more than 9,000 before potential company sale

David’s Bridal is laying off more than 9,000 workers, including many in the Philadelphia region, and the company may be sold.

The Conshohocken-based wedding dress chain said in a filing with the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry that it would lay off 9,236 people across the United States. A specific number for Pennsylvania was not available Friday.

“We are evaluating our strategic options and a sale process is underway. At this time, there are no updates to share,”[ads1]; spokeswoman Laura McKeever said.

Across the state, 15 locations will be affected, including six stores in the Philadelphia suburbs, the notice said. A company spokesperson did not respond to questions Friday about whether those stores would remain open. The first round of layoffs took place on Thursday, and two more phases will take place in May and June. While the exact number of employees throughout the company is unclear, it appeared to be around 11,000 in recent years.

On Wednesday afternoon, company employees received an invitation to a company-wide virtual meeting on Thursday morning and were instructed to work remotely for the day. They were told during that meeting that David’s Bridal is trying to find a buyer, but if it doesn’t find one, the other option would be to liquidate, according to two people who were present but did not want to be named because they feared leaving compromising their career prospects.

The New York Times reported last week that the company was considering filing for bankruptcy protection for the second time in five years, suggesting that sales of wedding-related merchandise have not recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic, even as people return to hosting large events events. . At the time, McKeever said the company would not comment on speculation.

David’s Bridal just emerged from Chapter 11 bankruptcy in early 2019.

The company celebrated its 70th anniversary in 2020. It has over 300 stores, most in the United States with a few in Mexico and Canada.

“As always, delivering excellent service remains our focus and we are committed to serving and delivering for our brides and clients and being a part of magical moments,” McKeever added.

Is David’s Bridal going out of business?

There are no signs that David’s Bridal is going out of business, and it is too early to say whether a corporate sale will result in store closures. When David’s Bridal filed for bankruptcy in 2018, the company said it would keep its stores open and continue serving customers. Management reported that they had done so when the company emerged from bankruptcy in 2019.