Brands Briefing: Boot brand Tecovas is bringing its version of the West to New York City through store events, music and a Texas-style dance hall

Tecovas is also putting up sprawling, cowboy-themed ads throughout New York City: a combination of subway postings, billboards, taxi signs and hand-painted murals. It’s running radio and streaming commercials, including during the U.S. Open, to appeal to New Yorkers and tourists alike. And, as its true pièce de résistance, it’s holding a Texas-style dance hall in Grand Central Station on Sept. 12, complete with line dancing, chain stitching and live music.

Tecovas is headquartered in Texas, but it considers its entrance into the New York market a big step in getting on the global stage, said Samantha Fodrowski, Tecovas’s vp of brand marketing. Now, with the campaign, “this is a chance for us to be really big and bold in the decisions we’re making,” Fodrowski told Modern Retail. “We’re going bigger than we ever have before. … So many first-time customers are going to be being introduced to Tecovas here, and it’s an opportunity to show off what we call ‘radical hospitality to the Nth degree.'”

Tecovas launched in 2015 as an online-only brand, with the goal of disrupting a centuries-old boot market. It opened its first store in Austin in 2019 and went on to build a robust wholesale program and a resale platform called the Tecovas Trading Post. Today, Tecovas sells all types of Western-themed products, from cowboy hats and wallets to crossbody bags and jeans. It achieved more than $250 million in sales in 2024.

Buoyed by a growing fan base, Tecovas has poured more money and resources into expansion in recent years. By the end of the year, Tecovas will have 56 stores, Fodrowski revealed to Modern Retail. The brand will celebrate its 10th birthday in Austin next month, and it’s planning to open more stores in 2026. “We’re going into a lot of brand new markets and a lot of non-traditionally Western markets,” Fodrowski said. Tecovas picks locations based on a combination of e-commerce sales, customer requests and wholesale performance.

This year, it’s been important for the brand to bring a sense of local flavor to the East Coast, where it recently opened stores in Philadelphia, Boston and Pittsburgh. New York City is one of Tecovas’s major markets. “We certainly do see a lot of customers come to our site from New York and the Tri-State Area,” Fodrowski said. But, she said, even with the new activation, Tecovas wants to stick to its roots.

“We don’t want to make the New York version of Tecovas,” Fodrowski said. “We want to stand proud in our Western heritage in Americana, because that’s why people love us.”

It’s this reason why Fodrowski is particularly excited to bring line dancing and live music to Vanderbilt Hall at Grand Central Station. The Tecovas activation is “a way to bring a fun dance hall to people who are on their daily commute,” Fodrowski said.

This isn’t Tecovas’s first go-around with community programming; the brand has been active in music festivals and sporting events for years. Last year, it became the first-ever official boot partner of the Stagecoach country music festival. Tecovas also offers a number of services in its stores, including complimentary drinks on tap, free boot shines and branding services.

Overall, there’s been a larger shift in retail toward more public programming, said Howard Kozloff, principal and founder of Agora Partners, which helps cities, organizations and retailers to host activations in public spaces. With something like a dancing event, “the true impact comes from making emotional connections between people in a place,” said Kozloff. “There has to be something different that feels like it’s only happening here. That’s going to have a much more lasting impact.”

Tecovas is hoping to do just that with its activations throughout New York City, the brand told Modern Retail. And it hopes that by blending its brand’s Western culture with the local culture, it can create new fans.

“We always say: You don’t have to be in the West to love the West,” Fodrowski said. “There’s that spirit in all of us, and there are ways to remind people of that quiet confidence. You walk a little bit taller when you’re in boots, and we want to be a resource and a brand for folks who can embody that.” –Julia Waldow

Coterie’s new product bet: Baby skin-care products

Coterie, the luxury diaper brand known for its super-absorbent diapers, is getting into the personal care space with the launch of baby skin-care products. 

The new line includes hair and body cleaners called First Wash, a moisturizing lotion called Soft Cream and a protective balm called Bum Balm. Priced at $40 without a subscription, the line is the result of two years of research and is poised to gain traction in the $1 billion baby personal care market by differentiating with cleaner formulas than competitors. The Bum Balm, for instance, doesn’t have petroleum like competitor Aquaphor, or zinc oxide like Desitin or Bordeaux’s Butt Paste. It’s also rated safe to use by the Environmental Working Group, and has the National Eczema Association’s Seal of Acceptance.

The formulas are the result of over two years of research, said CEO Jess Jacobs.  For Coterie, the skin-care launch is the first time it’s gone beyond its hero product of diapers and baby wipes. The company earned $160 million in revenue last year, a 60% growth year-over-year, with about 90% of revenue coming from its direct-to-consumer business.

The company marketed the launch with a 360-degree strategy, focused on awareness, engagement and new customer acquisition. It pre-seeded more than 300 parents and brand advocates to get early buzz, and it teased the launch on its own social channels. The efforts saw engagement rates increase 33%, and total engagement jumped 132%.

For the launch itself, Coterie began advertising on linear and streaming TV, including Disney, Bravo and E! The strategy achieved 2.1 million linear impressions, plus 4.5 million streaming impressions. It also hosted a pop-up event in New York City with influencers, helping to drive its overall influencer reach to 3 million people. –Melissa Daniels 

By the numbers: 2025 holiday spending is expected to drop

According to PwC’s 2025 Holiday Outlook survey, Americans of all ages say they expect to drop less on shopping during the holidays. Many are also planning their purchases more carefully compared to previous years. Most notably, Gen-Z consumers are slashing their holiday spending by 23%, compared to last year. This is the highest rate out of all age groups. It’s also in direct contrast to Gen Z’s 2024 behavior, when the cohort increased their seasonal budgets by 37% over the previous year.

84%: Percentage of consumers who expect to curb spending over the next six months, especially on categories like apparel, dining and big-ticket items.

5%: The average decline in seasonal spending compared to 2024, which, according to PwC data, is notably the first drop since 2020. Gift-giving is seeing the most decline, of 11%, as people adjust their present-buying habits.

53%: Percentage of respondents who say price increases will likely impact their spending decisions during the 2025 holiday season. –Gabi Barkho

What I’m reading

• Lululemon says it got tripped up in Q2 by tariffs and product missteps, but is course correcting for 2026.
• Skechers has opened a new store in Miami that is focused on technical sports-related footwear.
• Dick’s Sporting Goods has completed its $2.4 billion acquisition of Foot Locker.

What we’ve covered

• Why Owlet believes its $99 baby monitor “will change its whole business.”
• How brands that sell menopause care products like Stripes Beauty and Apothékary are acquiring new customers and educating shoppers on the category.
• Furniture startup Sabai’s sales are up 30% as it plays up affordability and sustainability in a tariff-ridden landscape.