DSW history

Jerome Schottenstein spent nearly a half-century building his father's business into a modern corporation, becoming chief executive officer and chairman of the family's business interests, organized as a privately held enterprise named Schottenstein Stores Corporation, in 1972.

Since its founding in 1991, DSW has grown into a major force in retail footwear.

Together, the company's numerous affiliates, subsidiaries, and divisions represented a $1.5 billion retail empire, the legacy Schottenstein left to his family after he passed away in March 1992.

In 1998, the company was acquired by Value City.

Value City added another retail chain to its holdings in March 2000, paying $89 million for a bankrupt 19-store chain operating under the name Filene's Basement.

In mid-2001, Schottenstein Stores Corp. announced that it intended to acquire all of Value City's subsidiaries.

Organizational changes resurfaced in 2003, when Value City altered its corporate structure by forming a new holding company named Retail Ventures, Inc.

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.

In April 2008, the company launched its e-commerce website.

In 2011, the company acquired Retail Ventures, its largest shareholder.

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.

In February 2016, the company acquired Ebuys for $62.5 million.

In March 2017, the company reached a deal with Under Armour to carry Under Armour shoes in DSW stores.

In May 2018, the company acquired the remaining shares of Town Shoes to obtain complete ownership of the company.

In February 2019, the company announced an addition of nail salons to 5 stores, after testing the concept in 2 stores in Columbus, Ohio.