Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Nov. 02, 2019	Aug. 03, 2019	May 04, 2019	Feb. 02, 2019	Nov. 03, 2018	Aug. 04, 2018	May 05, 2018	Feb. 03, 2018
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 301			$ 1,162	$ 736
Receivables	175			400	180
Merchandise inventories	7,256			5,263	7,147
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	568			620	594
Income tax receivable	1			0	10
Total Current Assets	8,301			7,445	8,667
Property and Equipment - net	6,558			6,637	6,572
Right of Use Assets	2,596			0	0
Goodwill	3,908			3,908	3,908
Other Intangible Assets - net	440			478	481
Other Assets	744			726	733
Deferred Income Taxes	0			0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0			0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	0			0	0
Total Assets	22,547			19,194	20,361
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	6			43	65
Merchandise accounts payable	3,427			1,655	3,381
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	3,046			3,366	2,998
Income taxes	0			168	0
Total Current Liabilities	6,479			5,232	6,444
Long-Term Debt	4,677			4,708	5,469
Long-Term Lease Liabilities	2,819			0	0
Intercompany Payable	0			0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	1,200			1,238	1,185
Other Liabilities	1,315			1,580	1,618
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	6,057			6,436	5,667
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0			0	(22)
Total Shareholders’ Equity	6,057	$ 6,315	$ 6,323	6,436	5,645	$ 5,894	$ 5,801	$ 5,733
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	22,547			19,194	20,361
Parent
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	42			889	426
Receivables	0			0	1
Merchandise inventories	0			0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0			0	0
Income tax receivable	96				81
Total Current Assets	138			889	508
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	9			12	11
Intercompany Receivable	2,923			1,713	1,725
Investment in Subsidiaries	3,231			4,030	3,639
Total Assets	6,301			6,644	5,883
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0			0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	216			170	192
Income taxes	0			14	0
Total Current Liabilities	216			184	192
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.	6,057			6,436	5,667
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0			0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	6,057			6,436	5,667
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	6,301			6,644	5,883
Subsidiary Issuer
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	73			59	74
Receivables	30			68	25
Merchandise inventories	3,145			2,342	3,112
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	126			143	139
Income tax receivable	0				0
Total Current Assets	3,374			2,612	3,350
Property and Equipment - net	3,174			3,287	3,244
Right of Use Assets	653
Goodwill	3,326			3,326	3,326
Other Intangible Assets - net	5			38	40
Other Assets	49			41	39
Deferred Income Taxes	0			0	0
Intercompany Receivable	0			0	0
Investment in Subsidiaries	2,812			3,119	3,028
Total Assets	13,393			12,423	13,027
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	6			42	42
Merchandise accounts payable	1,521			713	1,515
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	835			950	874
Income taxes	51			52	40
Total Current Liabilities	2,413			1,757	2,471
Long-Term Debt	4,677			4,692	5,453
Long-Term Lease Liabilities	589
Intercompany Payable	3,377			3,103	2,607
Deferred Income Taxes	654			679	619
Other Liabilities	377			406	431
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	1,306			1,786	1,446
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0			0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	1,306			1,786	1,446
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	13,393			12,423	13,027
Other Subsidiaries
Current Assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	186			214	236
Receivables	145			332	154
Merchandise inventories	4,111			2,921	4,035
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	442			477	455
Income tax receivable	0				0
Total Current Assets	4,884			3,944	4,880
Property and Equipment - net	3,384			3,350	3,328
Right of Use Assets	1,943
Goodwill	582			582	582
Other Intangible Assets - net	435			440	441
Other Assets	695			685	694
Deferred Income Taxes	0			0	0
Intercompany Receivable	454			1,390	882
Investment in Subsidiaries	0			0	0
Total Assets	12,377			10,391	10,807
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0			1	23
Merchandise accounts payable	1,906			942	1,866
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	1,995			2,246	1,932
Income taxes	44			102	31
Total Current Liabilities	3,945			3,291	3,852
Long-Term Debt	0			16	16
Long-Term Lease Liabilities	2,230
Intercompany Payable	0			0	0
Deferred Income Taxes	555			571	577
Other Liabilities	910			1,150	1,163
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	4,737			5,363	5,221
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0			0	(22)
Total Shareholders’ Equity	4,737			5,363	5,199
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	12,377			10,391	10,807
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
Income tax receivable	(95)				(71)
Total Current Assets	(95)			0	(71)
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	(9)			(12)	(11)
Intercompany Receivable	(3,377)			(3,103)	(2,607)
Investment in Subsidiaries	(6,043)			(7,149)	(6,667)
Total Assets	(9,524)			(10,264)	(9,356)
Current Liabilities:
Short-term debt	0			0	0
Merchandise accounts payable	0			0	0
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	0			0	0
Income taxes	(95)			0	(71)
Total Current Liabilities	(95)			0	(71)
Long-Term Debt				0	0
Long-Term Lease Liabilities	0
Intercompany Payable	(3,377)			(3,103)	(2,607)
Deferred Income Taxes	(9)			(12)	(11)
Other Liabilities	0			0	0
Shareholders' Equity, Macy's, Inc.	(6,043)			(7,149)	(6,667)
Shareholders' Equity, noncontrolling interest	0			0	0
Total Shareholders’ Equity	(6,043)			(7,149)	(6,667)
Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity	$ (9,524)			$ (10,264)	$ (9,356)