Nature of Operations	6 Months Ended
Aug. 03, 2019
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 August 3, 2019, the fye segment operated 206 stores totaling approximately 1.1 million square feet in the United States, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The etailz segment is a digital marketplace retailer and generates substantially all of its revenue through Amazon Marketplace. The Company’s business is seasonal in nature for both segments, 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 liquidity are its borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility, available cash and cash equivalents, and to a lesser extent, cash generated from operations. Our cash requirements relate primarily to working capital needed to operate our business, including funding operating expenses, the purchase of inventory and capital expenditures. Our ability to achieve profitability and meet future liquidity needs and capital requirements will depend upon numerous factors, including the timing and amount of our revenue; the timing and amount of our operating expenses; the timing and costs of working capital needs; and changes in our strategy or our planned activities. The Company incurred net losses of $15.9 million and $17.7 million for the twenty-six weeks ended August 3, 2019 and August 4, 2018, respectively, and has an accumulated deficit of $66.2 million at August 3, 2019. In addition, net cash used in operating activities for the twenty-six weeks ended August 3, 2019 was $15.0 million. Net cash used in operating activities for the twenty-six weeks ended August 4, 2018 was $32.9 million. As disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed May 14, 2019, the Company experienced negative cash flows from operations during fiscal 2018 and 2017, and we expect to continue to incur net losses in the foreseeable future. We implemented strategic initiatives on December 11, 2018, aimed at improving organizational efficiency and conserving working capital needed to support the growth of our etailz segment (the “performance improvement plan”). As a result of the initiative, and disciplined inventory management in the fye segment, the Company was able to reduce cash used in operations by $18.0 million for the twenty-six weeks ended August 3, 2019 as compared to the twenty-six weeks ended August 3, 2018. We anticipate continued improvement in cash flows used in operations for the remainder of the fiscal 2019. At August 3, 2019, we had cash and cash equivalents of $3.6 million, net working capital of $42.3 million, and short-term borrowings in the amount of $12.1 million on our revolving credit facility, as further discussed in footnote 8. This compares to $4.5 million in cash and cash equivalents, net working capital of $82.1 million, and short-term borrowings in the amount of $6.3 million on the Company’s revolving credit facility at August 4, 2018. Management anticipates any cash requirements due to a shortfall in cash from operations will be funded by the Company’s revolving credit facility. See note 8 in the interim condensed consolidated financial statements for additional information. In addition to the aforementioned current sources of existing working capital, the Company may explore certain other strategic alternatives that may become available to the Company, as well as continuing the efforts to generate additional sales and increase margins. However, at this time the Company has no commitments to obtain any additional funds, and there can be no assurance such funds will be available on acceptable terms or at all, should we require such additional funds. If the Company is unable to improve its operations, it may be required to obtain additional funding, and the Company’s financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected. Furthermore, broad market and industry factors may seriously harm the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance, and may adversely impact our ability to raise additional funds, should we require such additional funds. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended August 3, 2019 were prepared on the basis of a going concern which contemplates that the Company will be able to realize assets and discharge liabilities in the normal course of business. The ability of the Company to meet its liabilities and to continue as a going concern is dependent on improved profitability, the performance improvement plan implemented for the etailz segment and the availability of future funding. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of these uncertainties. Reverse Stock Split On August 15, 2019, the Company effected a reverse stock split of its outstanding shares of common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty pursuant to a Certificate of Amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New York. The reverse stock split was reflected on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) beginning with the opening of trading on August 15, 2019. The primary purpose of the reverse stock split, which was approved by the Company’s stockholders at the Company’s Annual Stockholders Meeting on June 27, 2019, was to enable the Company to regain compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq. Pursuant to the reverse stock split, every twenty shares of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock were automatically combined into one issued and outstanding share of common stock, without any change in the par value per share of the common stock. Unless otherwise indicated, all share and per share amounts of the common stock included in the accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been retrospectively adjusted to give effect to the reverse stock split for all periods presented, including reclassifying an amount equal to the reduction in par value to additional paid-in capital. Amounts of common stock resulting from the reverse stock split were rounded up to the nearest whole share. The reverse stock split affected all issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, and the respective numbers of shares of common stock underlying outstanding stock options, and the Company’s equity incentive plans were proportionately adjusted.

Nature of Operations

6 Months Ended

Aug. 03, 2019

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 August 3, 2019, the fye segment operated 206 stores totaling approximately 1.1 million square feet in the United States, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The etailz segment is a digital marketplace retailer and generates substantially all of its revenue through Amazon Marketplace. The Company’s business is seasonal in nature for both segments, 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 liquidity are its borrowing capacity under its revolving credit facility, available cash and cash equivalents, and to a lesser extent, cash generated from operations. Our cash requirements relate primarily to working capital needed to operate our business, including funding operating expenses, the purchase of inventory and capital expenditures. Our ability to achieve profitability and meet future liquidity needs and capital requirements will depend upon numerous factors, including the timing and amount of our revenue; the timing and amount of our operating expenses; the timing and costs of working capital needs; and changes in our strategy or our planned activities.

The Company incurred net losses of $15.9 million and $17.7 million for the twenty-six weeks ended August 3, 2019 and August 4, 2018, respectively, and has an accumulated deficit of $66.2 million at August 3, 2019. In addition, net cash used in operating activities for the twenty-six weeks ended August 3, 2019 was $15.0 million. Net cash used in operating activities for the twenty-six weeks ended August 4, 2018 was $32.9 million.

As disclosed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed May 14, 2019, the Company experienced negative cash flows from operations during fiscal 2018 and 2017, and we expect to continue to incur net losses in the foreseeable future. We implemented strategic initiatives on December 11, 2018, aimed at improving organizational efficiency and conserving working capital needed to support the growth of our etailz segment (the “performance improvement plan”). As a result of the initiative, and disciplined inventory management in the fye segment, the Company was able to reduce cash used in operations by $18.0 million for the twenty-six weeks ended August 3, 2019 as compared to the twenty-six weeks ended August 3, 2018. We anticipate continued improvement in cash flows used in operations for the remainder of the fiscal 2019. At August 3, 2019, we had cash and cash equivalents of $3.6 million, net working capital of $42.3 million, and short-term borrowings in the amount of $12.1 million on our revolving credit facility, as further discussed in footnote 8. This compares to $4.5 million in cash and cash equivalents, net working capital of $82.1 million, and short-term borrowings in the amount of $6.3 million on the Company’s revolving credit facility at August 4, 2018.

Management anticipates any cash requirements due to a shortfall in cash from operations will be funded by the Company’s revolving credit facility. See note 8 in the interim condensed consolidated financial statements for additional information.

In addition to the aforementioned current sources of existing working capital, the Company may explore certain other strategic alternatives that may become available to the Company, as well as continuing the efforts to generate additional sales and increase margins. However, at this time the Company has no commitments to obtain any additional funds, and there can be no assurance such funds will be available on acceptable terms or at all, should we require such additional funds. If the Company is unable to improve its operations, it may be required to obtain additional funding, and the Company’s financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

Furthermore, broad market and industry factors may seriously harm the market price of our common stock, regardless of our operating performance, and may adversely impact our ability to raise additional funds, should we require such additional funds.

The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements for the thirteen and twenty-six weeks ended August 3, 2019 were prepared on the basis of a going concern which contemplates that the Company will be able to realize assets and discharge liabilities in the normal course of business. The ability of the Company to meet its liabilities and to continue as a going concern is dependent on improved profitability, the performance improvement plan implemented for the etailz segment and the availability of future funding. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements do not include any adjustments that might result from the outcome of these uncertainties.

Reverse Stock Split

On August 15, 2019, the Company effected a reverse stock split of its outstanding shares of common stock at a ratio of one-for-twenty pursuant to a Certificate of Amendment to the Company’s Certificate of Incorporation filed with the Secretary of State of the State of New York. The reverse stock split was reflected on the Nasdaq Capital Market (“Nasdaq”) beginning with the opening of trading on August 15, 2019. The primary purpose of the reverse stock split, which was approved by the Company’s stockholders at the Company’s Annual Stockholders Meeting on June 27, 2019, was to enable the Company to regain compliance with the $1.00 minimum bid price requirement for continued listing on Nasdaq. Pursuant to the reverse stock split, every twenty shares of the Company’s issued and outstanding shares of common stock were automatically combined into one issued and outstanding share of common stock, without any change in the par value per share of the common stock. Unless otherwise indicated, all share and per share amounts of the common stock included in the accompanying interim condensed consolidated financial statements have been retrospectively adjusted to give effect to the reverse stock split for all periods presented, including reclassifying an amount equal to the reduction in par value to additional paid-in capital. Amounts of common stock resulting from the reverse stock split were rounded up to the nearest whole share. The reverse stock split affected all issued and outstanding shares of the Company’s common stock, and the respective numbers of shares of common stock underlying outstanding stock options, and the Company’s equity incentive plans were proportionately adjusted.