SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Business Operations- DSW Inc., together with its subsidiaries, is a leading North American footwear and accessories designer, producer and retailer.

On November 5, 2018, we completed the acquisition of all of the outstanding securities of Camuto LLC, dba Camuto Group ("Camuto Group"), a footwear design and brand development organization, from Camuto Group LLC (the "Sellers"). The Camuto Group acquisition provides us a global production, sourcing and design infrastructure, including operations in Brazil and China, a new state-of-the-art distribution center in New Jersey, footwear licenses of brands, including Jessica Simpson® and Lucky Brand®, branded e-commerce sites, and joint venture participation in the ED Ellen DeGeneres® and Mercedes Castillo® brands managed by Camuto Group. Additionally, in partnership with Authentic Brands Group LLC, a global brand management and marketing company, we formed ABG-Camuto, LLC ("ABG-Camuto"), a joint venture in which we have a 40% interest. This joint venture acquired several intellectual property rights from the Sellers, including Vince Camuto®, Louise et Cie®, Sole Society®, CC Corso Como®, Enzo Angiolini® and others, and will focus on licensing and developing new category extensions to support the global growth of these brands. ABG-Camuto has entered into a licensing agreement with us, which will earn royalties from the net sales of Camuto Group under the brands acquired.

On May 10, 2018, we acquired the remaining interest in Town Shoes Limited ("TSL") that we did not previously own. Beginning with our second quarter of fiscal 2018, TSL ceased being accounted for under the equity method of accounting and was accounted for as a consolidated wholly-owned subsidiary. TSL is a retailer of branded footwear in Canada, primarily under The Shoe Company, Shoe Warehouse, and DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse banners, as well as related e-commerce sites. Subsequent to the acquisition, and as a result of our strategic review, we decided to exit TSL's Town Shoes banner with plans to close its 38 locations by the end of fiscal 2018. As a result of this acquisition, we now present two reportable segments: the U.S. Retail segment, which was previously presented as the DSW segment, and the Canada Retail segment.

Our Affiliated Business Group ("ABG") partners with other retailers to help build and optimize their in-store and online footwear businesses by leveraging our sourcing network to produce a merchandise assortment that meets their needs. ABG currently provides service to Stein Mart stores, Steinmart.com, and a Frugal Fannie's store through ongoing supply arrangements. During fiscal 2017, Gordmans (a previous ABG partner) filed a voluntary petition for relief under Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code and announced a plan to close its stores. Stage Stores, Inc. acquired 58 Gordmans' stores and we provided services for these stores through the end of fiscal 2017 to support their transition.

On March 4, 2016, we acquired Ebuys, Inc. ("Ebuys"), an off price footwear and accessories retailer operating in digital marketplaces. Due to recurring operating losses incurred by Ebuys since its acquisition, as well as increased competitive pressures in the digital marketplace, during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2017, we decided to exit the business and ended all operations in the first quarter of fiscal 2018.

On August 2, 2016, we signed an agreement with the Apparel Group as an exclusive franchise partner in the Gulf Coast region of the Middle East. Under this franchise agreement, three franchise stores in this region are in operation.

Basis of Presentation- The accompanying unaudited, condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by management in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, we do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The accompanying financial statements reflect all adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the results for the interim periods presented. All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature. The condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows for these interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected in future periods. The balance sheet at February 3, 2018 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date, as restated for the adoption of the new accounting standard for revenue recognition (refer to Note 3, Revenue). The financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 3, 2018, filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on March 23, 2018.

Fiscal Year- Our fiscal year ends on the Saturday nearest to January 31. References to a fiscal year refer to the calendar year in which the fiscal year begins.

Accounting Policies- The complete summary of significant accounting policies is included in the notes to the consolidated financial statements as presented in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended February 3, 2018.

Principles of Consolidation- The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of DSW Inc. and its subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. All amounts are in United States dollars ("USD"), unless otherwise noted.

Use of Estimates- The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Significant estimates are required as a part of sales returns, depreciation and amortization, valuation of inventories, gift card breakage income, deferred revenue associated with loyalty programs, impairments of long-lived assets, intangibles and goodwill, legal reserves, accrual for lease obligations, income taxes, self-insurance reserves, and valuations used to account for acquisitions. Although these estimates are based on management's knowledge of current events and actions it may undertake in the future, actual results could differ from these estimates.

Revenue Recognition- Sales are recognized upon customer receipt of merchandise, net of estimated returns and exclude sales tax. Customers can purchase products from us at one of our stores, online or from our mobile application. For products shipped directly to our customers, we recognize the sale upon the estimated customer receipt date based on historical delivery transit times. Revenue from shipping and handling is recorded in net sales while the related costs are included in cost of sales. For products shipped directly to our customers from our suppliers (referred to as “drop ship”), we record gross sales upon delivery based on the price paid by the customers as we have determined that we are the principal party responsible for the sale transaction.

ABG supplies footwear to other retailers under supply arrangements. We maintain ownership of the merchandise we supply under these arrangements, including risk of loss, returns, shrink up to a certain percentage and loss of inventory value, until customer receipt. Furthermore, we are responsible for the footwear assortment, inventory fulfillment, and pricing at all locations and online. As a result, sales are recognized upon receipt by the end customer, net of estimated returns and exclude sales tax. The affiliated retailers provide the sales associates and retail space. We pay a percentage of net sales as rent, which is included in cost of sales as occupancy expense.

Gift Cards- Amounts received from the sale of gift cards are recorded as a liability and are recognized as sales when the cards are redeemed for merchandise. Based on historical information, the likelihood of a gift card remaining unredeemed (referred to as “breakage”) can be reasonably estimated at the time of gift card issuance. Breakage income is recognized over the estimated average redemption period of redeemed gift cards.

Loyalty Programs- We offer a loyalty program to our customers in the U.S. and a loyalty program to our customers in Canada. Members under both programs earn points based on their level of spending, as well as for various other activities. Upon reaching a specified point threshold, members receive reward certificates that may be redeemed for purchases made within the stated expiration date. We record a reduction of net sales when points are awarded based on an allocation of the initial customer purchase and the stand-alone value of the points earned. We maintain a deferred liability for the outstanding points and certificates based on historical conversion and redemption rates. The deferred liability is reduced and sales are recognized when certificates are redeemed or when points and certificates expire.

Franchise Revenue and Costs- Franchise revenue consists of royalties and other fees paid by franchisees, as well as merchandise sales to franchisees, and is included in franchise and other revenue in the consolidated statements of operations. Royalties are earned based upon a percentage of reported franchise sales and are recognized on a monthly basis when earned. Merchandise sales and any related shipping charges are recognized as franchise revenue upon receipt of goods by the franchisee. The cost of goods sold to franchisees and related shipping costs are recognized as franchise costs at the same time franchise revenue is recognized.

Other Revenue- Other revenue consists of rental income on owned properties and is included in franchise and other revenue in the consolidated statements of operations.

Income Taxes- On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the "U.S. Tax Reform") was enacted in the U.S., which significantly changed how the U.S. taxes corporations. The U.S. Tax Reform reduced the federal statutory tax rate from 35% to 21% and requires complex computations to be performed that were not previously required in U.S. tax law. The U.S. Treasury Department, the U.S. Internal Revenue Service, and other standard-setting bodies could interpret or issue guidance on how provisions of the U.S. Tax Reform will be applied or otherwise administered that is different from our interpretation. We have not completed our determination of the accounting implications of the U.S. Tax Reform and no changes were recorded during the nine months ended November 3, 2018 to the provisional amounts recorded as of February 3, 2018. However, we have reasonably estimated the effects and recorded provisional amounts in our consolidated financial statements as of November 3, 2018. As we complete our analysis of the U.S. Tax Reform, collect and prepare necessary data, and interpret any additional guidance, we may make adjustments to provisional amounts that we have recorded that may materially impact our provision for income taxes in the period in which the adjustments are made. We expect this analysis to be complete during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. Offsetting the favorable impact from the U.S. Tax Reform, during the nine months ended November 3, 2018, we had additional tax provision expense of $25.1 million due to recording a valuation allowance associated with deferred tax assets and nondeductible discrete items, primarily related to the charges recorded as a result of the acquisition of TSL. As a result, our effective tax rate changed from 39.0% for the nine months ended October 28, 2017 to 62.6% for the nine months ended November 3, 2018.

Cash, Cash Equivalents, and Restricted Cash- Cash and cash equivalents represent cash, money market funds and credit card receivables that generally settle within three days.

Inventories- All of our inventory is made up of finished goods. The U.S. Retail segment inventory is accounted for using the retail inventory method and is stated at the lower of cost or market. Under the retail inventory method, the valuation of inventories at cost and the resulting gross profits are determined by applying a calculated cost-to-retail ratio to the retail value of inventories. The cost basis of inventories reflected on the balance sheet is decreased by charges to cost of sales at the time the retail value of the inventory is lowered by markdowns. As a result, earnings are negatively impacted as the merchandise is marked down prior to sale. The Canada Retail segment inventory is accounted for using the weighted average cost method and is stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. We monitor aged inventory for obsolete and slow moving inventory that may need to be liquidated in the future at amounts below cost. Reductions to inventory values establish a new cost basis. Favorable changes in facts or circumstances do not result in an increase in the newly established cost basis.

We perform physical inventory counts or cycle counts on all inventory on hand throughout the year and adjust the recorded balance to reflect the results. We record estimated shrinkage between physical inventory counts based on historical experience and recent results.

Inherent in the calculation of inventories are certain significant judgments and estimates, including setting the original merchandise retail value, markdowns, shrinkage, and liquidation values. The ultimate amount realized from the sale of inventory and write offs from counts could differ from management estimates.

Goodwill- We evaluate goodwill for impairment annually during our fourth quarter, or more frequently if an event occurs or circumstances change that would indicate that impairment may exist. When evaluating goodwill for impairment, we may first perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that a reporting unit is impaired. If we do not perform a qualitative assessment, or if we determine that it is more likely than not that the carrying value of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, we will calculate the estimated fair value of the reporting unit. Fair value is typically calculated using a discounted cash flow analysis. For certain reporting units, where deemed appropriate, we may also utilize a market approach for estimating fair value. Goodwill impairment charges are calculated as the amount by which a reporting unit's carrying value exceeds its fair value, not to exceed the carrying value of goodwill.

On May 10, 2018, as discussed in more detail in Note 2, Acquisitions, we acquired the remaining interest in TSL, which resulted in recording $29.8 million of goodwill, after adjustments. Based on the fair value of TSL using a discounted cash flow model (categorized as Level 3 under the fair value hierarchy defined below), we determined that the value of the acquired net assets exceeded its fair value. As a result, during the nine months ended November 3, 2018, we recorded a goodwill impairment charge, net of adjustments as a result of recording adjustments to the preliminary purchase allocations, which resulted in impairing all of TSL’s goodwill.

Fair Value- Fair value is defined as the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Assets and liabilities recorded at fair value are categorized using defined hierarchical levels related to the subjectivity associated with the inputs to fair value measurements as follows:


•	Level 1 - Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.


•	Level 2 - Quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in active markets or inputs that are observable.


•	Level 3 - Unobservable inputs in which little or no market activity exists.

We measure available-for-sale investments at fair value on a recurring basis. These investments are measured using a market-based approach using inputs such as prices of similar assets in active markets (categorized as Level 2), except for an immaterial amount of investments measured based on quoted market prices in active markets (categorized as Level 1) as of October 28, 2017. The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivables and accounts payables approximated their fair values due to their short-term nature.

Foreign Currency Translation and Transactions- Prior to our acquisition of the remaining interest in TSL, our equity investment in TSL and notes receivable from TSL, along with certain investments, were denominated in Canadian dollars ("CAD") and translated into USD at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date. Each quarter, the income or loss from TSL was recorded in USD at the average exchange rate for the period. The cumulative translation adjustments resulting from changes in exchange rates are included in the consolidated balance sheets as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. As a result of the acquisition, we reclassified a net loss of $12.2 million of foreign currency translation related to the previously held balances from accumulated other comprehensive loss to non-operating expenses, net.

Beginning with the second quarter of fiscal 2018, TSL is a wholly-owned subsidiary with CAD as their functional currency. Assets and liabilities of TSL are translated into USD at exchange rates in effect at the balance sheet date or historical rates as appropriate. Each quarter, amounts from TSL included in our consolidated statements of operations are translated at the average exchange rate for the period. The cumulative translation adjustments resulting from changes in exchange rates are included in the consolidated balance sheets as a component of accumulated other comprehensive loss. Transaction gains and losses are included in the consolidated statements of operations.

Prior Period Reclassification- Certain prior period reclassifications were made to conform to the current period presentation. Prepaid rent to related parties was reclassified to prepaid expenses and other current assets and long-term prepaid rent to related parties was reclassified to other assets in our consolidated balance sheets.

Recent Accounting Pronouncements- In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2016-02, Leases, which will change how we account for leases. For most leases, a liability will be recorded on the balance sheet based on the present value of future lease obligations with a corresponding right-of-use asset. Primarily for those leases currently classified by us as operating leases, we will recognize a single lease cost on a straight-line basis based on the combined amortization of the lease obligation and the right-of-use asset. Other leases will be required to be accounted for as financing arrangements similar to current accounting for capital leases. The standard is effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal 2019. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, Leases - Targeted Improvements, that provided a practical expedient that removed the requirement to restate prior period financial statements upon adoption of the standard, which we plan to elect. The standard also provides a practical expedient, by class of underlying assets, to not separate non-lease components from the associated lease component. We plan to elect this practical expedient for all real estate leases and we are evaluating this expedient for other classes of underlying assets. At transition, we plan to elect the package of practical expedients, which allows us to carry forward the historical lease classification and not reassess whether any expired or existing contracts are or contain leases. We do not plan to elect the use of hindsight to determine the term of our leases at transition. We are progressing with our implementation plan, with remaining tasks primarily relating to updating our processes and controls and maintaining our lease database for changes through the implementation date. We estimate approximately $0.9 billion of lease assets and $1.0 billion of lease liabilities will be added to our consolidated balance sheets at the beginning of the first quarter of fiscal 2019, excluding any additional leases as a result of the acquisition of Camuto Group, and we are not anticipating an adjustment to retained earnings.

In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other-Internal - Use Software, which aligns the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement that is a service contract with the requirements for capitalizing implementation costs incurred to develop or acquire internal-use software. This update is effective for us in the first quarter of fiscal 2020 and early adoption is permitted. We plan to adopt this guidance using a prospective approach at the beginning of the first quarter of fiscal 2019. We do not expect the adoption of this guidance to have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.