We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (2024)

Table of Contents
The name "Dressbarn" is already painfully reminiscent of a time when barns were a bigger part of the American cultural consciousness. It has aged about as well as hoedowns and black-and-white TV. The word "barn" evokes cavernous spaces filled with hay, cows, and cow pies — more giddy-up than glow-up. Speaking of cavernous spaces, Dressbarn's display windows had already started to empty out by the time I arrived on Tuesday. But for some reason, there was still a hiring ad on the front door. Happiness may have worked here once, but it will soon be in the same boat as the rest of Dressbarn's employees. Inspiration, thy name is not the display mannequins at Dressbarn. However, the store was still well organized and fully stocked, for the most part. Black slacks as a work uniform may still be standard in some contexts, but they are definitely not as ubiquitous as they were 10 years ago. There were a lot of floral options here. I get that it's nearly summer, but these dresses felt as if they were recycling the same ideas. However, this section was very well put-together. The racks were neat too. These tops were 50% off, but their saccharine floral patterns were nearly indistinguishable from one another. With little to offer other than its signing bonus of 15% off, Dressbarn's credit card didn't provide much of an impetus for joining. Here were two more layers of discounts. And here was yet another loyalty program. How many calculations do you have to do at Dressbarn to figure out how much you're actually spending? But wait! There's more! Are DB Perks different from DB Dollars? And how does the credit card play into this? Finally, some shoes to take my mind off the infinite mysteries of Dressbarn's pricing strategy. They were nice shoes too. These were the first empty-ish shelves I saw in the store — harbingers of the inventory's liquidation. I encountered even emptier shelves on the other side of the store — also stocked with shoes, but in a different layout. Why weren't all the shoes in one place? There was a vacuum-cleaner-like steamer by a mirror. Even with all the deals, the store was mostly empty of shoppers. While I was there, employees spent most of their time idly rearranging racks, which is probably why they looked so meticulously organized. The accessory stands by the checkout counter were already starting to look a little lean. The dressing rooms were empty, as was the rack for unwanted clothing. There was a handy-dandy shapewear rack in the dressing-room area. Like its name, Dressbarn's products lag years behind current trends. Its convoluted discount and loyalty system is an ill match for today's Instagram-fueled shopping culture that rewards trendy, simply priced products. Dressbarn may have begun a women's officewear revolution in the '60s, but its time seems to have passed. FAQs

Home Retail

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (1)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (2)

Top editors give you the stories you want — delivered right to your inbox each weekday.

Thanks for signing up!

Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go.

Dressbarn's parent company, Ascena, announced on Monday that it would close all 650 Dressbarn retail locations.

Founded in 1962 by Roslyn Jaffe to accommodate the fashion needs of an increasing number of working women, Dressbarn has been hemorrhaging money since 2014.

We visited a Dressbarn store in New York's Financial District to see why Dressbarn fell behind its competitors:

The name "Dressbarn" is already painfully reminiscent of a time when barns were a bigger part of the American cultural consciousness. It has aged about as well as hoedowns and black-and-white TV. The word "barn" evokes cavernous spaces filled with hay, cows, and cow pies — more giddy-up than glow-up.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (3)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Speaking of cavernous spaces, Dressbarn's display windows had already started to empty out by the time I arrived on Tuesday.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (4)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

But for some reason, there was still a hiring ad on the front door. Happiness may have worked here once, but it will soon be in the same boat as the rest of Dressbarn's employees.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (5)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Inspiration, thy name is not the display mannequins at Dressbarn. However, the store was still well organized and fully stocked, for the most part.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (6)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Black slacks as a work uniform may still be standard in some contexts, but they are definitely not as ubiquitous as they were 10 years ago.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (7)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

There were a lot of floral options here. I get that it's nearly summer, but these dresses felt as if they were recycling the same ideas. However, this section was very well put-together. The racks were neat too.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (8)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

These tops were 50% off, but their saccharine floral patterns were nearly indistinguishable from one another.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (9)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

With little to offer other than its signing bonus of 15% off, Dressbarn's credit card didn't provide much of an impetus for joining.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (10)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Here were two more layers of discounts.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (11)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

And here was yet another loyalty program. How many calculations do you have to do at Dressbarn to figure out how much you're actually spending?

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (12)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

But wait! There's more! Are DB Perks different from DB Dollars? And how does the credit card play into this?

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (13)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Finally, some shoes to take my mind off the infinite mysteries of Dressbarn's pricing strategy. They were nice shoes too. These were the first empty-ish shelves I saw in the store — harbingers of the inventory's liquidation.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (14)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

I encountered even emptier shelves on the other side of the store — also stocked with shoes, but in a different layout. Why weren't all the shoes in one place?

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (15)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

There was a vacuum-cleaner-like steamer by a mirror.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (16)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Even with all the deals, the store was mostly empty of shoppers. While I was there, employees spent most of their time idly rearranging racks, which is probably why they looked so meticulously organized. The accessory stands by the checkout counter were already starting to look a little lean.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (17)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

The dressing rooms were empty, as was the rack for unwanted clothing.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (18)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

There was a handy-dandy shapewear rack in the dressing-room area.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (19)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Like its name, Dressbarn's products lag years behind current trends. Its convoluted discount and loyalty system is an ill match for today's Instagram-fueled shopping culture that rewards trendy, simply priced products. Dressbarn may have begun a women's officewear revolution in the '60s, but its time seems to have passed.

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (20)

Irene Jiang / Business Insider

Read next

Features Ascena Retail Ascena

More...

We went shopping at Dressbarn the day after it announced all its stores would close and saw why it's fallen behind (2024)

FAQs

What is happening to Dressbarn? ›

Muto said the company will eventually close all its roughly 650 Dressbarn stores, but that they remain open for now. Ascena indicated the winddown would not affect its other brands — which include Ann Taylor and Loft.

Why is Dressbarn going out of business? ›

Ascena Retail Group said Monday it's winding down its Dressbarn business and plans to shut all 650 or so of the women's clothing stores in order to focus on its more profitable brands. Ascena, which also owns apparel chains Ann Taylor and Loft, said the decision wasn't an easy one.

When did Dressbarn go out of business? ›

Dressbarn.com (branded as dressbarn) is an online retailer owned by Retail Ecommerce Ventures. Its predecessor is the former chain of women's clothing stores owned by Ascena, which operated as Dressbarn from 1962 until 2019. Since 2020, it is owned by Miami, Florida-based Retail Ecommerce Ventures.

Does Dressbarn have physical locations? ›

Dressbarn, a women's clothing and accessory retailer that has been winding down its physical retail locations, and its new owners plan to relaunch the brand as ecommerce site early next year.

Did Dressbarn close all its stores? ›

REV acquired the Dressbarn name and intellectual property rights, after Dressbarn's parent, Ascena Retail Group, announced in May, 2019 that it was giving up on the money-losing chain, and closing all 650 Dressbarn stores.

Why are clothes out of stock everywhere? ›

According to Kerry Byrne, CEO of freight broker Total Quality Logistics, it's all because of pent-up demand after the pandemic, combined with supply chain breakdowns. "What we are seeing is a disruption in the supply chain that happens sometimes when there is a limited capacity," Byrne said.

Can you order from Dressbarn online? ›

All items available for sale on the dressbarn.com website are expected to be in stock and available for shipment. Orders begin the shipping process as soon as your online purchase is complete. Items are shipped once they are located in stock, your payment is approved, and the receiving address is verified.

Who were Dressbarn competitors? ›

Dress Barn's competitors include Boohoo, Etsy, Gucci, 5.11 Tactical.

What happened to Chico's clothes? ›

This brand known for its quality clothing and accessories is closing stores. If you regularly shop at Chico's or White House Black Market (WHBM), you may be dismayed to learn that the retailer has announced plans to close a total of 40 stores in the 2022 fiscal year.

What is the oldest store still in business? ›

Gray's General Store is a general store located at 4 Main Street in Adamsville, Rhode Island.

What is the oldest running store in America? ›

The Old Country Store and Museum in Moultonborough in New Hampshire's Lakes Region may be the oldest general store in the country. The Holden family, which runs the historic store, has records dating to 1781. It has also been home to a library and the post office. Town Meetings used to be held at the store.

Did Dressbarn change their name? ›

New York City -- Dress Barn on Monday announced it has been renamed Ascena Retail Group Inc. and will trade on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the ticker ASNA. The company said it had reorganized under the new holding company, but was not making changes to operations, directors or officers.

How do I find a dress that is out of stock? ›

Go straight to the source.

One way to do so is by simply emailing customer service. They may have intel on if and when an item is coming back or at the very least tell you what days restocks happen on the site. If you're not shy, you can ask the brand directly on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

How do I return merchandise to Dressbarn? ›

Items must be sent back within 30 days of the delivery date. Items must be unworn, unwashed, and have original tags attached. After contacting our support team at support@dressbarn.com, an agent will create an unpaid shipping label and will send it to you to print and attach to the package.

Is Maurices owned by Dressbarn? ›

Dressbarn, Maurices and Justice Brands' Parent Company Ascena Retail Group, Inc.

Why are so many stores closed? ›

Year-over-year change in the number of retail stores nationwide. UBS pointed to three factors causing retail locations to close: the ever-growing prominence of online shopping; increased borrowing costs and customers tightening their wallets due to inflation.

Who owns Dressbarn? ›

Image of Who owns Dressbarn?
Ascena Retail Group, Inc., is an American retailer of women's clothing. Ascena also owns Lane Bryant clothing store brand, and is the parent company of Ann Inc., operator of Ann Taylor and Loft stores. Chairman Emeritus Elliot Jaffe and his wife and co-founder, Roslyn, own about 25% of Ascena.
Wikipedia

What year did fashion bug stores close? ›

In June 2012, Charming Shoppes announced that Fashion Bug stores would be closing; the final stores closed in February 2013.

How to not buy anymore clothes? ›

Here are 4 top tips on how to stop shopping for clothes!
  1. Stop buying clothes by identifying your shopping triggers. The first thing you can do to prevent overshopping is to identify your shopping triggers. ...
  2. Explore your wardrobe to create a personal style. ...
  3. Create a capsule wardrobe. ...
  4. Find other things to occupy your time.
Oct 10, 2022

Why wash clothes after buying? ›

“It's always in your best interest to wash clothing before wearing,” he says. Nilsson agrees, saying washing new clothes “reduces the content of chemicals,” especially residual chemicals that may be left over from the manufacturing process.

What happens to clothes that can't be sold? ›

Many shops sell it to discount stores like TK Maxx, or online discounters like the Outnet. Others launch periodic online sales of what needs to go, or have their own outlet stores that sell last season's merchandise at a discount. What happens to unsold clothes in other circ*mstances is they're donated to foundations.

Does Dressbarn have free shipping? ›

Based on 184 ratings. Shopping Hacks for Dressbarn: How can I secure free shipping from Dress Barn? Spend over $75 on a single purchase and you'll receive free shipping on your order.

How do I get inventory for my online clothing store? ›

You have six primary routes you can take to get inventory for your online boutique:
  1. Attending trade shows.
  2. Working with online wholesale suppliers.
  3. Working directly with manufacturers.
  4. Visiting offline wholesalers.
  5. Using wholesale directories.
  6. Reselling used goods.

Is Lulus just an online store? ›

Lulus goes online... Our best decision yet! We sell the brick-and-mortar stores and go completely digital.

Who are fashion bug competitors? ›

Competitors and similar companies
  • Calzedonia Group. Retail - Private.
  • Pantaloons. Retail - Private.
  • Groupe Beaumanoir. Retail - Private.
  • PacSun. Retail - Subsidiary.

What is the annual revenue of dress barn? ›

Dressbarn revenue is $52.0M annually. After extensive research and analysis, Zippia's data science team found the following key financial metrics. Dressbarn has 192 employees, and the revenue per employee ratio is $270,833. Dressbarn peak revenue was $52.0M in 2022.

Who are Lulu's Fashion Lounge competitors? ›

Compare Lulus Fashion Lounge to Competitors
  • Verishop. Verishop is an e-commerce marketplace. ...
  • Tobi.com. Tobi is an online fast fashion retailer / boutique targeting millennial women. ...
  • ModCloth. ModCloth is an online retailer of vintage-inspired fashion and decor. ...
  • Karmaloop. ...
  • Nasty Gal. ...
  • Asos.

Is Chico's for old ladies? ›

The Customer Demographic

The only younger women in sight at Chico's are the daughters and granddaughters accompanying their moms and grand moms on shopping expeditions. Chico's is a store for older consumers, 40+ — and there is no mistaking the fact observing the customers and the merchandise.

Is White House Black Market Chico's? ›

Since 2003, White House Black Market has operated as a subsidiary of Chico's FAS.

Do Chico's clothes run large? ›

They run very large, I had to return and size down. I'm normally a size 6-8, ordered the 0 (4 reg) which is still roomy. They shrunk a little in the wash, but mostly vertically. I am 5'5" and ordered the regular length, the pant legs end right above my ankles.

What is the oldest grocery store? ›

Then, on September 11, 1916, in Memphis, he opened the first supermarket in the world, Piggly Wiggly. In his new supermarket, the customer no longer had to give a list to a clerk but would pick their own items. Like today, a customer would get a basket and pick from different items they wanted.

Which is older Sears or JCPenney? ›

Each is old, with Sears founded in 1892 and JCPenney in 1898. For years, each was among the largest retailers in America.

What was the old store called Best? ›

Best Products Company, Inc., or simply Best, was a chain of American catalog showroom retail stores founded by Sydney and Frances Lewis in 1957 and formerly headquartered in Richmond, Virginia.

What is the oldest shoe store in America? ›

Established in 1832, Colburn Shoe Store located in the charming coastal town of Belfast, Maine is the oldest shoe store in operations in America. Colburn Shoe Store is proud of its past and still reflect the image of a small, old-fashioned shoe store.

What is the largest single store in the US? ›

World's Largest Store: Macy's Herald Square.

What is the largest single retail store in the US? ›

The building's 2.5 million square feet (230,000 m2), which includes 1.25 million square feet (116,000 m2) of retail space, makes it the largest department store in the United States and among the largest in the world.
...
Macy's Herald Square.
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJune 2, 1978
Designated NHLJune 2, 1978
12 more rows

Did Roz and Ali close? ›

ROZ & ALI — Permanently Closed - Visit Bend.

What are prairie dresses called? ›

Vintage by design, cottagecore is flowy, flowery, ruffly skirts and lacy high-necked tops and dresses with a Victorian/Western vibe. As a fashion aesthetic it's all very romantic and old-fashioned. Sound familiar? If you're a child of the early 80s, you might be thinking, Uh, yeah, we called those prairie dresses…

Where is Dressbarn Online headquarters? ›

Dress Barn Online's headquarters are located at 12 Greenway Plz 11TH Fl, Houston, Texas, 77046, United States What is Dress Barn Online's phone number?

What can you tell by how someone dresses? ›

Your dressing sense reflects your personality, character, mood, style and what actually you are as an individual. People wearing gaudy clothes with loud make up are generally extroverts and love partying. You really can make out what sort of person an individual is by his/her dressing.

How do you know when you found the dress? ›

We've got 8 signs that will let you know when you've found the wedding dress of your dreams.
  • It suits your style. ...
  • You don't want to take it off. ...
  • You can't stop thinking about it. ...
  • It makes you feel beautiful. ...
  • Other people's opinions won't matter. ...
  • You get a special feeling. ...
  • You picture yourself wearing it.
Nov 14, 2021

How do I find good looking clothes? ›

How to find your personal style
  1. Spend a day looking at clothes—but don't buy anything yet. ...
  2. Use Pinterest as a mood board. ...
  3. Step outside of your comfort zone. ...
  4. Start slow and evaluate the clothes you wear on a daily basis. ...
  5. Mimic the looks of people whose fashion you adore. ...
  6. Clean out your closet regularly.
Apr 6, 2023

What do stores do to returned items? ›

revealed those products are often thrown out or destroyed. (This isn't anything new; it happens at other retailers, too.) While there are instances where new and sealed products can be resold, oftentimes it's not sanitary to put these items back out on shelves.

What do companies do with returned merchandise? ›

Retailers take back merchandise from the customer, evaluate it, and if it's in good condition put it back on the shelf at the same or lesser price. They can refurbish damaged returns and sell them for less or offload them to liquidators to resell.

What happens to returned clothing? ›

When you return clothes, the manufacturers don't just dust them off and put them back up for sale. In far too many cases, apparel returns find their way to landfills.

What is Dressbarn called now? ›

Dressbarn.com (branded as dressbarn) is an online retailer owned by Retail Ecommerce Ventures. Its predecessor is the former chain of women's clothing stores owned by Ascena, which operated as Dressbarn from 1962 until 2019. Since 2020, it is owned by Miami, Florida-based Retail Ecommerce Ventures.

What happened to Fashion Bug stores? ›

Ascena Retail Group acquired Fashion Bug's parent company, Charming Shoppes, in June for about $900 million and decided to close all 600 Fashion Bug locations in 43 states. As part of the sale, Ascena also acquired Charming Shoppe's Lane Bryant and Catherine's stores.

What company owns Dressbarn? ›

Image of What company owns Dressbarn?
Ascena Retail Group, Inc., is an American retailer of women's clothing. Ascena also owns Lane Bryant clothing store brand, and is the parent company of Ann Inc., operator of Ann Taylor and Loft stores. Chairman Emeritus Elliot Jaffe and his wife and co-founder, Roslyn, own about 25% of Ascena.
Wikipedia

What is Dressbarn return policy? ›

Please be sure to send us your item(s) back in full accordance with our Return Policy: Items must be sent back within 30 days of the delivery date. Items must be unworn, unwashed, and have original tags attached. All merchandise must be returned in its original packaging.

Who is Chico's competitor? ›

The main competitors of Chico's FAS include Cato (CATO), Ermenegildo Zegna (ZGN), Shoe Carnival (SCVL), MarineMax (HZO), 1-800-FLOWERS.COM (FLWS), Denny's (DENN), Hibbett (HIBB), Chuy's (CHUY), Movado Group (MOV), and Ethan Allen Interiors (ETD). These companies are all part of the "retail/wholesale" sector.

What do stores do with clothes that were tried on? ›

That clothing goes back on the rack to be sold. It's inventory that needs to be turned into money. If at the end of a season it is still not sold it may go on sale. By that time it may have been tried on many times, but it stays in inventory until it is sold.

Is Catherines and Lane Bryant the same? ›

We encourage you to come visit and shop with us in store. We want to see you! Additionally, our sister brand, Lane Bryant, is available and happy to serve you in store and online. We urge you to see their latest collections and how their style fits you.

Is Ann Taylor and Talbots the same company? ›

Talbots' parent company Sycamore Partners recently purchased the Ascena Retail Group Inc., which owns Ann Taylor, Loft, Lane Bryant and Lou & Grey, for $540 million.

Who owns Lane Bryant now? ›

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Dean Jakubowski Ret

Last Updated:

Views: 5849

Rating: 5 / 5 (70 voted)

Reviews: 85% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Dean Jakubowski Ret

Birthday: 1996-05-10

Address: Apt. 425 4346 Santiago Islands, Shariside, AK 38830-1874

Phone: +96313309894162

Job: Legacy Sales Designer

Hobby: Baseball, Wood carving, Candle making, Jigsaw puzzles, Lacemaking, Parkour, Drawing

Introduction: My name is Dean Jakubowski Ret, I am a enthusiastic, friendly, homely, handsome, zealous, brainy, elegant person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.