Indebtedness and Credit Agreement (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended				12 Months Ended					0 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended										12 Months Ended		12 Months Ended				0 Months Ended					12 Months Ended				0 Months Ended						1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			0 Months Ended							1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			1 Months Ended											1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended
	Nov. 30, 2013	Aug. 31, 2013	Mar. 02, 2013	Jun. 02, 2012	Mar. 01, 2014	Mar. 02, 2013	Mar. 03, 2012	Mar. 02, 2013 Class A Cumulative Preferred Stock Rite Aid Lease Management Company	Mar. 02, 2013 Rite Aid Lease Management Company	Nov. 29, 2013 Rite Aid Lease Management Company Class A Cumulative Preferred Stock	Mar. 01, 2014 Senior secured credit facility	Mar. 02, 2013 Senior secured credit facility	Mar. 01, 2014 Senior secured revolving credit facility due February 2018	Mar. 02, 2013 Senior secured revolving credit facility due February 2018	Mar. 01, 2014 Senior secured revolving credit facility due February 2018 Minimum	Mar. 01, 2014 Senior secured revolving credit facility due February 2018 Maximum	Mar. 01, 2014 Senior secured revolving credit facility due February 2018 LIBOR	Mar. 01, 2014 Senior secured revolving credit facility due February 2018 LIBOR Minimum	Mar. 01, 2014 Senior secured revolving credit facility due February 2018 LIBOR Maximum	Mar. 01, 2014 Senior secured revolving credit facility due February 2018 Citibank's base rate	Mar. 01, 2014 Senior secured revolving credit facility due February 2018 Citibank's base rate Minimum	Mar. 01, 2014 Senior secured revolving credit facility due February 2018 Citibank's base rate Maximum	Mar. 01, 2014 Tranche 6 Term Loan due February 2020	Mar. 02, 2013 Tranche 6 Term Loan due February 2020	Mar. 01, 2014 Tranche 6 Term Loan due February 2020 LIBOR	Mar. 14, 2014 Tranche 7 Term Loan due February 2020 Subsequent Events	Mar. 01, 2014 Tranche 7 Term Loan due February 2020 LIBOR	Mar. 01, 2014 Tranche 7 Term Loan due February 2020 Citibank's base rate	Mar. 01, 2014 8.00% senior secured notes (senior lien) due August 2020	Mar. 02, 2013 8.00% senior secured notes (senior lien) due August 2020	Jul. 31, 2013 7.5% senior secured notes (second lien) due March 2017	Jun. 30, 2013 7.5% senior secured notes (second lien) due March 2017	Mar. 02, 2013 7.5% senior secured notes (second lien) due March 2017	Mar. 01, 2014 Tranche 1 Term Loan (second lien) due August 2020	Mar. 02, 2013 Tranche 1 Term Loan (second lien) due August 2020	Mar. 01, 2014 Tranche 1 Term Loan (second lien) due August 2020 LIBOR	Mar. 01, 2014 Tranche 1 Term Loan (second lien) due August 2020 Citibank's base rate	Mar. 01, 2014 Tranche 2 Term Loan (second lien) due June 2021	Jun. 21, 2013 Tranche 2 Term Loan (second lien) due June 2021	Jun. 21, 2013 Tranche 2 Term Loan (second lien) due June 2021 LIBOR	Jun. 21, 2013 Tranche 2 Term Loan (second lien) due June 2021 Citibank's base rate	Mar. 01, 2014 10.25% senior secured notes (second lien) due October 2019 ($270,000 face value less unamortized discount of $1,160 and $1,364)	Mar. 02, 2013 10.25% senior secured notes (second lien) due October 2019 ($270,000 face value less unamortized discount of $1,160 and $1,364)	Mar. 01, 2014 Other secured	Mar. 02, 2013 Other secured	Feb. 28, 2013 9.75% senior secured notes (senior lien) due June 2016	Aug. 31, 2013 7.5% senior secured notes (second lien) due March 2017, 6.75% senior notes due June 2021 and 9.5% senior notes due June 2017	Mar. 02, 2013 9.75% senior secured notes due June 2016, 10.375% senior secured notes due July 2016, 6.875% senior debentures due August 2013 and 9.25% senior notes due June 2013	Feb. 28, 2013 10.375% senior secured notes (second lien) due July 2016	Mar. 01, 2014 Guaranteed Unsecured Debt	Mar. 02, 2013 Guaranteed Unsecured Debt	Aug. 31, 2013 9.5% senior notes due June 2017	Jul. 31, 2013 9.5% senior notes due June 2017	Mar. 02, 2013 9.5% senior notes due June 2017	Mar. 01, 2014 6.75% senior notes due June 2021	Jul. 02, 2013 6.75% senior notes due June 2021	Mar. 01, 2014 9.25% senior notes due March 2020	Mar. 02, 2013 9.25% senior notes due March 2020	Mar. 31, 2012 8.625% senior notes due March, 2015	Mar. 03, 2012 8.625% senior notes due March, 2015	Feb. 29, 2012 8.625% senior notes due March, 2015	Aug. 31, 2011 8.625% senior notes due March, 2015	Jun. 30, 2012 9.375% senior notes due December 2015	May 31, 2012 9.375% senior notes due December 2015	Aug. 31, 2011 9.375% senior notes due December 2015	Mar. 01, 2014 Unguaranteed Unsecured Debt	Mar. 02, 2013 Unguaranteed Unsecured Debt	Mar. 01, 2014 8.5% convertible notes due May 2015	Mar. 02, 2013 8.5% convertible notes due May 2015	Mar. 01, 2014 7.7% notes due February 2027	Mar. 02, 2013 7.7% notes due February 2027	Mar. 01, 2014 6.875% fixed-rate senior notes due December 2028	Mar. 02, 2013 6.875% fixed-rate senior notes due December 2028	Feb. 28, 2013 6.875% senior debentures due August 2013	Aug. 31, 2011 6.875% senior debentures due August 2013	Feb. 28, 2013 9.25% senior notes due June 2013	May 31, 2012 9.25% senior notes due June 2013	Feb. 29, 2012 9.25% senior notes due June 2013	Aug. 31, 2011 8.625% senior notes due March 2015, 9.375% senior notes due December 2015 and 6.875% senior debentures due August 2013
Indebtedness and credit agreement
Long-term debt											$ 3,446,457	$ 3,719,934	$ 400,000	$ 665,000									$ 1,152,293	$ 1,161,000					$ 650,000	$ 650,000			$ 500,000	$ 470,000	$ 470,000			$ 500,000				$ 268,840	$ 268,636	$ 5,324	$ 5,298					$ 1,716,087	$ 1,711,230			$ 804,471	$ 810,000		$ 906,087	$ 906,759								$ 487,188	$ 487,188	$ 64,188	$ 64,188	$ 295,000	$ 295,000	$ 128,000	$ 128,000
Lease financing obligations			115,179		107,411	115,179
Total debt			6,033,531		5,757,143	6,033,531
Current maturities of long-term debt and lease financing obligations			(37,311)		(49,174)	(37,311)
Long-term debt and lease financing obligations, less current maturities			5,996,220		5,707,969	5,996,220
Face value																										1,152,293													500,000			270,000	270,000											810,000		810,000	902,000	902,000																			421,000	481,000
Unamortized discount																																										1,160	1,364											5,529
Unamortized premium																																																									4,087	4,759
Debt instrument, stated interest rate (as a percent)																													8.00%	8.00%		7.50%	7.50%									10.25%	10.25%			9.75%			10.375%					9.50%	6.75%	6.75%	9.25%	9.25%	8.625%		8.625%	8.625%	9.375%	9.375%	9.375%			8.50%	8.50%	7.70%	7.70%	6.875%	6.875%	6.875%	6.875%	9.25%	9.25%	9.25%
Credit facility
Revolving credit facility													1,795,000
Reference rate for variable interest rate					LIBOR												LIBOR			Citibank's base rate					LIBOR		LIBOR	Citibank's base rate								LIBOR	Citibank's base rate			LIBOR	Citibank's base rate
Percentage points added to the reference rate																		2.25%	2.75%		1.25%	1.75%					2.75%	1.75%								4.75%	3.75%			3.875%	2.875%
Percentage of fee payable on daily unused revolver availability															0.375%	0.50%
LIBOR floor (as a percent)																									0.75%											1.00%				1.00%
Outstanding borrowings													400,000
Letters of credit outstanding													79,874
Additional borrowing capacity													1,315,126
Threshold availability on revolving credit facility to trigger fixed charge coverage requirements													150,000
Minimum fixed charge coverage ratio (as a percent)													1.00
Fixed charge coverage ratio															1.00
Ownership interest (as a percent)					100.00%				100.00%
Face amount of debt repurchased																																419,237														410,000			470,000				739,642								404,844			296,269										180,277
Repayment of senior secured notes, including call premium and interest																															85,154															171,432			72,901
Repayment of senior notes, including call premium and interest																																																				73,440							55,644				(108,731)													6,147
Preferred stock outstanding (in shares)								213,000
Par value (in dollars per share)								$ 100
Notes redeemed and discharged																																																																										63,416		6,015
Amount of debt repurchased																																														257,261			401,999												404,844	41,000		296,269	5,000									119,119	4,496
Preferred stock value included in other non-current liabilities			963,663		843,152	963,663				20,763
Repurchase of preferred stock, value										21,034
Gain (loss) on debt retirement	(271)	(62,172)	(122,660)	(17,842)	(62,443)	(140,502)	(33,576)			(271)																																					(62,172)	(122,660)												(16,066)				(17,842)															4,924
Interest Rates and Maturities
Annual weighted average rate (as a percent)			7.10%		6.40%	7.10%	7.40%
Maturities
2015					16,934
2016					75,798
2017					11,610
2018					411,610
2019					5,130,853
Thereafter					$ 5,130,853