Hot Topic's April same-store sales fall 2.5 percent

CITY OF INDUSTRY, Calif.—Teen specialty retailer Hot Topic Inc. said Wednesday its April same-store sales fell 2.5 percent, more than analysts expected.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial predicted a same-store sales decline of 0.4 percent.

Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least one year, is an important indicator of retailer performance because it measures sales at existing stores rather than newly opened ones.

Same-store sales at the company's Torrid locations fell 0.1 percent, while same-store sales at its namesake brand locations dropped 3.2 percent.

The company's total sales for the month rose 1.4 percent to $44.8 million. Torrid sales rose 16.5 percent to $11.6 million and Hot Topic brand sales fell 2.9 percent to $33.2 million.

In the first quarter, same-store sales fell 2.8 percent companywide, while total sales rose 1.1 percent to $159 million. Same-store sales slid 2.8 percent in the quarter.

Hot Topic shares rose 9 cents to close at $4.93.