2021 OC 50: JAMES CONROY

JAMES CONROY 
CEO, President
Boot Barn Holdings Inc.
NYSE: BOOT

Instagram: @boot_barn_official

WHY: Runs western-inspired, work wear retailer that’s defied industry trends and continues to expand. Company, which started in 1978 with a 2,000-square-foot store in Huntington Beach, now publicly traded behemoth worth about $2B. Sales largely from in-person shopping, not digital. Typical Boot Barn customer likes coming into the store two or three times a year to feel the different skins on a pair of boots or try on their jeans, he says.

NOTABLE: New flagship store unveiled in Orange; design bears elements that will be rolled into new and remodeled stores moving forward, as the 271-store chain looks to open around 30 stores annually, with an average size of roughly 11,000 to 12,000 square feet.

QUOTABLE: “We have four pieces of the strategy, four pillars. Our focus is to just execute relentlessly on building new stores, developing our own exclusive brands, continuing to add omnichannel capabilities and drive same-store sales growth.”