Denim on denim: Beyoncé inspires surge in demand for western fashion in UK as Cowboy Carter tour arrives in London

Debenhams Group, home to Debenhams, Karen Millen, boohoo, MAN, and PrettyLittleThing, reports a surge in demand for western inspired fashion fuelled by the start of Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour, which opens in the UK today.

Debenhams Group says its PrettyLittleThing site saw a 617% increase in searches for cowboy jackets in May 2025, as well as a rise in demand for cowboy hats (up 85%) and boots (up 53%). 

Boohoo reported a 166% increase in sales of denim tops last month and a 40% increase month-on-month in searches for denim shorts. Sales of suede jackets were also up 271% and sales of cowboy-themed t-shirts increased by 33%.

The top search terms on the Debenhams Group’s Nasty Gal site last week were “sequins”, with “western” and “cowboy” close behind, both seeing a 40% increase in searches compared to the previous week.

COWBOY CARTER TOUR 2025 pic.twitter.com/RGyNeRyzRq

— BEYONCÉ (@Beyonce) February 2, 2025

Debenhams Group is currently rolling out its marketplace model across all of its brands, as part of wider turnaround plans that saw the group rebrand from Boohoo Group in March 2025. The move followed a huge fall from grace on the back of significant challenges, including competition from cheaper rivals Shein and Temu, and supply chain challenges.

Beyoncé is due to perform six nights at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, with the first show taking place tonight. This follows the sell-out Renaissance world tour, which visited London in 2023.

Dan Finley, CEO at Debenhams Group, says: “Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter tour is proving to be a powerful cultural catalyst, reshaping style trends almost overnight. Customers are moving from inspiration to purchase faster than ever - trading typical staples for cowboy boots and denim as western fashion takes centre stage. It’s a clear sign of how swiftly cultural movements translate into retail trends and why agility, relevance, and the ability to respond at speed are essential to modern retail.”

2025 RTIH INNOVATION AWARDS

Online retail will be a key focus area at the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards.

The awards, which are now open for entries, celebrate global tech innovation in a fast moving omnichannel world.

Our 2024 hall of fame entrants were revealed during an event which took place at RIBA’s 66 Portland Place HQ in Central London on 21st November, and consisted of a drinks reception, three course meal, and awards ceremony presided over by comedian Lucy Porter.

In his welcome speech, Scott Thompson, Founder and Editor, RTIH, said: “The event is now into its sixth year and what a journey it has been. The awards started life as an online only affair during the Covid outbreak, before launching as a small scale in real life event and growing year on year to the point where we’re now selling out this fine, historic venue.”

He added: “Congratulations to all of our finalists. Many submissions did not make it through to the final stage, and getting to this point is no mean feat. Checkout-free stores, automated supply chains, immersive experiences, on-demand delivery, next generation loyalty offerings, inclusive retail, green technology. We’ve got all the cool stuff covered this evening.”

“But just importantly we’ve got lots of great examples of companies taking innovative tech and making it usable in everyday operations - resulting in more efficiency and profitability in all areas.”

Congratulations to our 2024 winners, and a big thank you to our sponsors, judging panel, the legend that is Lucy Porter, and all those who attended November's gathering. 

For further information on the 2025 RTIH Innovation Awards, please fill in the below form and we will get back to you asap.