Hot Topic
HOT TOPIC
http://www.hottopic.com/hottopic/index.jsp
Origins-The Birth of the Loudest Store in the Mall
It all started in 1988. Guns N' Roses, Def Leppard and Bon Jovi were #1 on the charts, and hair scrunchies, bolo ties and aviator sunglasses were everywhere. A ton of junior accessory and apparel chain stores filled shopping malls, but there wasn't a cool accessory store for both guys and girls. Then came Hot Topic.
In the fall of 1989, Hot Topic opened its doors in Westminster, California. We'd love to tell you it was a huge success, with hundreds of teens clawing their way into the store, but we'd be lying. Sales were disappointing. Some days we barely made a hundred bucks. Was founder Orv Madden's vision doomed? It was time to take a step back and re-evaluate. First, our location in the mall wasn't the best. How the heck could we sell anything if nobody could find us? Then we looked at what was selling-costume jewelry. We started buying more stuff like cross necklaces, unisex earrings and leather bracelets and got rid of hair scrunchies, men's ties and dress socks. Hot Topic found a niche and its name was music-influenced accessories. Whether it was fingerless gloves like Billy Idol or glam metal bootstraps like Poison, music was definitely the driving force behind teen fashion. After our Westminster customers gave us a reality check, we packed our bags, moved to Montclair, California and rocked their mall with the first Hot Topic store to carry all music-influenced accessories for teens.
As business increased in 1990, adding apparel seemed like a no-brainer, and what better way than to add the ultimate music fan essential-rock tees. At the time, finding a rock tee wasn't easy. You had to buy 'em from catalogs, small record stores or at concerts. It was unheard of to see a rock tee at the mall, so imagine how our customers flipped when they were able to purchase Bauhaus, The Cure, TSOL and Depeche Mode T-shirts at Hot Topic. Not surprisingly, these 4 titles blew out, so more alternative bands were added. Within a year, we had about 50 different band titles, and rock-inspired clothing lines like Lip Service and Serious were a big chunk of the business. By the end of 1990, we had opened 3 more stores in California and by 1994, Hot Topic was 50% accessories and 50% apparel.
In 1995, Hot Topic had 29 stores open in the Western U.S. and one Midwest store in the Mall of America in Minneapolis, MN. We were ready to take the East Coast by storm and opened store #31 in Staten Island, NY. Our customers loved it, and we got a lot of suggestions that we took to heart. Hot Topic has always been about getting feedback, listening and testing new ideas and products. We're cool like that.
Just like with the whole alternative music thing, Hot Topic customers were drawn to the underground cartoon, cult movie and comic book scenes. It was a unique culture they could call their own, and it was difficult to find merchandise from these licenses. Hot Topic brought the world of South Park, Care Bears, Superman, SpongeBob SquarePants and lots of other pop icons into our stores.
In 1996, with about 60 stores, Hot Topic became a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ under the symbol HOTT. The cash from our public offering allowed us to open more stores across the country.
Hot Topic, Inc. continues to rock the malls. There are Hot Topic stores in all 50 states and Puerto Rico. Check out the store locator to find the location nearest you.
If you read everything this far, we'd like to say thanks! You'll find a passion for music in everything we do, and you'll see that our customers (you) share that same passion. It's in our stores. It's at HQ. It's in our distribution centers. It's in our product. It's Everything About the Music. Turn it up.
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Accessories Bored? Add funky hair color or hair extensions to your look. Our selection of body piercing jewelry is quite killer, too. Oh... and whatever you do, do it in fishnets. Apparel People call them by different names... "I want new A7X rock tees." "Do you have any Ramones band tees?" "Music tees are best when they're clean." " Why must you always wear those rock T-shirts?" "Band T-shirts aren't allowed in church, son." Whatever you call 'em. You'll also find your favorite novelty T-shirts here. Rock those printed T-shirts in the summer. Save the printed hoodies for chillier months. If it looks cool, it's probably made by Tripp or Lip Service. Skinny jeans look hot. Period. Corsets and other corset tops aren't too shabby either. What's not to love about Playboy lingerie? The moral of the story is... From sexy swimsuits to trendy baby clothes, we've got you covered! Gifts Need something for that special Jedi? Nothing screams "gift" like action figures, especially Star Wars action figures. Trick out your ride with steering wheel covers and car seat covers. Dress up your room with bedding sets, too! What have we learned? if you want girls' bedding or action figures for guys, plus a slew of other gifts ideas, Hottopic.com is your place! |
Licensed Gear All you Jack addicts know by now that there's only one place for the best Nightmare Before Christmas stuff, and that's Hot Topic! While you're at it, grab other cool stuff from Jeffree Star, Invader Zim and Skelanimals, too. Don't neglect fairies through. Show 'em some love and pick up your favorite Tinker Bell merch. Whether you're all about Tinker Bell fairies, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Skelanimals, Jeffree Star or Invader Zim, your gear is here! Shoes Shoe trends, like any other, come and go but one name will always triumph over all. Converse Chuck Taylor. Those particular Converse sneakers have been kicking ass for about a century. 60% of all Americans own or have owned Converse High Tops. The first version of Converse All Stars was made in 1917. Since then, these timeless, classic Converse shoes sell by the thousands each week worldwide. A classic never goes outta style. If ya need something a bit taller, try some black boots! Our women's boots come in all shapes and styles. Take knee high boots and thigh high boots, for example. They could be cool at the clubs, but who says you can't wear sexy boots grocery shopping? Work some platform boots in the bread aisle or some leather boots by the canned goods. Our men's boots are nuthin' to sneeze at either. Combat boots go with everything, except maybe your Speedo. The bottom line is, if ya need fashion boots, we've got 'em. |
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