DSW’s Sarah Crockett on building a flexible brand for unpredictable times

One year into her role as global CMO at Designer Shoe Warehouse (DSW), Sarah Crockett is reimagining how the legacy retailer shows up for today’s consumer — across 500 stores, an upgraded e-commerce experience and a newly expanded digital media mix.

But in an environment shaped by economic uncertainty, shifting shopper sentiment and renewed tariff pressures, Crockett and her team are leading with flexibility.

“If we look at the news headlines and see supply chain pressures yet again, what does that ultimately mean that we should be doing to plan around flexibility?” she says. “That might be focusing more on what those unique value points for DSW as a retailer are versus focusing on an individual style of shoe.”

On this episode of The Current Podcast, Crockett sits down with hosts Damian Fowler and Ilyse Liffreing to talk about launching several new marketing channels, leaning into streaming audio and why Gen Z’s renewed interest in brick-and-mortar is a major unlock for DSW.

As Crockett puts it: “That physical shopping experience does not come at the cost of digital engagement…There’s no longer a digital and physical world, and it’s not that black-and-white.”