 | |
 Hot Topic insideSouthern Park Mall | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Nasdaq: HOTT | |
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | October 1989; 36 years ago (1989-10) Montclair Plaza Montclair, California, U.S. |
| Founder | Orv Madden |
| Headquarters | City of Industry, California, U.S. |
Number of locations | 675 (April 2020)[1] |
Key people | Steve Vranes (CEO) (2016–present) Betsy McLaughlin (CEO) (2000–2011) Bruce Quinell (chairman of the board) |
| Products | clothing, accessories, music, jewelry |
| Revenue |  US$741.8 million (FY 2013)[2] |
| US$30.8 million (FY 2013)[2] | |
| US$19.5 million (FY 2013)[2] | |
| Total assets |  US$274.9 million (FY 2013)[2] |
| Total equity | US$172.8 million (FY 2013)[2] |
| Owner | Sycamore Partners |
| Divisions | Blackheart Lingerie BoxLunch |
| Website | www.hottopic.com |
Hot Topic, Inc. is an Americanfast-fashion company specializing incounterculture-relatedclothing andaccessories, as well as licensed music. The stores are aimed towards an audience interested inrock music andvideo gaming, and most of their audience ranges from teens to young adults. In 2007, approximately 40% of Hot Topic's revenue came from sales of licensed band T-shirts.[3] The majority of the stores are located in regionalshopping malls.[3]
The first Hot Topic store was opened in November 1989 inMontclair Plaza,Montclair, California,[4] by Orv Madden, a former executive atThe Children's Place, who retired as CEO in 2000 and was replaced byBetsy McLaughlin, who headed the company until 2011. Lisa Harper assumed the position of CEO in March 2011 until Steve Vranes was announced as the new CEO in 2016. The company went public and began trading onNASDAQ in 1996.
In 2013, Hot Topic announced its sale toprivate equity firmSycamore Partners for $600 million.[5] The company ceased publishing financial data after 2013, as previously required as a public company.[6][7]
In 2024, Hot Topic was the subject of what cybersecurity firmHudson Rock labeled the "largest retail data breach in history," involving the theft of personal data belonging to 350 million customers of Hot Topic, Box Lunch, and Torrid, with the stolen data reportedly including names, emails, addresses, phone numbers, birthdates, and partial credit card numbers.[8][9]
The store has gone through a number of phases in its history, reflective of various alternative culture andpop culture andgeek culture trends (prime examples beingLolita,goth, andcosplay outfits). In the early 2000s, the store was known for heavily marketingnu-metal merchandise relating to bands. During that period, the store was also known for its sales of controversialgel bracelets (often rumored to be "sex bracelets") as well as the equally controversial styles ofphat pants-inspiredbondage pants popular among teenagers in the late 1990s and early-to-mid 2000s.[10]
The store later focused onskinny jeans and merchandise related toscene,emo andhardcore punk music and fashion, with a much larger focus ongoths andspiky chokers and clothing. At present, the store's selection is largely focused on licensedvideo game merchandise andinternet memes popular on sites such asTumblr, as well asanime,manga,Japanese films, and the associatedotaku subculture.
Hot Topic launchedTorrid, a concept store that sellsclothing for plus-size women, in 2001.[11] While still under the same parent umbrella as Hot Topic, in 2015 the company branched off to become Torrid, LLC.
In 2008, Hot Topic launchedShockHound, an online retailer andsocial networking music site.[12] In March 2011, Hot Topic made a public statement announcing the shutdown of ShockHound. The site is no longer live, all merchandise was moved to HotTopic.com, and the company ceased sales ofMP3s.[13]
In August 2010, Hot Topic first ventured the international market with opening two outlets inOntario,Canada, initially atSquare One Shopping Centre inMississauga on August 11, and then atScarborough Town Centre inToronto the following day.[14] The company has since also opened additional Canadian locations as well as locations inPuerto Rico.
In 2012, Hot Topic launched Blackheart Lingerie, a concept store that sells lingerie and clothing for women.[15]
On May 26, 2015, Hot Topic announced its intent to acquireGeeknet Inc., owner of the online retailerThinkGeek, for $122 million. However, the company received a $140 million counter-offer fromGameStop, which Hot Topic did not choose to exceed.[16][17][18][19]
On October 14, 2015, Hot Topic launched BoxLunch, a gift and novelty retail store.[20] For every $10 spent, a meal is donated to a person in need.[21]
The company sponsored the 2004Ozzfest concert tour,[22] the 2005 through 2007 Sounds of the Underground tour,[23] the 2008Taste of Chaos tour,[24] and had a stage at and sponsored the 2008 and 2009Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival tours. The company went on to sponsorBlack Veil Brides 2014 Black Mass tour with special guestsFalling in Reverse.[25]
