JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With wedding and prom season right around the corner, a Jacksonville-area outlet is offering a rare sale for expensive gowns.
Ollie’s Bargain Outlet, which has a location on Atlantic Boulevard in Jacksonville and on Blanding Boulevard in Orange Park, is selling famous maker wedding, formal, prom and bridesmaid dresses at "blowout" prices. The outlet's first-ever Wedding and Formal Dress Event started at 9 a.m. Thursday and ends Monday. As part of the event, according to Ollie's:
All wedding dresses regularly priced at $2,500 and below will be $199.99 at Ollie’s.
All wedding dresses regularly priced over $2,500 will be $299.99 at Ollie’s.
All formal bridesmaids and prom dresses will be priced at $39.99 at Ollie’s.
As the event began Thursday, News4Jax went to Ollie's Jacksonville store, where hundreds of bargain hunters are looking for that perfect dress. It's always a surprise to see what merchandise and excess inventory Ollie's stores have, but it's the first time the stores have had wedding dresses on the racks.
"It's amazing," said Angie Grogan, who was shopping for a wedding dress. "It was an easy way to have it reused and not have to spend thousands of dollars for one day."
Grogan isn't getting married until April 2020, but for her and her mother, it's never too early for a deal.
"I didn't know my style but we tried on everything. We saw it, we grabbed it," said Grogan, who ended up finding her perfect gown, along with a veil.
Ollie's bought nearly 11,000 wedding dresses and 18,000 formal dresses, which are spread across dozens of locations across the country, for the sale. Some dresses retail up to $6,000, but the prices have been cut down to a couple of hundred dollars. At the Jacksonville location, News4Jax found many of the prom and formal dresses were only about $40.
"The dresses are worth a lot, but they're knocked down to crazy prices," said Jacqueline Kloin, who was also shopping for a wedding dress.
Some dresses are new while others may need a little tender, loving care.
"Some are a little discolored, but that's an easy fix just to clean them," Kloin said.
If you're looking for a wedding gown or formal dress at a bargain, here's what you need to know: When you first come into the store, you'll have to come back to the dress section and get a ticket. That is your place in line. Staff only let a few people into this area at a time to look at the dresses. No guys are allowed in the dress area. The Jacksonville location has some makeshift fitting rooms, but Ollie's encourages ladies to wear something comfortable -- such as leggings and a sports bra or tank top -- to try on the dresses.
Ollies said the return/exchange policy for wedding and formal dresses will be three days from the date of purchase.