The Vera Bradley Outlet Sale - so, what's the big deal?
Close your eyes and imagine thousands of Vera Bradley bags and accessories, marked down up to 75% off (sometimes more!). Sounds too good to be true, doesn't it? Every year, the sale draws thousands of people. Most walk off with bags of bags, as well as big smiles on their faces!
At the Vera Bradley outlet sale, you will find both retired and current styles of handbags, accessories, and fabric patterns. Products include both overstock items as well as factory seconds.
The Spring 2010 sale is scheduled for April 29th through May 2ndt at the Allen County Memorial Coliseum, located in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The sale will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday (4/29/2010 - 5/01/2010), and from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Sunday (5/02/2010). Also, please note the date change - originally, Vera Bradley advertised that their sale would begin on the 28th. Directions and parking information can be found on the Memorial Coliseum's website.
There are several great places to stay in Fort Wayne, and Vera Bradley also negotiates special rates for sale attendees. Once the date gets closer, you can check out these deals by visiting the Vera Bradley's corporate website . Personally, I recommend the Holiday Inn at IPFW and Coliseum. It is a brand new hotel that is located directly across the street from this spring's sale venue. There will also be shuttles running back and forth from the hotel and the Coliseum. The telephone number for this Holiday Inn location is (260) 482-3800.
Registration Information
Anyone who wants to make purchases at the sale will need to register. To find out more about the registration requirements, please see my blog post entitled Registration Information for the 2010 Vera Bradley Outlet Sale. You may register online until April 23, 2010. After that date, registration will be handled at the event.
Pricing Information
The questions I get asked most often about the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale are about the prices. For the most recent sales, I have posted the price lists of products. Note that these are the beginning prices. As the sale progresses, many of these are marked down even more.
By Saturday and Sunday, you can pick up some remarkable deals. Obviously, the selection is more limited on these days, but in my opinion, there is still plenty to select from.
Anyway, for the initial price lists from prior sales, check out these posts on my blog:
- Spring 2009 Price List
- Day 3 Markdowns at the Spring 2009 Outlet Sale
- Fall 2008 Price List
- Spring 2008 Price List - Part One
- Spring 2008 Price List - Part Two
Set Up of the Vera Bradley Outlet Sale
The Vera Bradley Outlet Sale is very well-organized. I have never had any problems finding the products I wanted, nor waiting too long in line to check out. When you first arrive at the sale, you will be greeted and handed a "map". The products are grouped together, and you can quickly locate them using the map to determine which row and column they are located in. It's hard to explain, but you will see what I mean when you get there. I have posted some pictures on my blog of prior sales. Go ahead and take a peek...
I'm constantly updating my blog with news and information regarding current and future sale information. Feel free to visit any time to see what's going on...
Will 2010 Be the Last Outlet Sale?
I can't help but wonder if the 2010 Vera Bradley Outlet Sale will be the last one. The company has opened up an outlet store in Aurora, Illinois, at the Chicago Premium Outlets, and the rumor is that there are similar stores in the works. With the opening of these stores, as well as the ability of the company to sell excess inventory via markdowns on their e-commerce site, it can't help but make you wonder. I love attending the sale, so I'm crossing my fingers that this one will not be the last!