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Hot Topic
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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This article does not cite any references or sources. (August 2007) Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unverifiable material may be challenged and removed. |
- For the Le Tigre song, see Hot Topic (Song).
| Hot Topic, Inc. | |
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| Type | Public (NASDAQ: HOTT) |
| Founded | 1988 by Orv Madden |
| Headquarters | City of Industry, California |
| Key people | Betsy McLaughlin, CEO; Bruce Quinell, Chairman of the Board |
| Industry | retail |
| Products | apparel, music |
| Revenue |  US$751.6 million (2006) |
| Website | www.hottopic.com |
Hot Topic (NASDAQ: HOTT) is an American chain store aimed at teenagers and young adults. It has over 690 chain stores across the United States, Japan and Puerto Rico, the majority of which are located in shopping malls. The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden. The chain specializes in pop-culture-related fashion and merchandise, including clothing, books, comics, jewelry, CDs, records, posters and other paraphernalia. It caters to a number of youth-oriented "scenes," such as metal, punk, emo, goth, club, otaku and lounge, as well as a number of general and 1980s retro pop culture products including TNA Wrestling products. It has also backed major concert festivals like Ozzfest and recently Sounds Of The Underground. Products from Tripp NYC, Lip Service and Funhouse are also stocked.
In the past, major bands such as Korn and Good Charlotte have allowed Hot Topic to release their concert wear to the general public before they themselves appear on television or at concerts wearing them. Recently Hot Topic has held in-store "listening parties" for bands such as Marilyn Manson, Avenged Sevenfold, Underoath, My Chemical Romance, Paramore and HIM, so fans could hear their new albums before they were released. Hot Topic has also been a promoter of Jhonen Vasquez and his various projects, including Invader Zim, Johnny the Homicidal Maniac and "Squee".
Hot Topic is also known for having an extensive range of products (which are hard to find anywhere else) from the films of Tim Burton. This is particularly exaggerated in The Nightmare Before Christmas memorabilia.
Hot Topic owns and operates a chain of similarly-themed plus-size women's clothing stores, Torrid, which began operations in 2001. The company produces its own line of clothing, Morbid Threads, whose products may be found in both chains' stores. Hot Topic was named number 53 on Fortune 100's Top Companies to Work For list in 2006.
Hot Topic's major rivals in its niche include Spencer's Gifts and Manic Panic.
Starting in 2007, Hot Topic started to change the look of their stores. They are dropping a darker look for more neutral colors. The Chain plans to have 12-15 percent of their stores remodeled by the end of 2007. They are calling the new stores "downtown stores" to represent their downtown look.