Retail Ventures Posts 2.2% November Comp Gain

Retail Ventures total sales for the four weeks ended
November 29, 2003, increased 6.7% to $254.0 million from $238.1 million for the four weeks ended November 30, 2002. The company's same store sales increased 2.2% for the four week period.

Total sales for the forty-three weeks ended November 29, 2003,
increased 5.9% to $2.128 billion from $2.010 billion for the
forty-three weeks ended November 30, 2002. The company's same store
sales increased 1.1% for the forty-three week period.

Retail sales statistics are as follows:

                                  Four weeks ended ($ in thousands)

                             -----------------------------------------

                              November 29, 2003    November 30, 2002

                             -------------------  --------------------

                                    $       %           $         %

  --------------------------------------------------------------------

  Total Sales

     Value City Department

      Stores                   $ 160,054   63.0    $ 160,636    67.4

     DSW Shoe Warehouse           63,507   25.0       50,166    21.1

     Filene's Basement            30,448   12.0       27,285    11.5

  --------------------------------------------------------------------

                               $ 254,009  100.0    $ 238,087   100.0

  ====================================================================

  Comparable Sales

   Percentage

     Value City Department

      Stores                               (0.4)%              (10.3)%

     DSW Shoe Warehouse                     9.5 %                2.6 %

     Filene's Basement                      6.7 %               (5.3)%

  --------------------------------------------------------------------

                                            2.2 %               (7.8)%

  ====================================================================
                                  Year to Date ($ in thousands)

                             -----------------------------------------

                              November 29, 2003    November 30, 2002

                             -------------------  --------------------

                                    $       %           $         %

  --------------------------------------------------------------------

  Total Sales

     Value City Department

      Stores                   $1,214,863  57.1    $1,223,343   60.9

     DSW Shoe Warehouse           654,653  30.8       535,168   26.6

     Filene's Basement            258,258  12.1       251,548   12.5

  --------------------------------------------------------------------

                               $2,127,774 100.0    $2,010,059  100.0

  ====================================================================
  Comparable Sales

   Percentage

     Value City Department

      Stores                               (0.4)%               (5.6)%

     DSW Shoe Warehouse                     4.6 %                0.5 %

     Filene's Basement                      1.3 %                1.1 %

  --------------------------------------------------------------------

                                            1.1 %               (3.6)%

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