	677
Goodwill	3,326	3,326	3,326
Other Intangible Assets - net	5	38	43
Other Assets	28	41	96
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0	0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,061	3,119	4,232
Total Assets	13,022	12,423	13,555
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	41	42	6
Merchandise accounts payable	845	713	896
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	786	950	784
Income taxes	61	52	35
Total Current Liabilities	1,733	1,757	1,721
Long-Term Debt	4,680	4,692	5,841
Long-Term Lease Liabilities	607
Intercompany Payable	3,322	3,103	3,269
Deferred Income Taxes	626	679	570
Other Liabilities	341	406	416
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	1,713	1,786	1,738
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	1,713	1,786	1,738
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	13,022	12,423	13,555
Other Subsidiaries
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	293	214	382
Receivables	197	332	202
Merchandise inventories	3,129	2,921	3,008
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	470	477	488
Total Current Assets	4,089	3,944	4,080
Property and Equipment - net	3,297	3,350	3,277
Right of Use Assets	1,954
Goodwill	582	582	582
Other Intangible Assets - net	436	440	443
Other Assets	684	685	792
Deferred Income Taxes	0	0	0
Intercompany Receivable	886	1,390	2,113
Investment in Subsidiaries	0	0	0
Total Assets	11,928	10,391	11,287
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0	1	19
Merchandise accounts payable	1,105	942	1,149
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,987	2,246	1,802
Income taxes	34	102	24
Total Current Liabilities	3,126	3,291	2,994
Long-Term Debt	0	16	16
Long-Term Lease Liabilities	2,216
Intercompany Payable	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	573	571	604
Other Liabilities	889	1,150	1,224
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	5,124	5,363	6,469
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	(20)
Total Shareholders’ Equity	5,124	5,363	6,449
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	11,928	10,391	11,287
Consolidation, Eliminations [Member]
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0
Receivables	0	0	0
Merchandise inventories	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Total Current Assets	0	0	0
Property and Equipment - net	0	0	0
Right of Use Assets	0
Goodwill	0	0	0
Other Intangible Assets - net	0	0	0
Other Assets	0	0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	(6)	(12)	(5)
Intercompany Receivable	(3,322)	(3,103)	(3,269)
Investment in Subsidiaries	(6,837)	(7,149)	(8,207)
Total Assets	(10,165)	(10,264)	(11,481)
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	0
Total Current Liabilities	0	0	0
Long-Term Debt	0	0	0
Long-Term Lease Liabilities	0
Intercompany Payable	(3,322)	(3,103)	(3,269)
Deferred Income Taxes	(6)	(12)	(5)
Other Liabilities	0	0	0
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	(6,837)	(7,149)	(8,207)
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0	0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	(6,837)	(7,149)	(8,207)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	$ (10,165)	$ (10,264)	$ (11,481)