Bridal Retailers Share their Views in Anonymous Survey Conducted by Bridal-Times.com
The pandemic has changed the way we live our lives, and above all else, has changed the way we do business. It’s clear to say that the last months have been very difficult, and that is why we wanted to hear directly from bridal retailers on how the pandemic has affected their businesses and hear their individual opinions on ways to move forward.
Bridal Times conducted an independent anonymous survey on issues we felt are affecting bridal retailers in the Spring of 2021 and into the coming season.
We are so honored that 92 German bridal shop owners took the time to respond to our 8-question survey in February 2021. The results are as follows:
Bridal Business- 91 Answered/1 Skipped
How badly has the 2nd Lockdown affected your bridal shop?
39.56% / 36 out of 91 – It’s not good, but we will make it.
32.97% / 30 out of 91 – Very badly, we have received no governmental assistance.
21.98% / 20 out of 91- It’s not good, but we already received governmental assistance.
5.49% / 5 out of 91-Very badly, we may have to close.
The Brides – 92 Answered
Have many 2021 brides postponed or cancelled their weddings during the second lockdown?
41.30% / 38 out of 92- Yes, many have cancelled for year 2021. Therefore, their appointment with us is cancelled.
40.22% / 37 out of 92- Yes, many have postponed for later in the year.
14.13% / 13 out of 92- No, my appointment books are full for when lockdown is lifted, regardless of when the wedding is.
4.35% / 4 out of 92- If postponed, when (…) Participants responded with Winter 2021, Year 2022, and 2 with no official wedding date set.
The Dress- 91 Answered/1 Skipped
During the pandemic, have you seen a change in the choice of wedding gowns?
59.34% / 54 out of 91- Yes, brides want more of a simpler “civil wedding” look.
28.57%/ 26 out of 91 -No, no drastic change in choice.
6.59% / 6 out of 91 -Other (Participants reponded with lower priced wedding gowns, and sustainable)
5,49% / 5 out of 91- Yes, I have more brides requesting maternity gowns.
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2021 Spring Order Season- 91 Answered/1 Skipped
Do you plan on ordering the new collections of 2022?
48.35 % / 44 out of 91– No, my inventory is full due to lockdowns.
25.27 % / 23 out of 91- Yes, I want to re-stock on latest collections/bestsellers from my supplier.
17.58 % / 16 out of 91– No, there is no budget due to lockdowns.
8.79 % / 8 out of 91– Yes, I want to find new suppliers and stock new brands.
While this result may not look very optimistic for suppliers, a survey conducted by bridal expert Anja Grosche of Bridal Business Coaching per social media this month, revealed a trend of towards retailers ordering less this year compared to previous years, at lower pricing and with faster delivery rates. Retailers realize the importance of stocking the latest collections in their bridal shops and many are still keen on seeing the latest bridal collections.
If so, what is the ideal way for you to buy your latest collections? 84 Answered/8 Skipped
39.29% / 33 out of 84– Exhibitions, if they happen
25.00% / 21 out of 84– Online/Digital Showrooms
22.62% / 19 out of 84- Private showrooms hosted by supplier
13.10% / 11 out of 84– Through Sales Reps visiting my location
If the Spring Order season isn’t possible due to lockdowns and financial reasons, when would be a good time for you to buy? – 81 Answered/ 10 Skipped
Out of 78 written responses, the answers ranged from the Summer months of 2021 well into the Fall/Winter of 2021. Due to the lockdowns, many felt this was a difficult question to answer but some retailers pointed out the advantage of suppliers offering Spring/Summer and Winter/Fall collections to choose from.
Bridal Retailer Satisfaction
How satisfied have you been with the support offered by bridal suppliers during the crises? 92 Answered
43.48% / 40 out of 92- Very Satisfied
40.22% / 37 out of 92– Somewhat Satisfied
16.30% / 15 out of 92– Not very satisfied
How do you think suppliers can better support retailers during this difficult time? 79 Answered/13 Skipped
We received a total of 79 individual responses and below are the TOP 3 suggestioned by bridal retailers on how suppliers can support retailers during these difficult times.
1st Top Response
20% of retailers responded they would like to extend the terms of payment such as payment in rates, or flexible payment options without added pressure from suppliers.
2nd Top Response
15% of retailers commented they would like to see a reduction or complete elimination of minimums, allowing for individual orders.
3rd Top Response –
10% Retailers commented they would like to have shorter and faster delivery times, express delivery or ready-to-order bridal gowns.
Addtional Responses and Suggestions
Several bridal retailers have also commented that they overwhelmed by new incoming collections while trying to sell off their current stock. Some would also like to see a reduction of pricing, commission pieces, further discounts, and readily-available sample gowns with free delivery.
While some suppliers have already implemented new strategies to better support retailers, adjusting business operations has proved to be one of the many challenges many companies face.
But one business quality characteristic that we have seen time and again, which remains key amongst bridal retailers is – Communication. Retailers who were overall satisfied with their business relationship with suppliers, mentioned the words, “Good Communication” in their responses.
As we all know, strong business relationships can’t flourish or function with without this. And without “Communication”, #StrongerTogether has no meaning.
On the behalf of Bridal Times, we would like to thank everyone who took the time to fill out our survey.
For further details on the survey, please contact info@bridal-times.com
*This survey was conducted anonymously and independently by Bridal Times. Participants and businesses of the survey will not be published nor passed on to other parties. The survey results reflect the direct feedback and comments of the participants only, and not that of Bridal Times.com.