Torrid
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- For the torrid zone, see tropics.
| Torrid | |
|---|---|
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| Type | Subsidiary of Hot Topic |
| Founded | 2001 |
| Headquarters | City of Industry, California |
| Key people | Betsy McLaughlin, CEO; Chris Daniel, President |
| Industry | retail |
| Products | plus size apparel, gifts |
| Revenue | US$ 725,142,000 (FY '05) |
| Website | www.torrid.com |
Torrid is a chain store owned by Hot Topic. Torrid is one of the fastest-growing mall-based specialty retailers. They offer apparel and accessories for plus size women and teenage girls sizes 12 - 26.
Torrid began their operations in mid-April 2001, with their first store in the Brea Mall in Brea, California. Torrid currently has over 170 stores in operation across America.
The store's clothing styles are aimed at an age demographic that ranges from older teenage girls to women in their late twenties. In 2005 Torrid began featuring more mainstream clothing and took a break from its past as a "plus size Hot Topic." Torrid sells accessories, shoes, jewelry, novelty tee shirts, fashion tops, pants, capris, shorts, skirts, dresses, outerwear, intimate apparel, hosiery, gifts, and beauty products. Torrid looks to fashion icons, runway trends, music influences, and pop-culture as they relate to the Torrid girls’ various lifestyles to get inspiration for development of the product mix.
Torrid's product mix is approximately 50% Torrid private label, and 50% well-known fashion brands like Dickies Girl,Tripp, Freestyle Revolution, and Z. Cavaricci.
Torrid is located in 36 states. The vast majority of stores are in California. At present they only have stores in the United States, although they do ship worldwide on their Website. The chain's MySpace page offers up-to-date information Torrid MySpace
[edit] Models
Torrid uses both professional and amateur plus-size models in its advertising circulars and online catalog images. Beginning in 2006, Torrid hosts an annual Model Search Contest that tours several cities around the U.S. in search of new talent.
Torrid selects models that best represent their desired customer base of young, trendy full-figured women. Such women include 2007 American Idol winner Jordin Sparks, whom Torrid discovered prior to Idol during the 2006 Model Search in Arizona.
Torrid featured models include celebrities such as plus-size actress Kaycee Stroh from Disney's High School Musical, Hairspray's Nikki Blonsky, David Hasselhoff's daughter Hayley Hasselhoff, Christina Schmidt from Degrassi: The Next Generation (seasons 1-3) and singer Beth Ditto.
[edit] Torrid Editorial Coverage
Torrid clothes and accessories have been feautured in magazines such as Cosmopolitan Magazine, Glamour, Ebony, Essence, In Touch, Latina, People, Seventeen, US Weekly, and Bust.
