Brides planning a wedding in the upcoming months might be in for a rude surprise. With the current coronavirus outbreak, wedding dresses might be in short supply.
As the leading supplier of wedding dresses, China is in high demand come wedding season. According to the American Bridal and Prom Industry Association, 80% of the world’s western-style gowns are produced there. However, with the coronavirus outbreak, many factories have temporarily closed their doors to help curb the spread of the disease. Some factories are slowly reopening, but the loss in work has created a production delay which will slow-down the already intricate, time-consuming process of making a wedding dress. As a result, some brides might be without their dream dress come wedding day.
James Marcum, CEO of the largest seller of wedding gowns in the United States, David’s Bridal, told CNN that the situation in China will cause most likely cause a great disruption to wedding dresses as well as bridesmaid dresses.
“We’re already hearing that some wholesalers are informing their buyers about shipment delays because of the virus,” Marcum told CNN. “We don’t have full visibility as yet to the extent of those delays.”
Other companies like Mon Cheri Bridals are stockpiling wedding dresses and prom gowns in the case of a shortage come the American wedding season that typically falls between June-September.
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