STORE CLOSING CHARGES, SEVERANCE COSTS, IMPAIRMENTS AND REAL ESTATE TRANSACTIONS (Real Estate Transactions) (Details) ft² in Thousands				1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Jul. 17, 2017 USD ($) distribution_center	Jan. 27, 2017 USD ($) ft² store	Jul. 07, 2015 USD ($) property store	Jul. 31, 2017	Jul. 29, 2017 USD ($) property	Apr. 30, 2015 USD ($) property joint_venture	Jul. 29, 2017 USD ($) property store	Jul. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Aug. 01, 2015 USD ($)	Jul. 29, 2017 USD ($) property store	Jul. 30, 2016 USD ($) store	Jan. 28, 2017 USD ($)
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of distinct real estate joint ventures | joint_venture						3
Number of properties contributed to joint venture | property						31
Proceeds from sale-leaseback financing	$ 89,000,000									$ 89,000,000	$ 0
Real estate investments, joint ventures						$ 858,000,000
Leaseback transaction, number of stores | property			255
Number of stores recaptured | store			15
Number of stores with lease terminated | store			36
Number of stores sold | property					5
Sale-leaseback transaction, rent expense							$ 22,000,000	$ 26,000,000		44,000,000	50,000,000
Sale-leaseback transaction, current period gain recognized									$ 508,000,000
Deferred gain			$ 894,000,000
Sale-leaseback transaction, current portion of deferred gain, net					$ 156,000,000		156,000,000	90,000,000		156,000,000	90,000,000	$ 132,000,000
Deferred gain on sale-leaseback					$ 455,000,000		455,000,000	686,000,000		455,000,000	686,000,000	563,000,000
Gain on sales of assets							$ 380,000,000	54,000,000		$ 1,121,000,000	115,000,000
Agreement termination, minimum period of rent payment										1 year
Number of property qualified for sale leaseback accounting | property					2		2			2
Number of properties sold | distribution_center	3
Proceeds from sale of property, net of prepaid rent	$ 84,000,000
Sale-leaseback financing obligation	$ 89,000,000				$ 230,000,000		$ 230,000,000	164,000,000		$ 230,000,000	$ 164,000,000	235,000,000
Sale leaseback transactions					12,000,000		12,000,000			12,000,000
Minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions 2017					2,000,000		2,000,000			2,000,000
Minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions 2018					4,000,000		4,000,000			4,000,000
Minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions 2019					4,000,000		4,000,000			4,000,000
Minimum lease payments, sale leaseback transactions 2020					2,000,000		2,000,000			2,000,000
Sale leaseback transactions, prepaid amount					$ 4,000,000		$ 4,000,000			4,000,000
Proceeds from sale of real estate										$ 382,000,000
Master Leases
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of stores recaptured | store										7	3
Sale-leaseback transaction, current period gain recognized										$ 27,000,000	$ 13,000,000
Gain on sales of assets										$ 49,000,000	26,000,000
Percentage of space under lease recapture right					100.00%		100.00%			100.00%
Gain (loss) on contract termination										$ 22,000,000	13,000,000
Deferred Gain
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Gain on sales of assets										5,000,000	$ 9,000,000
Sears Domestic
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of properties sold | store											1
Sale-leaseback transaction, rent expense							$ 19,000,000	23,000,000		39,000,000	$ 42,000,000
Gain on sales of assets							301,000,000	10,000,000		445,000,000	25,000,000
Sale-leaseback transaction, real property assets of properties with continuing involvement					$ 22,000,000		22,000,000	61,000,000		22,000,000	61,000,000	62,000,000
Sale-leaseback financing obligation					$ 7,000,000		$ 7,000,000			$ 7,000,000
Gains (losses) on sales of other real estate											12,000,000
Proceeds from sale of real estate											23,000,000
Sears Domestic | Distribution Center
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of properties sold | property										2
Gains (losses) on sales of other real estate										$ 40,000,000
Proceeds from sale of real estate										$ 48,000,000
Seritage Growth Properties
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of properties sold | property			235
Aggregate proceeds from sale-leaseback transaction and rights offering of common stock and limited partnership units			$ 2,700,000,000
Net proceeds from sale-leaseback transaction and rights offering of common stock and limited partnership units			2,600,000,000
Sale-leaseback transaction, aggregate value			$ 2,300,000,000
Number of properties that have continuing involvement | property			4							4
Deferred gain, lease termination, current period										$ 24,000,000
Gain (loss) on sale of properties										$ 40,000,000
Seritage Growth Properties | Master Leases
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Percentage of space under lease recapture right					50.00%		50.00%			50.00%
CBL
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale-leaseback financing		$ 71,000,000
Deferred gain on sale-leaseback					$ 70,000,000		$ 70,000,000	$ 164,000,000		$ 70,000,000	$ 164,000,000	164,000,000
Sale-leaseback financing obligation					71,000,000		71,000,000			71,000,000		71,000,000
Sale-leaseback transaction, lease period		10 years
Relocation option, location area | ft²		15
Earn out provision		$ 14,500,000.0
CBL | Sears Domestic
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Sale-leaseback financing obligation					$ 33,000,000		$ 33,000,000			$ 33,000,000		34,000,000
Corporate Joint Venture
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Percentage of ownership interests			50.00%			50.00%
Sale leaseback transaction, gross proceeds, financing activities						$ 429,000,000
Proceeds from sale-leaseback financing						$ 426,000,000
Five Sears Full-line Stores | Sears Domestic
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of properties sold | store		5
Two Sears Auto Centers | Sears Domestic
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of properties sold | store		2
Three Sears Full-line Stores
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Lease terms										P1Y
Three Sears Full-line Stores | Sears Domestic
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of properties sold | store							3			3
Gains (losses) on sales of other real estate							$ 176,000,000			$ 96,000,000
Proceeds from sale of real estate							$ 202,000,000			104,000,000
Six Sears Full-line Stores | Sears Domestic
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Number of properties sold | store							4
Number of stores with lease terminated | store							2
Gains (losses) on sales of other real estate							$ 74,000,000
Proceeds from sale of real estate							94,000,000					$ 21,000,000
Revolving Credit Facility | Three Sears Full-line Stores | Sears Domestic
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate							57,000,000
Secured Debt | Term Loan | Sears Domestic
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate										28,000,000
Secured Debt | Term Loan | Three Sears Full-line Stores | Sears Domestic
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate							126,000,000
Secured Debt | 2017 Secured Loan Facility | Sears Domestic
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate										$ 20,000,000
Secured Debt | 2017 Secured Loan Facility | Three Sears Full-line Stores | Sears Domestic
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate							$ 19,000,000
Minimum | Three Sears Full-line Stores
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Lease terms							P6M
Maximum | Three Sears Full-line Stores
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Lease terms							P1Y
Subsequent Event
Restructuring Cost and Reserve [Line Items]
Ownership percentage sold				50.00%