Preppy teen clothing seller Abercrombie & Fitch Co. says it closed a second store on Friday in New York due to a bed bug infestation.
The preppy teen clothing seller says it closed a Hollister store on Thursday in the SoHo neighborhood of New York. That location is expected to open at 10 a.m. on Saturday.
It closed a second location, an Abercrombie & Fitch store in the South Street Seaport, on Friday for the same reason.
Abercrombie's flagship New York store on Fifth Avenue has been tested and is not affected by bed bugs, the New Albany, Ohio, company says.
The company also pressed for New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg to help solve what it called a "growing infestation of bedbugs in New York City."
"There is a real revenue loss involved in our decision but we felt closing was in the best interest of our customers and associates," the company wrote in a letter to the mayor.
Cinex lectularius, or bedbugs, are nocturnal creatures that feed on blood. They can be found in mattresses, bed frames, carpeting, wall crevices and other dark spaces.
A spokeswoman for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, Susan Craig, said her agency had offered guidance to Abercrombie.
"The business is responding in the right way by acting proactively and addressing the problem," said Craig.
"It appears to be a localized, downtown issue," said Iska Hain, a spokeswoman for the chain in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. She said it's unlikely that the source of the bedbugs was a supplier.