Accounts Receivable (Narrative) (Details) (Minimum [Member])	3 Months Ended
May 02, 2015
Minimum [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]
Days delinquent, accounts most likely to be written off	30 days

Accounts delinquent 30 days or more are a primary indicator of the credit quality of our credit card receivables, along with aging, as these are the accounts most likely to be written off.

No definition available.

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Namespace Prefix:	jwn_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration