Several wedding dress designers are warning retailers to expect delays for current and future orders due to factory closures in China related to the coronavirus, 3 On Your Side has learned.
Some designers have even stopped taking rush orders.
“They don’t all come from China, but one thing or another, it’s either the lace or the fabric or the cutting or the manufacturing all ties into that,” said Ellie Reyes, owner of Ivory Row in Phoenix. Reyes said her suppliers have not alerted her to production delays at Chinese factories, but she’s bracing for the possibility.
“It wouldn’t be good,” she said. “I’m trying to get the brides to maybe think ahead and order not too close. If normal delivery is four to six months, they should probably try to do that before, just in case.”
The problem isn’t just here in Phoenix. Stores all over the country could find themselves in a holding pattern.
In an email to retailers, one designer said new and existing orders would be delayed “by one week minimum.” Another designer wrote, “a potential backup on gowns in production may push factories to full capacity upon reopening, causing potential further delays.”
Despite the warnings, shop owners and designers remain optimistic the impacts will be minimal. “Bride orders remain our top priority,” one designer wrote to retailers in an email. “We have never missed a wedding and will continue to uphold that promise to you and our brides.”
Callie Canfield Worthington, a spokesperson for David’s Bridal, said the company is aware of industry impacts, but told 3 On Your Side the bridal chain is not anticipating any delays to customer orders due to the coronavirus.
“Our key differentiators are our robust in-store and distribution center product inventory, our continued dedication to customer service, and our proprietary supply chain,” she said. “We feel that this puts us in a much stronger position than any other bridal retailer.”
Originally published on azfamily.com.
