COLUMBUS, Ohio, Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Retail Ventures, Inc. (NYSE: RVI) announced today that total sales for the thirteen weeks ended January 31, 2009 increased 0.8% to $455.5 million from $452.0 million for the thirteen weeks ended February 2, 2008. The company's same store sales decreased 7.9% for the comparable thirteen week period.

Total sales for the fifty-two weeks ended January 31, 2009 increased 0.7% to $1.89 billion from $1.87 billion for the fifty-two weeks ended February 2, 2008. The company's same store sales decreased 5.1% for the comparable fifty- two week period.

    Retail sales statistics are as follows:
                               Fiscal Quarter ended ($ in thousands)
                            January 31, 2009      February 2, 2008
                                   $       %              $      %
    Total Sales
    DSW                      $348,150    76. 4%      $332,520    73. 6%
    Filene's Basement         107,318    23. 6%       119,513    26. 4%
                             $455,468   100. 0%      $452,033   100. 0%
    Comparable Sales
     Percentage
    DSW                                  (7.2)%                  (1.7)%
    Filene's Basement                    (9.8)%                   4. 8%
                                         (7.9)%                  (0.1)%

                              Fiscal Year ended ($ in thousands)
                            January 31, 2009     February 2, 2008
                                   $       %              $      %
    Total Sales
    DSW                    $1,462,944    77.6 %    $1,405,615    75. 1%
    Filene's Basement         422,099    22.4 %       466,289    24. 9%
                           $1,885,043   100.0 %    $1,871,904   100. 0%
    Comparable Sales
     Percentage
    DSW                                  (5.9)%                  (0.8)%
    Filene's Basement                    (2.6)%                   3. 6%
                                         (5.1)%                   0. 3%

The company plans to discontinue its practice of reporting sales on the first Thursday after the close of the quarter. Beginning in the first quarter of fiscal 2009, Retail Ventures, Inc. will report sales closer in time to when it releases its operating results for that period.

Retail Ventures, Inc. is a holding company whose subsidiaries, DSW and Filene's Basement, operate retail stores. DSW is a leading United States branded footwear specialty retailer operating, as of January 31, 2009, 298 shoe stores in 37 states. DSW also supplies shoes, under supply agreements, to 341 locations for other non-related retailers in the United States and operates dsw.com. Filene's Basement is an off-price retailer operating, as of January 31, 2009, 36 Filene's Basement stores in major metropolitan areas in the northeastern and midwestern United States.

SOURCE Retail Ventures, Inc.