Shoe Lover's Peek at DSW Canada

Did you know that shoes have been a huge part of my life? Some of you may not know, that I grew up in the shoe biz with my very first job as a cashier at Town Shoes in 1989, and that I then moved on to manage their stores in Kitchener, Ottawa and even Bloor Street (where I sold Erica Ehm her wedding shoes)!  When I became the Director of Marketing, I really started to understand retail and the shoe biz from a totally different perspective, living each day understanding a woman's obsession with shoes and how to speak to a true "shoe-aholic".

About 7 years out of the biz, and about 104 shoes later (damn, I miss my discount), I was thrilled to attend the DSW Canada (owned by Town Shoes) media event with my bestie.  Let's be honest, what could possibly be better than a glass of wine and shoe shopping with you BFF? 

I couldn't believe the size of the new DSW Canada store in Mississauga.  About 20,000 square feet of a pure shoe lover's paradise.  This is not a store to take the kids to- they don't sell kids shoes like it's sister division The Shoe Company- but instead it's a store to visit with a girlfriend or alone to find some much needed "me time" while trying on some of the 22,000 pairs! 

This is barely a glimpse in the 20,000 square foot store!

The two new Canadian retail locations, Heartland Centre in Mississauga and Woodland Hills in Newmarket (I hear it's over 23,000 square feet!) will open their doors August 7th to the delight of shoe lovers everywhere!  Don't even get me started on the fabulous service, now offered at all DSW stores- tongue-in-cheek signs at the cash, one gift card for all banners and even staff on the floor with iPads.  These iPads will be used to look up sizes at other locations and to sign you up for their NEW unique loyalty program for shoe lovers, that will allow customers to earn and redeem points at all banners across Canada; Town Shoes, The Shoe Company, Shoe Warehouse, and DSW Canada locations.

The big question is can shoppers can expect the same brands they've come to love in the U.S...the answer is yes AND no- DSW Canada will be carrying their core assortment of leading brands like Nine West, Ralph Lauren, Sam Edelman, Cole Haan, Steve Madden, Sketchers, Clarks, Converse, Nike, Keds, and Coach (to name a few) but we also spotted House of Harlow, Frye, Ivanka Trump and Jessica Simpson added in the mix- all at up to 40% off the suggested retail price!

After putting my two choices on Instagram for my friends to vote on, I've already bought my first pair at DSW Canada- an adorable pair of Nine West leopard flats.  So what are you waiting for?  Shoe lover's paradise has already arrived!  PS....you can NEVER have too many shoes!

Follow DSWCanada on Instagram, Facebook or the hashtag #DSWCanada for your new shoe fix!