Making the mall cool again
Other than teen pop acts, the only thing with a shorter shelf life is teen fashions. One retailer that has paid close attention to this market reality is Hot Topic. Led by CEO Betsy McLaughlin, the chain's 310 mall-based stores sell a variety of goth-style fashions for tweens and 20-somethings. Its formula for success? Mine the music world for new apparel trends, get them in stock as soon as possible, then dump them once you get a whiff that your competitors in the mall might copy them.
November 1, 2001
Newsletter
