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UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington , D.C. 20549 ( Mark One ) ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the Fiscal Year Ended January 30 , 2021 or TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 ( d ) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 For the transition period from FORM 10 - K Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( b ) of the Act : Title of each class Class A Common Shares , without par value Securities registered pursuant to Section 12 ( g ) of the Act : None Ohio ( State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization ) 810 DSW Drive , Columbus , Ohio ( Address of principal executive offices ) Commission file number 1-32545 to DESIGNER BRANDS INC . ( Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter ) Large accelerated filer Non - accelerated filer 0 0 Registrant's telephone number , including area code : ( 614 ) 237-7100 Trading Symbol DBI Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well - known seasoned issuer , as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act . Yes No ( I.R.S. Employer Identification No. ) Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15 ( d ) of the Act . Yes No 31-0746639 Name of each exchange on which registered New York Stock Exchange Indicate by check mark whether the registrant ( 1 ) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15 ( d ) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports ) , and ( 2 ) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days . Yes No Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S - T ( § 232.405 of this chapter ) during the preceding 12 months ( or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files ) . Yes No 43219 ( Zip Code ) Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer , an accelerated filer , a non - accelerated filer , a smaller reporting company , or an emerging growth company . See definitions of " large accelerated filer , " " accelerated filer , " " smaller reporting company , " and " emerging growth company " in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company ( as defined in Rule 12b - 2 of the Exchange Act ) . Yes No Accelerated filer Smaller reporting company Emerging growth company If an emerging growth company , indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13 ( a ) of the Exchange Act . Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management's assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404 ( b ) of the Sarbanes - Oxley Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7262 ( b ) ) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report . The aggregate market value of the registrant's Class A common shares held by non - affiliates of the registrant as of August 1 , 2020 , was $ 354,868,881 . DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE Number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of common stock , as of March 15 , 2021 : 64,669,262 Class A common shares and 7,732,786 Class B common shares . Portions of the registrant's definitive Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10 - K .