Hot Topic: Goth - Emo Store Suffering Sales Loss
Posted May 19, 2006 — in Music News
Hot Topic that targets goth inspired emo kids have suffered from a deep decline in sales in the first quarter. Why? trends are changing.
According to the LA Times, “The company, which sells apparel and accessories, posted a loss of $1.4 million, or 3 cents a share, in the quarter ended April 29″.
“The retailer has struggled as fashion trends have turned to more preppy styles rather than the rock-music-inspired and gothic designs that Hot Topic carries.”
IT HAS BEGUN………………
YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!!!!!
Comment by you know who — May 19, 2006 @ 11:32 am
I don’t think Hot Topic’s problem is that mainstream trends are changing. Hot Topic used to be full of all kinds of band merch and vinyl and other cool things that seemed to be meant specifically for music enthusiasts? Now its all ‘ironic’ T-shirts, Napoleon Dynamite wristbands and Care Bear glitter fun body gel or some shit…clearly aimed at the young teen crowd. The store has been steadily dropping in quality and focus for a long time. Also, anything you could possibly want to buy in a Hot Topic is available online for less.
Comment by AJ-KOAR — May 19, 2006 @ 12:51 pm
You couldn’t be more right AJ. I worked at Hot Topic for a while a couple of years back. They have indeed been on a steady decline as far as quality, price, and aesthetic. I remember when investing in Hot Topic stock was HIGHLY recomended! They need to find a middle ground between the “flavor of the week” products and the products that have more longevity. “Here today gone tomorrow” trends are never investments that you should put ALL of your chips on. Maybe the record industry would do well to take note of that.
It’s time for someone at corporate to WAKE UP! (lol)
Comment by Mat — May 22, 2006 @ 6:08 pm
I tihnk hot topics hads some Ok stuff.
I shop there every once and a while, and most of my friends love their store.
Comment by Kayla — May 25, 2006 @ 9:10 am
I think that hot topic is an ausome store! I mean, yeah, sometimes I go there to find the shirts with the funny sayings, and I can only seem to find the band shirts, or the shirts that say “vans” and stuff…Any who…I will continue to buy stuff from there and they’re the only store I know of down here that sells all the pants with the chains and zippers, can’t find them in a walmart, now can we…
Comment by donna — October 16, 2006 @ 9:34 am
I think this is unfair because preppys have enough stores for them and the punk-emo-gothic people don’t have any other store like this one at least here in Puerto Rico and it has been chaged to a fu!@$*& preppy store!!!!!!!!!
Comment by Jaymi — June 24, 2007 @ 7:10 pm
Hot Topic’s first store didn’t open until the late 80s and wasn’t in EVERY mall until well into the 90s. It’s not a store for the underground…its a corporation making the underground mainstream.
Go ahead and bitch about it changing focus, but I’ve never known a legitimate goth or punk who would be caught dead in that store. Hot Topic is anti-everything those sub cultures are about.
Don’t see this as the end of your style. See this as an opportunity to stop being a corporate whore. You want to buy a band shirt? Why don’t you buy it from the BAND? Pants with chains? Hit up a hardware store.
Seriously… “punks” complaining about not being able to buy their clothes in the mall????? Is this the Twilight Zone?
Comment by AJ-KOAR — June 25, 2007 @ 10:36 am
Umm.. yeah right. Most of the people at my school are Hot Topic addicts. Well besides the football players and the cheerleaders. And in high school most of the cheerleading team is gothic/punk/emo. Why do they think that just because a few other preppy stores are doing better, that Hot Topic is just a waste of space? I love Hot Topic and over the last 2 years, i’ve spent over $1,000 there. I hate Hollister, it is for preps who all want to be a-like, and Hot Topic are people who want to be unique. When you go to Hollister, everything looks the same, and it’s cheap fabric. When you go to Hot Topic you see a variety of stuff, and it’s really nice. Hot Topic’s prices are a bit extreme, but I would rather go to Hot Topic then Hollister just to get something cheaper. I
Comment by Megan — October 28, 2007 @ 4:47 am
AJ is right…last time I checked the motto was,”All about the music”.
It’s not just that anymore.
And sometimes(just like the mall I go to)the employees look at people who came in and just because they are not wearing whats “in” at the time and yet, they sell the stuff thats not “in” or cool to them and BAM, that person is looked at and treated wrong.
Comment by Miles — June 8, 2008 @ 5:21 pm