LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — Little Rock dress and bridal shops say the coronavirus is impacting their stock.
"We've had a lot of calls from customers who are watching the news, who want to know, 'Are there going to be delays?'” Rusty Hart said, owner of Applause.
Hart and his wife, Lori, dress women to head to the alter, help design gowns for pageants, and match teens with the perfect prom dress.
"Spring for us is a big part of our business,” said Hart. "Prom season is the number one social event in the world, and all of those dresses are made in China."
The coronavirus has caused delays in manufacturing in China, and the ripple effect is now touching Hart’s shop at the most inconvenient time of year.
"We carry some of the main lines and we are starting to see some of those delays,” Hart said.
Hart said if you're prom shopping, the dress you have picked out of a magazine might not be on store shelves this year.
“We had one company call and say, 'Hey, your dresses may not make it because they can't ship out of China,'” Hart said.
Hart suggests prom shoppers to start early and not wait until the last minute, so they have a broader selection of dresses in-store to choose from.
"We are very hopeful that world authorities will get the coronavirus under control,” Hart said.
Hart’s designers are in close contact with suppliers in China. He's told the factories are open and cleared to work, but the problem lies with the workers who can't get there.
"That’s the problem,” Hart said. “It’s getting them in from the areas that have been quarantined. You know here, we do try to have good stock in the store where we can really take care of their needs anyway.”
Applause also specializes in custom designs for state pageants like Miss Arkansas, Mississippi, and Texas.
He said those dresses, as of now, are on track to arrive on time for customers.
But if things worsen in China, he could start seeing delays on that inventory also.