| 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.
They would love to tell you it was a huge success, with hundreds of teens clawing their way into the store, but that is not the true story. Sales were disappointing at first. Some days they barely made a hundred bucks. Was founder Orv Madden`s vision doomed? It was time to take a step back and re-evaluate. First, their location in the mall wasn`t the best. How the heck could they sell anything if nobody could find them? Then they looked at what was selling-costume jewelry. They 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 their Westminster customers gave them a reality check, they packed their bags, moved to Montclair, California and rocked their mall with the first Hot Topic store to carry all music-influenced accessories for teens. |
