SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — Bridal stores like "Here Comes the Bride" in Mission Valley are still hanging on after a tough two years in the pandemic.
“Before the pandemic, we could see 30 brides in one day," said Rebecca Martinez, Manager for Here Comes the Bride. "We had to bring it down to seeing ten brides in one Saturday.”
Spread out appointments, delays in shipments, and lack of materials caused a lot of problems for the industry. Some big names couldn't rise above it. David’s Bridal filed for bankruptcy last week. This is the second time the company has done so since 2018.
“I’m actually very shocked to hear that it happened again. It’s sad,” Martinez said.
The company released this 27-page notice on Friday. It outlines the details and uncertainties about what lies ahead, including a list of more than 9,000 potential layoffs.
The three locations in San Diego County and around three hundred others across the country could be shut down. If that happens, local stores expect to lose customers.
“It benefits to have them open because we’re all very close. When they go to David’s they want to go to all the other stores.”
As of now, nothing will change for brides. In a statement to 10news - a spokesperson for David’s Bridal wrote that all orders will be fulfilled, and customers won't have delays in service. Owners hope to sell the company before having to shut it down completely. David’s Bridal will have three phases of layoffs. The first phase started last week. The next one is coming up on May 13th.
