Hot Topic

New York City -- A sluggish economy, cool weather and high prices at the pump tempered retail sales in May, as retailers reported mixed results for the month. Retail Metrics projected an increase of 5.1% for the 25 chains tracked, which would mark the 21st straight monthly gain from September 2009.

Among the May standouts was Costco Wholesale Corp., with a 13% rise in same-store sales. Analysts were expecting an 11.2% increase. However, without gasoline sales and beneficial foreign exchange rates, Costco’s same-store sales would have been 7%.

City of Industry, Calif. -- Hot Topic reported Wednesday that its loss for the fiscal first quarter widened to $7.7 million, compared to a net loss of $1.8 million last year.

The first quarter results include $12.4 million of expenses for the implementation of the previously announced charges for strategic business changes and cost reduction plan.

Revenue dipped 0.8% to $161.3 million compared with $162.6 million for the first quarter last year. Same-store sales edged up 0.2%.

Boynton Beach, Fla. -- Indianapolis-based Simon Property Group announced that its Boynton Beach Mall property recently welcomed eight new local retailers to its tenant lineup and has also announced the South Florida debut of CCS, a national skate and extreme sports concept store from Foot Locker, to open later this year.

Additionally, several national retailers are in the process of renovating and updating existing locations at the regional shopping mall.

New York City -- Retailers reported strong April sales that were boosted by the late Easter holiday, which fell on April 24, three weeks later than last year. Same-store sales rose 8.9% at the 25 retailers tracked by Thomson Reuters, compared with expectations for an 8.2% increase. But the good news was tempered as retailers acknowledged that shoppers are under increasing pressure from rising gas prices and other cost increases.

Hot Topic has always strived to reflect the tastes, interests and attitudes of its customers and the newest evolution of its prototype is no exception. The store, in Santa Monica, Calif., and designed in collaboration with JGA, Southfield, Mich., is sleek and transparent. It mirrors the world of Hot Topic’s tech-savvy customers by seamlessly blending social and technological components into the shopping experience. The end result is a highly interactive environment; from access to online music-listening to stations where shoppers can co-create their own designs for t-shirts.