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Description of Business and Significant Accounting Policies
9 Months Ended
Nov. 01, 2025
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS

Business Operations- Designer Brands Inc. is one of the world's largest designers, producers, and retailers of footwear and accessories. We operate in three reportable segments: the U.S. Retail segment, the Canada Retail segment, and the Brand Portfolio segment. The U.S. Retail segment operates the DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse ("DSW") banner through its direct-to-consumer stores and e-commerce site in the United States ("U.S."). The Canada Retail segment operates The Shoe Co., DSW, and Rubino banners through its direct-to-consumer stores and e-commerce sites in Canada. The Brand Portfolio segment primarily earns revenue from the wholesale of our branded products to retailers and international distributors and the sale of our Vince Camuto, Keds, and Topo brands through direct-to-consumer e-commerce sites.

Basis of Presentation- The accompanying unaudited, condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared by management in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. ("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 as of February 1, 2025 has been derived from the audited financial statements at that date. The financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and the notes thereto included in the 2024 Form 10-K.

Fiscal Year- Our fiscal year ends on the Saturday nearest to January 31. References to a fiscal year (e.g., "2025") refer to the calendar year in which the fiscal year begins. This reporting schedule is followed by many national retail companies and typically results in a 52-week fiscal year (including 2025 and 2024), but occasionally will contain an additional week resulting in a 53-week fiscal year.

SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Accounting Policies- The complete summary of significant accounting policies is included in the notes to the consolidated financial statements as presented in our 2024 Form 10-K.

Principles of Consolidation- The condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Designer Brands Inc. and its subsidiaries. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. All amounts are in U.S. dollars.

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 dates of the financial statements and reported amounts of net sales and expenses during the reporting periods. Certain estimates and assumptions use forecasted financial information based on information reasonably available to us. Significant estimates and assumptions are required as a part of accounting for customer returns and allowances, gift card breakage income, deferred revenue associated with reward programs, valuation of inventories, depreciation and amortization, impairments of long-lived assets, intangibles, goodwill and investments, lease accounting, redeemable noncontrolling interest, income taxes and valuation allowances on deferred tax assets, and self-insurance reserves. Although we believe that these estimates and assumptions are reasonable, they are based on management's knowledge of current events and actions we may undertake in the future. Changes in facts and circumstances may result in revised estimates and assumptions, and actual results could differ from these estimates.

Severance- During the three months ended November 1, 2025 and November 2, 2024, we incurred severance costs of $3.2 million and $1.2 million, respectively. During the nine months ended November 1, 2025 and November 2, 2024, we incurred severance costs of $7.3 million and $5.5 million, respectively. These costs are included in operating expenses on the condensed consolidated statements of operations and no amounts were material to any individual reportable segment. As of November 1, 2025, February 1, 2025 and November 2, 2024, we had $3.8 million, $1.3 million and $2.0 million, respectively, of severance liability included in accrued expenses on the condensed consolidated balance sheets.
Income Taxes- For the nine months ended November 1, 2025, we used the discrete effective tax method to calculate our interim income tax expense. The discrete method is used when the application of the estimated annual effective tax rate is impractical because it is not possible to reliably estimate the annual effective tax rate. The discrete method treats the year-to-date period as if it was the annual period and determines the income tax expense or benefit on that basis. We determined that using the discrete method is more appropriate at this time due to the high degree of uncertainty in estimating annual pretax earnings as we are unable to predict the severity of macroeconomic uncertainty, whether or when such circumstances may improve or worsen, or the full impact such circumstances could have on our business.

For the three months ended November 1, 2025 and November 2, 2024, our effective tax rate was positive 38.1% and negative 20.2%, respectively, and for the nine months ended November 1, 2025 and November 2, 2024, our effective tax rate was positive 50.0% and negative 7.9%, respectively. The positive effective tax rate for the nine months ended November 1, 2025 differed from the statutory rate primarily due to the impact of permanent non-deductible compensation. The negative effective tax rate for the nine months ended November 2, 2024 was due to discrete tax benefits recognized, primarily related to the release of tax reserves no longer deemed necessary and state tax planning initiatives, which partially offset the tax calculated on income before income taxes at statutory rates.

On July 4, 2025, new U.S. tax legislation H.R.1, referred to as the One Big Beautiful Bill ("OBBB"), was signed into law. OBBB contains several changes to corporate taxation including accelerated fixed asset depreciation, limitations on deductions of interest expense, and modifications to capitalization of research and development expenses. We have determined that the impact of OBBB on our estimated 2025 annual effective tax rate will not have a material impact on our financial statements.

Equity Investment in Pro-Keds JV- On July 28, 2025, we contributed cash of $1.9 million and the Pro-Keds tradename at a fair value of $2.7 million in exchange for a 45.0% interest in Pro-Keds International S.r.l. ("Pro-Keds JV"), which manages the Pro-Keds brand. We account for our investment in Pro-Keds JV, where we exercise significant influence but do not have control, using the equity method.

Fair Value- Fair value is defined as the price that would be received in the sale of 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

The carrying value of cash and cash equivalents, receivables, and accounts payable approximated their fair values due to their short-term nature. The carrying value of borrowings under our ABL Revolver and our Term Loan approximated fair value based on the terms and variable interest rates.

Impairments- During the nine months ended November 1, 2025, we recorded impairment charges to long-lived assets of $1.5 million due to an underperforming U.S. Retail segment store and $1.0 million due to underperforming Canada Retail segment stores, and to a cost-basis investment of $2.0 million due to an interest in an equity security without a readily determinable fair value held at cost, which resulted in no remaining value due to the lack of liquidity and the deterioration in the business prospects of the investee. During the three and nine months ended November 2, 2024, we recorded impairment charges to long-lived assets of $9.2 million due to a vacated leased corporate office, $1.0 million due to an underperforming Canada Retail segment store and $0.6 million due to an underperforming U.S. Retail segment store, and to our equity investment ownership interest in Le Tigre of $7.0 million, resulting in no remaining value, due to the inability of Le Tigre to generate earnings with expected future losses.

Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements- In November 2024, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") 2024-03, Income Statement - Reporting Comprehensive Income - Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Income Statement Expense Disaggregation Disclosures, which requires disaggregated disclosures for specific cost and expense categories such as inventory purchases, employee compensation, depreciation, and amortization, as well as other disclosures. ASU 2024-03 is effective either on a retrospective basis to all prior periods presented or on a prospective basis beginning with our 2027 Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent interim periods. We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting ASU 2024-03 to the notes of the consolidated financial statements.
In September 2025, the FASB issued ASU 2025-06, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other - Internal Use Software (Subtopic 350-40): Targeted Improvements to the Accounting for Internal-Use Software, which eliminates accounting consideration of software project development stages and instead requires capitalization to begin when management authorizes and commits to funding the project and it is probable the software will be completed and used as intended. ASU 2025-06 is effective for us in the first quarter of 2028 and early adoption is permitted either on a retrospective, prospective, or modified prospective approach. We are currently evaluating the impact of ASU 2025-06 on the consolidated financial statements and related disclosures.