Editing Hot Topic (section)

==Product assortment and sales==
[[File:Hot Topic, Universal CityWalk Hollywood.JPG|thumb|Hot Topic at [[Universal CityWalk]] in [[Hollywood, California]], displaying the Hot Topic logo used during the peak of the company's popularity.]]

The store has gone through a number of phases in its history, reflective of various alternative culture and [[popular culture|pop culture]] (including [[geek culture]]) trends (prime examples being [[Lolita fashion|Lolita]], [[Gothic fashion|goth]], or [[cosplay]] outfits). In the early 2000s, the store was known for heavily marketing [[nu-metal]] merchandise relating to bands. During that period, the store was also known for its sales of controversial [[gel bracelets]] (often rumored to be "sex bracelets") as well as the equally controversial styles of [[phat pants]]-inspired [[bondage pants]] popular among teenagers in the late 1990s and early-to-mid 2000s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://history.hottopic.com/1995-tripp-pants-are-bigger-than-ever/|title=1995 // Tripp, Kikwear, and UFO pants are bigger than ever. - The History of Hot Topic|website=history.hottopic.com|date=January 1995|access-date=2018-02-17|archive-date=2018-02-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180218090414/http://history.hottopic.com/1995-tripp-pants-are-bigger-than-ever/|url-status=live}}</ref>

The store later focused on [[skinny jeans]] and merchandise related to [[scene (subculture)|scene]], [[emo#Fashion and subculture|emo]] and [[hardcore punk]] music and fashion, with a much larger focus on [[Goth subculture|goths]] and [[Liberty spikes|spiky]] chokers and clothing. At present, the store's selection is largely focused on licensed [[video game]] merchandise and [[internet meme]]s popular on sites such as [[Tumblr]], as well as [[anime]], [[manga]], [[Cinema of Japan|Japanese films]], and the associated [[otaku]] subculture.