Blog Post #7: Spring Style with Vera Bradley

Hello Everyone!

Spring is in the air! This weekend, we had beautiful weather and sunny skies. Unfortunately, I got a little burnt (a little is an understatement). But it was nice to explore downtown Burlington and watch baseball games without freezing. As I walked down Church Street, I noticed that my Vera Bradley bag was getting worn out. What a perfect opportunity to invest in a new bag!

As I look through their website, much of their merchandise just shouts "spring". Vera Bradley is known for having colorful and floral patterns. However, they do sell neutral colored bags for consumers who want a simple look. Every year, they create new patterns that the consumer can choose from. They have vast product lines, including purses, backpacks, luggage, wallets and wrist-lets, eye wear, and much more! Every time I stop into a Vera Bradley store, it seems like they've added more items to their product mix. Right now, I have one purse and two shoulder bags in my room, and hopefully I will be adding another bag to my collection soon.

Vera Bradley products are not cheap. Glancing through their website, I noticed the price range for the cross-body bags is $28 to $168. This is a huge difference! A number of factors play into this difference, including the type of material and straps used, number of pockets, and other accessories. The quality of Vera Bradley bags is also high too. I can't even count the number of years that I've owned my bags and they still look new. I'm willing to bet that a consumer wouldn't mind paying a higher price for such a high quality bag.

Vera Bradley products are not just sold anywhere. Across the country, Vera Bradley products are sold at their own Vera Bradley stores (shown in the picture to the left), Vera Bradley outlets, where merchandise is up to 60% off, and at over 3,000 independent retailers. The products are also sold online. In terms of the independent retail stores, Vera Bradley has very selective distribution, where there are a few retailers in a specific geographic area that carry its products. There is only one store in a 25 mile radius from my hometown. There aren't even Vera Bradley stores or outlets in Vermont: just retail stores that sell their products.

What does this tell us about Vera Bradley? Well for one, it shows that the Vera Bradley stores and outlets are in the more populated states, where they would get the most business and sales. In order to become an independent retailer, the store must complete an application in order to sell products. Overall, Vera Bradley is very selective about the store location in order to ensure maximum sales. Retail store locations are not as selective, but the company must be in a good geographic location to sell the products.

For me and a lot of other consumers, shopping online is the easiest way for me to buy products like Vera Bradley. At this moment, shipping is free on orders above $75! Because their products are on the expensive side, this will be no problem. I might even look at a pair of sunglasses to buy before my trip down to Arizona in May. Wish me luck, and I'll see you next time.


Courtney





Sources:

http://12d38d224c2abe5fa63a-1db4ec0fed747b962fac0a483e2c9d9e.r18.cf2.rackcdn.com/1c2cc10b0ef550c822196c72b548346e.jpg

http://www.verabradley.com/category/bags/mini-bags.uts

http://www.verabradley.com/custserv/vb_stores.jsp?storeType=vbr

http://www.verabradley.com/assets/images/cms/category/160310-SummerLaunch-Accessories-Sunglasses.jpg

www.verabradley.com