Abercrombie is running late to the altar

Abercrombie & Fitch Co. has arrived late to the bridal party. The casual fashion retailer announced it’s dipping its toes into the wedding business with a new collection of more than 100 pieces for brides, bridesmaids and guests that range from $80 to $180. There are options that can be worn for all the union festivities, from the bridal shower to the honeymoon. 

At first glance, Abercrombie and bridal wear seems like a match made in heaven. The retailer is finally seeing the payoff from its several-years-long turnaround strategy to bring the fading brand into a new era of fashion. It’s learned how valuable it is to grow up with its consumers through new phases of life. A bridal collection is the final touch to the company’s portfolio aimed at dressing people in their twenties through forties for whatever they might do over a “long weekend.”

Despite its renewed strength, the success of the company’s new line won’t be a smooth walk down the aisle. The collection comes years after its competitors began to stake out their own corners of the bridal market. 

Abercrombie will have to apply some of its turnaround rigor to differentiate its bridal line from the rest of the pack. 

A shift in wedding trends — such as couples paying for their nuptials themselves instead of their parents – and the decline of cheap chic destination David’s Bridal cracked open the window for newcomers to lure away shoppers. In the 2010s, some of the country’s top retail businesses — from Urban Outfitters Inc.’s Anthropologie in 2011 to UK-based online fast fashion company ASOS in 2015 — entered the picture. Even Amazon.com Inc. offers wedding gowns.

All of this is happening as the overall number of weddings decreases. Marriages have been on a steady decline since the 1980s, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It’s becoming more common for people to be in long-term partnerships without ever “making things official.” While weddings have become multi-event affairs (some include spa days, wine tours or bowling nights), that still leaves fewer opportunities to get your clothes on a bride.

At Abercrombie’s price point, the bridal market is teeming with options. What’s more, is that the casual bridal looks it’s selling are along the same lines as what is available at other companies. For instance, Lulu’s Fashion Lounge Holdings Inc. has a range of jumpsuits from $45 to $80 that are similar in style to Abercrombie’s $130 bridal jumpsuit. Its $140 strapless slip gown is similar to what you can find on Amazon for about $46. 

Abercrombie will have to differentiate itself in design and quality to win sales from increasingly indecisive brides with a range of options in front of them. Investing in unique fashions is one strategy, but it could be costly. J.Crew, known as one of the first non-bridal retailers to step into the space, learned that when it discontinued its bridal line in 2016 after 12 years in business. It reportedly became financially inefficient to produce pieces that required materials such as silk, beads and tulle.

However, brides who are not looking for all those expensive details are a big business. While the market is saturated with affordable options, budget-conscious shoppers who are not willing to spend several thousand to say “yes to the dress” might spend a little more than $80 to $180 for a unique feature or perfect fit. In about 20% of weddings, brides wore dresses that were between $250 and $500, and almost 30% spent $501 to $1,000, according to figures from the Wedding Report. That suggests the market for affordable dresses may still be big enough for Abercrombie to carve out a niche. 

Hopefully, Abercrombie’s new bridal line is just a starting point. It has the ability to apply its expertise in turnarounds to elevate this new venture. Under current Chief Executive Officer Fran Horowitz, Abercrombie has overhauled itself from top to bottom. It went from an elitist mall store brand to a casual fashion brand popular with both millennials and Gen Z. The company specifically invested in elevating its quality of goods to justify its price by improving stitching on its shirts or adding zippers to its fleece jackets, for example. Applying that sensibility to its bridal line will help it stand out.

But until then, it’s looking like it’s destined to always be the bridesmaid (or guest) and never the bride.