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David’s Bridal Lives On

Court-approved sale to CION keeps almost 200 stores open.

Published

1 year ago

July 17, 2023

INSTORE Staff

PHOTOGRAPHY: Courtesy of David’s Bridal

David’s Bridal (Conshohocken, Pa.) has been sold to CION Investment Corp. (New York), a move that will allow the chain to keep most of its stores and employees, Women’s Wear Daily reports. The no-cash transaction was approved July 14 in a Trenton, N.J., court hearing overseen by U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Christine Gravelle.

After experiencing a falloff in business during the pandemic, David’s Bridal began shopping for a buyer in February and filed for bankruptcy in April – its second trip into Chapter 11 in five years. The alliance with CION will enable David’s Bridal to keep 195 stores open and between 7000 to 10,000 employees on the payroll, WWD reports. The sale also reportedly decreased the chain’s debt from $256.9 million to roughly $50 million.

You Wouldn’t Cut Your Own Hair. Why Run Your Own Retirement Sale?

After being in business for over a quarter of a century, Wayne Reid, owner of Wayne Jewelers in Wayne, Pennsylvania, decided it was time for a little “me time.” He says, “I’ve reached a point in my life where it’s time to slow down, enjoy a lot of things outside of the jewelry industry. It just seemed to be the right time.” He chose Wilkerson to handle his retirement sale because of their reputation and results. With financial goals exceeded, Reid says he made the right choice selecting Wilkerson to handle the sale. “They made every effort to push our jewelry to the forefront of the showcases,” he says, lauding Wilkerson for their finesse and expertise. Would he recommend them to other jewelers who want to make room for new merchandise, expand their business or like him, decide to call it a day? Absolutely he says, equating trying to do this kind of sale with cutting your own hair. “The results are going to happen but not as well as if you have a professional like Wilkerson do the job for you.”