People who cannot pass a shoe store without stopping in, take note.
DSW, a self-service shoe chain that typically draws customers from 15 to 20 miles away, opens its first store in the Tampa Bay area Nov. 21.
Depending on the reception, there could be more. Located at 15020 N Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa, DSW is the first local store for Retail Ventures Inc. That's a Columbus, Ohio, retailer controlled by the Schottenstein family that also owns Filene's Basement in New England and the Value City discount stores in the Midwest.
DSW, which stands for Designer Shoe Warehouse, promises 165 department store brand names mixed among the 29,000 pairs of shoes in stock. That's several thousand fewer pairs than Nordstrom has and about half the selection carried at a Dillard's in one of the region's larger malls. That's because not all sizes are in stock at DSW, so shopping becomes more of a treasure hunt. Rockport, Nine West, Timberland and Kenneth Cole sightings are frequent. The Tampa DSW will not carry children's shoes.
"We're not an off-price retailer because our selection is the current season," said Mike Levison, DSW vice president of marketing. "Some of it may be closeouts, but there are no irregulars, and it's all current season."
Prices are as much as 50 percent below regular department store prices. But be forewarned: If you wear a pair outside the store, DSW will not take them back for a return.
