Number Of Stock Incentive Plans

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- Definition

Share Based Compensation Arrangement By Share Based Payment Award Equity Instruments Other Than Options Vesting Percentage Upon Performance Condition Achieved

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- Definition

Number of common stock held in a trust that has been set up specifically to accumulate stock for the sole purpose of distribution to participating employees but not yet earned.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 718
-SubTopic 40
-Section 25
-Paragraph 12
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=65888597&loc=d3e16701-113920

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- Definition

Unrecognized cost of unvested share-based compensation awards.

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-Publisher FASB
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-SubTopic 10
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-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (i)
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- Definition

Weighted average period over which unrecognized compensation is expected to be recognized for equity-based compensation plans, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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- Definition

The aggregate amount of noncash, equity-based employee remuneration. This may include the value of stock or unit options, amortization of restricted stock or units, and adjustment for officers' compensation. As noncash, this element is an add back when calculating net cash generated by operating activities using the indirect method.

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-Publisher FASB
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-Paragraph 28
-Subparagraph (a)
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- Definition

Period which an employee's right to exercise an award is no longer contingent on satisfaction of either a service condition, market condition or a performance condition, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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- Definition

The number of equity-based payment instruments, excluding stock (or unit) options, that vested during the reporting period.

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-Subparagraph (c)(2)(iii)(2)
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- Definition

Fair value of share-based awards for which the grantee gained the right by satisfying service and performance requirements, to receive or retain shares or units, other instruments, or cash.

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-Publisher FASB
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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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No definition available.

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- Definition

The difference between the maximum number of shares (or other type of equity) authorized for issuance under the plan (including the effects of amendments and adjustments), and the sum of: 1) the number of shares (or other type of equity) already issued upon exercise of options or other equity-based awards under the plan; and 2) shares (or other type of equity) reserved for issuance on granting of outstanding awards, net of cancellations and forfeitures, if applicable.

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- Definition

Amount of accumulated difference between fair value of underlying shares on dates of exercise and exercise price on options exercised (or share units converted) into shares.

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- Definition

Net number of share options (or share units) granted during the period.

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- Definition

Number of share instruments newly issued under a share-based compensation plan.

+ References

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- Definition

Period from grant date that an equity-based award expires, in 'PnYnMnDTnHnMnS' format, for example, 'P1Y5M13D' represents the reported fact of one year, five months, and thirteen days.

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- Definition

Number of share options (or share units) exercised during the current period.

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Number of treasury shares (units) reissued during the period, excluding reissuance of shares (units) held in treasury used to satisfy equity-based compensation obligations exercised by the holders of such rights. Upon reissuance of shares (units) from treasury, either the common or preferred stock (unit) reissued is outstanding.

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Stock-Based Compensation - Additional Information (Detail)	1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2003 shares	Apr. 29, 2017 USD ($) CompensationPlan shares	Apr. 30, 2016 USD ($) shares	May 02, 2015 USD ($) shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of active share-based incentive plans \| CompensationPlan		2
Shares of common stock available for future grants		7,261,000
Stock options granted		0	0	0
Stock option exercised during period		31,000	111,000	83,000
Total intrinsic value of options exercised \| $		$ 99,000	$ 546,000	$ 596,000
Stock-based compensation expense \| $		6,299,000	14,201,000	16,875,000
Selling and Administrative Expenses
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock-based compensation expense \| $		6,299,000	14,201,000	16,875,000
Leonard Riggio, Company's Executive Chairman
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Stock option exercised during period	1,318,750
Shares issued during period for stock options exercised	606,277
Shares held in Rabbi trust	712,473
Restricted Stock
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total unrecognized compensation expense \| $		280,000
Total fair value of shares that vested \| $		$ 680,000	$ 637,000	$ 2,188,000
Unrecognized compensation expense, weighted average period		4 months 17 days
Number of shares vested		64,000	43,000	96,000
Restricted Stock \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period in years		1 year
Restricted Stock \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period in years		4 years
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs)
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Total unrecognized compensation expense \| $		$ 5,084,000
Total fair value of shares that vested \| $		$ 6,612,000	$ 18,047,000	$ 23,578,000
Unrecognized compensation expense, weighted average period		1 year 9 months 14 days
Number of shares vested		609,000	1,312,000	1,054,000
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period in years		1 year
Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period in years		4 years
Performance Shares
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period in years		3 years
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award		0
Total unrecognized compensation expense \| $		$ 2,940,000
Unrecognized compensation expense, weighted average period		1 year 11 months 19 days
Number of shares vested		0	0	0
Performance Shares \| Minimum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting percentage upon the achievement of a threshold		50.00%
Performance Shares \| Maximum
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting percentage upon the achievement of a threshold		150.00%
Stock Options
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Vesting period in years		4 years
Contractual term		10 years
Total unrecognized compensation expense \| $		$ 0
2009 Equity Incentive Plan
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares of common stock available for future grants		7,261,401