<?xml version="1.0"?>
<ownershipDocument>

    <schemaVersion>X0304</schemaVersion>

    <documentType>4/A</documentType>

    <periodOfReport>2011-11-14</periodOfReport>

    <dateOfOriginalSubmission>2011-11-21</dateOfOriginalSubmission>

    <notSubjectToSection16>0</notSubjectToSection16>

    <issuer>
        <issuerCik>0001041859</issuerCik>
        <issuerName>CHILDRENS PLACE RETAIL STORES INC</issuerName>
        <issuerTradingSymbol>PLCE</issuerTradingSymbol>
    </issuer>

    <reportingOwner>
        <reportingOwnerId>
            <rptOwnerCik>0001178445</rptOwnerCik>
            <rptOwnerName>MATTHEWS NORMAN S</rptOwnerName>
        </reportingOwnerId>
        <reportingOwnerAddress>
            <rptOwnerStreet1>C/O THE CHILDREN'S PLACE RETAIL STORES,</rptOwnerStreet1>
            <rptOwnerStreet2>INC. 500 PLAZA DRIVE</rptOwnerStreet2>
            <rptOwnerCity>SECAUCUS</rptOwnerCity>
            <rptOwnerState>NJ</rptOwnerState>
            <rptOwnerZipCode>07094</rptOwnerZipCode>
            <rptOwnerStateDescription></rptOwnerStateDescription>
        </reportingOwnerAddress>
        <reportingOwnerRelationship>
            <isDirector>1</isDirector>
            <isOfficer>0</isOfficer>
            <isTenPercentOwner>0</isTenPercentOwner>
            <isOther>0</isOther>
            <officerTitle></officerTitle>
            <otherText></otherText>
        </reportingOwnerRelationship>
    </reportingOwner>

    <nonDerivativeTable>
        <nonDerivativeTransaction>
            <securityTitle>
                <value>Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share</value>
            </securityTitle>
            <transactionDate>
                <value>2011-11-14</value>
            </transactionDate>
            <deemedExecutionDate></deemedExecutionDate>
            <transactionCoding>
                <transactionFormType>4</transactionFormType>
                <transactionCode>A</transactionCode>
                <equitySwapInvolved>0</equitySwapInvolved>
            </transactionCoding>
            <transactionTimeliness></transactionTimeliness>
            <transactionAmounts>
                <transactionShares>
                    <value>899</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F1"/>
                </transactionShares>
                <transactionPricePerShare>
                    <value>47.56</value>
                </transactionPricePerShare>
                <transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
                    <value>A</value>
                </transactionAcquiredDisposedCode>
            </transactionAmounts>
            <postTransactionAmounts>
                <sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
                    <value>34242</value>
                    <footnoteId id="F2"/>
                </sharesOwnedFollowingTransaction>
            </postTransactionAmounts>
            <ownershipNature>
                <directOrIndirectOwnership>
                    <value>D</value>
                </directOrIndirectOwnership>
            </ownershipNature>
        </nonDerivativeTransaction>
    </nonDerivativeTable>

    <footnotes>
        <footnote id="F1">Shares acquired pursuant to a deferral election made by the reporting person on December 8, 2010 pursuant to The Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc. Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan.</footnote>
        <footnote id="F2">Due to a typographical error, 21,200 shares reported as being beneficially owned by the reporting person in a Form 4 filed on March 15, 2011 were inadvertently omitted from the reporting person's original Form 4, and also were inadvertently omitted from two other Form 4's filed by the reporting person on May 13, 2011 and August 12, 2011.</footnote>
    </footnotes>

    <ownerSignature>
        <signatureName>/s/ James E. Myers, as Attorney-In-Fact for Norman S. Matthews</signatureName>
        <signatureDate>2011-11-30</signatureDate>
    </ownerSignature>
</ownershipDocument>
