august 2007

1Issue 74 - August 2007 The Source

A window into the world of RootsRootsRootsRootsRoots Issue 74 August 2007

THE MAKINGOF A TOP

BRANDRoots selected as one of Canada’s

leading iconic brandsin major new study

Issue 74 - August 2007 2 The Source

SPECIAL DELIVERYA selection of recent letters from the world of Roots

I N S I D EI N S I D EI N S I D EI N S I D EI N S I D EI S S U E 74I S S U E 74I S S U E 74I S S U E 74I S S U E 74

The Source wants to hear from you.Please send your letters to Robert Sarner [email protected]. Letters may be editedfor length and clarity.

PublishersMICHAEL BUDMAN, DON GREEN

EditorROBERT SARNER

Editorial AssistantPAULOMI PATEL

InternCARLY ANDERSON

The Source is published every month byRoots Canada Ltd. We welcome lettersfrom readers for publication. Pleaseaddress all correspondence to TheSource, Letters to the Editor, RootsCanada, 1400 Castlefield Ave., Toronto,Ontario, M6B 4C4 or by email [email protected] Letters may be editedfor length and clarity.

Each issue of The Source is alsoavailable, in an abridged version, on theRoots website at www.roots.com

PH

OT

O B

Y D

YLA

N A

ND

ER

SO

N

In keeping with our new monthlypublishing schedule, the nextissue of The Source will appear inlate August.

EXTRA! EXTRA!

DepartmentsFRESH INK

GUESS WHO JUST DROPPED IN

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

MOMENTS THAT MATTER

GREEN TIPS

HEALTH TIPS

STAYING POWER

A GOOD CAUSEThank you so much for your gen-erous donation of prizes for ourkazoo draw. Thanks to the assist-ance of Roots, we raised morethan $13,000 for arts educationat Topcliff.

Next year, every student ingrades 1 to 3 will learn to playthe steel pan. In addition, we willhave extra-curricular steel panclubs for our grade 4 and 5 stu-dents. We plan to spend any extrafunds on bringing storytellers,dance troupes, theatre compa-nies, artists, and authors into ourschool.

We know that arts educationimproves achievement across thecurriculum. We also know howvital it is that we engage our stu-dents and keep them interested inschool. You have made our taskso much easier.Nancy Steinhauer, PrincipalTopcliff Public School, Toronto

SOUTHERN COMFORTUP NORTHAfter a recent trip to Canada, Idiscovered your clothing andloved it! I found some shirts onthe website that I couldn’t livewithout but my size was nolonger available through theonline store. After calling all theRoots stores in the United States,I decided to try my luck inCanada.

A few calls later, I was get-ting discouraged but then I hap-pened upon Ellie Thiessen at theRosedale store in Toronto. Shewas such a big help and evenoffered to call other stores inToronto for me so as to not runup my phone bill (very consider-ate!). Ellie found two of the threeshirts I wanted and arranged tohave them shipped to me inGeorgia. Most impressively, shewas completely calm when Icalled her back in the middle ofher search and said, “Oops! Canwe make those extra large, notlarge?”

I received the shirts a fewdays ago and love them. Thankyou for all that you do in yourresponsible business practices.We need more companies likeRoots. And a big thank you toEllie at Rosedale. You rock!

My only complaint is that weneed more Roots in the US (At-lanta, for example). Take careand keep up the good work.Thanks again.J. KellyAthens, Georgia

WORDS OF THANKSOn behalf of the CEO, Board ofDirectors, staff, volunteers andchildren of The Hincks-DellcrestCentre, we wish to thank Rootsfor helping us with the recent‘Raise a Child’s Smile’ at the

Liberty Grand in Toronto. Wegreatly appreciated your dona-tion of a large Banff Bag to oursilent auction.

The silent auction is alwaysa much-anticipated part of ourevening and an integral part ofour fundraising event. Thanks inpart to your generousity, thiswas our best event ever, raisingover $280,000! We were able tokeep our costs low, and are veryproud that the expenses of theevent were less than 15%.

The money raised will helpsupport programs for childrenand youth and the developmentof innovative strategies in pre-vention, early intervention,training, research and treatment.

Your support enablesHincks-Dellcrest to continue toprovide the best mental healthpractices and therefore to makea difference in the lives of chil-dren and their families.Annabel BassinDirector, Fund DevelopmentThe Hincks-Dellcrest Centre,Toronto

ROOTS GROWS IN ASIAOverseas expansion continueswith newest Taiwan store

ADDING SOMEMUCH-NEEDED CHEERRoots receives Israeli delegation ofchildren traumatized by terrorism

THAT’S ENTERTAINMENTThe latest collaborations betweenRoots and Hollywood

HARRY POTTERMANIARoots helps Indigo celebraterelease of much-anticipated book

WELCOMING THE PRESS ATCENTREVILLEQuebec media gets a preview ofthe new fall collection

FINISHING ON TOP ON FACEBOOKRoots ranks #1 on networking sitein survey of Canadian shoppers

STAYING IN FOCUSRoots Rosedale hosts eTalk Daily forspecial Live Earth-linked segment

INNOVATION ACROSS THE NATIONRegister revamp premieres inToronto area ahead of roll-outthroughout Canada

BY SPECIAL ORDERRoots provides photo albums forPolice fans

A PRESENCE ON THE ICE AND OFFRoots employee goes triple gold infigure skating


BEYOND THE NAMEThe making of a top brand. Roots selected as one of Canada’s leading iconic brands

in major new study. BY ROBERT SARNER

Pai

ntin

g by

Hea

ther

Coo

per

We live in a worldof brands. Ourlives and ourreality are ines-capably

branded. Everywhere you turn,you are surrounded by thepresence of brands. If manyare created every day, preciousfew ever reach the exalted sta-tus of a national icon. Few be-come emblematic of their hostcountry. Few attract publicawareness, trust and respect ona national level. Few have therelevance, resonance and stay-ing power to become iconic.

In today’s fiercely competi-tive marketplace, brand iden-tity and brand loyalty are in-creasingly vital to a company’ssuccess. Little surprise thenthat the evaluation of brands isa hotly watched subject.

A few weeks ago, BrandFinance Canada published astudy of the country’s leadingcompanies. Entitled Canada’sMost Valuable Brands 2007, itwas prepared by Brand Fi-nance Canada and Level 5Strategic Brand Advisors incollaboration with SocraticTechnologies.

Such is the interest in thetopic that the Globe and Mail,the National Post and Cana-dian Business magazine de-voted prominent coverage tothe results. Among the find-ings, Roots was recognized asone of the country’s leadingiconic brands.

Brand Finance rankedCanada’s most recognizablebrands by total value and over-all strength. In establishing itslist, the company incorporatedconsumer research, surveyingthe public about top-of-mindbrand awareness and brandloyalty, in addition to otherrelevant factors.

Roots was the top brand inthe retail clothing sector andfourth overall after Cirque du

Soleil, Ski-Doo and the CBC.In fifth place was the TorontoMaple Leafs hockey team, fol-lowed by the MontrealCanadiens in sixth place.

Along with its chart ofCanada’s top 10 iconic brands,the report stated: “Our world isfilled with day-to-day brandsof all stripes that in many wayschronicle the evolution of oursociety. Brands are all-perva-sive and can act as tags oridentifiers for things we viewas important. In evaluatingbrands, we did not do it in thetraditional sense. The startingpoint for the list was not mar-ket capitalization but ratherbrands that are part of the his-tory, heritage and culture ofCanada. Brands that haveshaped Canada’s current land-scape.”

A brand is many things butmost of all it’s a projection of apersonality and a promise. It’sonly as strong as the compa-ny’s ability to deliver on thatpromise and to ensure a posi-tive, meaningful customer ex-perience. As such, the brandmust start inside the companyand project outward. It mustemanate from the source. Itdepends on the entire staff be-ing in synch with the vision,values and passion of thebrand.

Although intangible, a

strong brand is often a compa-ny’s most valuable asset. It’sdirectly linked to earning loy-alty from customers.

“Companies can maintainan edge by developing strongbrands that will resist a corpo-rate takeover and act as a bar-rier to competition,” saysDavid Haigh, founder andCEO of the UK-based BrandFinance and producer of thesurvey.

“A strong brand doesn’tguarantee success,” addsHaigh. “But companies thatunderstand the strategic impor-tance of their brands are muchmore likely to succeed in theend.”

The Roots brand derives itsstrength from the company’sunshakeable loyalty to its cus-tomers and its commitment toquality and integrity in all ofits diverse activities. WhileRoots products have evolvedconsiderably since the compa-

ny’s inception in 1973, thecore values, and guiding prin-ciples have not. These includea keen sense of style, innova-tion and aesthetics coupledwith a healthy, active lifestyle,respect for the environmentand pride in Canada. That con-sistency helps both staff andcustomers identify and respectwhat Roots is all about.

“The results of the latestBrand Finance survey are ex-tremely gratifying for all of usat Roots,” says Co-FounderMichael Budman. “We appre-ciate the confidence and sup-port that Canadians have forRoots. We never lose sight ofthe importance of satisfyingour customers and meetingtheir expectations when theyenter our stores. We know it’sessential to maintain our stand-ards and values to help ensurethat customers don’t just comeinto our stores today but thatthey will have such a positiveexperience that they will wantto return again soon.”

To be a strong brand, a com-pany can’t rest on its laurels.Complacency is the surest way toweaken a customer’s perceptionof and experience with a com-pany. The strength of Roots isthat starting with its cofoundersand its senior management, thereis a consensus, even a passion, toconstantly strive to make a goodthing even better.

That augurs well for thefuture of Roots and the powerof the brand.

CANADA’S TOP 10 ICONIC BRANDS

According to the latest study by Brand Finance Canada

Roots


ON THE MOVENew appointments andpromotions at Roots• Charles Berrigan promoted to part-time keyholder, South Keys ShoppingCentre, Ottawa, ON.• Henriett Beski appointed Store Man-ager at Park Royal Shopping Center,Vancouver.• Bob Bourque appointed Store Man-ager, South Keys Shopping Centre,Ottawa, ON.• Melissa Brennan promoted to Assist-ant Manager, South Keys ShoppingCentre, Ottawa.• Brent Carline appointed Store Man-ager at Orchard Park Shopping Center,Kelowna, BC.• Lindsay Harris promoted to Store Man-ager at Kenaston Outlet, Winnipeg, MB.• Jennifer Hume promoted to ActingStore Manager at West 4th, Kitsilano,BC.• Jillian Kuchma promoted toKeyholder, Fairview Park Mall,Kitchener, ON.• MJ Lizardo promoted to Keyholderat Scarborough Town Center,Scarborough, ON.• Julie O’Neill promoted to SeniorMerchandise Manager, Men’s and Wom-en’s, Head Office, Toronto.• Totis Pellew appointed Store Manager,Square One Shopping Centre,Mississauga, ON.• Terri Pridham promoted to StoreManager, East Point, St John’s, NB.• Petrina Tkachuk appointed Store Man-ager at St. Vital Center, Winnipeg, MB.• Andy Wells appointed Store Manager,Banff, AB.• Jessica White promoted to AssistantManager at Chinook Center, Calgary, AB.

ADDING SOME MUCH-NEEDED CHEERRoots receives delegation of Israeli children traumatized by terrorism

In late July, the Orfus Roadstore in Toronto played hostto a special group of 22

children from the Middle East,embarking on what is sure tobe a meaningful visit inCanada.

The teenagers, all of whomhave lost a parent or sibling ina terrorist attack, were broughtto Canada by the One FamilyFund, an organization thathelps Israeli families ravagedby tragedy. Through $30,000of private donations, the chil-dren were offered a free monthat a summer camp in Ontario,far from the Israeli-Palestinian

conflict. A 25-year oldcounselor, a victim herself,escorted the children from Is-rael to serve also as their con-fidante at camp.

Friend of Roots CoreyMandell (of Mandell Enter-tainment), who owns CampTimberlane in Haliburton, twohours north of Toronto, of-fered his picturesque lodgingsto the group for the third con-secutive year.

On their second day inCanada, the kids were warmlywelcomed at the Roots Orfuslocation where they were of-fered various gifts including

sweatshirts and T-shirts. Thechildren were thrilled. Staff atthe store were especiallymoved by their spirit and thestrength with which they han-dled the adversity they’ve ex-perienced.

“They are warm, friendly,and curious, just like mostteenagers, but their lives havebeen turned upside down,”says Pam Albert, CanadianDirector of One Family.“Their suffering is unimagina-ble, and their sorrow thank-fully isn’t common to the kidswe are surrounded with daily.Living with other childrentheir age at Timberlane willprovide them with an escape,and allow them to experiencea carefree environment.”

By now, the kids are in themidst of an incredible adven-ture, enjoying a pleasant, peace-ful diversion and warm memo-ries of a summer in Canada.

The One Family Fund hashelped more than 2,500 terrorvictims and their families, regard-less of religion or race, in Israel.

ROOTS GROWS IN ASIAOverseas expansion continues

The expansion of Roots inAsia continues unabatedwith the opening of the

company’s first store in Singa-pore on July 27 and the recentinauguration of its 23rd store inTaiwan.

Located in the Eslite De-partment store in Taipei, thenational capital, the storeopened on July13. Working inpartnership with the HongKong-based Li & Fung TradingLtd., the new addition to theRoots family in Taiwan kickedoff with strong sales in its firstfew days. Congratulations are

in order to Matt Meng, Coun-try Manager and the entire Tai-wan team for this success.

With 30 stores in Asia sofar, Roots plans on introducingits distinctive brand to manymore cities in the region in thecoming months and years. Cur-rently, in addition to its nearlytwo dozen stores in Taiwanand the new location in Singa-pore, it has three in China, twoin Hong Kong, and one in Ma-laysia.

Stay tuned for the next is-sue of The Source for coverageof the official opening of theRoots flagship store in Shang-hai in August.

BY SPECIAL ORDER

VIP ticket holders for theNorth American leg ofthe reunion tour of

The Police will nowhave a stylish place tostore their memoriesof the concert. All VIPattendees will receive a leatherphoto album custom-made in

the Roots leather factory inToronto and coordinated byDavid Jackson, Account Man-ager in the Business-to-Busi-ness Department.

In the late 1970s, The Po-lice became one of the world’smost famous groups, earningsix Grammy Awards only tobreak up in 1984. The PoliceTour marks the trio’s 30th anni-versary. Always politically ac-tive, a portion of the proceedsfrom this tour will be donatedto WaterAid, an internationalNGO founded in 1981 to helpreduce poverty by improvingaccess to safe water, sanitation

and hygiene education.The group kicked

off their current tour inVancouver in May and

performed several con-certs in Toronto and Montrealin late July.

Roots provides photo albums for Police fans


FINISHING ON TOPRoots ranks #1 on networking site survey

In early July, a survey onFacebook’s home pageasked the question: Where

are you most likely to purchaseyour Canadian merchandise?Inan impressive showing, Rootsled the way with 52%, morethan doubling itsnearest competi-tor HBC, whichcame in at 21%,followed by Ca-nadian Tireat14% and Wal-Mart at 2%.

Any member of the highlypopular Facebook social net-working community can createa poll, allowing fast responsesfrom target audiences based ongender, age, school, location orprofile keyword. The featureappears in the News feed onFacebook’s home page, whichshows all recent network activ-ity. This is a quick, easy way togauge public opinion on a vari-ety of issues. On a typical day,Facebook attracts some 30 mil-

lion members who spend anaverage of 19 minutes on thesecond most visited website onthe internet.

Facebook allows people tocreate personal profiles featur-ing photos, lists of interests

and join online net-works of friends re-lated to school, placeof employment orgeographical region.New features re-cently implemented,

including a virtual market-place, video feeds and theaforementioned polling optionallow for even more interac-tion.

For more Roots-relatednews on the site, join theRoots Facebook Groups forcustomers and employees.Group Info:Name: Roots Canada Employees.Type: Business - Employment andGroup Info:Name: Roots Insider.Type: Just for Fun - Fan Clubs.

STAYING IN FOCUSRoots Rosedale hosts eTalk Daily forspecial Live Earth-linked segment

In keeping with the traditionof Roots stores being muchmore than simply a place to

shop, one of itsdistinctive loca-tions proved an aptbackdrop for a re-cent edition ofeTalk Daily, Cana-da’s televisionnews-entertainment program.

As a lead-up to the historicLive Earth concerts stagedaround the world to focus onthe global warming crisis,Shenae Grimes, star ofDegrassi: The Next Genera-

tion, hosted a segment at theeco-friendly Roots Rosedalestore in Toronto. She gave

green tips on how peoplecould throw their ownLive Earth house partyalong with stylish or-ganic clothing ideascourtesy of Roots for theevent.

Live Earth was a series ofeight concerts that took place onseven continents in 24 hoursfeaturing some 100 major musi-cal performers. It was theworld’s largest high definitionconcert broadcast of all time.

GREAT MOMENTS IN RETAILSpotlighting the top performing stores in June

As this issue of The Sourcewent to press, the finalsales figures for July

were still not in but there wasstill a great buzz from the per-formance of stores in June. Asthe summer got underway,Roots was shining. A nearrecord number of stores sur-passed their sales budgets inJune. Topping the pack interms of company stores wasthe Whistler, British Columbialocation that captured the Storeof the Month honours, beatingits sales target by 155 percent.

As for the Roots 73/Outlet cat-egory, the location atSunnyside Mall in Bedford,Nova Scotia took first placewith a score of 163 percentover its sales budget.

Congratulations to ManagerJM Ogden of the Whistlerstore and Acting Store Man-ager Lisa Moorhouse of theSunnyside outlet, along withtheir respective teams, for theirwinning performances, and toall the other stores that met orsurpassed their sales targets inJune.

STAYING POWERSaluting those who go the distanceRecently, many Roots employees marked major anniversaries of their time atthe company. By ‘major,’ we mean benchmark achievements as in 5, 10, 15,20, 25 and 30 years spent at Roots.

We invite anyone celebrating such an anniversary to send the relevantinformation to The Source.

Congratulations to the following employees for their significant contribu-tion and enduring loyalty to Roots: (listed by seniority)· Darling Dharaj, Stitcher, Leather Factory, Toronto, 30 years· Merlita Garcia, Senior AP Associate, Head Office, Toronto, 20 years· Elizabeth Anque, Team Leader Sales Audit, Head Office, Toronto, 15 years· Juanita Granados, Payroll Clerk, Head Office, Toronto, 15 years· King Hui, Stitcher, Leather Factory, Toronto, 15 years· Manuela Nedio, Stitcher, Leather Factory, Toronto, 15 years· Maria Rodrigues, Table Work, Leather Factory, Toronto, 15 years· Debbie Barnes, Store Manager, Robson Kids, Vancouver, BC, 10 years· Isabel Duarte, Stitcher, Leather Factory, Toronto, 10 years· Kristine Lee, Store Manager, Pen Centre, St. Catherines, 10 years· Lena Owens, Manager Store Services, Information Technology, Head Of-fice, Toronto, 10 years· Rosario Paredes, Stitcher, Leather Factory, Toronto, 10 years· Piari Pooran, Stitcher, Leather Factory, Toronto, 10 years· Maria Tinta, Stitcher, Leather Factory, Toronto, 10 years· Anh Trieu, Stitcher, Leather Factory, Toronto, 10 years· Ibette Urbina, Stitcher, Leather Factory, Toronto, 10 years· Mary Atzori, Franchise and Leasing Assistant, Head Office, Toronto, 5 years· Ka Yiu Cheng, Picker Packer, Distribution Center, Toronto, 5 years· Mark Daley, Keyholder, Lambton Mall, Sarnia, ON, 5 years· Elizabeth Harrison, Picker Packer, Distribution Center, Toronto, 5 years· Cecilia Ho, Director, Reporting and Planning, Finance Department, HeadOffice, Toronto, 5 years· Janette Lane, Sales Associate, Canada One Factory Outlet Mall, NiagaraFalls, ON, 5 years· Ignazio Re, Material Handler, Distribution Center, Toronto, 5 years· Nasirali Saiyed, Material Handler, Distribution Center. Toronto, 5 years· Anjali Singh, Product Coordinator, Roots.com, 5 years· Tanya Springchief, Sales Associate, TD Square, Calgary, Alberta, 5 years

Sting performing at Live Earth


GUESS WHO JUST DROPPED INTaking attendance of special guests at Roots stores

Celebrities have longmade a point of shop-ping at Roots. Here are

the latest sightings of promi-nent figures from the world ofentertain-ment andsports whovisitedRootsstores re-cently:• 100Bloor St.,Toronto –Star of theHarry Pot- Rupert Grint, (middle), with Michael Budman and son Matthew

Elisha Cuthbert, Sean Avery

HARRYPOTTERMANIARoots helps Indigocelebrate release ofmuch-anticipated book

It was no ordinary booklaunch. As part of thecountdown to the arrival of

the hotly-awaited finalinstallment of J.K Rowling’s cel-ebrated boy wizard series, Rootsgot into the act with IndigoBooks. Harry Potter and theDeathly Hallows hit the stores onSaturday, July 21, at 12.01 a.m.to be precise, and the staff at theIndigo/Chapters/Coles chainswelcomed it in style.

More than 6,000 Roots T-shirts were produced for em-ployees to wear during the lead-up to and celebration of the bigday. The project was coordi-nated by David Jackson, Ac-count Manager in the Busi-ness-to-Business Department.

This is the 10th anniversaryof the launch of Harry Potterand the Philosopher’s Stone,the book that started the Pottercraze. All Indigo, Chapters andselect Coles stores hosted awizard-themed party completewith games and prizes thatstarted one minute after mid-night on July 21, coincidingwith the release.

A PRESENCE ON THE ICE AND OFFRoots employee captures triple gold in figure skating

ter completing a four-minuteprogram incorporating com-pulsory jumps and spins, theBanff native won rave reviewsfrom the judges.

“I wanted to finish what Istarted,” says Lei. “I’ve beenskating for so long I didn’twant to go out without a bigachievement.”

Taking time out from herbusy skating schedule, whichinvolves four practices a week,Lei began working at Roots inMarch. It’s proven a goodcounterbalance to her time onthe ice. “I’m proud to be aRoots woman,” says Lei. “I’mproud to be part of the amaz-ing staff in Banff.”

When Lei Kayanumaisn’t working as asales associate at the

Roots store in Banff, Alberta,she’s most likely on iceskates. The ice rink has been asecond home for her since theage of five. Recently, the 17-year old figure skater passedher free skate gold test, thefinal element needed toachieve a special athletic hon-our and was featured in thelocal press.

Lei was awarded triple goldstatus, the Canadian FigureSkating Association’s highestlevel of tested skating ability inthe three main disciplines: freeskate, skills and ice dance. Af-

Gary Roberts

ter film series including the recently releasedHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix,Rupert Grint stopped by the flagship store,picking up Flick Off T-shirts (which he woreon MTV Canada) and items for his dad. Healso had time to pose for a picture withRoots Co-Founder Michael Budman and sonMatthew; A few days later, Gary Roberts,left-winger for the Pittsburgh Penguins,shopped the store with his wife, picking upclothes for their children.• Burlington Mapleview Centre,Burlington, ON – Actress and star of TheGirl Next Door, Elisha Cuthbert, shopped atthe store with her New York Rangers boy-friend, Sean Avery. They were interested inthe new Canada Collection and Elisha pickedup two of the new Ruby Plaid shirtdresses.

Lei skates for triple gold


THAT’S ENTERTAINMENTThe latest collaborations between Roots and Hollywood

The Los Angeles-basedWendy Goodman, USAccounts Manager, has

never been one to let summerget in the way of doing busi-ness. Although many people inthe entertainment business areaway on vacation, Wendy stillfinds a way to close a deal.When it comes to nurturing thewarm relationship betweenRoots and Hollywood, Wendyis a master.

In her latest initiatives, theParamount Studio producers ofthe yet-to-be-released actionflick Iron Man, ordered cus-tom-made sweatshirts for thecast, crew and studio execu-tives. The Canadian-made full-zip hoodies are an 80/20 cot-ton-polyester fleece blend fea-tured in steel gray. The Iron

Man logo is embroidered onthe sleeve cuff and eye slitsembroidered on the hood.Some 1,400 units were or-dered.

The film is directed by JonFavreau and based on theMarvel comic of the samename. Robert Downey Jr.stars as Tony Stark, who isforced to create a life supportsuit to keep him alive after adebilitating accident. In theaftermath, he decides to use thetechnology in his suit to fightcrime. Also starring GwynethPaltrow, Terrence Howardand Samuel L. Jackson, IronMan will hit theatres nextspring.

In other movie news, Uni-versal is celebrating this

FRESH INKA selection of coverageof Roots in the media

• Cana-dian Liv-ing, Au-gust issue:Mentionsthe Rootskids long-

sleeved fooler polo featured in theTrend Watch: School’s In story.• Hello!, July 11. Roots women’sCity Trouser Short in navy fea-tured in a fashion shoot.• National Post, July 7. RecentRethink Breast Cancer launchevent at Roots on Bloor featuredin the ‘City Life’ section. RootsCo-Founders Michael and Don,are pictured.• Toronto Star, July 7. MichaelBudman is featured in the “WhatI’d take to camp” item benefitingthe Fresh Air Fund Backpack Chal-lenge. A Roots backpack is picturedand will be donated to the charity.• National Post, July 7. Articlementions that Eric Mabius, theUgly Betty actor and DonDiamont from The Young and theRestless, were at Roots flagshipstore in Toronto for the RethinkBreast Cancer Fashion Targetlaunch party.• The Montreal Gazette, July 6.Article mentions Roots plans tohave 200 stores in Asian countrieslike China, Taiwan and SouthKorea by 2009. Michael Budmanis quoted saying that the companyis also looking for growth oppor-tunities in India.• Globe and Mail, June 30. RootsL.A. Man/laptop bag featured inthe Style section.• Winnipeg Free Press, June 30.Roots Script Canada Stadium Bagfeatured in the ‘All Things Cana-dian’ section.• Seaway News, June 22. Roots EcoBag featured in ‘The latest must-have fashion accessory’ section.• Canadian Living, June: RootsUltimate Carry On Leather Bagfeatured in the ‘Oh, Daddy’ section.• Elevate, June: Article entitled‘We take 20,000 breaths everyday’ mentions Oxia available atselect Roots stores.• Loulou, June: Article entitled‘New Gadget, Breathe Easy’ men-tions Oxia available at selectRoots stores.• Homemakers, June: Roots cited asone of many Canadian retailers to buyfrom the cangive.ca website whereyou choose from among 60 listedcharities. Cangive.ca will donate afixed percentage of the purchase priceof your item to that charity.• Marketnews, May 31. Mentionsthe Roots Mio DigiWalker H610featured in the ‘Electronics forSports Enthusiasts’ section.

- Compiled by Carmela Ledo

month’s release of The BourneUltimatum with specially madeproducts for all cast, crew andexecutives. The jackets arecomprised of 100% black twillcotton with a red cotton jerseylining. The title of the movie isembroidered on the left chest.Made in Canada, more than2,000 items have been orderedand are due to ship in Septem-ber. Matt Damon plays thetitle character in this thirdinstallment of the espionagethriller.

Shares of New York, a newreal estate venture by SonyPictures, marks its opening thismonth with Roots custom-made kanga hoodies. Made inCanada, more than 170 pieceshave been shipped. A blend ofcotton and grey polyesterfleece; the chest and sleevefeature orange silk screening

details including a large ab-stract cityscape on the back.

A real estate marketingcompany, Shares of New Yorkspecializes in the sale of un-sold shares of condos in thearea and guarantees a stream-lined transactional process.

Meanwhile, in other enter-tainment-related news, Rootshas been commissioned to pro-duce hoodies for a long-timefriend, The Kennedy/Marshall/Spielberg Company, and theJanuary release of TheSpiderwick Chronicles. Cast,crew and studio executives willbe treated to custom-made de-signs for the family adventurefilm.

Directed by Mark Waters,the film tells the tale of a fam-ily pulled into an alternateworld of fairies and othermythical creatures upon mov-ing into the run-downSpiderwick Estates. Stars in-clude Martin Short, MaryLouise Parker, Nick Nolteand Seth Rogen.

All the above orders werefacilitated through Mary JaneSaliba, Senior Product Coordi-nator from the Business-to-Business Department at theHead Office in Toronto.


WELCOMING THE PRESS AT CENTREVILLEQuebec media gets a preview of the new fall collection

In early July, Roots pre-viewed its new Fall 2007line for the Quebec media at

Centerville in downtown Mon-

treal. The so-called ‘trunk show’was hosted by Co-FounderMichael Budman, CreativeDirector Diane Bald and coor-

Pho

tos:

Mar

cel G

ingr

as

INNOVATION ACROSS THE NATIONRegister revamp premieres in Toronto area ahead of roll-out throughout Canada

It’s a busy season for theInformation TechnologyDepartment at the Head Of-

fice as its staff work overtime tofacilitate a complete hardwareand software changeover of allregisters in stores across Canada.

The new system, intended toserve customers better and im-prove the management of retail-related information, made itsdebut at Toronto’s Orfus Roadstore in mid-June. At present, 38locations in the Toronto regionare now operating with the newsoftware. Quebec locations can

anticipate their modifications bythe end of August.

New features include flatscreen monitors replacing thescreens encased in glass. Gift

card integration, allowing cash-iers to swipe gift cards alongsidecredit/debit cards on one ma-chine, makes the checkout proc-ess more efficient. Other ben-efits include fewer hardwarefailures and less paper consump-tion due to shorter receipts, inline with Roots eco-friendlygoals.

High-speed communicationis also being installed betweenHead Office and the stores,which will aid in the fasterexchange of emails, transfer ofprice adjustments and other

day-to-day information.In addition, staff will now

find it easier to locate inven-tory in stores all over Canadawith the inventory tracker onthe Roots retail network.

So far the new system hasreceived nothing but positivereviews. Stores are especiallyenjoying the new screens andreceipts that include a barcodeat the bottom, making returnsmuch easier.

The new updated opera-tions manual will be availableby the end of the year.

dinated by Quebec RegionalDirector Ginette Fillion.

The event, which is heldtwice a year to give fashioneditors and writers a first lookat new collections, featured theupcoming leather bags, appareland accessories for men andwomen. The line presentedwintery flannels, linedhoodies, classic sweats andprinted scarves as well as anassortment of new leatheritems and updated favouritesin fresh colours and sizes.

Those in attendance in-cluded journalists from LouLou, Elle Quebec, Voir,Chatelaine, Adorable, Clind’Oeil and En Route and othernewspapers and magazines.

The collection was extremelywell received and many re-quests were made for productsto be featured in photo-shoots.The morning after the event,the Montreal Gazette pub-lished a lengthy article andphoto from the trunk show inits business section.

Michael Budman with Marie-Sandrine Auger, Editor of ElleQuebec.com, (left) and Isabelle Rheault fromMademoiselle magazine (right).


MUSICAL ROOTSLooking back four decades to a seminal year in the history of music

SIX STRING NATIONFriend of Roots performs on unique piece of Canadian diversity

What do a WayneGretzky hockey stickand the oldest rock in

the world (3.9 billion yearsold) have in common? Both,along with more than 60 othersignificant items of Canadianhistory are immortalized to-gether in an unusual custom-made guitar.

In late June, celebrated Ca-nadian canoeist and long-timefriend of Roots, Ian Mortimer,played the handcrafted instru-ment at the Ottawa DragonBoat Festival. His performancecoupled with his Roots attireproved a great photo opportu-nity. Portraits have been takenof more than 4,000 peopleholding this instrument alongits travels.

The Six String Nation is amovement to connect peoplefrom all regions of Canadathrough music and the sharingof collective icons, images andstories. The concept is thebrainchild of broadcaster JowiTaylor, host of the CBC’s Glo-bal Village and master luthierGeorge Rizsanyi who created

the one-of-a-kind guitar in hisworkshop in Nova Scotia.

“People in diverse commu-nities right across the country

have richly fascinating storiesto share and too often we don’thear them,” says Jowi. “TheSix String nation guitar is a

way to put all stories at thefingertips of muscians and inthe ears of listeners.”

Other notable donations tothe construction of the instru-ment include wood from theGolden Spruce of BC; part of adoorway from Canada’s firstChinatown; red ochre repre-senting the extinct Beothukpeople; whale baleen; mam-moth ivory; a seat numberfrom Toronto’s famous MasseyHall; and gold from Maurice“Rocket” Richard’s StanleyCup ring.

The guitar and its historicalcomponents were researched,collected, shipped and assem-bled without any governmentfunding. The product of 11years of work, the guitar alsotook part recently in CanadaDay celebrations on Parlia-ment Hill in Ottawa.

The Six String Nation Gui-tar will next be featured Au-gust 3-5 at the St. John’s FolkFestival at Bannerman Park,St. John’s Newfoundland. Formore information visitwww.sixstringnation.com.

When it comes to the evolution of modern music, 1967 was a water shed year. Exactly 40 years ago, some ofthe greatest songs of all time were recorded. Major names of the 1960s were breaking new ground, recording seminal albums that even today sound relevant.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the Summer of Love which was intrinsically tied to the music of the day, we’redevoting this month’s column to some of the most influential events and songs of that period.Events• Rolling Stone magazine publishes its first issue.• The Beatles release their groundbreaking album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely HeartsClub Band.• Jimi Hendrix , Cream, The Rolling Stones and Pink Floyd all release ac-claimed albums.• What’s considered the first reggae song “54-46 Was My Number” by Tootsand The Maytals is released.• Creedence Clearwater Revival, Genesis and Chicago are formed.• Created for a TV show of the same name, The Monkees are the best-sellinggroup of 1967, outselling The Beatles and The Rolling Stones combined.• Tammi Terrell faints and collapses into duet partner Marvin Gaye’s armsonstage during a performance at the Hampton University homecoming in Vir-ginia. She was later diagnosed with a brain tumor, and died from brain cancerin 1970 at the age of 24.• The so-called of Summer of Love took place, with its headquarters in San Francisco.• The Beatles perform “All You Need Is Love” for the Our World televisionspecial, the first worldwide TV broadcast. Singing backup for the Beatles werea number of artists including Eric Clapton, and members of the Rolling Stonesand The Who.• The Supremes perform for the first time as Diana Ross and the Supremes atthe Flamingo Hotel in Las Vegas. Florence Ballard is fired from the group afterthe first night, and on-hand stand-in Cindy Birdsong permanently takesBallard’s place in the group.• Aretha Franklin Day is declared in Detroit, Michigan on Feb 16.

Ian Mortimer gets his chance to play the six string guitar.

THE GREATESTHITS OF 1967• Mrs. Robinson, Simon and Garfunkel• Both Sides Now, Joni Mitchell• The Look Of Love, Hal David and BurtBacharach• Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell• Soul Finger, The Bar-Kays• Try A Little Tenderness, Otis Redding• Tell It Like It Is, Aaron Neville• Gimme Some Lovin’, Spencer DavisGroup• I’m A Man, Spencer Davis Group• For What It’s Worth, The BuffaloSpringfield• Respect, Aretha Franklin• Sweet Soul Music, Arthur Conley• Light My Fire, The Doors• Higher and Higher, Jackie Wilson• I Second That Emotion, SmokeyRobinson and The Miracles• I Heard It Through The Grapevine,Gladys Knight and The Pips• I Say A Little Prayer, Dionne Warwick• Soul Man, Sam and Dave• Your Precious Love, Marvin Gaye andTammi Terrell• Brown Eyed Girl, Van Morrison• I Was Made To Love Her, Stevie Wonder

THE ROOTS TOP 10A guide to the sounds ofRoots for the month of August1. 1,2,3,4, Feist2. Your Joy, Chrisette Michele3. Mr. Magic, Amy Winehouse4. Tell Me What We’re GonnaDo, Joss Stone Feat. Common5. Roots Is The Future, Davinand The Voyce6. Get Ready, Fergie feat. TheTemptations7. Way I Are, Timbaland feat.Keri Hilson and D.O.E8. Sun Is Shining (HouseRemix), Bob Marley9. Valerie, Mark Ronson feat.Amy Winehouse10. My Moon, My Man, Feist

- Compiled by Davin Bujalski


GREEN TIP #39Easy ways to help theenvironment

HEALTH TIP #36Easy ways to stay healthy

As part of our continuing series of team pictures of all the stores in the Roots retail family, this issue ofThe Source is shining the spotlight on the Robson St. store in Vancouver. From left to right: Reza

Houshmand, Joe Ouano, Farnaz Houshmand, Einaz Farahmand, Sandy Young, Lindsey Scott, MirjanaVujovic, Melissa Acheson, Tiana Tian

STARTING LINEUPIntroducing the people who make it happen at Roots stores

SPEAK TO MY AGENTThe littlest customers show their Roots

You’re never too young to look good in Roots. Many people obviously agree, based on the mailwe receive at the Head Office. Both customers and staff often send in photos of their children,cousins, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, friends, neighbours or even pets wearing Roots,

asking if they could appear in a future ad campaign for Roots.We can’t promise that but earlier this year The Source started publishing a selection of such pic-

tures on a regular basis. Everyone is welcome to submit their favourite shots.Please send your photos to [email protected] Be sure to include the name and age of

each child or pet in the photo, and a sentence stating that you agree for the photos to be used in TheSource.

An anti-inflamma-tory on yoursalad: Nativeto NorthAmerica andAsia, eveningprimrose hasbeen used by

American Indians and Asiansalike for centuries to ease the illsof arthritis, stomach disorders,sore throat, hemorrhoids andbruises.

Evening primrose oil con-tains a rich supply of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an omega-6 fatty acid that aids in reducinginflammation. As a result, ithelps combat rheumatoid arthri-tis, nerve damage, and Alzheim-er’s-induced memory loss. Be-cause GLA aids the transmissionof nerve impulses, it may also behelpful in multiple sclerosis.Evening primrose comes in cap-sule form or as an oil. Go aheadand use it in salad dressing! Source: Secrets of Longevityby Dr. Maoshing Ni

Makeyourkitchenfriend-lier: De-pendingon your

approach, the kitchen can be anenvironmental minefield. Hereare a number of ways to mini-mize your ecological footprintwhile also be kinder to yourhealth:· Use cloth dishtowels and nap-kins instead of paper ones.· Pick up a cheap set of light-weight, washable dishes.They’re great for picnics insteadof disposable plates.· Plug-in kettles use less energythan stovetop ones.· Never microwave food in aplastic container. Even plasticsthat are labeled microwavableshould be avoided. Plastics leachchemicals like phthalates, espe-cially when they are heated.· Make sure your plastic wrapdoes not come into direct contactwith your food, and check that itis not made of polyvinyl chloride. Source: Green Tips - How toSave Money and the Planet,published by Green Living En-terprises

Cassia Dritsas, 4.5 years, Mayan Riviera, Mexico Aiden Maceachern, 18 months, South Keys, Ottawa


A guide to just-launched Roots productsNEWNEWNEWNEWNEW & & & & & NOTEWORTHYNOTEWORTHYNOTEWORTHYNOTEWORTHYNOTEWORTHY

THE PERFECT COMPANION FOR YOUR LAPTOPNew backpack for mobile computer goes top-of-the-line

The new Modular Backpackis the most expensive, detailed bag of

this kind that the Roots team has evermade. Created by Senior Accessories De-signer Lynne Morris, it’s perfect for any-one seeking a clean, modern-looking all-in-one computer pack.

The large carrying capacity and paddedside access compartments allow for thestorage of a 17-inch laptop. An adjustable

waist or moved to the inside of the bag.The modular cell case can be moved fromthe sides of the bag to the convenient

shoulder strap. Theremovable media

pocket for musicplayers found

on the shoul-der can bemoved toeither side.Large linedorganizerpockets arealso avail-able forsunglasses,PDAs, cam-

era, creditcards etc.

For added nighttime safety, reflectivematerial is featured on the front and backof the pack, while the shoulder strap bearsthe Canadian flag to show your nationalcolours.

The modular backpack offered inblack, walnut and silver hits the stores thismonth and is available in 40 locationsacross Canada. Retail price: $79.95

waist strap is available for added support,as well as deluxe padded back and shoul-der straps for comfort.

All compartments on the inside ofthe bag are self-contained and can bemoved around the interior and exteriorof the pack. The detachable waist packand wallet can be worn around the

UPDATING A CLASSICNew sueded hoodies provide perfect answer to cool summer nights

Despite the mercury risingthroughout the day, air con-

ditioners are blasting and thesummer evenings are cool,making a heavier layer ofclothing essential. With this inmind, Designers Jules Powerand Joanne Joseph have up-dated some of the most suc-cessful sweater collections for

women. The Heritage SuededKanga and the HeritageSueded Full Zip are new ver-sions of two classic styles.

The lightweight fleece iscomprised of a cotton/polyes-ter blend. The surface of thegarments has been sueded andvintage garment washed result-ing in a luxurious hand.

In addition, the SuededKanga has a full front graphicof felt letters that spells out“Roots Canada Athletics,” withan embroidered crest. Detailingis found on the hood and abeaver crest on the sleeve. It isavailable in heathered shadesof jade, coral sunset, whitegreymix and retro red.

The Full Zip Hoody has anembroidered crest on the leftchest, a beaver patch on thesleeve and lightweight ribbedside seam insert. Embroidereddetailing on the hood revealsthe Roots logo. It comes innautical navy, retro red,greymix and English mustard.

Now available in all storesacross Canada and the UnitedStates.Sizes: XS-XL; Retail Price: SuededKanga: $72, Sueded Full Zip: $74

august 2007

Documents