Hot Topic is an American retail chain specializing in music and pop culture-related clothing and accessories, as well as licensed music. The majority of the stores are located in regional shopping malls.[4] The first Hot Topic store was opened in 1988 by Orv Madden, who retired as CEO in 2000 and was replaced by Betsy McLaughlin, who headed the company until 2011. Lisa Harper assumed the position of CEO in March 2011. The company went public and began trading on NASDAQ in 1996. In 2006, Hot Topic was placed 53rd on Fortune 500's Top Companies to Work For list.[5] In 2013, Hot Topic announced its sale to private equity firm Sycamore Partners for $600 millionpproximately 40% of Hot Topic's revenue comes from sales of licensed band t-shirts.[4] Hot Topic often negotiates exclusive licensing arrangements with musical artists, movie studios, and graphic artists. Fashion apparel for men and women is featured prominently in stores, with products from Lip Service, Morbid Threads, Rude, Social Collision, Royal Bones, and also Tripp , Disney, Sanrio, DC comics, Psychopathic Records, WWE, Social Collision, Heartcore Clothing, Iron Fist, Nintendo, Nickelodeon, web celebrities, Invader Zim, Hopeless Records, Harry Potter, Hip-Hop, and more recently, Doctor Who, Adventure Time, Regular Show, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic, Sons Of Anarchy, Resident Evil, and Domo merchandise. Some children's clothing is also available on the Hot Topic website.
