8-K

                                  UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                              WASHINGTON, DC 20549

                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


         Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported) August 6, 2003

                                 HOT TOPIC, INC.
                                 ---------------
             (Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)


         California                   0-28784                   77-0198182
         ----------                   -------                   ----------
(State or other jurisdiction   (Commission File Number)        (IRS Employer
      of incorporation)                                      Identification No.)


18305 E. San Jose Avenue, City of Industry, California             91748
- ------------------------------------------------------             -----
     (Address of principal executive offices)                    (Zip Code)



        Registrant's telephone number, including area code (626) 839-4681


           __________________________________________________________
          (Former name or former address, if changed since last report)







ITEM 12. RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION.

The information in this Current Report is being furnished and shall not be
deemed "filed" for the purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of
1934 (the "Exchange Act"), or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that
Section, nor shall it be deemed incorporated by reference in any filing under
the Securities Act of 1933 or the Exchange Act, regardless of any general
incorporation language in such filing.

Attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 is a copy of a press release that Hot Topic,
Inc. issued on August 6, 2003 reporting, among other things, its sales for the
fiscal second quarter of 2003 (quarter ended August 2, 2003).





                                    SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                           Hot Topic, Inc.


                                           /s/ James McGinty
                                           -------------------------------------
                                           James McGinty
                                           Chief Financial Officer and Secretary

                                           August 6, 2003

EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1


** NEWS RELEASE **                           Contact:

                                             Hot Topic, Inc.
                                             Mr. Jim McGinty, CFO
                                             (626) 839-4681 x2675
                                             jmcginty@hottopic.com

           HOT TOPIC, INC. REPORTS 8.7% JULY 2003 COMP SALES INCREASE

                    SECOND QUARTER COMP SALES INCREASED 5.2%

         CITY of INDUSTRY, CA, August 6, 2003 -- Hot Topic, Inc. (Nasdaq
National Market: HOTT), a mall-based specialty retailer of music-licensed and
music-influenced apparel, accessories and gift items for teens, announced net
sales for fiscal July 2003 (four weeks ended August 2, 2003) increased 28% to
$42.1 million from net sales of $32.8 million for fiscal July 2002. Same store
sales for the four weeks ended August 2, 2003 increased by 8.7% compared to the
corresponding four weeks last year. Last year, July same store sales decreased
by 2.2% compared with fiscal July 2001. Seven new Hot Topic stores were opened
in July 2003.

         Net sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2003 (13 weeks ended August
2, 2003), were $115.7 million, an increase of 25% over sales of $92.5 million
for the same period of fiscal 2002. For the second quarter of 2003 same store
sales increased 5.2% compared to the same 13 weeks of fiscal 2002. Last year,
same store sales for the second quarter of fiscal 2002 increased 0.6% compared
with the corresponding period in fiscal 2001. Twenty-three new Hot Topic and six
new Torrid stores were opened during the second quarter of fiscal 2003.

         Net sales for the first 26 weeks of fiscal 2003, ended August 2, 2003,
were $216.4 million, an increase of 26% over sales of $172.4 million for the
same period of fiscal 2002. Same store sales increased 4.0% for the first 26
weeks of fiscal 2003 compared to the corresponding period in fiscal 2002. Same
store sales for the first 26 weeks of fiscal 2002 increased by 0.1% compared
with the corresponding period in fiscal 2001.

         Betsy McLaughlin, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, "Sales
throughout July exceeded our plan, with positive comps in each of the four major
product classifications. We are very pleased with early back-to-school
indications and believe we are well positioned going into the key August selling
period."

         "As a result of the July sales performance, we expect to report fiscal
second quarter earnings of approximately $0.17 per diluted share, up from our
guidance at the beginning of the quarter of $0.16 per diluted share", added
McLaughlin.




         For more detailed information on July sales results, please call (626)
771-0006 to listen to a recorded commentary.

         Hot Topic, Inc. is a national mall-based specialty retailer of
music-licensed and music-influenced apparel, accessories and gift items for
young men and women principally between the ages of 12 and 22. Torrid, the
Company's second concept, is a mall-based specialty retailer of plus-size
fashion-forward apparel and accessories that targets young women principally
between the ages of 15 and 29. The Company currently operates 457 Hot Topic
stores in 49 states and Puerto Rico, 40 Torrid stores and Internet stores
www.hottopic.com and www.torrid.com.

         Except for the historical information contained herein, this news
release contains forward-looking statements, including statements relating to
financial results, projections and other financial performance, and managing
growth. These statements involve risks and uncertainties, including risks and
uncertainties associated with meeting expected financial results, management of
growth, relationships with mall developers and operators, the risk that
available cash or mall space will not be adequate for planned expansion,
fluctuations in sales and comparable store sales results, risks and
uncertainties with respect to new store openings including risks associated with
the Company's new store concepts and Internet stores, music and fashion trends,
competition from other retailers, uncertainties generally associated with
specialty retailing, the effect of economic conditions, the effect of severe
weather or natural disasters, political and/or social changes or events that
could negatively impact shopping patterns and/or mall traffic as well as other
risks detailed from time to time in the Company's SEC reports, including its
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended May 3, 2003 and its Annual
Report on Form 10-K for the year ended February 1, 2003. The historical results
achieved are not necessarily indicative of the future prospects of the Company.