Fashion
Gretchen's Bridal Closes Without Warning, Leaving Brides in the Lurch
LaToiya Smith walked into Gretchen's Bridal in the Castleton area Wednesday morning to check on her bridesmaid dress for an October wedding, but she stopped short when she saw a sign taped to the door that read, “No Trespassing.”
Smith, who lives in Indianapolis and works near Castleton, had heard rumors of the store's closing from her best friend, who bought her wedding dress at Gretchen's with the rest of the bridal party, but the store's locked doors and dark front confirmed their fears.
“I’m stunned,” Smith said, standing outside the store at 5447 East 82nd Street. “And I lost a ton of money because I had to pay for the dress in full.”
Dozens of brides-to-be and bridal parties were left in dire straits after the boutique closed over the weekend without explanation, leaving customers without custom dresses and potentially without the ability to spend hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars.
The sign on the door said the owner had repossessed the premises and changed the locks in the process. Delivery men had been asked to drop off their packages at the alterations shop next door.
More coverage:New Burlington Store Coming to Downtown Indianapolis
A spokesman for Broadbent, which manages the Castleton Point shopping centre that houses Gretchen's, said property management had discovered the store had closed permanently.
After several unsuccessful attempts to contact the owners, Broadbent changed the locks to protect the contents still in the store, where several shelves full of dresses are visible through the windows.
“Broadbent recognizes the burden the shutdown has placed on brides and will work with them to help them find their dresses,” the statement said.
A message on the store's phone said no one was available. The store's website was also down Wednesday morning. IndyStar's attempts to reach the store's owners, Gretchen and Joe Reynolds, were unsuccessful.
For LeLe Jackson of Fishers, Gretchen offered something she couldn't find at most other brick-and-mortar stores in Indianapolis: a selection of plus-size dresses at a reasonable price.
She bought her wedding dress in March for $1,600, within her budget and a thousand dollars less than her other option at a bridal shop in Carmel.
Jackson received several texts saying her dress would be ready for pickup in early July, well ahead of her October wedding, but this week, her emails to the store started bouncing.
“I’m shocked,” Jackson said. “This is a reputable company and I’m disheartened to see so many brides going through this right now.”
More coverage:Want to see the 4th of July fireworks? Here are the places you should go in Indy
A week ago, Melissa Personette reached out to a Gretchen employee to arrange delivery of her daughter Melody’s wedding dress, which she bought in February. But on Monday, her texts and phone calls to the store went unanswered. Personette finally learned that the store had closed from a reporter from a local news station.
With Melody's wedding less than four months away, a custom dress was out of the question. So Personette found a ready-to-wear dress for her daughter at another bridal shop for a reasonable price. She disputed the $1,200 Gretchen charged for the dress with her bank, which refunded her money. But the Personettes still want to know what happened.
“We want answers. We want to know what’s going on,” Melissa Personette said. “The experience was great while we were there, and they’ve been there for so long, so why wouldn’t they just bring us the dress?”
According to an archived webpage, Gretchen's advertised its store as a bridal boutique featuring over 600 designer labels, selling bridesmaid, mother-of-the-bride and prom dresses. The brand had been in business for over 30 years. according to his profile on The Knot.
The space is owned by the Broadbent Company, according to city land records. A spokesperson for Broadbent did not immediately respond to a request for comment from IndyStar.
Other stores in the mall include Trader Joe's, Ross Dress for Less and Penzey's Spices.
Broadbent encouraged affected customers to call 317-237-2900 with proof of purchase and said management would try to reunite them with their dresses.
Alysa Guffey is responsible for the growth and development of IndyStar. Know a business that is opening or closing? Contact her at[email protected].
Sources 2/ https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/2024/07/04/gretchens-bridal-indianapolis-closes-without-warning-leaving-brides-scrambling/74289878007/ The mention sources can contact us to remove/changing this article |
What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos
to request, modification Contact us at Here or [email protected]