Accounts receivable, net - Portfolio of Accounts Receivable (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Oct. 28, 2017	Jan. 28, 2017	Oct. 29, 2016
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, net	$ 640.1	$ 1,858.0	$ 1,581.1
Consumer Portfolio Segment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, net	597.7		1,546.3
Other Accounts Receivable
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, net	10.1	11.3	8.4
Sterling Jewelers \| Consumer Portfolio Segment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, net	597.7	1,813.3	1,546.3
Zale Jewelry \| Consumer Portfolio Segment
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Accounts receivable, net	$ 32.3	$ 33.4	$ 26.4

Amount due from customers or clients, within one year of the balance sheet date (or the normal operating cycle, whichever is longer), for goods or services (including trade receivables) that have been delivered or sold in the normal course of business, reduced to the estimated net realizable fair value by an allowance established by the entity of the amount it deems uncertain of collection.

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(3))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 210
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02(4))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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