Retail Ventures Posts 10.5% February Comp Increase

Retail Ventures total sales for the four weeks ended February 28,
2004, increased 14.6% to $166.1 million from $145.0 million for the four weeks
ended March 1, 2003. The company's same store sales increased 10.5% for the
four week period.

    Retail sales statistics are as follows:


                                          Four weeks ended ($ in thousands)
                                        February 28, 2004       March 1, 2003
                                          $            %          $        %
    Total Sales
      Value City Department Stores    $93,943         56.5    $88,739     61.2
      DSW Shoe Warehouse               51,285         30.9     39,977     27.6
      Filene's Basement                20,910         12.6     16,298     11.2
                                     $166,138        100.0   $145,014    100.0

    Comparable Sales Percentage
      Value City Department Stores                    5.9%             (11.2)%
      DSW Shoe Warehouse                             16.0%             (14.2)%
      Filene's Basement                              22.8%             (13.2)%
                                                     10.5%             (12.1)%