On the record · Other
David's Bridal
Bridal retail chain that filed for bankruptcy twice under PE debt. Emerged from Chapter 11 with reduced footprint of 300+ stores
Research depth
Outcomes researched
Reviewed operating findings or a classified operating outcome are available.
Record updated Sept. 4, 2026
Current ownership
Current owner not established
This record does not identify a current owner. That absence is a gap in the record, not a conclusion about ownership.
What happened under and after ownership
Operating outcome
Operating through distress or restructuring
Filed Chapter 11 in April 2023, its second bankruptcy in five years; stores remained open throughout.
Taken over in July 2023 by its own secured lender, CION Investment Corporation, via a credit bid; operated 195 stores at the time.
- Founded
- 1950
- Peak headcount
- 10,000
- Sponsor at closure
- Oaktree Capital Management
- Cause
- Debt left at exit
- Forbes · 2023 · CION Investment credit-bid acquisition, store count
- Wikipedia · David's Bridal was founded in 1950 as a small bridal boutique in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Oaktree Capital Management led the group of lenders that took control
- CBS News · David's Bridal had approximately 10,000 employees (2,000 full-time, 8,000 part-time) across 294 stores at the time of its April 2023 Chapter 11 filing
- The Business of Fashion · David's Bridal's financial instability traced to roughly $1 billion of debt from the 2012 Clayton, Dubilier & Rice / Leonard Green & Partners leveraged buyout,
What we do not know
These are gaps in the public record, not findings about the organization.
- No current public ownership assessment has been published.
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