Revenue (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
Nov. 02, 2019	Nov. 03, 2018	Nov. 02, 2019	Nov. 03, 2018	Feb. 02, 2019
Net sales	$ 5,173	$ 5,404	$ 16,223	$ 16,516
Contract with Customer, Liability, Current	$ 705	$ 723	$ 705	$ 723	$ 856
Macy's sales to total Company sales	87.00%	88.00%	88.00%	88.00%
Contract with Customer, Refund Liability	$ 245	$ 265	$ 245	$ 265	269
Contract with Customer, Right to Recover Product	164	180	164	180	$ 188
Women's Accessories, Intimate Apparel, Shoes and Cosmetics [Member]
Net sales	1,960	2,008	6,152	6,188
Women's Apparel [Member]
Net sales	1,197	1,268	3,779	3,940
Men's and Children's [Member]
Net sales	1,195	1,244	3,663	3,692
Home and Miscellaneous [Member]
Net sales	821	884	2,629	2,696
Total Sales - All Categories [Member]
Net sales	$ 5,173	$ 5,404	$ 16,223	$ 16,516

% of Macy's sales to total Company sales

No definition available.

Name:	m_MacyssalestototalCompanysales
Namespace Prefix:	m_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of obligation to transfer good or service to customer for which consideration has been received or is receivable, classified as current.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118944033&loc=SL49130531-203044

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118944033&loc=SL49130532-203044

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 8
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130549-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerLiabilityCurrent
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of liability for consideration received or receivable from customer which is not included in transaction price, when consideration is expected to be refunded to customer.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2009/role/commonPracticeRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 55
-Paragraph 27
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118944142&loc=SL49130611-203046-203046

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerRefundLiability
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of right to recover product from customer on settling refund liability.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ContractWithCustomerRightToRecoverProduct
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount, excluding tax collected from customer, of revenue from satisfaction of performance obligation by transferring promised good or service to customer. Tax collected from customer is tax assessed by governmental authority that is both imposed on and concurrent with specific revenue-producing transaction, including, but not limited to, sales, use, value added and excise.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 4
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130543-203045

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 606
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 5
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=118956577&loc=SL49130545-203045

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RevenueFromContractWithCustomerExcludingAssessedTax
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=m_WomensAccessoriesIntimateApparelShoesandCosmeticsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=m_WomensApparelMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=m_MensAndChildrensMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=m_HomeAndMiscellaneousMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_ProductOrServiceAxis=m_TotalSalesAllCategoriesMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: