The Shoe's on the Other Foot

Stein Mart Inc. (Jacksonville, Fla.) has announced that DSW Shoe Warehouse — a division of Value City Department Stores (Columbus, Ohio) — will merchandise the shoe departments in roughly 60 percent of its stores.

DSW will begin operations in a pilot group of Stein Mart stores in the next 30 days, with a phased introduction into a total of 157 Stein Mart stores to be completed by March 2003.

Stein Mart announced in June that it was terminating its merchandising agreement with Footstar Inc. (West Nyack, N.Y.) when their agreement regarding the shoe departments in 161 Stein Mart stores expires in February 2003. The remaining 103 Stein Mart stores will continue to be served by Nine West Group Inc. (White Plains, N.Y.).

DSW Shoe Warehouse also operates 117 of its own stores in major metropolitan areas throughout the country.