Dive Brief:
- David’s Bridal on Tuesday announced that it has acquired the assets of custom wedding dress company Anomalie, according to a company press release.
- Leslie Voorhees Means, co-founder and CEO of Anomalie, will join David’s Bridal to “lead the implementation of new strategic initiatives,” as part of the deal. The terms of the acquisition were not released.
- Anomalie, which launched in 2017, will no longer operate as a standalone company, but instead its assets, team and tech will be incorporated into David's Bridal digital offerings.
Dive Insight:
David’s Bridal acquired a startup that creates customized wedding gowns. However, under David’s Bridal, Anomalie will no longer create those custom dresses.
Instead, the acquisition was done for the startup’s ability to create digital products.
“David’s Bridal shares Anomalie’s mission of providing a personalized experience for every bride and has been a leader in this area,” Jim Marcum, CEO of David’s Bridal, said in comments sent to Retail Dive. “We are acquiring Anomalie's team and tech assets for their demonstrated ability to create digital products that delight millions of women. We are excited to integrate this expertise into David’s Bridal to build great experiences for brides.”
The company did not further expound upon what products or services will be offered as a result of the acquisition, but did say Voorhees Means will "build tools that fulfill the mission of helping brides throughout every step of the wedding journey."
"When it comes to finding her dream dress, our brides told us loud and clear that they are seeking inspiration online but still want the certainty of an in-store experience to finalize such an important purchase,” Kelly Cook, chief marketing and IT officer of David's Bridal, said in a statement. “As the needs of the brides evolve, so do we."
As a startup, Anomalie helped brides build a custom dress by partnering them with a stylist to produce a dress concept. Appointments included a custom sketch, fabric swatches and the ability to contact the stylist with questions. Shoppers would then work with a stylist and utilize an online platform to adjust the design, and would be sent a custom shell so the company could finalize any questions of fit. Dress creation usually took between two to four months, and cost from $1,399 to over $3,000, with most coming in “under $2,000.”
Anomalie will deliver on all existing orders.
David’s Bridal has been increasing its tech options and services for the past few years, accelerating efforts when the pandemic forced wedding retailers to rethink operations in a high-touch industry. The company has since introduced augmented reality and 3D dress shopping, virtual appointments, a bridal planning app and a 24-hour YouTube Live channel.
