DSW names marketing chief; acquires Canadian footwear chain

A seasoned marketing executive has joined the leadership team at Designer Brands Inc.

Sarah Crockett has been appointed chief marketing officer of Designer Shoe Warehouse, effective June 6. She will be responsible for overseeing the planning, development and execution of all marketing and advertising initiatives for DSW's nearly 500 U.S. store locations and e-commerce channel.

Crockett joins the footwear giant from Nature’s Sunshine Products, where she served as global chief marketing officer, where she oversaw global product development, research and development, and category positioning in addition to leadership for its wo banner brands, Nature's Sunshine and Synergy Worldwide.

Prior to Nature’s Sunshine, Crockett was global chief marketing officer for Dickies, which is owned by VF Corp. from May 2022 to October 2023. She also served as chief marketing officer at Backcountry and Burton Snowboards.

“Sarah is bringing to DBI an extensive background in global full-funnel marketing, including a comprehensive knowledge of brand strategy development,” CEO Doug Howe said during the company’s first-quarter earnings call. “She also has considerable experience in multichannel and consumer-centric marketing."

Crockett currently sits on the board of directors for Rumpl, a sustainable outdoor blanket brand, and Stance, a sock, underwear and t-shirt brand.

Rubino

Also on the call, Howe said that during the quarter, the company acquired Canadian footwear retailer Rubino, which operates 28 stores throughout the province Quebec.  

“Rubino currently operates stores that offer nearly identical atmospheres and assortments to that of our own shoe company stores,” Howe told analysts. "Rubino already makes sufficient use of its working capital and is expected to contribute to DBI's operating income at about the same rate as our overall Canadian retail segment, and we expect the acquisition to be immediately accretive.”

Noting that Rubino’s customers are loyal to the brand, Howe said that DSW will continue to operate the acquired stores under the Rubino banner.

As of May 7, DSW operated a total of 500 stores in the U.S. and 175 stores in Canada.