Summary by Business Segment (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Segment Reporting, Measurement Disclosures [Abstract]

Schedule of Financial Information by Segment

			Year Ended
	March 31, 2016
(In thousands)	Distribution		All Other Ops.		Eliminations and Other			Total
Gas and rent	$	2,866,065	$	631,646	$	(38,209	)	$	3,459,502
Hardgoods	1,850,163		4,123		(11		)	1,854,275
Net sales (a)	4,716,228		635,769		(38,220		)	5,313,777
Cost of products sold (excluding depreciation) (a)	2,037,492		302,326		(38,220		)	2,301,598
Selling, distribution and administrative expenses	1,828,814		213,940		—			2,042,754
Merger costs and other special charges	—		—		35,967			35,967
Depreciation	288,704		29,848		—			318,552
Amortization	29,403		4,792		—			34,195
Total costs and expenses	4,184,413		550,906		(2,253		)	4,733,066
Operating income	$	531,815	$	84,863	$	(35,967	)	$	580,711
Assets	$	5,531,042	$	603,914	$	—		$	6,134,956
Capital expenditures	$	426,290	$	30,609	$	—		$	456,899
	Year Ended
	March 31, 2015
(In thousands)	Distribution		All Other Ops.		Eliminations and Other			Total
Gas and rent	$	2,823,297	$	556,941	$	(29,219	)	$	3,351,019
Hardgoods	1,950,192		3,681		(7		)	1,953,866
Net sales (a)	4,773,489		560,622		(29,226		)	5,304,885
Cost of products sold (excluding depreciation) (a)	2,092,466		292,635		(29,226		)	2,355,875
Selling, distribution and administrative expenses	1,792,116		186,558		—			1,978,674
Depreciation	272,200		25,510		—			297,710
Amortization	27,373		3,975		—			31,348
Total costs and expenses	4,184,155		508,678		(29,226		)	4,663,607
Operating income	$	589,334	$	51,944	$	—		$	641,278
Assets	$	5,397,535	$	576,075	$	—		$	5,973,610
Capital expenditures	$	438,867	$	29,922	$	—		$	468,789
	Year Ended
	March 31, 2014
(In thousands)	Distribution		All Other Ops.		Eliminations and Other			Total
Gas and rent	$	2,717,272	$	539,954	$	(30,404	)	$	3,226,822
Hardgoods	1,841,518		4,200		(3		)	1,845,715
Net sales (a)	4,558,790		544,154		(30,407		)	5,072,537
Cost of products sold (excluding depreciation) (a)	1,996,065		281,916		(30,407		)	2,247,574
Selling, distribution and administrative expenses	1,705,408		176,289		7,426			1,889,123
Depreciation	252,329		23,132		—			275,461
Amortization	25,512		4,333		—			29,845
Total costs and expenses	3,979,314		485,670		(22,981		)	4,442,003
Operating income	$	579,476	$	58,484	$	(7,426	)	$	630,534
Assets	$	5,222,781	$	570,533	$	—		$	5,793,314
Capital expenditures	$	317,066	$	37,521	$	—		$	354,587

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^(a)  Amounts in the “Eliminations and Other” column represent the elimination of intercompany sales and associated gross profit on sales from the Company’s All Other Operations business segment to its Distribution business segment.