Nature of Operations	9 Months Ended
Oct. 28, 2017
Disclosure Text Block [Abstract]
Nature of Operations [Text Block]	Note 1. Nature of Operations Trans World Entertainment Corporation and subsidiaries (“the Company”) operates in two reportable segments: fye and etailz. The fye segment operates a chain of retail entertainment stores and e-commerce sites, www.fye.com and www.secondspin.com. As of October 28, 2017, the fye segment operated 268 stores totaling approximately 1.5 million square feet in the United States, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The etailz segment is a leading digital marketplace retailer and generates substantially all of its revenue through Amazon Marketplace. The Company’s business is seasonal in nature, with the peak selling period being the holiday season which falls in the Company’s fourth fiscal quarter. *Liquidity and Cash Flows:* The Company’s primary sources of working capital are cash provided by operations and borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility. The Company’s cash flows fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to various items, including seasonality of sales and associated earnings and losses in those periods, timing of merchandise inventory purchases and the related terms of those purchases, as well as merchandise inventory returns and capital expenditures. Management believes it will have adequate resources to fund its cash needs for the foreseeable future, including its capital spending, its seasonal increase in merchandise inventory and other operating cash requirements and commitments. Management anticipates any cash requirements due to a shortfall in cash from operations will be funded by the Company’s revolving credit facility, as discussed in note 9 in the interim condensed consolidated financial statements. In connection with the preparation of these interim condensed consolidated financial statements, the Company conducted an evaluation as to whether there were conditions and events, considered in the aggregate, which raised substantial doubt as to the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date of the issuance, or the date of availability, of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements to be issued, noting that there did not appear to be evidence of substantial doubt of the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Nature of Operations

9 Months Ended

Oct. 28, 2017

Note 1. Nature of Operations

Trans World Entertainment Corporation and subsidiaries (“the Company”) operates in two reportable segments: fye and etailz. The fye segment operates a chain of retail entertainment stores and e-commerce sites, www.fye.com and www.secondspin.com. As of October 28, 2017, the fye segment operated 268 stores totaling approximately 1.5 million square feet in the United States, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The etailz segment is a leading digital marketplace retailer and generates substantially all of its revenue through Amazon Marketplace. The Company’s business is seasonal in nature, with the peak selling period being the holiday season which falls in the Company’s fourth fiscal quarter.

Liquidity and Cash Flows:

The Company’s primary sources of working capital are cash provided by operations and borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility. The Company’s cash flows fluctuate from quarter to quarter due to various items, including seasonality of sales and associated earnings and losses in those periods, timing of merchandise inventory purchases and the related terms of those purchases, as well as merchandise inventory returns and capital expenditures. Management believes it will have adequate resources to fund its cash needs for the foreseeable future, including its capital spending, its seasonal increase in merchandise inventory and other operating cash requirements and commitments.

Management anticipates any cash requirements due to a shortfall in cash from operations will be funded by the Company’s revolving credit facility, as discussed in note 9 in the interim condensed consolidated financial statements.

In connection with the preparation of these interim condensed consolidated financial statements, the Company conducted an evaluation as to whether there were conditions and events, considered in the aggregate, which raised substantial doubt as to the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern within one year after the date of the issuance, or the date of availability, of the interim condensed consolidated financial statements to be issued, noting that there did not appear to be evidence of substantial doubt of the entity’s ability to continue as a going concern.