Designer Brands (NYSE: DBI) grants 506,755 restricted stock units to Executive Chairman

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

Designer Brands Inc. reported that Executive Chairman and 10% owner Jay L. Schottenstein received a grant of 506,755 Restricted Stock Units on April 2, 2026. Each unit represents a contingent right to receive one Class A common share, reflecting a large, stock-based compensation award rather than an open-market trade.

Following this grant, Schottenstein holds 506,755 Restricted Stock Units directly. The units carry a stated exercise and expiration date of April 2, 2029, tying the award to a multi‑year time frame and aligning a substantial portion of his compensation with future shareholder value.

Insider Trade Summary

1 transaction reported

Mixed 1 txn

Insider SCHOTTENSTEIN JAY L

Role Executive Chairman

Type	Security	Shares	Price	Value
Grant/Award	Restricted Stock Unit	506,755	$0.00	--

Holdings After Transaction: Restricted Stock Unit — 506,755 shares (Direct)

Footnotes (1)

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Key Figures

RSUs granted: 506,755 units Transaction price per unit: $0.00 RSU holdings after grant: 506,755 units +2 more

5 metrics

RSUs granted 506,755 units Restricted Stock Unit grant on April 2, 2026

Transaction price per unit $0.00 Stated transaction price for RSU grant

RSU holdings after grant 506,755 units Total Restricted Stock Units directly held after transaction

Exercise date April 2, 2029 RSU exercise date in the filing

Expiration date April 2, 2029 RSU expiration date in the filing

Key Terms

Restricted Stock Unit, Class A Common Shares, grant/award acquisition, Executive Chairman

4 terms

Restricted Stock Unit financial

"Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share"

A restricted stock unit is a promise from a company to give an employee shares of stock after certain conditions are met, like staying with the company for a set amount of time. It’s like earning a bonus that turns into company stock once you’ve proven your commitment, making it a way to motivate and reward employees.

Class A Common Shares financial

"Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Issuer's Class A common stock"

A Class A common share is a specific type of ordinary company share that represents an ownership stake and usually carries particular voting rights or payout priorities compared with other share classes. For investors it matters because those differences affect how much influence you have over company decisions, how dividends or liquidation proceeds might be distributed, and how easily the shares trade — like choosing between car models where one has extra features (more control) and another focuses on price or availability (liquidity).

grant/award acquisition financial

"transaction_action: grant/award acquisition"

Executive Chairman financial

"officer_title: Executive Chairman"

An executive chairman is the board leader who also takes an active role in running the company, combining oversight of the board with hands-on involvement in strategy and major decisions. For investors, this matters because it concentrates influence in one person—like a team captain who both sets the game plan and plays on the field—so their judgment can speed decisions but also increases governance and succession risk that can affect stock value.

Form 4 Insider Transactions: What Each Field Means →

SEC Form 4

FORM 4

UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940

OMB APPROVAL

OMB Number:			3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:			0.5

Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).

Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.

1. Name and Address of Reporting Person^*

SCHOTTENSTEIN JAY L

(Last) (First) (Middle)

SCHOTTENSTEIN STORES CORPORATION

4300 E. FIFTH AVE.

(Street)

COLUMBUS OHIO 43219

(City) (State) (Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)

2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Designer Brands Inc. [ DBI ]

5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)

X	Director	X	10% Owner
X	Officer (give title below)		Other (specify below)
	Executive Chairman

2a. Foreign Trading Symbol

3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
04/02/2026

6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)

X	Form filed by One Reporting Person
	Form filed by More than One Reporting Person

4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3)	2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)			5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4)	6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
			Code	V	Amount	(A) or (D)	Price

Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned (e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3)	2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security	3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)	3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)	4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8)		5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5)		6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)		7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4)		8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5)	9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4)	10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4)	11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
				Code	V	(A)	(D)	Date Exercisable	Expiration Date	Title	Amount or Number of Shares
Restricted Stock Unit	(1)	04/02/2026		A		506,755		04/02/2029	04/02/2029	Class A Common Shares	506,755	$0.0000	506,755	D

Explanation of Responses:

1. Each restricted stock unit represents a contingent right to receive one share of Issuer's Class A common stock.

	Katherine Alfano, Attorney-in-Fact	04/06/2026
	** Signature of Reporting Person	Date
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

FAQ

What did Jay L. Schottenstein acquire in this Form 4 for DBI?

Jay L. Schottenstein received a grant of 506,755 Restricted Stock Units from Designer Brands Inc. Each unit is a contingent right to receive one Class A common share, representing stock-based compensation rather than an open-market purchase or sale.

Is the DBI Form 4 transaction a stock buy or sell by the insider?

The DBI Form 4 reports an acquisition via grant of Restricted Stock Units, not a market buy or sell. The award is compensation-based, with no cash price per unit and a zero stated transaction price per share.

How many Designer Brands restricted stock units were granted to the Executive Chairman?

Designer Brands granted 506,755 Restricted Stock Units to Executive Chairman Jay L. Schottenstein. After this grant, the Form 4 shows he directly holds the same number of units, tying his compensation to future Class A common share performance.

What does each Restricted Stock Unit represent for Designer Brands Inc. (DBI)?

Each Restricted Stock Unit represents a contingent right to receive one Class A common share. This means the insider will receive actual shares in the future if the award’s conditions, such as time-based or performance vesting, are satisfied.

When are the Designer Brands RSUs linked to this Form 4 scheduled around?

The Restricted Stock Units in this DBI filing list an exercise and expiration date of April 2, 2029. That date anchors the award to a multi-year period, aligning the Executive Chairman’s potential share delivery with longer-term company performance.