Adult entertainment store Hubba Hubba will close its doors Nov. 24, owner M.J. Pullins announced Tuesday. The store opened in 1979. After the Good Vibrations branch in Harvard Square closed last fall, Hubba Hubba was the only dedicated store for sex-positive products left in Cambridge. Good Vibrations has since re-opened its store in Harvard Square.
The announcement came after six weeks of a GoFundMe campaign launched initially to keep the store afloat. Pullins aimed to raise funds for emergency repairs to mitigate water damage, to pay overdue rent for August and September, and other expenses. The GoFundMe raised more than $10,000, and while that “seemed like an immense sum,” Pullins told Cambridge Day, it only “put a dent” in the rent bill, since the store’s monthly rent was $8,000.
At the advice of her lawyer and accountant, Pullins decided eventually to close the store. In a GoFundMe update on Oct. 28, she wrote that “The hill is just too big to climb, and that is okay.”
Any donations made after that announcement will be directed toward supporting her two full-time and one part-time staff members “as they face an unprecedented job market and economy,” she said.
Hubba Hubba had faced a number of challenges since the start of Covid, Pullins said, including a lack of nearby parking for customers and recurring street closings due to water pipe replacements, gas line replacements and various construction work on neighboring properties.
While not fully responsible, the city and its policies had a role to play, she said, and communication was a big part of the problem. Pullins said she was “never notified of [street] closures.” She remembered an incident with what she called “a backhoe digging directly in front of the store on Valentine’s Day a couple of years ago.”
Those street closings affected the store’s ability to receive deliveries, bring in products from its off-site storage and have customers visit from out of town.
The store’s building had ongoing issues, especially after a pipe replacement project raised the water table, Pullins said. “Now the water seeps through our below-grade walls and so our space is damp and moldy,” she said.
Another factor was the impact of Trump administration’s policies, Pullins said. “The devastating cuts to research have affected everyone in the Cambridge area,” she said, “and across the board, people are watching their spending. I watch customers in the store shop and mutter ‘I can get this cheaper online.’”
Pullins believes the only retail businesses in the area that are thriving are those that cater to wealthy customers. “Those of us that serve more economically challenged individuals and disenfranchised communities are going through really tough times,” she said.
Through its closing Nov. 24, the store will liquidate its inventory with a 10 percent-off sale on all items.
Pullins hopes to open an online version of the store. Shutting the doors at Hubba Hubba might make room “to let the next generation come in,” she said.
She said she hopes “that people have seen what is possible, that they have learned from our mistakes and that they will come back with new ideas, new energy and a fresh spirit to fill the void. Our community is resilient, resourceful, and supported,” she said, “especially by me if you need it!”
This story was updated to note the number of store staff. This story also corrected a statement that Good Vibrations had permanently closed its Harvard Square location.
A stronger
Please consider making a financial contribution to maintain, expand and improve Cambridge Day.
We are now a 501(c)3 nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible.
Please consider a recurring contribution.
Street closures’ is a nice way to put it, but let’s call a spade a spade. The problem isn’t temporary construction it’s that all the parking on Mass Ave was stripped away for the bike and bus lanes. Many of the businesses on Hubba Hubba’s block are dealing with the same issue. It’s the bike lanes that are making it impossible for stores to receive deliveries, bring in products from off-site storage, and for out-of-town customers to visit.
I have made purchases from Hubba Hubba perhaps a half dozen times, and I’m sad to see them close! Their staff is kind and helpful. That stretch of town doesn’t get a ton of foot traffic. I don’t remember there being a ton of parking nearby even before the bicycle lanes (I’ve only ever arrived there on foot or by bicycle). It’s too bad that the landlord couldn’t be more helpful with rent; the large storefront in front of Hubba Hubba has been empty for more than three years now. It’s hard to imagine any retail business moving into the Hubba Hubba space for $8000/mo.