Last year, sales at Hot Topics increased from Feb ‘08 to Feb ‘09 by 10.8%, while Abercrombie and Fitch dropped 30% over the same period. (Source) The success at Hot Topics is widely accepted to be due to sales of Twilight Merchandise. Quoting the NYT back in December of ‘08. “In one of the darkest holiday shopping seasons in decades, perhaps it is fitting that a retailer has been given new life by vampires.” That brings us to the new AP article in Forbes today, ” “New Moon” may help Hot Topic.”
Quoting:

The “Twilight” sequel, “New Moon,” should boost Hot Topic Inc.’s sales this fall, analysts said, but may not be as powerful a sales driver as the first movie.
The apparel based on the “Twilight” hit book and movie series about teenage vampires had helped Hot Topic post big gains in sales late last year and earlier this year while other retailers struggled.

“New Moon” merchandise will be in stores in early October, said William Blair analyst Sharon Zackfia in a note to investors. However, August sales trends are “lackluster,” she wrote, and Hot Topic is facing increasingly difficult sales comparisons from last year, especially during October, when it will release “New Moon” apparel and accessories.

B. Riley analyst Jeffrey Van Sinderen said late Wednesday that Hot Topic is improving its women’s clothing offerings and has kept inventory under control. These efforts should help it maximize the gains from the fresh traffic the “New Moon” merchandise will bring to stores, he said.

But other stores are also releasing “New Moon” product, and Van Sinderen said the company felt it would be hard to be better than flat with last year’s “Twilight” sales.
“While sales at most stores plummeted last month, the teenage retailer Hot Topic enjoyed a 6.5 percent gain, thanks mostly to brisk sales of gear inspired by Twilight, the teenage vampire movie.”

So, what do you predict for Hot Topics’ sales? How will the sales of New Moon merchandise compare to that of Twilight? Will you be buying?

Related posts:

1. Twilight Saga Sales Cool at Hot Topic
2. The Vampire Economy
3. Hot Topic Is On A Hot Streak Thanks To Twilighters
4. ‘Twilight Breaking Dawn’ will film in South America but not in 3D
5. New Moon Tonight Kicks off Walmart’s Events

My daughter and I will definitely be buying New moon merchandise