Designer Brands Inc Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

The following is excerpted from the question-and-answer section of the transcript.

Question: Mauricio Serna - UBS Investment Bank - Analyst : Good morning and thanks for taking my questions. First, I wanted to maybe you could talk a little bit more about what you're seeing on a quarter to date. And you mentioned you were pleased with the comp sales performance so far, but maybe you could give us a little bit of insight. How does that compare to, you know, the comp sales that you had in Q4? And then maybe you could provide a little bit more details on the guidance are for the interest expenses. You know, how should we think about interest expenses for 2024? Thank you.

Question: Mauricio Serna - UBS Investment Bank - Analyst : Got it. Very helpful. And then maybe on stick, if I'm thinking about the operating margin, it seems that gross profit could be sorry, gross margin could be flat. But and you were mentioning maybe some a slight expense leverage. So if I put those things together, I think you're expecting like

Question: Dylan Douglas Carden - William Blair & Company L.L.C. - Analyst : Please go ahead with your question was just trying to kind of simplify this a little bit for the kind of sales guide on the year. I know you're not going to guide component pieces of it. But as you start lapping maybe a full branded portfolio provide you're making other acquisitions is the idea here that DSW banner is going to be doing more of the heavy lifting until that portfolio kind of finds footing? Or just given the be kind of on sales or sort of the expectation on sales this quarter versus the comp just trying to kind of set expectations appropriately for the year if that makes sense. REFINITIV STREETEVENTS | www.refinitiv.com | Contact Us consent of Refinitiv. 'Refinitiv' and the Refinitiv logo are registered trademarks of Refinitiv and its affiliated companies. MARCH 21, 2024 / 12:30PM, DBI.N - Q4 2023 Designer Brands Inc Earnings Call

Question: Dylan Douglas Carden - William Blair & Company L.L.C. - Analyst : Sorry, I missed that, but the mid-single digit brand side, that's more or less given timing of acquisitions, the not organic growth,

Question: Dylan Douglas Carden - William Blair & Company L.L.C. - Analyst : I just apologize for missing that commentary, but the mid-single digit growth on the branded side, given the timing of acquisitions is closer than that organic growth sounds like, correct?

Question: Dylan Douglas Carden - William Blair & Company L.L.C. - Analyst : And is there anything I guess, the when should you start seeing potentially, I guess, kind of to reset or to level set some of the merchandising architecture within the DSW banner, the idea of pulling out these ancillary brands and kind of adding our own brand portfolio, some of the shift has maybe shifted, too. Is these other purchase brand. Just how does the assortment look next year at the DSW level as far as sort of own brand mix and how that kind of helps the overall banner?

Question: Dylan Douglas Carden - William Blair & Company L.L.C. - Analyst : Thanks for that. And then final one for me, whether presumably continue to be volatile, any kind of incremental ways you can mitigate that either between kind of being lean on inventory or athletic penetration? REFINITIV STREETEVENTS | www.refinitiv.com | Contact Us consent of Refinitiv. 'Refinitiv' and the Refinitiv logo are registered trademarks of Refinitiv and its affiliated companies. MARCH 21, 2024 / 12:30PM, DBI.N - Q4 2023 Designer Brands Inc Earnings Call

Question: Dana Telsey - Telsey Advisory Group - Analyst : Hi, good morning, everyone. As you think about just the health and the state of the consumer, whether it's in the US or whether it is in Canada, what are you seeing that are the same or the differences? And how has that changed exiting 2023 and into 2024 so far, whether online or in-store and speaking about stores, how are you thinking about your store base in 2024 whether it's openings or closings? And lastly, very good. Very nice hire in welcoming Andrea to the fold. As you think about the assortment and category assortment and margin profile, what looks different a year from now than what it is today in attracting customers and gaining market share? Thank you.

Question: Dana Telsey - Telsey Advisory Group - Analyst : Thank you.