Beyoncé is sending Levi’s and Western boot sales soaring
By Nathaniel Meyersohn, CNN
New York (CNN) — Queen Bey is giving Levi’s brand a lift.
Beyoncé’s hit country album “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” which features the song “Levii’s Jeans” with rapper Post Malone, has lyrics like “denim on denim on denim on denim.” And at the same time, she posted an image on Instagram of her wearing a pair of jeans with denim shirt and a denim bag.
All of which has apparently sent fans flocking to Levi’s for denim jeans, denim jackets and Western clothing since the album was released on March 29.
Visits to Levi’s stores increased 20% during the week of Easter Sunday compared to the average for Easter week over the past three years, according to data from Pass_by, which measures customer foot traffic to retail stores. Levi’s did not share any sales data about Beyoncé’s effect.
Levi’s has made its own moves to capitalize on Beyoncé namechecking the brand and the extra attention it’s receiving. It temporarily changed its name on Instagram to “Levii’s” to recognize the song.
“Denim is having a moment and the Levi’s brand is having a powerful moment around the world,” Levi’s CEO Michelle Gass said on an earnings call with analysts this month. “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.”
“Act II: Cowboy Carter” has also led to a rise in Western boot sales. The album included Western-themed songs such as “Texas Hold ‘Em” and “16 Carriages.”
Sales for Western boots increased by 24% the week that Beyoncé released the album, according to data from market research firm Circana. Sales spiked another 45% the following week when “Texas Hold ‘Em” reached the top of Billboard’s Hot 100 chart, Circana said.
“We can expect a resurgence in western style this year as a result of the aesthetic playing a prominent role in pop culture – on the stage with Beyoncé and Taylor Swift,” who also wore cowboy boots on her Eras album tour, Beth Goldstein, a footwear and accessories analyst at Circana, wrote in a research note.
Beyoncé has also lifted Western boot sales at Calares, a women’s shoe and accessories chain, said Dana Telsey, a retail analyst at Telsey Advisory Group.
Beyoncé has made history as the first Black woman to come in at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart with her “Act II: Cowboy Carter,” according to Billboard. The new collection also tops the Billboard 200 Albums chart, marking Beyoncé’s eighth time doing so.
Beyoncé’s concerts and music tours have been an economic driver for brands, fashions and even local and regional economies over the years.
Etsy last year reported a 25% increase in searches for disco hats and a 25% increase in searches for silver blouses and corsets after Beyoncé made a last-minute request for fans to wear silver at the Renaissance tour in honor of her birthday.
Th singer’s decision to kick off the Renaissance tour in Stockholm led to a surge in hotel and restaurant prices in the area as tens of thousands of fans descended on the city.
One Deutsche Bank economist estimated that the extra demand from Beyoncé’s fans, known collectively as the BeyHive, was behind two-thirds of the price rises seen in the country’s hospitality sector in May.
CNN’s Lisa France contributed to this article.
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