As if Soho's much-maligned Hollister store didn't have enough criticism to deal with, now reports are swirling that the four-story space is closed due to a bedbug infestation.
It was the Wall Street Journal that blamed the debilitating critters' for the closure, but the shirtless surfer dudes remain stationed at the front door and will only say that the store is closed and will "reopen soon." Given the process to eradicate the bugs completely, Hollister's 40,000-square-foot space filled with clothes (bedbugs' favorite food), that seems like an ambitious goal.
On top of that, anyone who has purchased something from the store recently might have brought the problem home with them - something the Journal also says may pose legal problems for the store.
It makes our skin crawl just writing this, but it should be noted that bedbugs don't come as a result of uncleanliness, nor do they carry disease. That said, we're still going to keep our usual distance from Hollister.