When you think about it, it’s hard to fathom how Charlottesville made it this long without a store like Country Club Prep.

The company, which was founded in 2012 by two University of Virginia Law School grads and had been strictly internet-based, just opened up their first physical retail location in the heart of one the preppiest towns in America. Located on Elliewood Avenue on the Corner, CCP is nestled in the ideal location to attract the Vineyard Vines–loving, Croakie-wearing crowd.

So what is Country Club Prep all about? It is your one-stop shop for all of the preppy and fratty brands that the UVA community has grown to love. Stocked to the brim with the likes of Southern Tide, Vineyard Vines, Lacoste, Fripp & Frolly, Southern Marsh, and much more, it is heaven on Earth for the Greek community and UVA as a whole. 

Speaking of which, if you are part of that UVA community, you’re rewarded with a 15 percent student discount. The store also runs special promotions — for example an additional 20 percent of all game day apparel, which included all UVA–affiliated items as well as anything that was blue and orange. I was able to get a UVA–embroidered shep shirt for under $70, which is pretty much unheard of.               

This year the company won a Retail Touchpoints Channel Innovation Award for their “in-store mobile and digital technology innovations; social media efforts; personalization programs and more.” And that was before their physical location even opened their doors. 

Since then, they have kept up their great marketing, delivering bags full of coozies, T-shirts, stickers, etc. to fraternity and sorority houses, and offering their members 10 percent if they sign up. On August 23rd, they held a grand opening party, and on the Saturday of the first football game, they offered free mimosas and beer. CCP knows how to have a good time while spreading the word.       

Country Club Prep is here to stay. If you're in the market for fratty anything: belts, shirts, shorts, hats, even flasks, make sure you take a stroll down Elliewood. With the perfect location to serve up their target clientele, great customer service and an always tidy store, there’s nothing not to love here.