Sale Brings Thousands of Shoppers, Millions in Impact
Subscriber Benefit
As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowTens of thousands of shoppers from throughout the country will descend on Fort Wayne over the next five days for Vera Bradley Inc.’s (Nasdaq: VRA) annual outlet sale. Chief Marketing Officer Theresa Palermo says city leaders expect the event to have an economic impact of more than $5 million. She says the sale will be an important opportunity for the handbag and accessory maker to show off its new products, which are an important component of its long-term growth strategy.
The sale runs Wednesday, April 13 through Sunday, April 17 at the Allen County War Memorial Coliseum in Fort Wayne. The company says handbags, travel items, accessories, stationary and eyewear will be available at the event.
Last month, Vera Bradley Chief Executive Officer Rob Wallstrom said, despite dips on fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal year net income, he is "energized about the future." During an earnings call with investors, he predicted the company would begin generating "positive comparable growth" by the end of the year. Vera Bradley’s plans for the year include its first store in Manhattan and a presence in 100 additional department store locations. The company also plans to open a store at Disney Springs at the Walt Disney World Resort.
Wallstrom has said that Vera Bradley’s top priority is to make the company "more relevant in order to attract even more new customers to the brand." He says the prime objectives for the current fiscal year are brand transformation, core growth and identifying new licensing and international growth opportunities.
Shoppers are required to buy tickets for the first three days of the sale. Each of those days will include four shopping sessions, which will each be capped at four thousand tickets. No tickets will be required on Saturday and Sunday.
Palermo says Vera Bradley is benefiting from an “influx of talent” in Fort Wayne.