Note 1 - Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Related Matters (Details Textual) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands, shares in Millions		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended			159 Months Ended
	Apr. 11, 2018 $ / shares	Mar. 03, 2018 USD ($) $ / shares	Nov. 25, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares	Aug. 26, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares	May 27, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares	Feb. 25, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares	Nov. 26, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares	Aug. 27, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares	May 28, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares	Mar. 03, 2018 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Feb. 25, 2017 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Feb. 27, 2016 USD ($) $ / shares shares	Mar. 03, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)
Number of Operating Segments										2
Number of Weeks in Each Period										1 year 7 days	1 year
Number Of Business Days For Settlement Of Credit And Debit Card Receivables										5
Credit and Debit Card Receivables, at Carrying Value		$ 95,600				$ 86,600				$ 95,600	$ 86,600		$ 95,600
U.S. Treasury Bills Maximum Remaining Maturity Period										1 year
Auction Market Securities Series Rate Setting Interval Period, One										7 days
Auction Market Securities Series Rate Setting Interval Period, Two										28 days
Auction Market Securities Series Rate Setting Interval Period, Three										35 days
Cost of Property Repairs and Maintenance										$ 125,700	131,600	$ 130,900
Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets (Excluding Goodwill), Ending Balance		305,400				305,300				305,400	305,300		305,400
Deferred Rent Credit, Noncurrent		81,600				80,300				81,600	80,300		81,600
Incentive from Lessor		133,400				$ 119,400				133,400	119,400		133,400
Stock Repurchase Program, Authorized Amount														$ 11,950,000
Payments for Repurchase of Common Stock										$ 252,433	$ 547,022	$ 1,100,585	10,500,000
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired | shares										8.0	12.3	18.4
Stock Repurchase Program, Remaining Authorized Repurchase Amount		$ 1,500								$ 1,500			1,500
Payments of Ordinary Dividends, Common Stock										$ 80,900	$ 55,600
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared | $ / shares		$ 0.15	$ 0.15	$ 0.15	$ 0.15	$ 0.125	$ 0.125	$ 0.125	$ 0.125	$ 0.60	$ 0.50
Long-term Debt, Fair Value		$ 1,310,000								$ 1,310,000			1,310,000
Long-term Debt, Total		1,500,000								1,500,000			1,500,000
Cooperative Advertising Amount										38,500	$ 37,400	$ 31,700
Advertising Expense										$ 444,400	$ 381,100	$ 338,100
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount | shares										8.0	4.4	2.6
Deferred Rent and Other Liabilities		431,592				$ 511,303				$ 431,592	$ 511,303		431,592
Other Assets, Noncurrent, Total		424,639				606,948				424,639	606,948		$ 424,639
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Total		55,148	$ 55,451	$ 33,438	$ 126,765	144,411	$ 66,605	$ 95,439	$ 74,092	270,802	380,547	$ 485,956
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Total										859,689	1,043,271	1,022,554
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Total										(323,431)	(582,210)	(1,099,122)
Accounting Standards Update 2018-02 [Member]
Reclassification of Stranded Tax Effects From AOCI To Retained Earnings		$ 600
Accounting Standards Update 2015-17 [Member]
Other Assets, Current						(218,800)					(218,800)
Deferred Rent and Other Liabilities						(23,400)					(23,400)
Other Assets, Noncurrent, Total						$ 195,500					195,500
Accounting Standards Update 2016-09 [Member]
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Total										$ 13,000
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities, Total											1,500	10,300
Net Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities, Total											$ (1,500)	$ (10,300)
Subsequent Event [Member]
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared | $ / shares	$ 0.16
Minimum [Member]
Direct Response Advertising Expenses Recognized Over Expected Sales Period										35 days
Maximum [Member]
Direct Response Advertising Expenses Recognized Over Expected Sales Period										56 days
Building [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										40 years
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										5 years
Furniture and Fixtures [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										20 years
Computer Equipment and Software [Member] | Minimum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										3 years
Computer Equipment and Software [Member] | Maximum [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment, Useful Life										10 years
Product Concentration Risk [Member] | Sales Revenue, Net [Member] | Domestic Merchandise [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage										35.50%	36.80%	35.90%
Product Concentration Risk [Member] | Sales Revenue, Net [Member] | Home Furnishings [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage										64.50%	63.20%	64.10%