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                                                                    EXHIBIT 99.2

              STATEMENT UNDER OATH OF PRINCIPAL EXECUTIVE OFFICER
                 REGARDING FACTS AND CIRCUMSTANCES RELATING TO
                           EXCHANGE ACT FILINGS

I, Robert J. Higgins, state and attest that:

       (1) To the best of my knowledge, based upon a review of the covered
       reports of Trans World Entertainment Corporation, and, except as
       corrected or supplemented in a subsequent covered report:

       - no covered report contained an untrue statement of a material fact as
         of the end of the period covered by such report (or in the case of a
         report on Form 8-K or definitive proxy materials, as of the date on
         which it was filed); and

       - no covered report omitted to state a material fact necessary to make
         the statements in the covered report, in light of the circumstances
         under which they were made, not misleading as of the end of the period
         covered by such report (or in the case of a report on Form 8-K or
         definitive proxy materials, as of the date on which it was filed).


       (2) I have reviewed the contents of this statement with the Company's
        audit committee.

       (3) In this statement under oath, each of the following, if filed on or
        before the date of this statement, is a "covered report":

       - Report of Trans World Entertainment Corporation on Form 10-K for the
         year ended February 2, 2002;

       - all reports on Form 10-Q, all reports on Form 8-K and all definitive
         proxy materials of Trans World Entertainment Corporation filed with
         the Commission subsequent to the filing of the Form 10-K identified
         above; and

       - any amendments to any of the foregoing.


        /s/ Robert J. Higgins         Subscribed and sworn to
        Robert J. Higgins             before me this 16th day of
        Chairman and Chief            September, 2002.
        Executive Officer             /s/ Heather Hovious

                                      Notary Public
                                      My Commission Expires: February 11, 2006