Arielle Tschinkel
DSW is shaking things up with a brand-new look and revamped rewards program.
- DSW, in an effort to take on
retail giants like Amazon-owned Zappos, is shaking things up with a brand new look and revamped rewards program. - We visited DSW's "lab store" in Columbus, Ohio to check out the new in-store features, which include a concierge area for shoe repair, a full-service nail salon, and so much more.
In response to the growth of online retailers like Zappos and its parent company, Amazon, shoe and accessories giant DSW has unveiled plans to completely revitalize its in-store shopping experience.
In the last year, DSW's business had its high points, including three consecutive quarters of positive comparable sales in footwear, according to its March earnings report. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. Sales and earnings took a dip in the fall of 2017 - causing the company's stocks to do the same. CEO Roger Rawlins attributed this to "an unusually severe hurricane season" in an earnings release.
But the company is determined to win back customers who enjoy the convenience of online shopping, Rawlins and Simon Nankervis, DSW's chief commercial officer, told Business Insider. DSW plans to achieve this by adding new in-store features, including a brand-new store design that blends fun with functionality, a concierge area for shoe repair and shoe donation, a full-service nail salon, as well as an overhaul of its rewards program (which currently boasts 25 million members, according to a press release announcing the revamp).
Business Insider visited DSW's "lab store" in Columbus, Ohio, to see the changes in person.
