Torrid

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For the torrid zone, see tropics.

Torrid

Type	Public
Founded	1988 by Orv Madden
Headquarters	City of Industry, California
Key people	Betsy McLaughlin, CEO; Chris Daniel, President
Industry	retail
Products	apparel, gifts
Revenue	US$ 725,142,000 (FY '05)
Website	www.torrid.com

Torrid is a chain store owned by Hot Topic. According to the company, their goal is to provide fashionable clothes for plus-size women and teenage girls. Torrid currently stocks sizes 12 to 26 and advertises that their clothing is not mass-produced and that they stock "hard to find" items.

Torrid began their operations in mid-April 2001, with their first store in the Brea Mall in Brea, California. Torrid currently has over 100 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. They carry clothing brands such as Paris Blues, Dickies, LEI, Z. Cavaricci, Tripp, and Hot Kiss, and other stock similar to that carried by Hot Topic, including merchandise tie-ins from Tim Burton films (Corpse Bride, The Nightmare Before Christmas, and Edward Scissorhands). Torrid also sells accessories and shoes created for women with wider feet. Starting in 2005, Torrid began featuring more mainstream clothing, a break from its past as a "plus-size Hot Topic." The company said that the shift was due to decreasing interest in punk fashions and a desire to reach customers turned off by the stores' traditionaly dark, Gothic interiors.

Torrid finds inspiration for the assortment through fashion icons, runway trends, music styles, pop culture, and a grass roots sensibility to what the trendier customer wants. The product mix is approximately 75% Torrid private label, and 25% well-known fashion brands like Dickies Girl, Paris Blues, LEI, Hot Kiss, Tripp, and Z. Cavaricci.

The assortment is offered in sizes 12 to 26, with each item put through a rigorous quality control and fit process to ensure the best product for the Torrid customer. Torrid gives the young, plus-size woman a unique opportunity to match the style, excitement and selection available at other fashion apparel retailers.

Torrid offers a discount program, known as divastyles, which, rewards customers with a 5% discount on purchases after they cumulatively spend $250 in the store.

In addition to featuring merchandise, the Torrid website offers a community area, divided into sections entitled "Interact," "Connect," and "Features." In "Interact," visitors can participate in polls and enter contests. "Connect" provides links to customer service and other plus-size service sites, a store locator, and communication methods with the Torrid company for feedback. Finally, "Features" contains articles on current fashions at Torrid and interviews with plus-size women and Torrid employees.