Hot Topic, Buckle Report Same-Store Sales Increases

Good news may be harder to come by these days, but it is out there.

Hot Topic Inc. reported its fiscal fourth-quarter net sales grew 7.8 percent to $238 million. Same-store sales rose 5.2 percent. The company, which operates 681 Hot Topic stores and 159 Torrid locations, sells alternative clothing and paraphernalia to teens.

Another youth retailer, Buckle Inc., which targets fashion-conscious 12-to-24-year-olds with mid- to high-priced apparel, posted a net sales growth of 22 percent to $251.4 million, as same-store sales increased 14 percent. The retailer operates 391 stores mainly in malls in 40 states.