Designer Brands Inc. executive Jim Weinberg has exited the company, DBI confirmed to FN on Tuesday.
“We recently announced internally that Jim Weinberg will be stepping down as chief merchandising officer of DBI,” a company spokesperson told FN in a statement. “Our organization is grateful for Jim’s contributions to our retail and brands businesses.”
In regards to a successor, the company said that it will add merchandising roles to its leadership team in the future but is evaluating what the right structure for its business will be going forward.
Weinberg was named chief merchandising officer of the DBI-owned DSW Designer Shoe Warehouse chain in 2019. He had previously served as general merchandising manager for the company’s women’s footwear and exclusive brands business since 2015. Before joining DBI, Weinberg served in several leadership roles at companies such as Macy’s, The May Department Stores Co., Kellwood Apparel and Burlington Stores, according to the DBI website.
Weinberg declined to comment on his departure.
The news marks the latest executive shift at DBI as it works toward its goal to double sales from owned brands and Camuto Group owned and licensed brands to almost one-third of total sales by 2026, a goal Weinberg was strongly involved in pursuing in his role heading up merchandising.
In August, DBI announced that Bill Jordan, the president of Designer Brands Inc. and Camuto LLC, would step down from both positions in December. And in July, Designer Brands tapped Laura Denk as president of DSW and EVP of Designer Brands. In her new role at DBI, Denk is tasked with overseeing DSW’s nearly 500 store locations across the U.S., as well as its e-commerce channel. She will also be charged with helping DSW bolster its portfolio of owned and national brands and will report to DBI CEO Doug Howe, who previously served as DSW president until being promoted to CEO in April.
Last month, DBI reaffirmed its outlook for the year after posting better-than-expected sales and earnings in the second quarter. Howe said in a statement at the time that he anticipates that “near-term headwinds will persist” for the company moving forward, though he maintained confidence in DBI’s growth trajectory, particularly in its owned-brand business and partnerships.
DBI is beefing up its portfolio of national brands as well. In June, the retailer said it would reenter into a partnership with Nike to sell footwear at DSW stores, following a halt to the partnership in 2022, when Nike accelerated its shift toward direct channels.