Designer Brands Debuts "Warehouse Reimagined" for Enhanced, Immersive Retail Store Experience

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May 10, 2022, 07:15 ET

A Dynamic, Customer-First Approach with Iconic "Owned" Brands and New Technologies Delivers Convenience and Elevates the Customer Shopping Journey

COLUMBUS, Ohio and HOUSTON, May 10, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Designer Brands Inc. (NYSE: DBI) (the "Company" and "Designer Brands"), parent of shoe retailer DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse, has unveiled its new "Warehouse Reimagined" retail store format, a step forward in putting customers, brands and speed at the forefront of the Company's business strategy. Debuting at a Houston-area DSW, Warehouse Reimagined showcases a proof-of-concept of differentiated omni-channel experiences for Designer Brands' 700-plus stores across North America. The new store experience elevates the Company's Owned Brands and product selections through modernized merchandising featuring shop-in-shops, full family offerings and head-to-toe lifestyle imagery. Warehouse Reimagined also highlights well-known National Brands with dedicated sections that prominently display products for easy viewing and selection by store customers.

"Warehouse Reimagined allows us to showcase our National Brands with shop-in-shops, together with Owned Brands and associated experiences that elevate brands in the eyes of the customer," says Designer Brands Chief Executive Officer, Roger Rawlins. "This new store format is an immersive experience – by the customer, for the customer – and brings to bear our proven capability to retail brands the way customers want. We have leaned heavily on customer insights and digital capabilities to showcase our Owned Brands and are partnering with top National Brands to give customers an exciting 360-degree experience. This new format also features expanded and upgraded services and order pick-up areas to make the shopping experience more convenient. Optimization of space helps us ensure our top items are always in stock, building on our hard-earned customer loyalty. We will learn much from this launch by bringing our product assortment to life, maximizing our retail footprint and moving forward with our mission to inspire self-expression."

Warehouse Reimagined features an updated warehouse-inspired design to optimize capacity to bring the Company's Owned Brands to life, including the iconic Hush Puppies products which will now sell exclusively at DSW stores. Together with other brands in Designer Brands' portfolio including Vince Camuto, Jessica Simpson, Lucky Brand and more, Warehouse Reimagined highlights the Company's long-range plan to grow its Owned Brands to account for nearly 30% of sales by 2026. As Designer Brands puts more emphasis on these brands, the Company will lean into its established infrastructure, fully integrated sourcing and loyalty program to grow market presence.

The new store will feature product displays with oversized graphics and store walls will be flexible and modular to adapt to each store's planned promotions. A dedicated kids' section will present products at their eye level and make shopping fun with interactive games and the ability for kids to size themselves and select their own products. Rounding out the enhancements are easier-to-find selections and merchandising based on customers' shopping habits.

Warehouse Reimagined will also continue to advance the Company's philanthropic partnership with Soles4Souls. Soles4Souls distributes donations collected at DSW stores to entrepreneurs in developing countries to start and sustain their own small businesses to sell these donated shoes within their local communities while keeping these products out of our planet's landfills. DSW recently surpassed a total of 6 million pairs of shoes donated to Soles4Souls.

About Designer Brands
Designer Brands is one of North America's largest designers, producers, and retailers of footwear and accessories. Designer Brands operates a portfolio of retail concepts in nearly 700 locations under the DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse®, The Shoe Company®, and Shoe Warehouse® banners. Designer Brands designs and produces footwear and accessories through Camuto Group, a leading manufacturer selling in more than 5,400 stores worldwide. Camuto Group owns licensing rights for the Jessica Simpson® footwear business and footwear and handbag licenses for Lucky Brand®. In partnership with a joint venture with Authentic Brands Group, Designer Brands also owns a stake in Vince Camuto®, Louise et Cie®, and others. More information can be found at www.designerbrands.com.

SOURCE Designer Brands Inc.