Designer Brands

{{Infobox company

| name = Designer Brands Inc.

| logo = File:Designer Shoe Warehouse alternate logo.svg

| former_names = {{Plainlist|

Shonac Corporation
DSW, Inc.

}}

| type = Public

| traded_as = {{Plainlist|

{{NYSE was|DSW}} (2005-2019)
{{NYSE|DBI}} (Class A)

}}

| industry = Retail

| founded = {{start date and age|1969|1|20}}

| hq_location_city = Columbus, Ohio

| hq_location_country = United States

| locations = United States 504
Canada 26 (2025)https://stores.dsw.com/ DSW Store index

| key_people = {{Plainlist|

Jay Schottenstein (Chairman)
Roger Rawlins (CEO)
Jared Poff, (CFO)

}}

| revenue = {{decrease}} US$3.07 billion

| revenue_year = 2023

| operating_income = {{decrease}} US$162.4 million

| income_year = 2023

| net_income = {{decrease}} US$29.2 million

| net_income_year = 2023

| assets = {{increase}} US$2.07 billion

| assets_year = 2024

| equity = {{decrease}} US$359 million

| equity_year = 2024

| num_employees = ≈ 14,000

| num_employees_year = 2024

| subsid = {{ubl|Town Shoes (shut down)|The Shoe Company}}

| website = {{URL|https://www.designerbrands.com}}

| footnotes =

}}

Designer Brands Inc. is an American company that sells designer and name brand shoes and fashion accessories. It owns the Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW) store chain, and operates over 500 stores in the United States and an e-commerce website.{{cite web|title=About DSW Inc.|url=https://www.dswinc.com/about_dsw.jsp|website=DSWINC.|publisher=DSW Inc.|access-date=30 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180130204506/https://www.dswinc.com/about_dsw.jsp|archive-date=30 January 2018|url-status=dead}}

The company also owns private-label footwear brands including Audrey Brooke, Kelly & Katie, Lulu Townsend, and Poppie Jones.

History

File:DSW shoe store, Saugus, Massachusetts.jpg]]

The company was founded in 1969 as Shonac Corporation, as the shoe licensee for Value City.{{Cite web |date=March 25, 2024 |title=Form 10-K |url=https://app.quotemedia.com/data/downloadFiling?webmasterId=101533&ref=318184675&type=PDF&symbol=DBI&cdn=3778666162b15167a5c9b466aea30f60&companyName=Designer+Brands+Inc.+Class+A&formType=10-K&dateFiled=2024-03-25 |access-date=2024-06-28 |publisher=Designer Brands |format=PDF}}{{Cite news |date=1998-03-14 |title=COMPANY NEWS; VALUE CITY IN DEAL WITH SCHOTTENSTEIN STORES |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |agency=Dow Jones |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/03/14/business/company-news-value-city-in-deal-with-schottenstein-stores.html |access-date=2023-07-19 |issn=0362-4331}} In July 1991, the company opened its first store, which was in Dublin, Ohio. In 1998, the company was acquired by Value City. By 1999, the company had 48 stores.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/1999/10/25/story3.html | title=DSW steps up its expansion, building into Pyramid malls | first=Kathy | last=Showalter | work=American City Business Journals | date=October 25, 1999}}

In December 2004, the company was acquired by Retail Ventures, an affiliate. In March 2005, the company experienced massive data theft, including customer data from 1.4 million credit card transactions.{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dsw-releases-findings-from-fraud-investigation-into-credit-card-and-other-purchase-information-theft-54333157.html | title=DSW Releases Findings From Fraud Investigation Into Credit Card and Other Purchase Information Theft | publisher=PRNewswire | date=April 18, 2005}} In June 2005, the company became a public company via an initial public offering.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/stories/2005/06/27/daily18.html | title=DSW debuts on NYSE with IPO | work=American City Business Journals | date=June 29, 2005}}{{cite news | url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/dsw-inc-rallies-as-neustar-rises-in-nyse-debuts | title=Neustar, DSW Inc. IPOs kick off | first=Steve | last=Gelsi | work=Marketwatch | date=June 29, 2005}} In April 2008, the company launched its e-commerce website.

In 2011, the company acquired Retail Ventures, its largest shareholder.{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dsw-inc-completes-merger-with-retail-ventures-inc-122648438.html | title=DSW Inc. Completes Merger With Retail Ventures, Inc. | publisher=PRNewswire | date=May 26, 2011}} In 2014, the company acquired 44% of Town Shoes, a chain of Canadian shoe stores, and entered into a licensing agreement for the DSW name.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2014/04/15/dsw-buying-stake-in-canadian-shoe-chain.html | title=DSW buying stake in Canadian shoe chain | first=Dan | last=Eaton | work=American City Business Journals | date=April 15, 2014}} In February 2016, the company acquired Ebuys for $62.5 million.{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dsw-inc-to-acquire-ebuys-inc-300221191.html | title=DSW Inc. to Acquire Ebuys, Inc. | publisher=PR Newswire | date=February 17, 2016}} In July 2016, the company added shoes for children to its inventory.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2016/07/28/parents-you-can-now-shop-for-your-kids-at-dsw.html | title=Parents, you can now shop for your kids at DSW stores | first=Dan | last=Eaton | work=American City Business Journals | date=July 28, 2016}} In August 2016, the company entered into a franchising agreement with Apparel Brands to open DSW stores in the Middle East.{{cite press release | url=https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/dsw-inc-to-open-new-stores-in-the-middle-east-300314731.html | title=DSW Inc. to Open New Stores in the Middle East | publisher=PRNewswire | date=August 17, 2016}}

In March 2017, the company reached a deal with Under Armour to carry Under Armour shoes in DSW stores.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2017/03/20/under-armour-enters-deal-to-sell-its-shoes-at-dsw.html | title=Under Armour enters deal to sell its shoes at DSW | first=Holden | last=Wilen | work=American City Business Journals | date=March 20, 2017}} In June 2017, the company opened a store in Oman, its first store in the Middle East.{{cite news | url=https://www.bizjournals.com/columbus/news/2017/06/29/dsw-moves-into-the-middle-east-with-store-in-oman.html | title=DSW moves into the Middle East with store in Oman | first=Dan | last=Eaton | work=American City Business Journals | date=June 29, 2017}} In May 2018, the company acquired the remaining shares of Town Shoes to obtain complete ownership of the company.{{Cite web|url=https://www.retail-insider.com/retail-insider/2018/8/dsw-designer-shoe-warehouse-shutter-canada-town-shoes|title = DSW to Shutter Town Shoes Chain of Stores|date = 29 August 2018}}

In February 2019, the company announced an addition of nail salons to 5 stores, after testing the concept in 2 stores in Columbus, Ohio.{{cite web |last=Holman |first=Jordyn |title=DSW Bets Nail Salons in Shoe Stores Will Lure Millennial Women |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-27/dsw-bets-nail-salons-in-shoe-stores-will-lure-millennial-women | work=Bloomberg News |date=February 27, 2019 | url-access=subscription}} In March 2019, DSW rebranded their corporate name to Designer Brands.{{Cite news |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/ohio/articles/2019-03-19/dsw-posts-surprise-4q-loss-will-rename-co-designer-brands |title=DSW Posts Surprise 4Q Loss, Will Rename Co. Designer Brands |work=U.S. News & World Report|date=19 March 2019}} The company also changed its ticker symbol on the NYSE from "DSW" to "DBI" effective April 2, 2019.

Entertainer Jennifer Lopez collaborated with the brand to launch the March 2020 line. When the chain closed all its retail stores due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and fashion trends shifted as a result of the increase in remote work, the line was redesigned to include sneakers and comfort shoes.{{Cite web | first=Parija | last=Kavilanz|title=JLo's new DSW shoe collection is more sneakers than stilettos. That wasn't the plan |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/07/business/jlo-dsw-pandemic/index.html | work=CNN | date=November 7, 2020}}