UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                                 UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

        Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): August 17, 2001

                                 LECHTERS, INC.
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                      (Exact name of registrant as specified in charter)

         New Jersey                      000-17870               13-2821526
 -----------------------------         -------------         ------------------
 (State or other jurisdiction          (Commission           (IRS Employer
       of incorporation)               File Number)          Identification No.)

       One Cape May Street, Harrison, New Jersey                   07029
       -----------------------------------------                -----------
        (Address of principal executive offices)                (Zip Code)

       Registrant's telephone number, including area code: (973) 418-1100

                                 Not Applicable
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          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)




ITEM 5.  OTHER EVENTS

     On May 21, 2001,  Lechters,  Inc., a New Jersey corporation (the "Company")
filed a petition for bankruptcy protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court
for the  Southern  District of New York (the  "Bankruptcy  Court").  The Company
intends to request  permission from the Securities and Exchange  Commission (the
"Commission") to file monthly operating reports ( the "Reports"),  which must be
filed each month  with the  Bankruptcy  Court,  with the  Commission  in lieu of
filing its annual and quarterly  reports on Forms 10-K and 10-Q.  The Report for
the period July 8, 2001  through  August 4, 2001 is attached as exhibit  99.1 to
this current report, and was filed with the Bankruptcy Court on August 17, 2001.

ITEM 7. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS, PRO FORMA FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EXHIBITS

     (a) Financial Statements of the Business Acquired

         Not Applicable.

     (b) Pro Forma Financial Information and Exhibits

         Not Applicable.

     (c) Exhibits

         99.1  Monthly  Operating  Report  for the period  July 8, 2001  through
               August 4, 2001.




                                   SIGNATURES

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934, as
amended,  the  registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf
by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


Dated: August 31, 2001

                                    LECHTERS, INC.


                                    By:/s/ DANIEL L. ANDERTON
                                       -----------------------------------------
                                       Name: Daniel L. Anderton
                                       Title: Chief Financial Officer