Short-term borrowings and long-term debt - Summary of the Company's consolidated Short-term borrowings and Long-term debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions		Oct. 28, 2017		Sep. 22, 2017	Jan. 28, 2017		Oct. 29, 2016
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations		$ 5,689			$ 4,761		$ 5,563
Current portion of long-term debt		95			119		70
Long-term debt	[1]	$ 2,844			4,642		5,493
Incremental secured term loan facility, due fiscal two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[2]				125		126
Second incremental secured term loan facility, due fiscal two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[2]				$ 62		$ 63
Seven point three seven five percent senior notes, due fiscal two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage					7.375%		7.375%
Long-term Debt	[3]				$ 209		$ 209
TRU Propco II mortgage loan, due fiscal two thousand nineteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[4]				489		0
Giraffe Junior mezzanine loan, due fiscal two thousand nineteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[5]				78		0
Secured term B-four loan facility, due fiscal two thousand and twenty [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[2]				$ 982		$ 983
Twelve percent Taj senior secured notes, due fiscal two thousand twenty one [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		12.00%			12.00%		12.00%
Long-term Debt					$ 577		$ 577
Eight point seven five percent debentures, due fiscal two thousand twenty one [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage					8.75%		8.75%
Long-term Debt	[6]				$ 22		$ 22
Finance obligations associated with capital projects [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		$ 12			12		13
Capital Lease Obligations [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Finance obligations associated with capital projects		$ 2			$ 3		$ 3
Eight point five percent senior secured notes, due fiscal two thousand seventeen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		8.50%			8.50%		8.50%
Long-term Debt	[4]	$ 0			$ 0		$ 719
First in last out Debtor-in-possession term loan, due fiscal two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debtor-in-Possession Financing, Borrowings Outstanding	[2],[7]	250			0		0
Debtor-in-possession term loan, due fiscal two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debtor-in-Possession Financing, Borrowings Outstanding	[2],[8]	350			0		0
Taj debtor-in-possession notes, due fiscal two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debtor-in-Possession Financing, Borrowings Outstanding	[8]	375			0		0
Senior unsecured term loan facility, due fiscal two thousand and nineteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[9]	849			874		873
Tranche A-one loan facility, due fiscal two thousand and nineteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[2],[7]	0			272		271
Toys-Japan one point zero four percent to two point one eight percent loans, due fiscals twenty nineteen to twenty twenty one [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		$ 34			$ 44		$ 48
Minimum [Member] | Toys-Japan one point zero four percent to two point one eight percent loans, due fiscals twenty nineteen to twenty twenty one [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		1.04%			1.04%		1.04%
Maximum [Member] | Toys-Japan one point zero four percent to two point one eight percent loans, due fiscals twenty nineteen to twenty twenty one [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		2.18%			2.18%		2.18%
Long-term Debt [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations		$ 2,939
Long-term Debt [Member] | Finance obligations associated with capital projects [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt					$ 167		$ 167
Long-term Debt [Member] | Capital Lease Obligations [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Finance obligations associated with capital projects					9		10
Liabilities subject to compromise [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt and Capital Lease Obligations		2,750
Liabilities subject to compromise [Member] | Incremental secured term loan facility, due fiscal two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[2]	123
Liabilities subject to compromise [Member] | Second incremental secured term loan facility, due fiscal two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[2]	$ 61
Liabilities subject to compromise [Member] | Seven point three seven five percent senior notes, due fiscal two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		7.375%
Long-term Debt	[3]	$ 208
Liabilities subject to compromise [Member] | TRU Propco II mortgage loan, due fiscal two thousand nineteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[4]	507
Liabilities subject to compromise [Member] | Giraffe Junior mezzanine loan, due fiscal two thousand nineteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[5]	70
Liabilities subject to compromise [Member] | Secured term B-four loan facility, due fiscal two thousand and twenty [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt	[2]	$ 993
Liabilities subject to compromise [Member] | Twelve percent Taj senior secured notes, due fiscal two thousand twenty one [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		12.00%
Long-term Debt		$ 583
Liabilities subject to compromise [Member] | Eight point seven five percent debentures, due fiscal two thousand twenty one [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage		8.75%
Long-term Debt	[6]	$ 22
Liabilities subject to compromise [Member] | Finance obligations associated with capital projects [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		167
Liabilities subject to compromise [Member] | Capital Lease Obligations [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Finance obligations associated with capital projects		16
Line of Credit [Member] | Labuan uncommitted lines of credit [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Short-term borrowings		4			0		7
Line of Credit [Member] | Asset backed loan debtor-in-possession revolving credit facility, expires fiscal two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Debtor-in-Possession Financing, Borrowings Outstanding	[2],[7]	595			0		0
Line of Credit [Member] | French real estate credit facility, due fiscal two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		52			48		49
Line of Credit [Member] | Toys-Japan unsecured credit line, expires fiscals two thousand eighteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		0			0		8
Line of Credit [Member] | One point eight five billion secured revolving credit facility, expires fiscal two thousand nineteen [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		0	[2],[7]	$ 1,850	465	[2],[7]	1,018	[2],[7]
Line of Credit [Member] | U.K. real estate credit facility, due fiscal two thousand twenty [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		339			323		312
Line of Credit [Member] | European and Australian asset-based revolving credit facility, expires fiscal two thousand twenty [Member]
Short-term Borrowings and Long-term debt [Line Items]
Long-term Debt		$ 81			$ 0		$ 92

[1] We may maintain derivative instruments on certain of our long-term debt. Refer to Note 4 entitled “Derivative instruments and hedging activities” for further details.

[2] Represents obligations of Toys “R” Us – Delaware, Inc. (“Toys-Delaware”).

[3] Represents obligations of Toys “R” Us, Inc. (the “Parent Company”).

[4] Represents obligations of Toys “R” Us Property Company II, LLC (“TRU Propco II”). TRU Propco II is a single-purpose entity and is a separate entity from the Company. The assets and credit of TRU Propco II and its direct parent Giraffe Junior Holdings, LLC (“Giraffe Junior”) are not available to satisfy the debts or other obligations of the Company or any affiliate.

[5] Represents obligations of Giraffe Junior.

[6] Represents obligations of the Parent Company and Toys-Delaware.

[7] Represents obligations under our ABL/FILO debtor-in-possession financing (the “ABL/FILO DIP Facility”), which provides for up to a combined (inclusive of Toys-Canada) $1.85 billion of revolving commitments and $450 million of “first in last out” term loan financing (inclusive of Toys-Canada). These borrowings were used to pay in full the outstanding balance, accrued interest and fees related to the pre-petition combined (inclusive of Toys-Canada) $1.85 billion secured revolving credit facility (“the ABL Facility”) and the Tranche A-1 loan facility, due fiscal 2019. As discussed in Note 2 entitled “Bankruptcy filing” we deconsolidated Toys-Canada effective September 19, 2017. Therefore, borrowings are not reported for the Toys-Canada portion of the ABL/FILO DIP Facility

[8] Represents obligations under our term debtor in-possession facility, which provides for $450 million of term loan post-petition financing (the “Term DIP Facility,” and together with the ABL/FILO DIP Facility, the “DIP Credit Facilities”) and our Senior Secured ABL DIP Notes (the “Taj DIP Notes,” and together with the DIP Credit Facilities, the “DIP Financing”), which provides for up to $375 million Senior Secured ABL DIP Notes, subject to the escrow release provisions described more fully in “Taj DIP Notes” below.

[9] Represents obligations of Toys “R” Us Property Company I, LLC and its subsidiaries (“TRU Propco I”).