Bridal retailer Alfred Angelo abruptly closed its stores on Thursday night without notice, leaving many brides and bridesmaids without answers and dresses.
The company has more than 60 stores across the country. After news of the closings broke, brides scrambled to pick up dresses before the stores shut their doors for good at 8 p.m.
As of Friday morning, the company still had not released a statement about the closings.
Competitor David's Bridal said it would offer 30 percent discounts to brides and 20 percent discounts to bridesmaids left without dresses.
Employees at Alfred Angelo's corporate office in Delray Beach left the building en masse on Thursday, carrying boxes, plants and other personal belongings, as social media talk swirled that the bridal retailer was closing its doors.
The scene followed buzz on social media saying that the company, which was founded in 1933, is going out of business. On Twitter and online message boards, anxious brides posted queries and alerts, but few found answers.
By Thursday afternoon, there were no employees in the company's Delray corporate office on the fourth floor of a building on Congress Avenue at Linton Boulevard. Some offices still had desks and supplies and framed posters of wedding dresses hung on the walls.
An employee of another business on the first floor, which faces the main entrance to the building, described seeing a “mass exodus before lunchtime.”
“Everyone left one by one with cardboard boxes, plants,” said the employee, who asked not to be named. “One of them said it. They were all fired today … It was so bizarre.”
A company representative could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday. Employees did not answer the phone at the chain’s store in Broward County. The company’s website said there are more than 800 stores offering Alfred Angelo merchandise.
Anxious brides took to Twitter on Thursday to sound off on the status of their orders and the lack of information coming from the company. Some brides said they had already ordered and paid for dresses, but had yet to receive them.
“Any other #brides stressed about the #alfredangelo bankruptcy?? @theknot @WeddingWire @brides THIS IS SO MESSED UP,” one woman wrote.
”@AlfredAngelo Will you still be fulfilling orders that were placed months ago?” another person asked.
“One store location did answer the phone. Sales rep said "we're all basically screwed" & gave me Attorney's office to contact. #alfredangelo,” a third person said.
In a March press release, the company billed itself as "the world's leading manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer of beautifully designed wedding gowns, bridesmaids and social occasion dresses." The company was founded in 1933, according to its website.
Read more: Alfred Angelo's corporate office empty amid closure talk
This story has been updated.
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