Store windows at the five-storey Huqiu Wedding Dress Mall, in the Chinese city of Suzhou, gleam with reflections of rows upon rows of elaborate gowns, enticing potential buyers.
But there are few to see them in the modern mall, a glitzy showcase of the city's huge wedding gown production industry that usually attracts visitors not only from across China but abroad.
"Sales this year have so far not been good,” said Ma Li, owner of the Hua Qing Yu Wedding Dress Store in the mall, as she dressed mannequins. “I hope they will recover a little in the second half," she added.