Bridal Shop Business Plan

Bride’s Entourage will carry mother-of-the-bride, mother-of-the-groom, bridesmaid, and flower girl attire. In addition, we will carry bridal footwear and bridal accessories such as veils, headpieces, and jewelry. We will aim to provide products in a wide variety of styles and price-ranges that are of good quality and from reputable designers.

The dresses will be sold primarily on a made-to-order basis. We will keep a sample dress of each style in the store for customers to try on, and once they decide on a style, we will then order it in their size and in the color of their choosing. If, however, a customer is pleased with the floor sample, they will have the option to purchase that item. 

When a dress is being made-to-order, a fifty percent, non-refundable deposit will be required. Once the dress arrives, the deposit will be applied toward the balance. Full payment will be due before the customer can take the dress from the store. Veils and headpieces will be sold in the same manner as the dresses. Shoes and jewelry will primarily be sold off the floor.

Bridal inventory is typically purchased in two seasons: fall and spring. The fall buying season is typically for items that will be displayed in the winter and spring, which will then be worn in the spring and summer. The spring buying season is typically for items that will be displayed in the summer and fall, which will then be worn in the fall and winter.

Most designers set “minimums,” which means that they require the purchase of a certain number of sample dresses in any given season. Some designers require that all samples be purchased at once, while other designers allow the purchase of samples to be staggered throughout the season. The buying pattern for Bride’s Entourage will be a function of designer requirements as well as customer demand for new products.

Bride’s Entourage will track the “success rate” (the number of times a particular dress is purchased), and if a dress is selling poorly, it will be discounted, sold off the rack, and replaced with a new inventory item.