This element represents the purchase price paid per share of the acquired company.

No definition available.

Name:	spls_BusinessAcquisitionCostOfAcquiredEntityPurchasePricePerShare
Namespace Prefix:	spls_
Data Type:	num:perShareItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

This element represents the initial ownership percentage of Corporate Express Australia Limited that the entity acquired in the business combination of Corporate Express N.V. in July 2008.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	spls_BusinessAcquisitionInitialOwnershipPercentage
Namespace Prefix:	spls_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

This element represents the ownership percentage subsequent to an additional investment.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	spls_PercentageOfOwnershipPostAdditionalInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	spls_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The calculated weighted-average amortization period of a major class of finite-lived intangible assets acquired during the current period either individually or as part of a group of assets (in either an asset acquisition or business combination). A major class is composed of intangible assets that can be grouped together because they are similar, either by their nature or by their use in the operations of a company.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 142

-Paragraph 44

-Subparagraph a(3)

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.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 350

-SubTopic 30

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (a)(3)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6905858&loc=d3e16265-109275

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AcquiredFiniteLivedIntangibleAssetWeightedAverageUsefulLife
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The total cost of the acquired entity including the cash paid to shareholders of acquired entities, fair value of debt and equity securities issued to shareholders of acquired entities, the fair value of the liabilities assumed, and direct costs of the acquisition.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionCostOfAcquiredEntityPurchasePrice
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of voting equity interests acquired in the business combination.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141R

-Paragraph 68

-Subparagraph c

-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 805

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 2

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6909870&loc=d3e1392-128463

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPercentageOfVotingInterestsAcquired
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of acquisition cost of a business combination allocated to an identifiable intangible asset that will be amortized.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 51

-Subparagraph e

-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 Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 52

-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.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationAmortizableIntangibleAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Amount of goodwill arising from a business combination, which is the excess of the cost of the acquired entity over the amounts assigned to assets acquired and liabilities assumed.

+ References

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

-Publisher FASB

-Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 52

-Subparagraph c

-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 Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS)

-Number 141

-Paragraph 53

-Subparagraph d

-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.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionPurchasePriceAllocationGoodwillAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

Business Combinations and Acquisition of Noncontrolling Interest (Details) In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 06, 2010 AUD	Jan. 29, 2011 year	Jan. 28, 2012 USD ($)	Jan. 28, 2012 EUR (€)	Sep. 06, 2010 USD ($)	Jul. 02, 2010 USD ($)	Jul. 02, 2010 EUR (€)	Jul. 23, 2008	Jan. 28, 2012 Corporate Express [Member]	Jul. 23, 2008 Corporate Express [Member]	Sep. 06, 2010 Corporate Express Australia Limited [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business Acquisition, Percentage of Voting Interests Acquired										99.00%
Business Acquisition Initial Ownership Percentage								59.00%
Business Acquisition Cost Of Acquired Entity Purchase Price Per Share	5.60
Percentage Of Ownership Post Additional Investment									99.70%		100.00%
Business Acquisition, Cost of Acquired Entity, Purchase Price	407.0		$ 10.0	€ 7.5	$ 361.0	$ 39.0	€ 31.0
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Goodwill Amount						16.4
Business Acquisition, Purchase Price Allocation, Amortizable Intangible Assets						$ 4.3
Acquired Finite-lived Intangible Asset, Weighted Average Useful Life		5