Company Profile

DSW (NYSE:DSW), a leading U.S. specialty branded footwear retailer, consummated its initial public offering on July 5, 2005. Prior to the IPO, DSW was wholly owned by Retail Ventures, Inc. (NYSE: RVI). Retail Ventures now owns more than 60% of our outstanding common shares and controls over 90% of the voting rights associated with these shares.

DSW operates stores in 39 states (view store locations). We offer a wide selection of brand name and designer dress, casual and athletic footwear for women and men. Our core focus is to create a distinctive store experience that satisfies both the rational and emotional shopping needs of our customers by offering them a vast, exciting selection of in-season styles combined with the convenience and value they desire. We believe this combination of selection, convenience and value differentiates us from our competitors and appeals to a broad range of consumers.

DSW allows customers to personalize their shopping experience by offering a “sea of shoes” that are accessible, easy-to- shop, and fulfill a broad range of style and fashion desires. Typical DSW stores are approximately 25,000 square feet, with over 85% of total square footage used as selling space. Over 30,000 pairs of shoes in more than 2,000 styles are displayed on the selling floor of most of our stores, compared to a significantly smaller product offering at typical department stores. Our stores feature self-service fixtures that allow customers to view, touch, and try on the product without relying on salespeople to check availability. Our locations have clear signage, and well-trained sales associates are available to assist customers as desired. New footwear merchandise is organized by style on the main floor, and clearance goods are organized by size in the rear of the store. The store layout allows customers who do not have time for relaxed browsing to swiftly identify the shoe styles they are seeking and shop in a targeted, time-efficient manner.

Our Competitive Strengths

Breadth of Product Offerings
Our Distinctive and Convenient Store Layout
The Value Proposition Offered to Our Customers
Demonstrated Ability to Consistently Deliver Profitable Growth

Growth Strategy

Expanding Our Store Base
Driving Sales Through Enhanced Merchandising
Leveraging Our Operating Model

Our Corporate History

January 1969 – Incorporated
July 1991 – Opened first DSW store in Dublin, Ohio
1998 – Value City Department Stores, Inc. purchased DSW and affiliated shoe businesses from Schottenstein Stores Corporation (SSC), and Nacht Management, Inc.
December 2004 – Retail Ventures completed a corporate reorganization whereby Value City Department Stores, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Retail Ventures, merged with and into Value City Department Stores LLC, another wholly-owned subsidiary of Retail Ventures. In turn, Value City Department Stores LLC then transferred all the issued and outstanding shares of DSW to Retail Ventures in exchange for a promissory note.
February 2005 – Changed name from Shonac Corporation to DSW Inc.
July 2005 - Initial public offering, began trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol 'DSW'.