Womans Career Wear

Perrys Department Store

Buyers: Dana Harris, Kirsten Gesler
FACS 135

Womens Career Definition

The professional woman in the greater Fredericksburg area needs to own a variety of
womens career wear. These are any, and all types of garments that are needed in the work place
with a professional setting. Examples of such garments are; blazers, slacks, dress shirts, dresses,
skirts, and suits.
The customer profiles that best fit the Perrys customer demographics are A Stores;
Spotsylvania, and Downtown Fredericksburg, B Stores; Dale City and Stafford, C Store Caroline.
The decision to group our customer profiles into three categories was based on the stores
average sales volume, and the similarities in the women that shop at the different stores.

A Stores: Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg

Spotsylvania is 407 square miles, and its ideal location on the I-95 makes it a perfect
place for the business women of the greater Fredericksburg area who are commuting to either
Washington, DC, 45 miles north, or to Richmond 45 miles south. Spotsylvania is becoming a
thriving community due to its extremely desirable location in between two large metropolitan
area. The Fredericksburg location is home to many historical traditions, and customs. During the
Revolutionary War Fredericksburg was home to a gun factory. A famous tourist attraction is the

home of Betty Washington Lewis- George Washingtons sister, and Fielding Lewis, the Kenmore
Plantation. Another attraction is the trolley tours through downtown Fredericksburg.
The woman that shop at the Spotsylvania, and Fredericksburg locations are innovators.
Innovators- are sophisticated customers with a take-charge attitude. They are open to new
products and ideas, and have great significant resources at their disposal. (Videtic, & Steele.
2009) These women are not afraid to take risks with their clothing, and price is not a concern.
Another type of woman that shops at Perrys is are Achievers- are politically conservative, value
conscious, and respectful of authority. Their purchases are motivated by symbols of success , and
they are highly imitative of those they respect and whose opinions they value. (Videtic, &
Steele. 2009) Spotsylvania has the highest sales volume of $15,575,000, and Fredericksburg of
$14,000,000. The A Stores will be receiving the higher end garments, and more fashion pieces
due to our customers needs to strive in the professional world. With being centrally located
between two metropolitan areas the women of the A Stores have a greater need for upscale
professional clothing, because of the enriched night life, and social scenes.
The median customer age for Fredericksburg is 30.3 and Spotslvania is 34.3, this will be
our target customer range. Women in this age group are beginning to get married, or already are.
These women will be starting to have families, and their need to shop will be higher due to a
womens body changes before and after having a child. These women will want to still look well
groomed, while being a mother and a wife. Our target customer will be shopping for herself four
to five times a month for work related clothing. For her family she will shop even more
frequently.

B Stores: Stafford, Dale City

Stafford County was home to our nations first president George Washington, from age
four till nineteen. Stafford County and Dale City are filled with an abundance of American
history, and traditions. Stafford County offers many attractions such as; the Wine Tasting, Vines
to Vistas, the 350th Anniversary of Stafford County, The Great Pumpkin Derby & Workshop.
Stafford County, and Dale City have a small town atmosphere, compared to their sister stores of
Spotsylvania, and Fredericksburg. The people are more family orientated, and their need to shop
at Perrys for Womens Career Wear isnt as great as a woman from the A Stores. The women
who shop at the B Stores will shop less often, three to four times a month for professional wear.
The majority of their shopping time will be targeted towards the family. Our target customer age
range is 35-44. Women in this age range will have already started their family, and may have one
or more children.
The types of women that frequent Perrys at our B Stores are, Thinkers, Believers, and
Makers. Thinkers- are idealistic, practical consumers who value functionality and durability,
considered to be satisfied, mature, comfortable, and reflective people who value order
knowledge, and responsibility. (Videtic, & Steele. 2009) This type of woman considers her
family a huge priority, but also values her career as well. Believers- are conservative with
traditional values who tend to buy American are loyal but price-sensative
consumers. (Videtic, & Steele. 2009) There is a difference of $3,925,000 between the sales
volume of the A Stores and the B Stores. This contributes to the woman shopping at the B Stores
are more price conscious, and less fashion forward than the women that shop at the A Stores. Our
last type of consumer are the Makers- are practical and value self-sufficiency while expressing

their individuality. They are generally not impressed with material possessions and prefer value
to luxury. (Videtic, & Steele. 2009) The typical maker that comes to mind is a home-maker, a
woman that cares and provides for her family.

C Store: Caroline
Caroline County is a farming community in rural Virginia, which offers a farmers market
every Saturday during the months of March through October. Some other attractions that
Caroline County has to offer is three different golf courses, Mattaponi Springs, Pendleton, and
The Four Winds. Unlike the A Stores, and B Stores the Caroline Store is surrounded mostly my
agriculture, and livestock. Some of the animals Caroline County caters to are alpacas, horses, and
poultry. What puts Caroline County on the map is that its the birth place of Secretariat, the
infamous racehorse that won the Triple Crown in 1973. Secretariats birthplace, Meadow Farm
was purchased and now is home to the State Fair of Virginia. The State Fair of Virginia just
ended this past Sunday, October 5th. (statefairva.org)
The women of Caroline County are family driven, committed to strong customs and
traditions. Their lifestyle is more causal, and do not need as many professional garments as the
women of the metropolitan areas. Also eliminating Caroline County, or the C Store for an
abundance of Womens Career Wear. The C Store has the lowest sales volume of $4,775,000,
only 7.9% of all Perrys department store sales. With a smaller amount in sales it shows that the
women of Caroline County are Makers, and Survivors. Makers- are practical and value selfsufficiency while expressing their individuality. They are generally not impressed with material
possessions and prefer value to luxury. (Videtic, & Steele. 2009) Consumers that shop at the C

Store generally shop one to two times per month depending on the family income. The other type
of women that shop at the C Store are Survivors. Survivors- are cautious consumers because of
their limited resources, and prefer the familiar as they attempt to meet just the most basic needs.
(Videtic, & Steele. 2009)

Work Cited
Videtic, K., & Steele, C. (2009). Perry's Department Store (3rd ed., Vol. 1, pp. 1-30). New York:
Fairchild books.

Cites Viewed
www.fredericksburgva.gov
www.spotslvania.va.us
www.stafford.va.us
www.statefairva.org