Hot Topic July same-store sales fall

Same-store sales during the four weeks ended Aug. 2 fell 1.4 percent at namesake stores and dropped 5.2 percent at the City of Industry, Calif.-based company's Torrid chain.

Analysts polled by Thomson Financial, on average, expected a 1.3 percent drop.

Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, is a key measure of retailer performance, because it measures growth at existing stores rather than from newly opened ones.

Total sales rose 1 percent to $56.2 million during the month.

In a recorded sales call, the company said a lower average transaction was offset by an increase in transactions.

The best performance came in Texas and the Midwest, with the worst performance in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic region.

At the company's namesake stores, same-store sales of accessories and music--both rock-themed apparel and CDs--rose, while same-store sales of men's and women's apparel fell.

For the second-quarter ended Aug. 2, same-store sales fell 0.9 percent and total sales rose 3 percent to $166.8 million. Analysts predicted second-quarter sales of $166 million.

Year-to-date, same-store sales fell 1.9 percent and total sales rose 2 percent to $325.8 million.