Coronavirus could impact shipping of wedding, prom dresses from overseas

Coronavirus could impact shipping of wedding, prom dresses from overseas - WJXT News4JAX

Posted: 27 Feb 2020 11:42 AM PST

Local News

Jacksonville boutique French Novelty encourages you to go ahead and start shopping now

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you're shopping for wedding or prom dresses, be aware that the coronavirus could impact shipping from overseas.

As the busy part of prom and wedding season quickly approaches, the coronavirus has caused issues for some dress retailers nationwide, including short supplies and longer wait times. But one Jacksonville boutique, French Novelty, has gotten ahead of those problems.

"Because we're a boutique, a lot of manufacturers, they don't do mass production. It's on a smaller scale. They're able to pivot move around and make changes where needed. They have a ton of in stock right now because of the Chinese New Year. They were already shut down for two weeks. They do that on a yearly basis. They plan for that. It was already in the system, so they're inventory was up," said French Novelty bridal consultant Laurie Schneider.

French Novelty said planning in advance played a big role in making sure it's fully stocked ahead of the busy dress season, especially in these circumstances. Timing, however, is of the essence.

"Parents tend to think that they have a lot of time to prom shop. I would recommend though, because of what's going on right now in the industry, to go ahead and come in. We have prepared by putting in our stock orders from all our designers. Most of our designers like Jovani and Sherri Hill have already ensured us that they have a lot of inventory right now," said French Novelty assistant buyer Neesh Jones. "So I would say don't wait too late -- go ahead and shop."

It's important to note that most regular production hasn't been affected. But many manufacturers and designers are no longer doing rush orders. Instead, they've beefed up their in-stock options.

The boutique's advice: Be careful when ordering dresses online because many of them are manufactured in China, meaning you can experience significant delays.

Another tip: If you can't purchase the exact dress you want, just go to a store, buy off the rack and get it altered.

And the boutique wants you to know that you cannot get contaminated from overseas dresses.

"Don't be afraid if you get a dress from China. There's no way that (the) virus is touching that garment. It can't survive even with expedited shipping. It can't survive the trip over, so your garments are safe," Schneider said. "We get updates about every other day. And it looks like the factories are about 90 to 100%. It may not be at full capacity, but their staff is there. They're healthy. They're working with all of our designers. That's been confirmed."

So, if you're searching for that perfect dress for that special event, plan accordingly and purchase as soon as possible to avoid stress.