Exhibit No. 31

CERTIFICATIONS

PURSUANT TO

SECTION 302 OF THE
SARBANES-OXLEY ACT

I, Raphael Benaroya, the
registrants Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer, certify
that:

|1. | I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of United Retail Group, Inc.;
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|2. | based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
          material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
          made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
          misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
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|3. | based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
          included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
          condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and
          for, the periods presented in this report;
|-- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|4. | the registrants other certifying officer and I are responsible for
          establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
          Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:
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1. designed such  disclosure  controls and procedures,  or caused such disclosure  controls
                  and  procedures  to be  designed  under our  supervision,  to ensure  that  material  information
                  relating to the  registrant,  including  its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is made known to us by
                  others  within  those  entities,  particularly  during the  period in which this  report is being
                  prepared;
2. evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's  disclosure  controls and procedures and
                  presented in this report our conclusions about the  effectiveness of the disclosure  controls and
                  procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
3. disclosed  in  this  report  any  change  in  the  registrant's  internal  control  over
                  financial  reporting that occurred  during the  registrant's  most recent fiscal quarter that has
                  materially  affected,  or is reasonably likely to materially  affect,  the registrant's  internal
                  control over financial reporting; and

|5. | the registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
          our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
          registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants
          board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
|-- | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
2. any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

|                        |                                    
|----------------------- | -----------------------------------
|Date: September 4, 2003 | /s/RAPHAEL BENAROYARaphael Benaroya

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I, George R. Remeta, the
registrants Chief Administrative Officer and Chief Financial Officer, certify that:

|1. | I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of United Retail Group, Inc.;
|-- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|2. | based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a
          material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements
          made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not
          misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
|-- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|3. | based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information
          included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial
          condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and
          for, the periods presented in this report;
|-- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

|4. | the registrants other certifying officer and I are responsible for
          establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in
          Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) for the registrant and have:
|-- | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. designed such  disclosure  controls and procedures,  or caused such disclosure  controls
                  and  procedures  to be  designed  under our  supervision,  to ensure  that  material  information
                  relating to the  registrant,  including  its  consolidated  subsidiaries,  is made known to us by
                  others  within  those  entities,  particularly  during the  period in which this  report is being
                  prepared;
2. evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant's  disclosure  controls and procedures and
                  presented in this report our conclusions about the  effectiveness of the disclosure  controls and
                  procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
3. disclosed  in  this  report  any  change  in  the  registrant's  internal  control  over
                  financial  reporting that occurred  during the  registrant's  most recent fiscal quarter that has
                  materially  affected,  or is reasonably likely to materially  affect,  the registrant's  internal
                  control over financial reporting; and

|5. | the registrants other certifying officer and I have disclosed, based on
          our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the
          registrants auditors and the audit committee of the registrants
          board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
|-- | -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant's ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
2. any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant's internal control over financial reporting.

|                        |                                    
|----------------------- | -----------------------------------
|Date: September 4, 2003 | /s/GEORGE R. REMETAGeorge R. Remeta