Today Heidi Prescott, writer of Market Basket for the South Bend Tribune did a write up of the Brides A La Mode wedding gown shop closing. You can see it here “Owner Sorry For Mix Up” In our opinion this doesn’t shed any more light on what is going on than the previously stated excuses. Because over on the Brides A La Mode Facebook page this was posted:
I would like to draw the attention of future brides ~ My future daughter-in-law has ordered PAID IN FULL for her wedding dress!
After the media drawing our attention to the problems at BAM she sent a few emails to Kathy Strukel (owner) ~ that went un-answered! It was only after her email stating she was going to take legal action did she receive a email telling her that her dress was in and when would be a good time for her to pick it up. She responded 4:30 tomorrow ~ Kathy sent a response Thursday 2/2/12 @ 4:30 she would be there! I left work early (WO pay) to go meet her to pick up her dress only to wait 1 hour and Kathy Strukel was a NO SHOW! What kind of businss owner is this? This should be a HAPPY and EXCITING time for a bride and groom NOT STRESSFULL!
We again would like to know the answer to two questions.
1 If an inventory or “consolidation” needs to be done then why is no one at the store? It takes people to do inventory and a daily drive by during business hours shows no one inside.
2 If a remodel is being done, then why is there no evidence of contractors working to separate the store back into two units?
Businesses are there to make money. I don’t know of any business owner that would close for reasons like this and then by appearance do nothing. It does not take long to conduct an inventory of a small wedding shop. It does not take long to separate one store front back into two. Viable businesses would be doing this work as quickly as possible and remaining open as much as possible in this situation. From postings on the WNDU website from customers who did manage to get their gowns, it appears that workers were telling people the store was closing and after there was no telling when people would then be able to pick up their merchandise.
We would recommend that anyone who is waiting to pick up merchandise, keep up the pressure. There is no reason, if what the owner is saying is true, that she can’t reopen the doors while nothing is going on in the building and give out the merchandise that is waiting there for her customers.
