# DSW Facebook Ads: 45% More In-Store Purchases | OVERTOP [Home](/)›[Success stories](/success-stories/)›[Meta Ads](/success-stories/meta-ads/)›DSW Meta Ads success story · Footwear retailer # How DSW grew in-store purchases 45% with Meta ads built for the store and the website. The footwear retailer, with more than 500 stores in the US and over 20 in Canada, stopped judging its Facebook and Instagram ads on online sales alone. One campaign optimized for purchases wherever they happened. BusinessDSW MarketUnited States and Canada GoalMore sales in stores and online ## The results. Compared with its usual campaign, which was optimized for online sales only. - **45%**increase in in-store purchases - **23%**increase in total purchases - **15%**increase in return on ad spend - **4%**increase in online purchases Meta conversion lift test, March 3-31, 2025. ## The challenge. Designer Shoe Warehouse sells designer shoes and accessories online and in hundreds of stores, and owns several private-label footwear brands. Like most retailers, it had optimized its Meta campaigns for online sales, because online sales were what the ads could see. That left a blind spot. A shopper who saw an ad on Instagram and bought the shoes in a store gave the ads no credit, so the system kept chasing website buyers. For a retailer with hundreds of locations, a large share of the sales the ads were causing was missing from the picture. ## What they did. Omnichannel ads · In-store sales data sent to Meta · AI audience and placements One campaign for both channels[Omnichannel sales ads](https://www.facebook.com/business/ads/ad-objectives/sales) optimized a single campaign for online and in-store purchases together, instead of treating the store and the website as separate goals.Store sales sent back to MetaIn-store purchase data was passed securely from DSW’s systems to Meta, so the system could see which ads led to a sale at the register and find more people like those buyers.A simpler accountFewer, broader campaigns, AI-chosen audiences and automatic placements gave the system room to find shoppers instead of boxing it in.Creative that follows the seasonThe ads featured trending and seasonal products, the shoes people were already looking for, to drive both store visits and online orders.Measured with a lift testA [conversion lift test](https://www.facebook.com/business/measurement) compared people who saw the ads with a similar group who did not, which shows the sales the ads actually caused. ## Why it worked. Our read on the decisions behind the numbers, and what any business can take from them. What gets measured gets optimizedThe moment store sales counted, delivery shifted toward people who buy in stores. The ads had been working for the store all along; now they were rewarded for it.Shoppers cross channelsPeople browse on the phone and buy in person, or the other way round. A campaign that sees both behaviors matches how people really shop.Simplicity helps the AIFewer campaigns mean more results per campaign, which helps the system learn faster and spend more efficiently.Cause, not correlationA lift test separates the sales the ads created from the sales that would have happened anyway. That makes the 15% return on ad spend gain a number a finance team can trust. ## How we would run this play for your business. You do not need a national budget to use the same ideas. This is how Overtop Media Digital Marketing puts them to work in our [meta ads management](/meta-ads/). Connect your store salesWe connect your point-of-sale or CRM data securely, so your ads get credit for in-store and phone sales, not only online orders. Our guide to [first-party data and Meta attribution](/insights/meta-capi-first-party-data-attribution-guide/) explains how.One budget for web and storeWe plan spend around total sales, so money moves to whichever channel is bringing customers that week.Bring people to the nearest locationFor multi-location businesses, ads point each shopper to the closest store, with directions one tap away.Prove it with a testWhere budgets allow, we run lift tests so you see what the ads caused. Our [budget allocation guide](/insights/marketing-mix-modeling-budget-allocation-playbook/) shows how that shapes where your next dollar goes. ## Who this play fits. You do not have to be a footwear retailer to use the same approach. It is a strong fit for: - Retailers with stores and a website - Multi-location and franchise brands - Furniture and appliance stores - Specialty food and grocery - Car and powersports dealers - Any business that sells in person and online ## Want results like these? Tell us about your business and your goals. We will show you where Meta ads can bring you customers, and what it would take. [Start growing with Meta ads](#audit) [Or call (704) 237-0707 ›](tel:7042370707) ## More Meta ads success stories. - [ Automotive **11%** more cars sold ### Clay Cooley Automotive Group Read the story › ](/success-stories/meta-ads/clay-cooley-automotive-group/) - [ Home and building **96%** of spam calls filtered out ### Maximo Wood Read the story › ](/success-stories/meta-ads/maximo-wood/) - [ Automotive **3.5X** return on ad spend ### Mazda Motor of America Read the story › ](/success-stories/meta-ads/mazda-motor-of-america/) [See all Meta ads success stories ›](/success-stories/meta-ads/) Results as published by Meta in its DSW success story, measured with a Meta conversion lift test. Results for other businesses will differ. Analysis by Victor Bubuioc, MBA, Digital Performance and Growth Expert, published October 10, 2026.