Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Retirement Plans (Narrative) (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Retirement Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
 12 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2015
Feb. 01, 2014
Feb. 02, 2013
Number of hours required for participation in defined benefit and defined contribution plans 1,000m_NumberOfHoursRequiredForParticipationInDefinedBenefitAndDefinedContributionPlans    
Liability under qualified defined contribution plan $ 97m_Liabilityunderqualifieddefinedcontributionplan $ 25m_Liabilityunderqualifieddefinedcontributionplan  
Minimum [Member]      
Range of restrictions on investment redemption frequency, number of times allowed per year 2m_RangeOfRestrictionsOnInvestmentRedemptionFrequencyPerYear
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember 		   
Maximum [Member]      
Range of restrictions on investment redemption frequency, number of times allowed per year 365m_RangeOfRestrictionsOnInvestmentRedemptionFrequencyPerYear
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember 		   
Retirement 401 (k)      
Employee retirement plan expense 89us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized
/ us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis
= m_Retirement401KMember 		24us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized
/ us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis
= m_Retirement401KMember 		14us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized
/ us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis
= m_Retirement401KMember
Employer matching contribution      
Liability under non-qualified defined contribution plan 2m_Liabilityundernonqualifieddefinedcontributionplan
/ us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis
= m_EmployermatchingcontributionMember 		   
Contributions by participants      
Liability under non-qualified defined contribution plan 4m_Liabilityundernonqualifieddefinedcontributionplan
/ us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis
= m_ContributionsbyparticipantsMember 		   
Non qualified defined contribution plan      
Employee retirement plan expense 2us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanCostRecognized
/ us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis
= m_NonqualifieddefinedcontributionplanMember 		   
Investments 4us-gaap_Investments
/ us-gaap_DefinedContributionPlanTypeAxis
= m_NonqualifieddefinedcontributionplanMember 		   
Executive deferred compensation plan      
Liability for deferred compensation plan reflected in other liabilities 42us-gaap_DeferredCompensationLiabilityClassifiedNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredCompensationExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndRetirementBenefitsMember 		44us-gaap_DeferredCompensationLiabilityClassifiedNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_DeferredCompensationExcludingShareBasedPaymentsAndRetirementBenefitsMember 		 
Supplemental Employee Retirement Plan      
Accumulated benefit obligation for defined benefit plan 920us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_SupplementalEmployeeRetirementPlanDefinedBenefitMember 		770us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_SupplementalEmployeeRetirementPlanDefinedBenefitMember 		 
Amortization of net actuarial (gain) loss 10us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFutureAmortizationOfGainLoss
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_SupplementalEmployeeRetirementPlanDefinedBenefitMember 		   
Company contributions to defined benefit pension plan 53us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_SupplementalEmployeeRetirementPlanDefinedBenefitMember 		54us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_SupplementalEmployeeRetirementPlanDefinedBenefitMember 		 
Pension Plan [Member]      
Expected long-term return on plan assets 7.50%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		7.50%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		8.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongTermReturnOnAssets
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
Defined Benefit Plan, Assumptions Used Calculating Net Periodic Benefit Cost, Expected Long-term Return on Assets Decrease for following fiscal year 7.00%m_DefinedBenefitPlanAssumptionsUsedCalculatingNetPeriodicBenefitCostExpectedLongtermReturnonAssetsDecreaseforfollowingfiscalyear
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		   
Accumulated benefit obligation for defined benefit plan 3,951us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		3,453us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanAccumulatedBenefitObligation
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		 
Amortization of net actuarial (gain) loss 39us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanFutureAmortizationOfGainLoss
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		   
Unfunded commitments to certain of these investments 115m_UnfundedCommitmentsRelatedToCertainPensionInvestments
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		150m_UnfundedCommitmentsRelatedToCertainPensionInvestments
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		 
Company contributions to defined benefit pension plan $ 0us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		$ 0us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanContributionsByEmployer
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		 
Pension Plan [Member] | Minimum [Member]      
Range of investment lock-up period, in years 2m_RangeOfInvestmentLockUpPeriod
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember 		   
Range of advance notice requirements for investment redemption, in days 60m_RangeOfAdvanceNoticeRequirementsForInvestmentRedemption
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember 		   
Pension Plan [Member] | Maximum [Member]      
Range of investment lock-up period, in years 14m_RangeOfInvestmentLockUpPeriod
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember 		   
Range of advance notice requirements for investment redemption, in days 90m_RangeOfAdvanceNoticeRequirementsForInvestmentRedemption
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember 		   
Pension Plan [Member] | Equity securities [Member]      
Target allocation for equity securities in defined benefit plan 50.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanTargetPlanAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanByPlanAssetCategoriesAxis
= us-gaap_EquitySecuritiesMember
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		   
Pension Plan [Member] | Debt Securities [Member]      
Target allocation for equity securities in defined benefit plan 40.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanTargetPlanAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanByPlanAssetCategoriesAxis
= us-gaap_DebtSecuritiesMember
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		   
Pension Plan [Member] | Real Estate Funds [Member]      
Target allocation for equity securities in defined benefit plan 5.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanTargetPlanAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanByPlanAssetCategoriesAxis
= us-gaap_RealEstateFundsMember
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember 		   
Pension Plan [Member] | Private equity [Member]      
Target allocation for equity securities in defined benefit plan 5.00%us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanTargetPlanAssetAllocations
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlanByPlanAssetCategoriesAxis
= us-gaap_PrivateEquityFundsMember
/ us-gaap_DefinedBenefitPlansDisclosuresDefinedBenefitPlansAxis
= us-gaap_PensionPlansDefinedBenefitMember