Douglas Howe

Chief Executive Officer & Director, Designer Brands

Search every verified Douglas Howe interview, podcast appearance, and on-the-record quote — each transcript cross-checked by AI and human review to confirm speaker identity. During Designer Brands' Q3 2025 earnings conference call on December 9, 2025, CEO Douglas Howe reported that the company delivered adjusted earnings per share of 38 cents, up from 27 cents in the prior year. He stated that the company paid down $47 million of debt in the quarter and said it would continue to fortify its balance sheet. Howe noted that the company is rolling out an elevated in-store experience to two additional locations, including Union Square in New York City and Easton in Columbus, Ohio, and is evaluating which innovation pilots can be scaled across its broader fleet. Howe also discussed the company's sourcing strategy, stating that its team is navigating a dynamic global environment and mitigating the impact of tariffs while advancing efforts to diversify its supply chain. He said the company remains focused on expanding sourcing capabilities across multiple regions to reduce risk related to over-reliance on any single country. Howe described the Vince Camuto brand as a standout performer with continued expansion in door count and shelf space, and noted that other brands including Keds and Jessica Simpson are making steady progress. He added that the company is seeing pressure on digital topline but significant expansion in operating income in that channel.