Beyoncé bounce: Western boot sales jump more than 20% week over week since ‘Cowboy Carter’ launch

Western
boots
have
a
new
protector
in
Beyoncé.

The
country
fashion
staple’s
sales
surged
more
than
20%
in
the
week
after
the
music
superstar
released
her “Cowboy
Carter”
album,
according
to
consumer
behavior
firm
Circana.
That
can
spell
good
news
for
companies
making
the
iconic
shoe,
as
well
as
other
items
that
fit
the
same
Wild
West
aesthetic.

“Cowboy
Carter,”
which
came
out
late
last
month,
marked
the “Halo”
singer’s
foray
into
the

country
genre.
Even
before
the
full
album
dropped,
Circana
reported
notable
boosts
to
unit
sales
for
this
style
of
boot
following
the
release
of
singles “Texas
Hold ‘Em”
and “16
Carriages.”

The
32-time
Grammy
winner’s
latest
project
adds
to
a
groundswell
of
cultural
support
for
stagecoach-inspired
styles.


Louis
Vuitton
unveiled
an

American
Western
line
during
Paris
Fashion
Week
earlier
this
year,
featuring
models
in
everything
from
cowboy
hats
to
bolo
ties.
This
look
has
also
caught
a
bid
through
the
ongoing

Eras
Tour,
as
some
attendees
opt
to
channel
Taylor
Swift’s
pre-pop
days
as
a
country
singer.

Retailers
and
industry
followers
have
already
taken
note
of
the
trend.

Beyoncé’s
chart-topping
album
can
provide
a
same-store
sales
bump
and
help
lasso
in
women
shoppers
at


Boot
Barn,
said
Williams
Trading
analyst
Sam
Poser.
He
upgraded
his
rating
on
the
California-based
retailer
to
buy
on
Thursday
and
raised
his
price
target
by
$33
to
$113,
which
now
implies
an
upside
of
about
12%.

Adding
to
the
momentum
is
the
beginning
of
busy
seasons
for
rodeos
and
music
festivals,
Poser
said.
With
these
positive
trends,
he
said
guidance
for
the
current
quarter
and
full
fiscal
year
should
exceed
Wall
Street
consensus
estimates.

“We
have
little
doubt
that
there
is
a
correlation”
between
the
increased
attention
on
Western
clothing
and
the
release
of
Beyoncé’s
eighth
studio
album,
Poser
said.

Boot
Barn
shares
have
climbed
more
than
4%
since
the
start
of
April,
defying
the
broader
market’s
pullback.
That
adds
to
the
stock’s
rally
over
the
course
of
2024,
with
shares
jumping
about
30%
compared
with
the
start
of
the
year.

Though
cowboy
boots
may
typify
the
Western
look,
other
pieces
can
also
ride
the
wave.

Levi
Strauss
CEO
Michelle
Gass
told
analysts
earlier
this
month
that
the
denim
maker
works
to
ensure
the “brand remains in the center of culture.”
That
mission
was
aided
by “Levii’s
Jeans,”
a
song
on
the “Cowboy
Carter”
album
featuring
Post
Malone.

“I
don’t
think
there’s
any
better
evidence
or
proof
point
than
having
someone
like
Beyoncé,
who
is
a
culture
shaper,
to
actually
name
a
song
after
us,”
Gass
said
on
the
company’s
earnings
call
last
week.

Gass
said
denim
is “having
a
moment”
and
the
Western
style
is “really
trending,”
including
in
fashion
and
music.

But
denim
suppliers
have
not
been
able
to
sidestep
the
recent
market
slide.
Levi
Strauss
shares
have
dropped
more
than
3%
in
April.


Kontoor
Brands,
whose
styles
under
the
Wrangler
brand
include
a
“cowboy
cut”
jean,
has
tumbled
around
11%
in
the
month.