DSW kicked off its new DSW VIP loyalty program by collecting insights into the relationship between women and shoes through a survey taken by its loyal membership.

According to AudienceSCAN, 24.7% women's footwear shoppers are between the ages of 25 to 34. They're also 79% more likely than other adults to have annual household incomes of $150,000 and over.

Results from the March 2018 survey, completed by 4,383 of DSW's female loyalty members, reveals how closely their feelings about shoe shopping align with the perks of DSW VIP, including:

• More than a third of women report concealing a shoe purchase from their significant other. DSW VIP enables members to bypass home delivery with its buy online, pick-​up in store option. (According to AudienceSCAN, 58.1% of women's footwear shoppers are married, 5.1% are single, but cohabiting with a significant other and 3.5% are in a domestic partnership or civil union)
• 25% of women have a pair of shoes in their closet that is more than 12 years old. Members are invited to donate their shoes to earn points at all 500+ U.S. locations.
• More than a third of women buy new shoes at least once a month. Club and Gold members earn 1 point for every $1 spent, while Elite earns 2 points for every $1 spent.
• Nearly 75% of women own more than 21 pairs of shoes, and 95% own more than 10 pairs. Try new trends without penalty with free shipping and free returns to stores for all VIP members and free returns for up to a year for Elite.
• 64% of women say that the right pair of shoes makes them feel confident. Members can shop for the right pair while earning more rewards more often, with $5 given for every 100 points earned.
• Nearly half of women chose a comfortable shoe such as sandals, tennis shoes, and loafers, when asked what type of shoes they would wear for the rest of their life. Gold members can stock up on their favorite styles during double points shopping days and Elite members can during double and triple points shopping days.
• 32% of women say they love stilettos but feel they cannot pull them off. With the new $5 birthday reward for Club and Gold, and $10 birthday reward for Elite, customers will get that extra nudge to try something new for any occasion.

At the end of the day, women's footwear shoppers value comfort over fashion. According to AudienceSCAN, within the next year, 51.9% of these shoppers want to buy things that help them feel comfortable versus the 41.6% who want to buy things that make them feel attractive.

According to AudienceSCAN, the TV is where 45.6% of women's footwear shoppers get most of their local news. It's also where 74.4% saw ads that motivated them to take action within the past year. If that doesn't work, try ads on social media like the ones 66.2% responded to within the past year. They're also 37% more likely than other adults to share good experiences on social media, so they may share your ads to further the brand's message.

AudienceSCAN data is available for your applications and dashboards through the SalesFuel API. Media companies and agencies can access AudienceSCAN data through the AudienceSCAN Reports in AdMall.