Leading bridal retailer to close a store on June 27, with more to come.
Despite selling one out of every three wedding dresses in the United States and a booming wedding industry, bridal retailer David's Bridal will be closing all of its stores in Iowa and laying off staff.
David's Bridal operates 298 stores in 49 states, Canada, and the United Kingdom. There are four stores in Iowa. David's has operated for over 72 years but has struggled to compete with online retailers. Despite last year being a big year for weddings in the United States, "nearly 2.5 million weddings were held — the most in four decades," people have been cutting back on costs as inflation hits.
A Workforce Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act (WARN) notice filed in Iowa on April 14 stated 26 employees would be laid off in Marion, 17 in Sioux City, 22 in Davenport, and 29 in Clive.
While a closing date for the four Iowa stores has yet to be officially confirmed, according to a report in the Gazette, a store employee has advised the David’s Bridal store in Marion is scheduled to close on June 27.
If a buyer isn’t found soon, David's Bridal will likely wind down operations of all stores nationwide by the end of July.
David's Bridal stores in Iowa
- 10201 University Avenue, Westridge Shopping Center, Clive, IA 50325
- 1402 Twixt Town Rd, Collins Road Square, Marion, IA 52302
- 5252 Elmore Ave, Suite A, Davenport, IA, 52807
- Lakeport Commons, 5001 Sergeant Rd, Suite 330, Sioux City, IA, 51106
Retail apocalypse
Across the nation, retail stores are closing, and there are predictions over 50,000 will close by 2028.
Over the last two months, Bed Bath & Beyond, Party City, and Tuesday Morning have filed for bankruptcy, while major chains such as Walmart and Target are closing stores.
Your thoughts
Will David's Bridal store closure and staff layoffs affect you? Do you believe the government should offer these businesses more financial support? Are you concerned about those people who will lose their jobs? Do you fear we could be heading toward a recession?
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