Who else thinks hot topic has strayed from its goals?

Is it just me, or has Hot Topic completely lost sight of it's business goal.' It's all about the music' I shudder everytime I go in there.

Hot Topic's goal is to make money by exploiting anything and everything. From The Nightmare Before Christmas alarm clock to the Invader ZIM steering wheel cover. Also, the new Pucifer album sucked.

Yes, we would all marry a store that has it's business base in Invader ZIM steering wheel covers.

I think Hot Topic's goals are to make money.

When FYE, Best Buy and WalMart etc wouldn't carry the new Pucifer album... Hot Topic did.

True, the clothes is cool everything else is rather questionable.

Goths had to be more creative back in the day. We had to go to thrift stores and/or make our own clothes. I still do. : )
Hot Topic open it's first store in Montclair, CA. when I was in high school and it was waaay more goth back then! It was kinda cool seeing stuff we liked in the mall of all places! It sucks now as you might have knowtased but there was a time when it was kinda cool.

I think Hot topic is kinda contradictory. It takes the mainstream-hating goth culture and sticks in the middle of a surburban shopping mall, probably next to a supre or other prep shop.

Hot Topic includes girly items now, made to look different, but the fact that every one wears them now, makes them exactly the same. I agree with 'Iamcool' , you walk in a mall and there's A & F, AE, Starbucks,and Hot Topic all in the same floor. Hot Topic is no longer a Gothic refuge, but a 'neat' little store.
For instance, I was shopping with my friend Candi, and she's directing us to Hot Topic, so I'm like,
'Wait a minute. YOU shop at HOT TOPIC?'
and she's like, 'Yeah! Of course, man! They have super cute jewelry!'

Yeah. That's Correct. She said Hot Topic is SUPER - CUTE. I rest my case entirely.

It's was originally a Punk & Industrial store, but times have changed. It still kind of is, but I'ld say it mostly gone down hill to the emos. But hey, not like I really shop there any ways. It's mostly for the mall Goth's, Emo's, & Metal heads(nothing wrong with metal head, I kinda am a bit of one myself). I mostly just go to the flea market of second hand store(along with a few other places) to shop for my clothes & accesories. You'ld be amazed what you can find at the second hand store, & heck, the flea markets have everything so you're labile to find something there.