Case Study

Delivering Operational Continuity and Lease Value for Designer Brands Inc.

Designer Brands Inc. logo

Designer Brands Inc. (NYSE: DBI) is a leading designer, producer, and retailer of footwear and accessories with 500+ locations across North America.

Situation

Following the sudden departure of its Head of Real Estate, Designer Brands faced an immediate leadership gap in a mission-critical function responsible for lease strategy, occupancy costs, and new store pipeline.

  • No interim leader in place
  • Risk of stalled lease negotiations and store development activity
  • Need for seamless coordination across Real Estate, Finance, Legal, and Operations

RCS Real Estate Advisors was retained to provide interim executive leadership and stabilize the function.

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Scope of Engagement

RCS assumed full operational responsibility for the real estate division, including:

  • Integration and oversight of the internal real estate team
  • Coordination between real estate operations and Finance, Legal, Construction, and Store Operations
  • Execution and negotiation of lease renewals and new store growth strategy
  • Reporting to C-suite and maintaining board-level visibility
Duration:

4 months (interim leadership role)

Actions & Execution

Key Initiative

Outcome

Staff leadership and realignment:

Retained full team continuity; avoided workflow disruption

Lease negotiations:

34 renewal transactions completed ahead of schedule

Market growth:

Facilitated a high-profile new store opening in New York City

Stakeholder alignment:

Re-established cross-functional collaboration and reporting discipline

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Results & Value Creation

Impact Area
Result
Operational Continuity

Zero interruption to pipeline and budgeting cycles

Execution Speed

Compressed renewal timelines to protect cash flow and occupancy certainty

Real Estate Value

Secured renewal terms supporting EBITDA and long-term portfolio health

Scalable Growth

Enabled DBI leadership to search for a permanent head of real estate without operational risk

Strategic Significance for Investors & Retail Operators

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Private Equity Perspective:

  • Demonstrates a scalable interim leadership model that preserves EBITDA, mitigates risk, and protects portfolio value during executive turnover.

Retail Executive Perspective:

  • Highlights RCS’s ability to function as an embedded operator—not just advisor—delivering measurable outcomes and ensuring business continuity.

Legacy & Ongoing Partnership

Following the successful engagement, RCS continues to serve as a trusted advisor to Designer Brands Inc., assisting in portfolio strategy, lease optimization, and long-term real estate planning.

RCS Real Estate Advisors

Transforming your real estate expense into a strategic advantage.

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