It all started with a friendship…Barbara Bradley Baekgaard and Patricia R. Miller came upon a colorful idea while traveling together in 1982. Observing a lack of feminine luggage, they decided to create a company (named after Barbara’s mother) to design a line of quilted-cotton luggage, handbags, and accessories – and the rest is history! Vera Bradley has grown into an internationally-recognized lifestyle brand providing a myriad of beautiful solutions to its customers. Vera Bradley is a leading designer of women’s handbags, luggage and travel items, fashion and home accessories, and unique gifts. The brand’s innovative designs, iconic patterns, and brilliant colors inspire and connect women unlike any other brand in the global marketplace.
Vera Bradley offers a unique, multi-channel sales model as well as a focus on service and a high level of customer engagement. The Company sells its products through two reportable segments: Direct and Indirect. The Direct business consists of sales of Vera Bradley products through the Company’s full-line and factory outlet stores in the United States, verabradley.com and its annual outlet sale in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Indirect business consists of sales of Vera Bradley products to approximately 2,200 specialty retail locations, substantially all of which are located in the United States, as well as select department stores, national accounts, third party e-commerce sites, third-party inventory liquidators, and royalties recognized through licensing agreements.
The Company’s commitment to women also includes its dedication to breast cancer research through the Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer.
In July 2019, Vera Bradley acquired a 75% interest in Creative Genius, Inc., which also operates under the name Pura Vida Bracelets (“Pura Vida”). Pura Vida is a rapidly growing, digitally native, and highly engaging lifestyle brand that deeply resonates with its loyal consumer following. The Pura Vida brand has a differentiated and expanding offering of bracelets, jewelry, and other lifestyle accessories.