Are Trolls Killing Small Businesses Online?

I've held down a part time job as a bridal dress sales consultant for over a year now. I know, random. But I love it. It was something I always wanted to do - get into sales, be around wedding dresses. I even daydreamed about how owning my own salon would be a dream come true. So last January, I tested out my dream and looked up some shops in the area, emailed the owners, and after a phone screen and interview got a job on the weekends - because, you know, I wasn't busy enough. 

In the hunt for my own wedding dress, I was surprised how few options there really were for wedding gown shopping in Massachusetts. I knew I didn't want to go to David's Bridal (no offense guys, I'm just a snob) yet I found my options really limited, both to the South and North of Boston. In fact, I found that quite a few shops had gone out of business that I found online. 

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Why?

I can think of a few reasons: 

• Profitability. Working behind the scenes, I can see how difficult it is to turn a profit selling wedding gowns. Brides are a very specific person in a very specific time in their life, and only have a very specific window during which to shop. Even with a good market like Boston, you may not get more than one bride every day (maybe once a week!) that will make the substantial purchase and help offset your expenses - not to mention the huge amount of capital needed to purchase sample gown inventory for brides to try on. 
• The Institution of Marriage. While the bridal industry certainly doesn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon, millenials are showing less interest in getting married. Their delays are typically due to student debt, inability to settle for / find the right partner, and overall attitude towards the cultural norm of marriage. In fact, many are more likely to have children before walking down the aisle. Boomers seem to be more excited about their millenial children making these milestones than anything else. And if current rates continue, marriage rates are actually projected to hit zero in 2042 (The Boston Globe)
• Bridal expectations. This brings me to the main topic of this post. Not only are brides faced with a plethora of options and possibilities, but unrealistic expectations surrounding bridal fashion is a major pain point for these boutiques today. 

Let's explore this a little. With all of the above factors at stake, making the decision to order a gown is a big one, given the cost. Presuming you went the traditional route, you order your gown and need to wait 6-8 months for it to arrive - because they are handmade, delicate garments made to order. Despite all the intricate details of beading and lace, they are still offered in standard sizes and in just a few colors. But the on-demand, completely customizable generation poses the following questions: 

1. But why don't you have something in this size for me to try on? Boutiques can only afford to purchase one sample of every dress. This is where David's Bridal comes in with their warehouses of options - just know you will sacrifice quality. 
2. Why can't I get it in this color? The designer made a deliberate choice to only feature a few gown color options. This is what's available. 
3. Why can't the dress ship sooner? Someone is hand-stitching yards of lace, applique, beading, tulle, and other fabrics together to make a gorgeous dress. It takes time. 
4. Can't you just sell me your sample? Then other brides will be unable to try on this style while the boutique places an order to receive another dress, possibly losing business. 
5. Why is the dress I received so much bigger than my dress size? Boutiques need to accommodate for your largest measurement to assure a fit. Your exact fit will be made at your fittings - and don't forget weight fluctuations that may take place in the wedding planning journey. 

I can go on and on about more insane bride questions, but I wanted to tie this into how expectations are managed throughout industries. If there's one thing to learn in business, it's that you can't be everything to everybody. Not catering to a specific customer's every whim when every customer is armed with internet tools like Yelp and Facebook can easily destroy a hardworking business. And in fact, sometimes brides aren't the worst - it's the mothers! They love to threaten with these tools. Some people are just never happy, and with this outlet cause irreparable damage do business' reputations through scaling, rambling reviews to terrify future potential prospects.

​Because the truth is, people lie. They lie when they need to justify their budget and make themselves feel better. Or they lie when they are upset about something else and need to take it out on someone. And what better way than to do so on a business providing you a service you will only need once, because you never have to face them again? How is the business supposed to defend themselves, without causing more of a "he said, she said", dragging-on headache? Many industries - like bridal boutiques - aren't able to bend to every customer request as they desire, given what goes into running that business. 

So the question I have is, will trolls run boutiques out of business, so that David's Bridal will be the only option for the bride of the future? Or will boutiques opt out of a digital presence all together (in which case, one will be generated for them)? Are we the generation that says goodbye to high quality, detail work to give us what we want, when we want it - and by the way, not have to pay for it? 

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