DBS was a house of cards....

[Toldyaso]

All I have to say SHHAME ON YOU for recommending a company that has always prided themselves on undercutting all of the legitimate brick and mortar stores over the last years. And SHAME ON THEM for being so deceitful.

There are many ways to save on your wedding -- but recommending that brides take such a risk on the most important thing that they will buy for their wedding -- THEIR BRIDAL GOWN -- that is WRONG!

I always thought it was rotten that you would recommend that brides go into stores who LEGITIMATLY carried the lines and waste their time trying on the samples that they paid lots of money for -- and then call DBS to order their gown. That just plain sucks!!

While I feel somewhat bad for the brides who are out of luck -- I also think -- what did you expect -- you were stupid enough to pay all of the money up front to a company that is not even an authorized dealer for the gown you want -- just to save a couple of bucks and in the process screw the stores that make it possible for you to even try on the gown. You deserve to pay more for your gown than you would have – if you had just ordered it legally. It is quite ironic actually!!!

I have been telling brides for years not to trust a company who says they will order a bridal for cheaper than the legitimate store. When you call the designer and they say – we have never heard of that company – that should be a red flag. DBS was a house of cards – it is no wonder that it fell.

TOLDYASO – a bridal consultant of 8 years

[kitty622]

I appreciate what you're trying to say about being ironic that all the brides are screwed by the company that undercuts their bridal stores competition. Welcome to the American economic market. I don't think now would be the time to tell the working women who are paying 100% more in healthcare costs, 70% more for housing and 70% more for groceries and just trying to save a buck that they are stupid. We feel bad enough already.

[meeshabells]

wow - you're a hostile witch, aren't you? instead of offering your assistance to those in crisis right now who just wanted to get married and actually have money left over to buy a house, you're acting like a three year old. maybe if you didn't overprice your dresses and have unreliable service and ship dates in your stores, then companies like DBS wouldn't have even come in to existence. laws of supply and demand, right? of course, you didn't put your name or the name of your business on your email, because you knew that we'd all get the word out about what a cold-hearted, money-grubbing snob you are. here are hundreds of women, myself included, trying to figure all this out without going bankrupt ourselves, and all you can do is shake your fingers in our faces and say "told you so" !!!!!!?????? maybe you should leave the bridal business and go to hell, where you belong.

[yitlan]

This "house of cards" held its own for over 20 years. And most brides looking for a consultant probably wouldn't appreciate being called stupid. Let's all try to work together here to help, not insult.

[serihn1979]

not every bride used dbs to order their gowns. i used it for my programs, invites, bridal gifts, and pretty much everything else for the wedding including the bridesmaids gowns. Why is it so horrible that brides want to save some many so like other people have stated that they can buy and house and start their new life together?!?!?!? And why do you have to be such a witch, some of these brides now have no gowns for their wedding they really don't need you remininding them and rubing it in their faces. if i were to ever find out what your companies name is i wuold recommend that no one goes there.

[Toldyaso]

I apologize if I come off witchy -- but what I say is the truth. And sometimes the truth hurts. My post was primarily directed at Denise & Alan Fields. I think is a travesty that they have lead all of you brides into this mess.

This happened a few years ago with the bridal gown order website “bridalmarketplace� – they left a TON of brides in the lurch.

Anyway many reputable designers have a disclaimer on their website saying – do not buy your gown from anyone not listed on our website as an authorized dealer – THIS IS WHY!! Hopefully this will be a warning to all of those girls out there that are thinking about ordering online or from a company that does not deal directly with the designer. DON’T DO IT!! Anyway it is your bridal gown – not your bubbles or plastic silverware. Make sure you are getting it from an authorized dealer.

Here are some examples:
http://www.2bebride.com/buyerBeware.asp?oSWF=true
http://www.alvinavalenta.com/disclaimer/index.html
http://www.demetriosbride.com/us/index.php?page=locator
http://www.jamescliffordcollection.com/buyerBeware.asp?oSWF=true
http://www.jimhjelmcouture.com/bridal/disclaimer.html
http://www.lazarobridal.com/bridal/collections/disclaimer.html
http://www.maggiesottero.com/INTERNET%20SALES.htm


And NEVER PAY ALL OF THE MONEY UP FRONT. That is the first cardinal rule of bridal gown buying. If they need all of the money up front- they are not running their business well – and are possibly on the road to chapter 7. A bridal salon should as for no more than 60% up front.

when it comes down to it -- you get what you pay for.

[ckapral]

Well I got my dress from Pearls Place at a discount (probably half of what you sell it for) and they are listed as an authorized dealer on the designers website. To top it off they were fabulous to work with and delivered my dress for half price 3 mos sooner than a bridal salon could have. So you know what I did get what I paid for a great experience.

If bridal companies like yours weren't ripping off the consumer then we wouldn't be forced to buy our dresses from online discounters. Economics says a fair price is what the market can bare and apparently the market can't bare the prices you money grubbing wedding stores are offering which is why a submarket has been created.

You sound like a bitter sad woman who apparently can't compete in the market. I am sure you have lost a lot of business already becuase of your sour puss attitude so it probably isn't necessary for us to know the name of your store.

I for one congratulate Alan and Denise Fields for bucking the trend of bankrupting brides who are at the mercy of the industry by helping them find ways to enjoy their weddings without spending a small fortune.

[disgruntled bride]

I ordered through DBS because the Jessica McClintock dress I wanted wasn't available in any stores. I found one place that would order it but wanted to charge me twice as much and if I decided I didn't like the dress I was still obligated to pay for it. I know I took my chances here. I researched the company and their reputation was outstanding and the reps were great. I ordered the dress for a reasonable cost and took a chance...okay now I'm not so happy but if I have to get another dress I didn't break my budget and I think I'll recoup my loss. DBS handled this badly and cowardly leaving their reps to handle all the disgrunteled brides when they know they were having trouble for years. Are you telling me they didn't know In June they were going to have to file and yet they didn't tell anyone...including their reps and continued to take orders!!! Lets get mad at them not the brides who hoped to save money.

[ToBeWed05]

I have read all of the threads here, and I just want MS. Shop through an Authorized Dealer to know that your stores are very over priced, and it is high-way robery what you all get away with charging. In fact some of them can be down right rude, and still want your money. It is a known fact that if you want to make money just be in the wedding and funeral market. I mean you only wed once (at least most of us try to) and you only die once. These industries take full advantage of the fact that we will not be repeat customers. When pictures cost as much as 4 grand, fowers 3 grand, and food 7-9 grand. Every bride, unless born in to the Hilton family will try and save every penny that we work hard for. I was very fortunate to have received 5 out of my seven dresses before all this mess happened. In fact even if I had not gone through DBS, I would have been screwed because DBS is also known as Martin's Bridal (a brick and mortor) here in Baltimore. They are in fact listed as an Authorized Dealer on many designer sites. And I almost ordered my dresses through their store front. My fiance was getting the tuxedos through their Tux shop. So we are still screwed in that aspect. Fortunately only one of our groomsmen paid in full, and fortunately with a credit card. I am a very intelligent person with a masters degree, but I refuse to spend all of my money on one day and give it in greedy hands. However, every woman should be able to aford the fairy tale that most of us have dreamed for, and not go into debt doing so. This is a capitalist society, so it is every man for themself. I did my research, and I thought that I was purchasing from a reputable company that had been in business for nearly 20 years. There are many brick and mortar, authorized dealers that do the same thing to brides every year. It happend last year at BridalWorld. So before you go telling people they are stupid, or should pay 200% mark up on gowns, you should put yourself in any middle class person's shoes, and think about what that person's priorities might be. And if I had to do it all over again, I think I would still go through a discounter. And Yes you sound like a winch, because if you were truly appathetic to the situation you would understand that there is a market for discounted wedding items, and that your comments only add insult to injury to brides that are already stressed by this hectic planning process in the first place.x(

[November Bride]

Well said ToBeWed05. I was going to post the exact sentiments but you beat me to the punch!! I could only imagine how these brides must feel. You & I are lucky that we were able to walk away from this sad, unfortunate event unscathed. I ordered my dress from Martins but feel guilty to say that I have received my dress.

[chantelle]

Many people think that you will get rich in the bridal business. this is FALSE. If you want to see an insane markup go to Gap, Limited, and of course ABERCROMBIE where they pay three dollars for a shirt and charge thirty.
The point that no one is seeing is this--
A discount service is fine. BUT, this one was built not upon using ones own resources but someone else's.
It used someone else's inventory, salespeople, time, location etc. Granted it lasted quite a while, but you cannot rely on other people to foot the bill for overhead.

I'll probably hear it for this , but it is the truth.

[November Bride]

Be that as it may, the point to all of this is helping out stranded Brides - NOT passing the blame to them. It's stressful & expensive enough to plan a wedding. But then to hear that the most important piece of your dream day is gone because of the unethical ways that the Owners of DBS handled the situation! How is a Bride to know how business was transacted between the Dealer, DBS, and the Manufacturer? And frankly, I think the rest of the Brides will agree with me on this one - no one gives a crap how business was handled. Come on, Bride or no Bride, who isn't trying to save a buck these days! Once again, let's get back to the point at hand. Get off your soap box and offer some solutions to help those in need. If you have no suggestions to offer but to continue with the HARRASSMENT, then stay out of this forum!

[unfortunate dealer]

toldyaso, I'm sorry that you think you know the details of the transactions with DBS. Let me inform you of some things:

DBS started as a BRIDAL SHOP CALLED MARTIN'S-which means they DID have a relationship with the manufacturers. From there, they decided to do the mail order thing. Many dealers today have store-fronts, so that is NOT true that we don't have the expense of a brick-and-mortar!

DBS booked up, not only on the customers, but on us dealers as well. We are left to help our brides try to resolve this major mess, not to mention unpaid commissions that we will probably never see. You may think that it was a stupid business venture, but it really is no different than selling Tupperware or Longenberger baskets...you make an investment, you find customers, you sell product!

DONT HATE THE DBS DEALERS...WE ARE JUST AS INNOCENT AS THE BRIDES!!!

[sad sister]

You know, it's a sad day when BRIDAL CONSULTANTS, especially one of 8 years, would be so unsympathetic to her bread and butter....BRIDES ARE HOW YOU MAKE A LIVING AND YOU ARE WAVING YOUR FINGER IN THEIR FACES!!!! What a coward...if you feel so strongly, put your name so that we can make sure you are only a bridal consultant for 8 years, not a day longer!!! TRAMP!!

[Joani]

I would like to say that I'm shocked by the posting by "Toldyaso", but as a bridal consultant myself of over 4 years, I'm really not. There are some in this business (not all) that put a smile on to get what they want but are indeed, only in it for the money. This is a cuthroat business and it's very unfortunate that she decided to post her "thoughts" on the matter. I hope you never make a bad business decision that others can rub in your face "toldyaso".

I, too, was a DBS dealer. As a bridal consultant, it's one of our first and foremost responsibilities to try to save our brides money, and DBS WAS a very reputable company. I did my research before becoming a dealer and there was no reason to believe that this would ever happen. You must be lucky enough to have brides with unlimited budgets....In the real world, most don't.

Take the advice of one of the previous posters and if all you're here to do is kick someone when they're down, maybe you should find a more productive way to spend your time....

Sincerely,

Joani Traver
Elegant Events by Joani
www.eleganteventsbyjoani.biz

[Toldyaso]

I do NOT think it is REPUTABLE to be a DBS type dealer. There are 2 things that the local DBS dealer told me, that I had a problem with, when I went to see what she was all about – because I checked it out years ago

1. “I can’t tell you to do this, but you should go down the street to the bridal salon with gowns – try on and come back and tell me what you like and I will order it for you� Basically go waist their sales peoples time and try on the samples that they paid lots of money for – and then come back and let me buy the dress so I can make a few bucks, but don’t have to put lots of effort into it.

2. “Unlike the FSBS we eliminate the middle man – you don’t have to go through a store to get a bridal gown� - lie number two. When you order directly from a bridal salon with a direct relationship with the manufacturer – it is you > the store >and the manufacturer. Manufacturers NEVER sell directly to the public. You can’t call Mori Lee up and say I want a style 1234 size 10 in white delivered to my door it DOES NOT happen. When a bride orders from DBS and similar tran shipper businesses – it is Bride> DBS Consultant> Store> Manufacturer. So not only are you NOT eliminating the Middle man – you are adding another man into the mix. I have had several girls over the years that have tried to order their gown at a greater discount from business like this – only to get the wrong dress, the wrong size or the wrong color and are told – we can’t send it back, you are stuck with it. WHY? Because they do NOT have a direct relationship with the manufacturer. This is why all of the designers warn brides against buying from “discounters� and this is why it is a parasite “house of cards� type business built on things that are not as they seem.

Here is a generalized anatomy of a bridal gown sale from a reputable FSBS (this does not include the ones that do mark up their dresses – because I know that there are some)

Manufacturer charges say $500 wholesale for a bridal gown and gives a MSRP of $1000(this is what the stores must sell for – some designers even have the stores sign an agreement to not sell below say 20% off of MSRP – $800 - our hands are tied)

FSBS charges $1000 retail or may discount to $800 or if they are having any special sales $750.

DBS consultant will charge $600 a savings of $150 over the FSBS.


The FSBS makes a total of $250 on this gown most of which will go toward making a mortgage payment, utility bills, buying all of the samples so you have something to try on, and paying a consultant to help you find a gown you can love an hourly rate – in the end making say $100

The DBS consultant pays around $550 for the gown making $50 but she has no overhead and is using the resources of the FSBS – but not paying for any of them. And the place she buys it from also makes $50.

So truly ethical bridal stores such as mine and others I am sure – we are not really making HUGE profits – but we are in business to stay in business. We are NOT gauging prices and racking brides over the coals. If you want the full service of a FSBS – it will cost more for your bridal gown. If you want to try on gowns and have people making over you and making you feel special – as EVERY bride should experience – it will cost more for your bridal gown. If you want assurance that where you are buying your gown is established and has a direct relationship with the designer so if there is any discrepancy such as wrong size, color or dress – it can be rectified immediately directly with the designer ---it will cost more for your bridal gown.

If you want a cheap gown – order it from a catalog and don’t waist the time of the people in the FSBS. That is all I am trying to say. I am not bitter sour or witchy or a tramp – (I have only had sex with one man in my life- my husband) – I am being honest. I am not trying to call you all names such as this – I understand you are distressed, I pity you – you were deceived by books like Bridal Bargains and you did not know how the bridal business works. And unfortunately you learned the hard way.

I think the real problem is not that bridal stores charge to much it is that most brides want a more expensive dress than they can afford – If you want to spend $500 – there are 1000’s of dresses out there for under $500. DON’T TRY ON $1000 GOWNS. I always ask each bride when I meet her if there is a price that she would prefer not to pass – and I STICK TO IT. I am not in business to sell you a $3000 gown if you want to stay under $1000 – you are just going to leave my store in tears because it is $2000 too much. This is my Personal philosophy. I know that there are consultants and stores out there that engage in pricing the gowns way high and have high pressure sales people that just want to make you have to serve Twinkies instead of wedding cake to afford that Vera Wang gown. But I am not that girl and I don’t work at that store. But I have the right to say that it sucks to help someone for 3 hours try on gowns and in the end, they tell you that they are ordering from DBS or some other fly by night kind of business. It just SUCKS. I know it is a free market – but at the same time there are warning signs everywhere telling brides NOT do order from companies like this – so when they go under – and they always do eventually – what can I say…


And Chantell, thanks for the Backup.

And Joanie, I am not trying to kick people when they are down, I was making a comment toward Alan & Denise Fields and DBS – because what they did SUCKS. And I stand behind the fact that DBS was NOT a reputable company, as is seen now, and was not built on truth, but smoke & mirrors


There are TONS of ways to save on a wedding because I agree as soon as you put wedding in front of photography, flowers, food…. The price goes up – and that is WRONG. I can tell you from experience though that you can save in all of these areas. I had a newly independent photographer do my pics. For $750 I got around 400-500 pics taken, 2 photographers and all my proofs printed out and on disc. For my flowers I got them from Costco and had a friend tie up the bouquets cost $300 and all of the church flowers were silk from Hobby Lobby all bought on ½ price sale. Food – instead of booking a traditional “caterer� I booked a restaurant to come out and do a pig roast and had a friend make the side items. So I ended up spending about $6-8 per person. I made my invites, they looked like I spent $10 per invite and I really spent 65 cents per invite. So it can be done – you can beat the system. BUT at the same time, I don’t recommend skimping on your bridal gown. It is the most important thing that you buy for your wedding – it is in every one of your pics – the way you feel can be influenced by what you are wearing – trust your wedding dresses to the experts. I only want to use this chance not to brow beat the brides who are skrewed – that sucks and I feel bad for you. But for future brides – don’t trust your gown purchase to anyone but authorized dealers. Call the designer of your gown and find out if the actual person/store you are buying from deals with them directly. If they don’t move on!!!

That is all I am trying to say.

[MOB120305]

Well, its clear that a crisis brings out a person's true character...

TOLDYASO's character is UGLY!

Fortunately the world has people like the Fields, certain DBS reps,
bridal salons, and manufacturers who are coming together to try to help. Even those of us not directly affected by this crisis will remember those who HELPED in this extremely distressing situation.

[toldyaso]

the truth is ugly - i am sorry to be the one to have to state the obvious. please don't shoot the messanger. Brides need to know that they should not order their gowns from companies who do not deal directly with the manufacturer. I hope at least one bride learns this from my message and is spared from all of the crap that the brides affected by this horrible situation are going through.

[JoAnne Schnepp]

Will you please STOP saying that DBS did NOT have a relationship with all the manufacturers??? It is NOT true! They had a regular storefront just like you do...Martins Bridal. And all the manufacturers knew exactly what they were doing and didn't mind collecting all the extra money that DBS brought to their table, did they????

And, as for the brides coming in and trying on dresses and then buying from somewhere else....first of all, we were very carefully educated by dBS that we were NOT to tell brides to do that at all, so if you found a dealer doing that, she was up for losing her dealership!! We were instructed to tell brides that 'when they found a gown they wanted to buy, call for a quote and I will see if I can get a discount price for it'. Many brides had already been around and tried on gowns long before they called me. Many brides never tried on, but just found one in a magazine.

And even if they did come and try on.....SO WHAT??? Do you go 'shopping' at the mall? Do you buy every single item you might 'try on'??? No...of course not. Do you sometimes just plain ole shop....and are 'just looking'??? Of course you do. What makes the bridal shop any different than the department store in that regards? Don't you know that the brides will go and try on and look at every shop in town and some that are out of town...and then compare the prices and the services before they decide which one they are going to order from? Those lookers and triers are just the cost of you doing business, as like every other store front. So don't blame all your time spent with lookers and triers on DBS dealers.

It's simply the law of supply and demand....and what the market will bear. And, I DO think the bridal business is ruthless, and that most shops and everyone else who gets to sell to a bride tries to wring out of her every last penny they can. They KNOW she is a one time customer. They don't have to worry about her coming back next month for repeat business. If you don't believe that....just go do some research on booking a hall. See the difference in price, for the same number of people if you say its for a wedding reception, versus if it's for a retirement party or a corporate affair!! It's that way all over for the poor brides if they don't know how to play the game they pay through the nose. And, yes many bridal shops join right in. And look at what's happening today with some of the manufacturers charging full retail price plus surcharges to get the gown to the poor bride so THEY make up for their losses they will have from DBS...it is rather pathetic isn't it?

I agree with everyone else, now that I have added to your education with my own perspective....lets quit doing all the bashing and try helping these poor brides and supporting all the dealers who all have their own problems as a result of having their business taken away from them.

JoAnne

[yitlan]

>Will you please STOP saying that DBS did NOT have a
>relationship with all the manufacturers??? It is NOT true!
>They had a regular storefront just like you do...Martins
>Bridal. And all the manufacturers knew exactly what they were
>doing and didn't mind collecting all the extra money that DBS
>brought to their table, did they????


This misconception, along with several other remarks by "toldyaso," makes it obvious to me and most dealers that she really doesn't know how DBS worked and ESPECIALLY how it worked for us dealers. See her message #168 where she tries to "explain" how dealers take more money from a transaction than a shop owner. I wish! Other dealers will know what I mean. Anyway, ladies, let's try to remain professional and not get taken down to an ugly level. WE know how things really work/ed and that we provided a needed service. Well spoken, JoAnne. I do know, also, that I had plenty of brides that shopped online using manufacturer websites and never stipped into a salon. I also agree that the manufacturers didn't mind all the business they got.

[silver81]

What you seem to be overlooking, Toldyaso, is that brick-and-mortar stores do the same thing.

In my area, there was a crisis last summer when a bridal shop just up and closed - dresses inside and everything - and refused to uphold its obligations. This bride was a typical FSBS, had been around for over a decade, and gave no warning whatsoever to anyone that is was closing. The few brides who did get a dress from them had to be staisfied with what was already in the store (samples and gowns that had already been delivered). The rest - at least a hundred, and that's a lot for this area - were totally screwed, with weeks or only days til their weddings. Now all they can do is sue, which is no consolation when you're left without a dress for your wedding.

This happens a lot - so don't try to shame people for ordering through DBS. This could happen to a FSBS just as easily as it did to DBS, and it *does.*

Brides just do the math: equal risk of getting screwed, plus rude bridal shop employees, times outrageous markup, equals going to DBS (or Pearl's Place, or wherever).

There is one shop around here whose business has been booming despite discounters like DBS; and they actually picked up a lot of the slack when the other shop closed. Why? Their staff members are courteous and helpful, they encourage brides to look through their selection rather than guarding it like some tulle treasure trove, negotiate on dress prices, and have reputable, professional seamstresses.

Perhaps if you took a cue from shops like that, you wouldn't be so bitter.

[silver81]

oops, I meant "this shop" was a FSBS... that's what I get for not previewing before I post.

[DressNotThatImportant]

the most
>important thing that they will buy for their wedding -- THEIR
>BRIDAL GOWN -- that is WRONG!

As a recent bride, I've got to say that you are really self-important if you think that the dress is more important than any other wedding related purchase. That is simply not true for most brides. The food/catering was far more important to me. You sell dresses. Your work is not that important.

I think that brides who choose to buy dresses through discount services are making a very good decision.

Also, having recently gone wedding gown shopping with a friend, I have to say that I'm glad I avoided the manipulative, money-grubbing, bridal shop trap that I saw in the places we went. I bought a dress from a regular store that cost less than $300 that worked out quite well.

[MOB120305]

What I objected to, was the attitude that I perceived from your emails. To me, it came across as gloating - almost gleeful that what you had supposedly been forecasting for years finally came to pass. If that’s not how you really feel, perhaps you should change your user name for something other than “Toldyaso�.

As for the message (not the messenger), there is always “some� risk with every company one deals with. Most of us try to do our best to research and make intelligent decisions. I gave my daughter a significant amount of money for her wedding budget, anything over that she had to come up with herself. I may not always agree with some of her choices, but now it’s her money to use as she sees fit - with only a couple exceptions.

Before putting down any deposits, I insisted that my daughter buy WEDDING INSURANCE. Any vendor, no matter how reputable, can go out of business, for any number of reasons. Weddings are extremely expensive. We are often dealing with vendors we will never use again. In addition, it’s such an emotional experience – which make us all the more vulnerable to abuse.

My daughter and I have had both very good and very bad experiences with Full Service Bridal Salons (I assume that’s what FSBS means?). In fact, my daughter, actually chose to PAY MORE at a FSBS, than go the discount method. Why? Because the salon OFFERED MORE. They didn’t even try to compete based solely on price. Their selection and advice was unique, it included everything to complete the look – veils, jewelry, shoes. The salon atmosphere was fabulous; their hours were great; their service and alterations were outstanding. They were friendly, professional, enthusiastic and tactfully honest. They provided a true “bridal experience� and treated her like a princess every time she went in to the store – which was several times before she made a final decision.

Now contrast this experience with another salon in town. The first weekend after the engagement, what did daughter & I do? We had the time of our lives, wedding gown shopping, of course. However one FSBS, was extremely high pressure, “you must buy today to get 20% off�, they cut the tags out of all their dresses, didn’t ask where the ceremony / reception was going to be, how formal, etc. (which at that time, we hadn't even considered). They just tried to push her into their most expensive dresses. Later I did research on that salon, they had a unsatisfactory rating with the BBB, and a horrible reputation with brides on the local message board. Even though my daughter fell in love with a dress there, I wouldn’t let her buy it from that saloon. Eventually, when we were less emotional, we realized her dream dress didn’t really fit her wedding day vision. BRIDES, NEVER BUY A WEDDING DRESS THE FIRST TIME YOU GO SHOPPING.

Shopping can be done anywhere from magazines, on the Internet, at huge bridal warehouses, Full Service Bridal Salons, or at custom dress designers. It’s a world economy, and it changes rapidly. Consumers and the market place ultimately determine who survives. For your sake, I hope you aren’t trying to compete based on price alone – because even with DBS no longer in the picture, FSBS need to offer more than just physical access to a sample gown.

[Nancy Russ]

Pearl's Place IS a FSBS and just happens to have a web site where by they discount gowns they are authorized to sell. When I was a DBS rep I had a bride that purchased her gown from them (bridesmaids from me) as she lived in New Orleans, she tried to get a discount and they would not honor the request if she did not shop from the web site.

As for money grubbing wedding stores (FSBS) they have overhead (rent, utilities, advertising, stock...) and that's how real business works...

Basically, DBS was the Sam's or Costco's of the bridal industry...they had enough buying power to sustain them for quite some time, however, the bridal business is a risky, ever changing business and it's tough to stay competitive and stay in business.

Just my two cents...