Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Narrative) (Details)		1 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jun. 11, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Jan. 30, 2016 USD ($) distribution_center stores warehouse segment state office shares	Jan. 31, 2015 USD ($) stores shares	Feb. 01, 2014 USD ($) shares	Feb. 02, 2013 USD ($)
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of distribution centers | distribution_center			6
Number of reportable segments | segment			1
Stock dividends (splits) issued	2	2
Purchase obligations			$ 1,721,000,000
Fair value of cash and cash equivalents considered as Level 1 inputs			$ 761,602,000	$ 696,608,000	$ 423,168,000	$ 646,761,000
Packaway inventory, storage period, less than			6 months
Depreciation and amortization expense on property and equipment			$ 274,828,000	232,959,000	206,111,000
Capitalized interest			6,530,000	10,825,000	10,799,000
Asset impairment charges			0	0	0
Lease loss liability			1,800,000	2,700,000
Book cash overdrafts			100,300,000	123,800,000
Advertising costs			$ 77,100,000	$ 72,100,000	$ 70,200,000
Anti-dilutive weighted average shares excluded from EPS calculation | shares			25,000	5,100	5,700
Deferred income taxes			$ 130,088,000	$ 73,730,000
Property, Plant and Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment purchased but not yet paid			$ 35,800,000	$ 58,600,000	$ 61,300,000
Minimum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment estimated useful life, straight-line method			3 years
Minimum [Member] | Land Improvements and Buildings [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment estimated useful life, straight-line method			20 years
Maximum [Member] | Equipment [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment estimated useful life, straight-line method			12 years
Maximum [Member] | Land Improvements and Buildings [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property and equipment estimated useful life, straight-line method			40 years
Ross Dress For Less [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of stores | stores			1,274
Number of states company operates in | state			34
Closed stores during period | stores			6	9
dd's Discounts [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of stores | stores			172
Number of states company operates in | state			15
California [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of distribution centers | distribution_center			3
Number of buying offices | office			1
Number of warehouses | warehouse			2
Stores as percentage of total			24.00%
New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption, Effect [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Deferred tax assets reclassified				$ 13,000,000
Deferred income taxes				13,000,000
Other Assets [Member] | New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption, Effect [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance costs				(2,800,000)
Long-term Debt [Member] | New Accounting Pronouncement, Early Adoption, Effect [Member]
Summary Of Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Unamortized debt issuance costs				$ 2,800,000