Over the past year, David’s Bridal has completely revamped the bridal shopping experience and Kelly Cook has been instrumental in this process. COVID accelerated the company’s digital transformation that tightly integrated online and in-store experiences.

Bridal retail, which has long been an in-person, in-store experience, is now an omnichannel journey. Kelly led innovation teams in the development of:

• A virtual styling program to serve customers during the shutdown;
• Customer service via Zoey chatbot;
• A new Diamond Loyalty program; and
• Online customer profiles that provide a seamless transition to in-store engagement.

These new initiatives have allowed David’s Bridal to meet customers desires to research online or through virtual appointments and then enter the store to make a final decision. In addition, the brand is now collecting more information about customers to support a more personalized experience with the Diamond Loyalty program. When customers (and their bridal parties) sign up for the program and spend $5,000, they are eligible to win a free honeymoon. Because all behaviors and shopping patterns are recorded via the program, David’s Bridal can better understand trends and consumer habits, and successfully tailor assortments and marketing initiatives. The Diamond Loyalty program was launched in December 2020 and has more than 750,000 members to date.