The future is not looking very festive for David’s Bridal, which filed Chapter 11 bankruptcy this week for the second time in five years. The 70-year-old retailer, with about 300 stores, is expected to go out of business unless it finds a buyer. David’s blames its troubles on Covid-19, but it’s also suffered from the post-pandemic trend toward smaller and more casual ceremonies. Meanwhile, stores like Anthropologie, Nordstrom, Eloquii and Reformation have jumped into the market with less expensive dresses that don’t take months to arrive. David’s stores, including the one on Rockville Pike, are expected to stay open for now. But the company says it will lay off 9,000 people by August.
