Survey Reveals DSW's New VIP Rewards Program Caters To Women's Deepest Shoe Shopping Desires

"DSW has been an innovative leader in loyalty since we launched our first rewards program 20 years ago, and since then our 25 million members have enjoyed great perks," says DSW Chief Operating Officer Michele Love. "The new DSW VIP program continues this legacy by offering members compelling benefits and emotional experiences when they shop for shoes. We want to inspire their self-expression. Our customers are very important people, so we want every member to feel like a VIP when they shop at DSW."

DSW designed key program elements around customer feedback, including the ability to earn points by donating shoes, to earn more rewards more often, and to receive free shipping on anything. The new program now includes three tiers: VIP Club (free to join), VIP Gold ($200 annual Spend), and VIP Elite ($500 annual spend). All three tiers receive birthday rewards while Gold and Elite can also give two $5 birthday rewards to friends and enjoy early access to exclusive offers and events.

The loyalty program is about more than just creating engaging customer experiences that inspire self-expression – it's also about giving back. In-store shoe donations will benefit DSW's philanthropic partner Soles4Souls, which creates sustainable jobs and provides relief through the distribution of shoes and clothing in the US, Canada and around the world.

DSW kicked off the new program by collecting insights into the relationship between women and shoes through a survey taken by its loyal membership.  Results from the March 2018 survey, completed by 4,383 of DSW's female loyalty members, reveals how closely their feelings about shoe shopping align with the perks of DSW VIP, including:

• More than a third of women report concealing a shoe purchase from their significant other. DSW VIP enables members to bypass home delivery with its buy online, pick-up in store option.
• 25% of women have a pair of shoes in their closet that is more than 12 years old. Members are invited to donate their shoes to earn points at all 500+ U.S. locations.
• More than a third of women buy new shoes at least once a month. Club and Gold members earn 1 point for every $1 spent, while Elite earns 2 points for every $1 spent.
• Nearly 75% of women own more than 21 pairs of shoes, and 95% own more than 10 pairs. Try new trends without penalty with free shipping and free returns to stores for all VIP members and free returns for up to a year for Elite.
• 64% of women say that the right pair of shoes makes them feel confident. Members can shop for the right pair while earning more rewards more often, with $5 given for every 100 points earned.
• Nearly half of women chose a comfortable shoe such as sandals, tennis shoes, and loafers, when asked what type of shoes they would wear for the rest of their life. Gold members can stock up on their favorite styles during double points shopping days and Elite members can during double and triple points shopping days.
• 32% of women say they love stilettos but feel they cannot pull them off. With the new $5 birthday reward for Club and Gold, and $10 birthday reward for Elite, customers will get that extra nudge to try something new for any occasion.  

For more stats and fun facts from DSW's survey, see the attached infographic.

For more information about DSW VIP and to sign up, visit www.dsw.com/en/us/vip and join the conversation on social media using @DSW and #DSWVIP.

About DSW Inc.

DSW Inc. is a leading branded shoes and accessories retailer that offers a wide selection of brand name and designer shoes and accessories for women, men, and kids. As of May 9, 2018, Designer Shoe Warehouse operates 517 stores in 45 states and operates an e-commerce site, http://www.dsw.com, and a mobile website, http://m.dsw.com. DSW also supplies footwear to 289 leased locations in the United States.

SOURCE DSW Inc.

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