The cofounder of a wedding dress brand reveals the at-home try on strategy that's keeping her business afloat through coronavirus panic

• The new coronavirus pandemic has shut down factories and workplaces worldwide, and both large companies and small businesses are scrambling to meet demand.
• The wedding industry will likely be hit hard since it relies heavily on travel and large gatherings.
• Vivian Chan is the cofounder of wedding dress brand East Meets Dress, and she said about 15% of canceled store bridal appointments were a result of people afraid to congregate in public spaces.
• But that's led to growth in other areas of her business like at-home try on kits. She advises entrepreneurs facing similar challenges to find creative solutions to keep their businesses thriving.
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Because of the novel coronavirus, fewer people will be filling classrooms, concert halls, restaurants, bars, and gyms, instead reverting to phone calls and video chats.

As of Wednesday, the World Health Organization officially declared the coronavirus a pandemic, which has prompted companies across the US to require employees to work from home and practice "social distancing," or cancelling large events and limiting social interactions.

But some things can only be done in person - like trying on a wedding dress - which poses challenges for brides planning their weddings. The president of American Bridal and Prom Industry Association recently told the New York Times that 80% of the world's supply of wedding dresses come from China, where the majority of the coronavirus cases are located.

Vivian Chan is the cofounder of East Meets Dress, an e-commerce startup that specializes in traditional Chinese wedding dresses, called cheongsam or qipao, which are typically red, silk dresses with embroidery. Though, modern variations come in different colors and fabrics. She said about 15% of canceled bridal appointments at the brand's pop up store in San Francisco were a result of people afraid to congregate in public spaces. She estimated that this will lead to a 10% decrease in potential sales.

But those numbers aren't discouraging her from finding solutions. The direct-to-consumer brand has remained malleable and open to other methods of driving sales and keeping customers - which she advises all startups do at a time like this. "See if you can be creative in how you're offering your products to your customers," Chan told Business Insider.

When store visits slump, try the at-home model

Chan said there's been a 6% increase in demand for at-home sample try-on kits - an alternative for brides who are staying home or worried about contamination.

The sample dress kit costs $75 and allows a customer to choose up to two dress styles that are then shipped to their home. The customer tries the dresses on and returns them for free. A week later, they receive a $50 credit toward purchasing their gown.

"A lot of brides, they still want to be able to see our dresses and try them on in person and with the current situation they feel more comfortable getting one of our sample kits," Chan said.

The site also has an interactive style quiz to help customers decide the right style, fabric, sleeves, color, and details for their dress. Once customers complete the quiz, they receive a $10 discount.

"We want to do whatever we can to minimize their stress. Wedding planning in general is very stressful, especially when your wedding is coming up," she said.

When shipping gets delayed, offer a faster option

The brand sources its fabrics and makes its dresses in several different provinces across China including Suzhou, which is the silk capital of China. Factory shutdowns because of the coronavirus have extended the brand's normal production timeline of five to six weeks, to eight to ten weeks.

"We're in a niche market that requires a unique skill set found primarily in China so it has slowed down our production and shipping timeline and forced us to get creative with alternatives," she said.

East Meets Dress had shipping partners in Shenzhen, which closed due to city lockdowns and quarantines. Now they've found a new partner that's helped expedite orders to customers.

In the meantime, the brand communicates daily with its dressmakers to anticipate delays and provide updates to customers. "Some of our brides' weddings aren't happening until later this year, or early next year. So there's still some buffer," she said.

And for brides who can't wait on delayed shipping, Chan said the brand is directing them to the site's "ship now" collection of pre-made dresses, rather than its custom-made "bespoke" collection. These last-minute dresses ship within 1-2 days and come with free expedited shipping.

"Our ships now collection was an initiative we launched a few months ago to serve urgent brides and it has turned out to be really helpful for us during this time," Chan said.

When all else fails . . . drive there!

Another way she and her cofounder are getting creative: hand delivering dresses to local brides in the Bay Area.

Chan said in a small number of cases, she and her team have driven to their customers' houses to deliver their dresses. "We weren't sure if USPS was going to be able to expedite it, so it was safer for us to drive in the Bay Area ourselves and deliver it to our bride," she said.

Because East Meets Dress typically allocates a long timeline for its dresses, these measures aren't usually needed. The site recommends brides place their orders for custom gowns five to six months in advance. But Chan said they will go to any lengths necessary. "Our brides are our top priority and we understand how important weddings are, so we're ready to do whatever it takes - even hand-deliver dresses in person to make sure our brides are happy," Chan said.