Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	3 Months Ended
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	Apr. 29, 2017
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation: The consolidated interim financial statements are unaudited and, in the opinion of management, reflect all normal recurring adjustments, accruals and deferrals among periods required to match costs properly with the related revenue or activity, considered necessary by The TJX Companies, Inc. (together with its subsidiaries, “TJX”) for a fair statement of its financial statements for the periods reported, all in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) consistently applied. The consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements, including the related notes, contained in TJX’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 28, 2017 (“fiscal 2017”). These interim results are not necessarily indicative of results for the full fiscal year. TJX’s business, in common with the businesses of retailers generally, is subject to seasonal influences, with higher levels of sales and income generally realized in the second half of the year. The January 28, 2017 balance sheet data was derived from audited financial statements, but does not include all disclosures required by GAAP.
Fiscal Year	Fiscal Year: TJX’s fiscal year ends on the Saturday nearest to the last day of January of each year. The current fiscal year ends February 3, 2018 (“fiscal 2018”) and is a 53-week fiscal year. Fiscal 2017 was a 52-week fiscal year.
Share-Based Compensation	Share-Based Compensation: TJX accounts for share-based compensation by estimating the fair value of each award on the date of grant. TJX uses the Black-Scholes option pricing model for stock options awarded and uses the market price on the grant date for performance-based share awards. Total share-based compensation expense was $24.1 million for the quarter ended April 29, 2017 and $25.0 million for the quarter ended April 30, 2016. These amounts include stock option expense as well as performance-based stock amortization. There were options to purchase 1.6 million shares of common stock exercised during the quarter ended April 29, 2017. There were options outstanding to purchase 25.6 million shares of common stock as of April 29, 2017. As of April 29, 2017, there was $146.7 million of total unrecognized compensation cost related to nonvested share-based compensation arrangements granted under TJX’s stock incentive plan.
Cash and Cash Equivalents	Cash and Cash Equivalents: TJX generally considers highly liquid investments with a maturity of 90 days or less at the date of purchase to be cash equivalents. As of April 29, 2017, TJX’s cash and cash equivalents held by its foreign subsidiaries were $1,233.4 million, of which $263.2 million was held in countries where TJX has the intention to reinvest any undistributed earnings indefinitely.
Merchandise Inventories	Merchandise Inventories: Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market. TJX uses the retail method for valuing inventories at all of its businesses, except at Sierra Trading Post (“STP”) and T.K. Maxx in Australia. The businesses that utilize the retail method have some inventory that is initially valued at cost before the retail method is applied as it has not been fully processed for sale (e.g. inventory in transit and unprocessed inventory in our distribution centers). Under the retail method, TJX utilizes a permanent markdown strategy and lowers the cost value of the inventory that is subject to markdown at the time the retail prices are lowered in the stores. TJX accrues for inventory obligations at the time title transfers, which is typically at the time when inventory is shipped. As a result, merchandise inventories on TJX’s balance sheet include an accrual for in-transit inventory of $501.5 million at April 29, 2017, $641.9 million at January 28, 2017 and $544.0 million at April 30, 2016. Comparable amounts were reflected in accounts payable at those dates.
Recently Issued and Adopted Accounting Standards	Recently Issued Accounting Standards: In May 2014, a pronouncement was issued that creates common revenue recognition guidance for GAAP. The new guidance supersedes most preexisting revenue recognition guidance. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The new standard was originally scheduled to be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. In April 2015, the Financial Accounting Standards Board proposed an update to this rule which deferred its effective date for one year. The new standard will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods therein, with an option to adopt the standard early. The standard shall be applied either retrospectively to each period presented or as a cumulative-effect adjustment as of the date of adoption. For TJX, the standard will be effective in the first quarter of the fiscal year ending January 26, 2019. We believe that there will be no change in the timing or amount of revenue recognized under the new standard as it relates to revenue from point of sale at the registers in our stores, which constitutes more than 95% of the Company’s revenue. We continue to evaluate other revenue streams such as e-commerce sales and shipping revenue, and there may be a slight change in the timing of when such revenue is recognized. The new standard will require a change in the presentation of our sales return reserve on the balance sheet, which we record net. The new standard will require the reserve to be established at the gross sales value with an asset established for the value of the merchandise returned. We do not expect this change to have material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. In February 2016, a pronouncement was issued that aims to increase transparency and comparability among organizations by requiring lessees to recognize lease assets and lease liabilities on the balance sheet and requiring disclosure of key information about leasing arrangements. The new standard is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2018, and interim periods within those annual periods; early adoption is permitted and modified retrospective application is required. The Company expects this standard to have a material impact on its statement of financial condition as it will record a significant asset and liability associated with its more than 3,800 leased locations. We cannot assess the income statement impact at this time as we need to assess if the initial lease term will differ under the new standard versus current accounting practice. If the lease term remains unchanged the income statement impact of the new standard is not expected to be material. The Company is in the process of evaluating its lease portfolio and identifying what additional data will be needed to comply with the new standard. We are also evaluating available software options and system support that will be required to implement the new accounting process. We do not currently plan to adopt early. In August 2016, a pronouncement was issued that addresses diversity in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented in the statement of cash flows. The new guidance provides clarity around the cash flow classification for eight specific issues in an effort to reduce the current and potential future diversity in practice. The standard, which is to be applied retrospectively, will be effective for the first interim period within annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and early adoption is permitted. TJX does not expect this standard to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In January 2017, a pronouncement was issued that aims to simplify the subsequent measurement of goodwill by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Under the new guidance, goodwill impairment will be measured as the amount by which the carrying value exceeds the fair value. The loss recognized should not exceed the total amount of goodwill allocated to the reporting unit. The new guidance will be effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019, including interim periods. Early adoption is permitted for annual or interim goodwill impairment tests performed on testing dates after January 1, 2017. TJX does not expect the adoption of this standard to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements. In March 2017, a pronouncement was issued that requires an employer report the service cost component of net periodic pension and net periodic post retirement cost in the same line item as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the employees during the period. It also requires the other components of net periodic pension and net periodic postretirement benefit cost to be presented in the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations. Additionally, only the service cost component is eligible for capitalization. This pronouncement is effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods during those fiscal years. Early adoption is permitted as of the beginning of an annual period for which financial statements have not been issued or made available for issuance. We are evaluating the presentation of the other components of net benefit cost. Recently Adopted Accounting Standards: In the first quarter of 2017, TJX adopted a pronouncement that aims to simplify several aspects of accounting and reporting for share-based payment transactions. One provision within this pronouncement requires that excess income tax benefits and tax deficiencies related to share-based payments be recognized within income tax expense in the statement of income, rather than within additional paid-in capital on the balance sheet. The adoption of this provision is to be applied prospectively. The impact to TJX’s results of operations related to this provision in the first quarter of 2017 was a decrease in the provision for income taxes of $24.6 million. The impact of this benefit on TJX’s future results of operations will depend in part on the market prices for TJX’s shares on the dates there are taxable events related to share awards, and therefore the impact is difficult to predict. This change and the remaining provisions within the pronouncement did not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Disclosure of accounting policy for cash and cash equivalents, including the policy for determining which items are treated as cash equivalents. Other information that may be disclosed includes (1) the nature of any restrictions on the entity's use of its cash and cash equivalents, (2) whether the entity's cash and cash equivalents are insured or expose the entity to credit risk, (3) the classification of any negative balance accounts (overdrafts), and (4) the carrying basis of cash equivalents (for example, at cost) and whether the carrying amount of cash equivalents approximates fair value.