Encouraged by soaring sales and a sustained interest in Western apparel, Boot Barn is bumping up its store events to attract even more customers.
The retailer has been offering events in stores “about once or twice a month” for the last year and a half, Siena Falvo, senior manager of marketing and creative operations at Boot Barn, told Modern Retail. Many of these events involve Boot Barn’s celebrity partners or ambassadors. In September, Boot Barn hosted a meet-and-greet session with country artist Jordan Davis at its store in Gilbert, Ariz. Next up, on Nov. 8, Boot Barn will hold an event at its store in Hurst, Texas, featuring appearances from a Dallas Cowboys player and the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, who will take pictures with fans and give out autographs.
Crucially, in-store experiences like meet-and-greets help boost acquisition and loyalty, noted Cari Stark, director of copy at Boot Barn. These bring in different groups, from “a returning customer to someone who happens to get a social ad on Instagram,” Falvo added.
Boot Barn’s same-store sales have grown year over year for the last five straight quarters, earnings reports show. The company’s same-store sales for its most recent quarter, which ended in June, were up 9.4% from the prior year. What’s more, this past quarter, BOPIS and ship-to-store “both reached record levels,” CEO John Hazen said on an earnings call in August. More than half of Boot Barn’s online orders were fulfilled by stores, he noted. As of June, Boot Barn operated 473 stores in 49 U.S. states.
Boot Barn offers different types of products, including work boots, hats, jeans and belt buckles, from brands like Ariat, Cody James and Wrangler. The company is not new — it was founded in 1978 — but its products are increasingly resonating with today’s shoppers, thanks to the rise of so-called “Cowboycore” and westernwear showing up in pop culture moments like Beyoncé’s 2024 album “Cowboy Carter.” This past quarter, Boot Barn reported that its net sales had increased 19.1% over the prior-year period, to $504.1 million. Boot Barn also raised its outlook for the full year.
According to Circana, from Jan. 2025 to Aug. 2025, sales of Western boots were up 7% in the U.S., versus the prior-year period. This contrasts with total fashion boot sales, which were down 5% for the same period. These numbers exclude brands’ direct-to-consumer sales, noted Beth Goldstein, executive director and industry analyst at Circana.
“Western never really goes away, but it does ebb and flow as a fashion trend,” Goldstein told Modern Retail. “It seems as if the current Western trend cycle has been elongated, which I think is a result of continued pop culture influences.”
As a result, there are more cultural events that Boot Barn can tie in-store activations to. Boot Barn partners with country artists like Morgan Wallen, and this year, the company is sponsoring singer Riley Green’s ongoing Damn Country Music tour. His dates hit “all of our markets,” Falvo said. “We cross-reference there and see how much traction we get to the [nearby] store the weekend before, the weekend of and the weekend after.”
Boot Barn’s events tend to serve different functions. Its upcoming store event with the Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders will be a driver for its loyalty program, which is called B Rewarded. Members earn 1 point for every $1 they spend and get early access to sales and a special birthday offer. The Hurst store event, which will help mark the 65th anniversary of the Dallas Cowboys, will be a chance for members to earn even more points on their purchases.
While Boot Barn is throwing more events in stores, it’s also planning activations near stores. For instance, from Oct. 2-5, Boot Barn was a sponsor of the Grand Ole Opry’s 100th-anniversary “Rhinestone Milestone” celebration. Boot Barn set up shop outside the Grand Ole Opry venue in Nashville, Tenn. and hosted “plaza parties” with food trucks, local vendors and live music. The Grand Ole Opry is a 20-minute drive from Boot Barn’s existing 318 Broadway location.
While the Grand Ole Opry event was at an off-site location, it had a similar goal to a store event: to spark interest from the local community, Falvo said. “Maybe they’ve only come into [our stores] once, but they’re on the mailing list, so they get an invitation,” she said. “Or, maybe they’re a returning customer.” Either way, when it comes to activations, Falvo said, “We’re trying to gain more traction and figure out what’s working and what could improve.”