This element represents the maximum maturity period of the commercial paper notes.

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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

-- None. No documentation exists for this element. --

+ Details

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Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
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Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Loan in which both the lender and the borrower are business units within Staples, Inc.

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Represents the sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of all long-term debt and capital lease obligations, which includes both the current and the noncurrent portions.

+ Details

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Namespace Prefix:	spls
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Maximum Borrowing Capacity of Commercial Paper Program

+ Details

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Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The cash outflow during the period from the repayment of aggregate short-term and long-term debt.

+ Details

Name:	spls_RepaymentOfDebt
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Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Carrying value as of the balance sheet date of short-term borrowings using unsecured obligations issued by banks, corporations and other borrowers to investors. The maturities of these money market securities generally do not exceed 270 days.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 942

-SubTopic 210

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.9-03.13(2))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6876686&loc=d3e534808-122878

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-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 9

-Section 03

-Paragraph 13

-Subparagraph 2

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 7

-Section 03

-Paragraph 16

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Article 5

-Section 02

-Paragraph 19

-Subparagraph a(3)

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.19(a)(3))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

Interest rate stated in the contractual debt agreement.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22(a)(1))

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

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- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ Details

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- Definition

Reflects the calculation as of the balance sheet date of the average interest rate weighted by the amount of debt outstanding by type or by instrument at that time.

+ Details

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Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Fair value as of the balance sheet date of all derivative liabilities designated as interest rate fair value hedging instruments.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 133

-Paragraph 17

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 815

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 4B

-Subparagraph (c)(1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6935481&loc=SL5624163-113959

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- Definition

Sum of the carrying values as of the balance sheet date of all long-term debt, which is debt initially having maturities due after one year from the balance sheet date or beyond the operating cycle, if longer, but excluding the portions thereof scheduled to be repaid within one year or the normal operating cycle, if longer plus capital lease obligations due to be paid more than one year after the balance sheet date.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 22

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Staff Accounting Bulletin (SAB)

-Number Topic 6

-Section H

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-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.22)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

Obligation related to long-term debt (excluding convertible debt) and capital leases, the portion which is due in one year or less in the future.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.20)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

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- Definition

For the form of debt having an initial term of less than one year or less than the normal operating cycle, if longer, average borrowings during the period.

+ Details

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- Definition

For the form of debt having an initial term of less than one year or less than the normal operating cycle, if longer, the maximum amount borrowed at any time during the period.

+ Details

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Debt (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	4 Months Ended															3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
Debt (Details) (USD $)	Oct. 29, 2011	Oct. 29, 2011	Apr. 01, 2011	Jan. 29, 2011	Oct. 29, 2011 April 2011 Notes	Jan. 29, 2011 April 2011 Notes	Oct. 29, 2011 Short Term Debt October 2012 Notes [Member]	Jul. 30, 2011 Short Term Debt October 2012 Notes [Member]	Jan. 29, 2011 Long Term Debt October 2012 Notes [Member]	Oct. 29, 2011 Long Term Debt January 2014 Notes, including Unamortized Gain [Member]	Oct. 29, 2011 January 2014 Notes	Jan. 29, 2011 January 2014 Notes	Oct. 29, 2011 Lines of Credit	Jan. 29, 2011 Lines of Credit	Oct. 29, 2011 Capital lease obligations and other notes payable	Jan. 29, 2011 Capital lease obligations and other notes payable	Jul. 30, 2011 May 2011 Australian Intercompany Loan [Member]	Oct. 29, 2011 May 2011 Australian Intercompany Loan [Member]	Oct. 29, 2011 August 2011 Australian Intercompany Loan [Member]	Oct. 29, 2011	Oct. 29, 2011 October 2011 Canadian Intercompany Loan - CAD to EUR [Member]
Debt and credit agreements
Intercompany Loans																	$ 75,000,000		$ 75,000,000	$ 118,300,000	$ 79,500,000
Repayment Of Debt			500,000,000
Maximum Borrowing Capacity of Commercial Paper Program	1,000,000,000	1,000,000,000
Debt instrument stated percentage (as a percent)					7.75%			7.375%			9.75%							6.65%	6.65%	1.80%	1.32%
Outstanding debt
Total long-term debt	1,987,247,000	1,987,247,000		2,557,390,000	0	500,000,000	335,474,000	325,000,000	325,000,000	1,528,196,000	1,500,000,000	1,500,000,000	108,865,000	218,689,000	14,712,000	13,701,000
Fair value adjustments on hedged debt	0	0		44,373,000
Less: Current portion	(430,184,000)	(430,184,000)		(587,356,000)
Net long-term debt	1,557,063,000	1,557,063,000		2,014,407,000
Other debt and credit agreement disclosures
Commercial paper notes maximum maturity period (in days)	397	397
Short-term Debt, Average Outstanding Amount		85,000,000
Commercial Paper	0	0
Debt, Weighted Average Interest Rate	0.40%	0.40%
Short-term Debt, Maximum Amount Outstanding During Period	$ 255,000,000