A retailer known for its vibrant accessories is the latest tenant to leave the Lehigh Valley Mall’s lifestyle center.
Vera Bradley, the Fort Worth, Indiana, company famous for its colorfully printed fabric handbags and accessories, closed its store at the Whitehall Township mall.
It’s the third closure in the last six months. Williams Sonoma, the California retailer of upscale cookware, appliances and home furnishing, closed in January and Bravo! Italian Kitchen left in October.
Vera Bradley opened in the lifestyle center in 2014. The brand offers a wide range of accessories as well as some apparel, bedding and more. There are no other stores in the Lehigh Valley but other retailers carry their merchandise. The closest store is a Vera Bradley Factory Outlet in Tannersville, Monroe County.
According to its 2021 earnings report, Simon Property Group, which partly owns and manages Lehigh Valley Mall, said the 150-store mall was at 94.4% capacity. It’s down from 97% in 2019, but up from 91% in 2020.
