January 11, 2007

1Issue 64 - January 11, 2007 The Source

A window into the world of RootsRootsRootsRootsRoots Issue 64 January 11, 2007

Innovative new campaign kicks off at Roots next week

WHYWHYWHYWHYWHYTHETHETHETHETHE FUTURE FUTURE FUTURE FUTURE FUTURE

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Issue 64 - January 11, 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 64I S S U E 64I S S U E 64I S S U E 64I S S U E 64

PublishersMICHAEL BUDMAN, DON GREEN

EditorROBERT SARNER

Editorial AssistantPAULOMI PATEL

InternCHARLENE CHAE

The Source is published every two weeksby Roots 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

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LEAVING THEM SINGINGRecently, I was shopping for agift for a person I’ve never met -my son’s girlfriend. They live inJapan and Christmas was goingto be our first time meeting. All Iknew about her was that sheloves anything from Roots, herfavourite colour is pink, and thatshe wears a small.

Normally, I loathe shopping!When I entered the Roots storein Hamilton, (Ontario), I wasgreeted by a person who wassmiling and asked if she couldhelp me with anything. Pink isnot a colour for winter. Therewere no small jackets. I was fraz-zled, to say the least.

I would like you to knowhow wonderful this salespersonwas. Her name was MiyekoSimons. She asked me questionsabout the girl. Told me that if it’sa jacket, it’s best not to buy asmall to allow for layers to beworn under it. She advised meabout things that, had I not beenso stressed out, I might havethought about.

Finally, she even put thejacket on so I could see what itlooked like. She looked beautifulin it. By the time I left yourstore, I was singing Christmascarols, all thanks to Miyeko.Cathy CzikkBrantford, ON

WORTH VISITINGI am writing to compliment youfor the excellent Roots productsthat I bought in your store inPointe Claire during my recentvisit to Quebec. All the clothes

that I purchased are of wonder-ful quality and the store staffwere extremely helpful. I en-joyed my visit there.

Thank you for such a posi-tive experience.Hannah MusgroveCleveland Heights, Ohio

FRANK DOES IT RIGHTI’m writing to pay tribute to oneof your retail employees. Inmid-December, I visited theRoots store in the Eaton Centerin Toronto. My main reason wasto buy a Christmas gift for afriend although I was not surewhat to get.

Fortunately for me, a verynice salesperson by the name ofFrank Echeverria offered tohelp me. He provided excellentideas. There was a sweater thatI was interested in buying but Iwas not quite sure how it wouldlook on my friend (who is aguy).

Frank tried on the sweaterfor me so I could see how thesweater might look on myfriend. It helped a great dealand I ended up buying thesweater.

Frank demonstrated greatcustomer service and went the‘extra-mile’ towards closing thesale with me. It worked. I men-tioned this to the store managerbut I also wanted to send thismessage to the Head Office toensure that Frank receives posi-tive feedback from the Rootsmanagement.Nadia MohammedToronto

In keeping with our fortnightlypublishing schedule, the nextissue of The Source will appearon Thursday, Jan 25.

ISSUE 65 OF THE SOURCE

DEPARTMENT OF CLARIFICATIONIn Issue 63 of The Source, in the Quebecsection of the article entitled “Holiday spiritat its best,” the correct name of the StoreManager in Brossard is Neil Dideles.

SUPERIOR SERVICEI just wanted to pass on somepositive feedback on the greatservice I recently had at your Mar-ket Mall store in Calgary. I be-lieve the person who looked afterme, Jennifer Hughes, is the storemanager and if not, she should be!

I received a Roots handbagfor Christmas from my sister.The first day, I carried it thebuckle somehow came loose andI lost it. I was feeling sick aboutit not only because the bag cost$188 but also because I loved it.

I went to the store andJennifer said she could try toorder a new buckle for me butthen spotted the same bag on theshelf. She immediately gave methe replacement piece and saidshe would order a new bucklefor the one still in the store. Itwas an example of superior cus-tomer service.

With the shortage of staff inthis city, Roots is very lucky tohave someone who cares aboutyour customers. This act willcertainly bring me back againand again.....not only because ofthe quality of your products butthe excellent service I received.Thank you.Lori SmithCalgary, Alberta The Source wants to hear from you.Please send your letters to RobertSarner at [email protected]. Lettersmay be edited for length and clarity.

SHINING BRIGHTNew collection is called “TheFuture Looks Bright” with goodreason

MVP OF THE MONTHSpotlight shines on the manwho delivers the goods

PARTY TIMEStaff usher in holiday with an-nual celebrations

GETTING A JUMP ON SPRINGFashion cognoscenti from Ca-nadian media take in ‘trunkshow’ at Roots.

ADDING TO THE SHOPPINGEXPERIENCEResults from pilot project todetermine benefit of in-storekiosk with computer

WENDY IN TV LANDUS television producers can’tseem to get enough Roots

BRIGHT IDEANew “Future” collection inau-gurates use of informativehangtags

SPEAK TO MY AGENTThe littlest customers showtheir Roots

MAKING LIFE EASIER FORNEW PARENTSRoots Diaper Bags prove apractical, popular accessory

GOING PLACESThe right look before and aftertaking to the slopes


At Roots, the design pro-cess is a wondrous thingthat leads to great results.

Take the new ‘The FutureLooks Bright’ collection forinstance, which began to arrivein stores a few days ago. Com-prised mostly of vibrant-col-oured polos, T-shirts, sweatsand leather handbags, it is thefirst installment of the Spring’07 collection.

“There’s a lot to like aboutthis new collection,” saysProduct Coordinator SydBeder. “It not only looks goodand is distinct from our com-petitors but it’s also assertivein the message it projects. Itties in perfectly well with thelongtime Roots values ofhealth, wellness and the envi-ronment. When we say ‘thefuture looks bright’, we meanit, both in terms of the colourpalette and in saying that wemust all do what we can tomake the future better.”

Like the environmentalmessage, the positive feel andoptimistic view of the collec-tion are very much in keepingwith a sensibility that has pre-vailed at Roots ever since thecompany began in 1973. Itcomes across in differentways, both in many of the ‘Fu-ture Looks Bright’ products –which feature environmentaland pro-peace statements aspart of the design – and in themarketing campaign for thecollection which includes asimilar theme.

The collection is the fruitof several creative mindsworking in harmony in the De-

sign Department at the RootsHeadquarters in Toronto. JulesPower, Rita Shulman, DylanAnderson, Karl Kowalewski,Elsa Desouza, Lynne Morris,Marisa Battaglia, StephanieBriers and Tracy Klem repre-sent menswear, womenswear,leather goods, accessories,kids, baby and graphic design.Together, they bring a richness

of backgrounds, styles andsensibilities to the table.

In creating this collection,the design team made a keydecision to use bright colourswith a theme and message thatwould help set Roots apartfrom other brands. From sun-rise yellow to lotus pink tofaded red, foliage green andhoney peach, the colours are a

refreshing change at this timeof year. Statements featured onmany of the tops include Pro-tect Nature; Stop GlobalWarming; Unite For Peace;Demand Clean Water.

Sounds pretty simple andstraightforward but it’s not.With each product, there’s somuch more than meets the eye.What the customer sees is onlythe last stage in the product’smulti-faceted evolution fromthe original idea to the actualmanufacturing. It’s all part ofthe creative and productionprocess at Roots that’s bothintuitive and logical.

In coming up with a newcollection, the designers con-duct extensive research andplanning. They work closelywith Roots Co-Founders DonGreen and Michael Budman,Director of Design NellaWalker and Syd Beder. Forinspiration and to furtherstimulate creativity, the design-ers travel to various fashioncapitals, study the styles in thestreets and in music and mov-ies, and consult internationalfashion forecasting services.All the while, they keep theireyes and ears open to influ-ences from a mix of sources.

The design team mustwrestle with countless aspects– aesthetic and practical –critical to the customer’s per-ception of Roots. By decidingon all the variables – colours,fabric, textures, cut, fit, embel-lishment, graphics – the de-signers determine the look and

SHINING BRIGHTNew collection is called “The Future Looks Bright” with good reason

Continued on next page

Standing tall for a brightfuture: Neli and Dylan showtheir real colours for theseason.


ultimate success of an item.Details, details, details. AtRoots, they all matter. It’s theonly way to ensure quality andintegrity.

The challenge is to remainfresh and relevant, season afterseason. With ‘The Future

Looks Bright’, the design teamhas created a winning combi-nation to kick off the new yearin a bold, stylish and eye-catching manner. But it’s morethan just the look.

“In our own modest way,”says Syd, “we hope this collec-tion and its main message willhelp people to sit up and be-come more pro-active regard-ing the future. We all need todo more and be more assertiveto help bring about a betterfuture for generations to come.It’s not going to happen if wejust sit back.”

Although the ‘Future LooksBright’ theme is unique toRoots, it reflects certain cur-rent trends. For example, oneof the elements in the collec-tion is a nautical theme, whichis in fashion this season. Rootsintegrated it with an environ-mental angle in the graphic T-shirts for men and womenwhich highlight the message‘Save Our Oceans’.

“Roots has always stoodfor certain values,” says DonGreen. “I see this new collec-tion as the latest chapter in ourefforts not only to create greatproducts but also to raiseawareness about importantissues and to affect positivechange, especially where theenvironment is concerned. The

future looks bright, but only ifwe all do our part to make theworld a better place.”

While the ‘Future LooksBright’ collection is just begin-ning to roll out at Roots stores,those who created it have longsince moved on to newprojects for the next season.Such is the life of the designteam at Roots.

Designers in any field areused to thinking ahead. Theyhave to. Like fortune tellers,they read the future long be-fore it arrives. Fashion design-ers face a particular challenge.They must think up designsthat will be stylish and perti-nent well in advance of theclothes hitting the marketmany months later. To be suc-cessful, designers must have aspecial sense. At Roots, theymust create compelling stylesthat both reflect and defineprevailing trends and are trueto the Roots look and heritage.

The Roots design team isalready hard at work on theFall/Holiday 2007 collection,and will start focusing soonon the Spring 2008 styles. Thedesign process never stops.But for all their creativity andsuccess, the designers knowthey can’t rest on past laurels.They’re only as good as theirnext collection. – R.S.

With the launchof the ‘Fu-ture LooksBright’ col-lection,Roots isintroducinga new gen-eration of‘hangtags’designed tohelp cus-

tomers make a more informedpurchase. Each tag includesdetails on a product’s featuresand benefits. In a reader-friendly manner, it lists the fabriccontent, fit, styling aspects, size,price and bar code.

Going forward in 2007, allnew products at Roots will havesuch hangtags. They will alsobenefit retail staff by helpingthem be more knowledgeableabout merchandise in the stores.

Printed on glossy cardstock, the front panel of eachhangtag features a vintage col-our painting of a beaver in thewoods by celebrated Canadianartist Heather Cooper. Shehelped design the original Rootslogo in 1973 and was closelyinvolved in creating the compa-ny’s first advertising campaignduring the same period.

BRIGHT IDEANew “Future” collectioninaugurates use ofinformative hangtags

Continued from previous page

The launch of the ‘Future’ collectionincludes a mix of brightly colouredprint ads, posters and environ-mental literature given out at stores.

The first items in the collection began to arrive in stores this week and will be followed by other products throughout January and early February.


The list of American TVshows ordering Rootsproducts keeps growing.

This thanks to Los Angeles-based Roots salespersonWendy Goodman who makesit her business to connect theentertainment world withRoots. In recent weeks, she’sbeen particularly busy withthese latest deals in TV land:• The Sopranos – A plot linefrom this HBO hit show servedas an inspiration to develop acollection of some 400-zippolo T-shirts. Made in Canadafrom 80% cotton and 20%polyester fleece, the polos fea-ture a screen print on the front,collar and the back. ExecutiveProducer David Chase, thewriter/director who createdThe Sopranos, is a long timefriend and fan of Roots.• The People’s Court - Thejudge of the widely popularAmerican “judge show” inwhich actual small claimscourt cases are heard, orderedmicro fleece fabric zip-polos.Some 220 polos with embroi-dery details on the neck andsleeve were shipped to the of-fices of the show in New Yorkand Los Angeles.• Veronica Mars – When thecreators of this teen-mystery-drama were looking for the per-fect gift to give for the end-of-year holidays, they turned toRoots and ordered more than170 black vintage twill fabriccaps with embroidery details.• Studio 60 – More than 300black full-zip hoodies were

shipped to the Studio 60’s of-fice in Los Angeles when themakers of the US-based dramaseries needed branded prod-ucts for the show’s cast andcrew. The hoodies were madein Canada from 80% cottonand 20% polyester fleece fab-ric with distressed print details.• How I Met Your Mother –Producer Pamela Frymanknew the quality of Rootsproducts having purchasedthem for her previous shows –Two and Half Men and JustShoot Me. This time, for herlatest sitcom, How I Met YourMother, Pamela contactedWendy Goodman once againand ordered some 200 adultand kids Roots hoodies. Madein Canada from 80% cottonand 20% polyester fleece, theyfeature wool-felt appliqué em-broidery.• The Jimmy Kimmel Show –Executive Producer JillLeiderman of the late-nightJimmy Kimmel Show pur-chased more than 350 full-ziphoodies for the program’s staffand ABC TV’s executives.Made in Canada from 80%cotton and 20% polyesterfleece fabric, the hoodies havewith white satin twill appliquéand embroidery detail.

All of the above orderswere executed in Toronto bythe ever-reliable Mary JaneSaliba, Senior Product Coordi-nator in the Business-to-Busi-ness Department at the RootsHead Office. She and Wendymake a potent team.

WENDY IN TV LANDUS television producers can’t seem to get enough Roots

The Sopranos Studio 60

The Jimmy Kimmel Show

Veronica MarsThe People’s Court

How I Met Your Mother


ON THE MOVENew appointments andpromotions at Roots

Just before the start of eachnew fashion season, Rootshosts an informal event

called the ‘Trunk Show’ forfashion editors and writers togive them a preview of thenext season’s collection. A fewweeks ago, style mavens fromthe Canadian media congre-gated at the Roots Rosedalestore in Toronto to get a close-up look at the spring line ofproducts.

Some 30 fashion journalistsfrom different newspapers andmagazines including TheGlobe and Mail, NationalPost, Flare, Fashion, Wish,Canadian Living, and Glowattended the morning event.

They were received byDiane Bald, Founder and Di-rector of Roots Home andDenyse Green, Founder andDirector of Roots Yoga. Com-pany Co-Founders MichaelBudman and Don Green werealso present for the gathering.As part of the refreshments,

GETTING A JUMP ON SPRINGFashion cognoscenti from Canadian media take in ‘trunk show’ at Roots.

MichelleCheung, pro-moted toKeyholder,West Edmon-ton Mall, ABArthur Chin,promoted toKeyholder,

Beacon Hill, Calgary, ABLeanne D’Achille, promoted toStore Manager, St. Catharines, ONJennifer Hughes, promoted toStore Manager, Market Mall,Calgary, ABKristine Marie Lat, hired asKeyholder, Erin Mills, Mississauga,ONJessica McPhee, promoted toAssistant Manager, Market Mall,Calgary, ABTerrance Paul, hired as Store Man-ager, West Edmonton Mall, ABErin Robertson, promoted to As-sistant Manager, Cornwall Center,Regina, SKLasha Rojenko, hired as AssistantStore Manager, St. Catharines, ONJennifer Sather, hired as StoreManager, Park Royal, Vancouver,BCMichelle Zambrono, hired asKeyholder, Erin Mills, Mississauga, ON

guests were served organiccoffee (now sold at RootsBloor Street).

Karl Kowalewski, Direc-tor of Leather, joined Dianeand Denyse in introducing thenew leather bag collectionwhile Nella Walker, Directorof Design, showed the apparelproducts for the upcoming sea-son. They gave background

details on new fabrics, newtypes of leathers and newstyles featured.

Many of the editors re-quested – and in the days fol-lowing the event received –products to use in photo shootsfor fall issues of their publica-tions. Similar “trunk shows”are now planned for Montrealand Vancouver.

What a wayto end theyear! The

last two weeks ofDecember provedthe highpoint of2006. During thatperiod, thanks tothe rush to buyChristmas giftsfollowed by theBoxing Week sale,Roots stores gen-erated the greatestDecember salesrevenue in the his-tory of the com-pany.

Such was the demand fromcustomers to buy products thatin stores across the country byNew Year’s Day, many shelveswere almost empty. DuringBoxing Week, some stores at-tracted such large crowds thatsecurity was needed to controlthe flow of people. Hugelineups of customers at the

cash registers were common,and in some cases customershad to wait in line for up to anhour to pay for their purchases.

The result is that the high-est number of stores this yearachieved or exceeded theirsales target for the month. Interms of ‘Store of the Month’honours, the Roots store in

GREAT MOMENTS IN RETAILWhat a month! Spotlighting the top-performing stores in December

Kingston, Ontariocaptured firstplace amongcompany storeswhile theFanshaw Outlet inLondon, Ontarioheaded the packin the Outlet sec-tor. The Kingstonstore surpassed itssales target bymore that 205percent and theFanshaw Outletfinished themonth 145 per-cent over budget.

Congratula-tions to Store ManagersJennifer Levesque of King-ston and Phil Papadopoulosof Fanshaw, London, along withtheir respective teams for theirperformance. And hats off to theentire retail staff for contributingto such a record-breaking monthof December across the board.

Roots Central in Toronto in late December: It was a similar mobscene at most Roots stores, especially during Boxing Week.


FRESH INKA selection of coverageof Roots in the media

This week wrapsup the first-everRoots “Spin &

Win” contest. De-signed as a marketingtool to promote thecompany’s recentlyrevamped and ex-panded website, themonth-long contest gaveshoppers free prizes anda chance to win a $500shopping spree.

As part of the ini-tiative, all shoppersreceived tokens with anumbered code uponentering the three participatingstores in Toronto. Using acomputer at an in-store kiosk,customers typed in the codefrom their token. Each tokenwas a winner and prizes in-cluded $5 off a minimum $20purchase, $10 off a minimum

$50 purchase, and discountsoff purchases made atroots.com. Additionally, eachparticipant was given five bal-lots to enter for a shot at thegrand prize of a shopping spree.

“People have been lined upto use the kiosk and enter the

contest,” says JamesConnell, Director ofE-Commerce, DigitalMarketing and NewMedia at Roots.“Based on the rate ofredemption, I thinkthe effort was suc-cessful.”

Tested only atRoots Central at theToronto Eaton Cen-tre, Roots Yorkdale,and the flagship storeon Bloor St., the con-test also served as afun way to enhancethe in-store shopping

experience. It also helped at-tract thousands of more peopleto register their names andemail addresses with Roots inorder to automatically receivemailings about new productsand new promotions at Roots.

ADDING TO THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCEResults from pilot project to determine benefit of in-store kiosk with computer

Here aresomerecentsightingsof Rootsin thepages ofnewspa-

pers and magazines:• Lou Lou magazine, Jan./Feb:Spotlight on the women’s blackleggings and women’s Nordicsweater. Also, mentions the RootsYoga collection.• Hello magazine, Jan. 15. AspenSki inspired fashion story featuredRoots white shearling vest, Tribeleather carry-on, Mary shearlinggloves, Lamb leather Emily Jacket,Wine Zerum Village Pack, blackcara peaked beanie and shearlingearflap hat.• Globe and Mail, Jan 6. Rootswinter apparel featured on cover ofStyle Section and in article entitled“Cool Running.” Michael Budman isquoted. Elsewhere in same edition.Roots flat bag collection is cited.• Cape Breton Post (Sydney, NS),Jan. 6. Mentions Roots rustic coffeetables being made from reclaimedmaple featured in the “Trends fornew year”.• The Toronto Star, Jan. 6. Articlespotlights layering the Roots Yogablack T-shirt for men, hoodie andshirt. Also, mentions Al Gore’s filmAn Inconvenient Truth CD andLaurie David’s book Stop GlobalWarming being sold at Roots.• The Globe & Mail, Dec. 30. Arti-cle entitled “ Fashion of the nearfuture” mentions Roots bags forspring. Also, spotlights the RootsCamp collection as a highlight of2006 in the “Design & Fashion”section.• The National Post, Dec. 30 andDec 23. Spotlight on the Roots minitote featured in the “More glam!”section.• SooToday (Sault Ste. Marie,Ontario), Dec. 27. Article entitled,“Where Saultites were shopping onBoxing Day”, mentions the onlylineup of shoppers at the city’s mainshopping centre was at the Rootsstore.• The Hamilton Spectator, Dec.27. Mentions Roots staff atMapleview Centre in Burlingtonreceiving special incentives forworking on Boxing Day.• The Globe & Mail, Dec. 23. Spot-light on the Roots track pants,Roots bamboo bedding and patch-work pillow. Also, spotlight theRoots dragon motif pajamas.• The Calgary Herald, Dec 19.Spotlight on the Roots Spirit for menfeatured in the “delightfully deli-cious” section.• The Independent & Free Press(Georgetown, ON) Dec. 13, TheUxbridge Times-Journal (Uxbridge,ON) Dec 19. Mentions the RootsYoga fashions featured in the “Findthe perfect gift for her” section.• The Look magazine, Dec. issue:Spotlight on the Roots acrylic/woolvest featured in the “Play up theparty mood” section.

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

Celebrities have long madea point of shopping atRoots. Here are the latest

sightings of prominent figuresfrom the world of entertain-ment, sports and politics whovisited Roots stores recently:· Bloor Street, Toronto -Dalton McGuinty, the Premierof Ontario, shopped at the Rootsflagship store.Actor Alan Rickman, knownfrom the Harry Potter movies,visited the store where an after-screening event was held for his

latest movie Snowcake. Also atthe store: Actor/comedian DanAykroyd; VJ Melissa Ford;music video director Lil’X;Canada’s Next Top Model hostJay Manuel; and entertainerSugarbaby.· Bayview Village, Toronto -R&B and gospel singer EricBenet purchased a CooperKanga Hoody at the store.· Birmingham, Michigan -Actress Cheryl Hines, mostfamous for her role as LarryDavid’s wife on HBO’s CurbYour Enthusiasm, shopped atthe store while preparing herwardrobe for this month’sSundance Film Festival.· Mont Tremblant, Quebec -Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones,known for her roles in suchfilms as The Legend of Zorro;Chicago and Ocean’s Twelve,visited the store.

Cheryl Hinds Dan Aykroyd with Santa Lil’X and Jay Manuel

Sugarbaby

Melissa Ford Eric Benet

Making use of a special computer at an in-store kiosk.


In late December, in keepingwith a time-honoured tradition at Roots and the festive

spirit of Christmas, staff at theHead Office, Distribution Cen-tre and leather factory took partin their annual holi-day get-togethers.

At the Head Of-fice, employees con-verged on The Hubarea for an eveningof live music, re-freshments andprizes. During theevent, Roots Co-Founders DonGreen and MichaelBudman presentedgifts (leather jacketsand bags) to employ-ees who recentlycelebrated landmarkanniversaries in their careers atRoots (5 and 10 years).

The leather factory hostedits traditional holiday lunch forits employees with freshly

PARTY TIMEStaff usher in holiday with annual celebrations

cooked turkey along with pota-toes and fresh vegetables. KarlKowalewski, Director ofLeather and his brother HenryKowalewski, Plant ProductManager at the factory, partici-

pated in the celebrations asthey always do every year. Aspart of a lucky draw, LeatherStitchers Ibette Urbine won a32" LCD High Definition flat

screen TV and Maria Silvawon a mountain bike with anti-shock suspension. All employ-ees also received a turkey andother gifts.

A little further south at theDistribution Centre, BobBaker, Director of the DC,held a holiday luncheon on thepremises for his entire team.Adding to the holiday spirit,they were accompanied byBuddy the Roots Beaver andMrs. Clause. Several prizeswere given away including a27” Toshiba TV, won byJaswinder Phull and twoPanasonic Microwave ovenswon by Yvette Gordon andDavid Cheng. Other prizesincluded a music system andRoots items.

Michael and Don partici-pated in all three celebrationswhere they thanked employees fortheir hard work, gave away prizesand congratulated everybody forthe success of Roots in 2006.

I t’s not justw h a tZ i g g yP i s c hd o e se v e r yday atR o o t st h a te a r n e dhim De-c e m -

ber’s MVP of the Month recog-nition. It’s also how he does it.Ziggy is your proverbial niceguy. Always agreeable, alwayshelpful, always with an easysmile. It’s no surprise he’s apopular figure at Roots.

As head of the Transporta-tion Department, Ziggy over-sees both company vehiclesand is responsible for all sortsof deliveries and pick ups forthe stores, the DistributionCentre/Warehouse, the HeadOffice, customers, contractorsand special projects. As such,he’s usually on the move. Youname it, if it’s in Toronto andneeds to go from one place toanother at Roots, Ziggy is onthe case.

Last summer, he celebratedhis 15th anniversary at Roots.Ziggy, who grew up in Toronto,joined the company in 1991 asan Order Filler, working in theShipping/Receiving side of thebusiness before transferring tohis current position.

“In my work, things can bemoving along at a normal pace,but can then quickly turn quitehectic,” says Ziggy, 35. “Stay-ing on top of the situation canbe demanding, but at the sametime very satisfying when it allcomes together. I receive agreat deal of satisfaction know-ing that the people at Roots aredepending on me to be the linkbetween all the departments.”

Known for his reliability,Ziggy is a personable, down-to-earth man who is extremelyloyal to Roots. “Over the years,I have met many interestingpeople in my work and I’vebeen lucky to experience manyexciting things at Roots. Ithelps motivate and encourageme to see all the new and ex-citing things yet to come forRoots. I’m looking forward tobeing part of it.”

Roots is fortunate to haveZiggy as part of its team.

MVP OF THE MONTHSpotlight shines on theman on the move whodelivers the goods

The festive spirit reigns: Don and Michaelwelcome a special guest at Head Office bash.


• Kingsway, Edmonton, AB– Store Manager SheilaBrisson and her team do-nated their Christmas staffparty money to Catholic So-cial Services, which providessupport to new immigrants inCanada. They also collectedmoney among the staff byselling bottles of water in re-cent months to purchaseRoots clothes and toys for animmigrant family.• Mayfield Common, Ed-monton, AB – Store ManagerRon Deering and his teamdonated caps and toques toKids With Cancer Society,which provides support and

services for children with can-cer.• Chinook Centre, Calgary,AB - Store Manager DeniseBazzana and her team do-nated their Christmas Partyfunds to the Alberta Children’sHospital.• Grandview Outlet, Van-couver, BC – Store ManagerDaniela Bosa and her staffhelped the Salvation Armywith their Adopt A Familycampaign. They arranged abake sale to raise money fora family that lost their father.The staff bought gift certifi-cates at Chapters, Rootsclothes and chocolates for thefamily and also donated a giftbasket.• Kamloops, BC – Store

Manager Darlene Thorneand her team saved all theirempty bottles of water in thestore during the whole year,and recycled them to getmoney and buy food for theSociety for the Prevention ofCruelty to Animals.• Mayfair, Victoria, BC –Store Manager Bob Heyesand his team donated moneyto the grocery chain Thrifty’sFeed a Family campaign.With this money, they wereable to purchase hampers for12 families.• Seven Oaks, Abbotsford,BC – Store Manager AvisBaker and her team usedtheir Christmas staff partymoney to help the SalvationArmy and its Adopt A Child

campaign by buying a Rootswatch and a Roots sweatshirtfor an unprivileged child.• Victoria, BC – Store Man-ager Lea Weir and her teamarranged a clothing drive forthe Women in Need Society,which helps women and chil-dren. They also donated theirChristmas staff party moneyto buy Roots clothes for un-derprivileged children in theircommunity.• Winnipeg Outlet, Winni-peg, Manitoba – Store Man-ager Paul Rogers and histeam helped the local charityKoats for Kids, which collectsgently worn/new coats, hatsand mitts for needy children.Each Roots employee do-nated money for the cause.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT AT ITS BEST, PART 3Stores in Western Canada show their real colours by helping their communities

As highlighted in the lasttwo issues of The Source,as part of one of the end-

of-the-year traditions at Rootsthe staff at many if not moststores come together to dosomething in support of theirrespective communities. Alltheir numerous initiatives can’tbe spotlighted in one issue.

The last two issues spot-lighted the actions of stores inEastern Canada, Quebec andOntario. This last installment,focuses on stores in WesternCanada.

Mayfair, BC: (left to right ) Marsha Goldie, Ashley MacDonald, Bob Heyes, Chris Duke, Erin Wood, Ainslie Avery,missing in action Bharpur Brar and Jessica Game.

Kamloops, BC: (left to right) Jennifer Granfield, Nicole Chudley, RhondaMcLean, Darlene Thorne, Stevie Felton and Emily Okumura.

Grandview Outlet, BC: back row: Chloe Sharpe, Karen Sunner, DanielaBosa, Josh Gomez, Charlie Yamaguchi; front row: Rosanna Xu, YoungsoonMcLellan, Katherine Wi, Shannon Kim, Jade Spencer-Tam, Karen YurkovicMissing in action: Christina Eng, Taryn Peake, Sara Kouwenhoven, FrankieLeung, Spencer Li, Nafisa Kaptownwala and Ricky Garcha, Marianne Binder.

Mayfield Common, AB: back row: Sherine Spence, Bailey Schultz, CarlaDobbin; front row: Molly MacNevin, Sarah Freedman, Michelle Kostyniuk,Misty Kvikstad, Ron Deering.

Victoria, BC: Lea Weir, Hana Holland, Nicola Bernon, Laura Goodger,Jumana Tubeishat. Missing in action: Kim Abbott, Yuko Sawada, Kat Herman.


GREEN TIP #29Easy ways to help theenvironment

HEALTH TIP #26Easy ways to help youstay healthy

DITCHPLASTICBAGS.Every year,Canadiansuse an esti-mated 10

billion plastic bags, (includ-ing 200 million in Toronto)a considerable contributionto the 500 billion to one tril-lion used worldwide. That’sa lot of material that’s any-thing but eco-friendly. Madefrom polyethylene, plasticbags are not biodegradableand are making their wayinto our oceans and water-ways.

According to recent stud-ies, the oceans are full oftiny fragments of plastic, alltoxic, that are beginning towork their way up the foodchain. Do the responsiblething. Invest in stronger, re-usable bags, and avoid plas-tic bags whenever possible.

Teapartybenefitsallguests.Celebrity

testimonials are all well andgood, but none of them cantop this: tea is the beveragemost commonly enjoyed bycentenarians around theworld. The free radical-in-hibiting property of tea ismore potent than that of vi-tamin E, and tea is a provenpreventative and treatmentfor atherosclerosis (harden-ing of the arteries).

The polyphenols in tea,especially the catechins, arepowerful antioxidants thathelp ward off diabetes andcancer. Source: Secrets of Lon-gevity, By Dr. Maoshing Ni

SPEAK TO MY AGENT

You’re never too young to look good inRoots. Many people obviously agree,based on the mail we receive in the Com-

munication Department. Both customers andstaff often send in photos of their children, cous-ins, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, friends orneighbours wearing Roots, asking if they couldappear in a future ad campaign for Roots.

We can’t make any promises about that butstarting with this issue of The Source, we willpublish a selection of such pictures on a regularbasis. Everyone is welcome to submit their fa-vourite shots of little kids in Roots. For now, ourfocus is on children up to the age of five yearsold.

Send your photos to [email protected] sure to include the name and age of eachchild in the photo, where it was taken and a sen-tence stating that you agree that the photos canbe used in The Source.

The littlest customers show their Roots

Spencer Dionisio, 1 year, Toronto

Jenna Klassen, 2 years, Winnipeg

Harry Gilleshammer,20 months, Sandy Lake, MB

Along with film producers, rock stars,concert pro-moters and

the US Olympic Associa-tion, the latest to turn toRoots for custom-designedproducts are mayors lookingto promote their cities withstyle. Last month, the mayorof Windsor launched the first-ever line of city-brandedproducts made by Roots.

The custom-designedcollection was initiated byMayor Eddie Francis whofirst contacted Roots lastyear with the idea as a way tohelp enhance the city’s imageand cachet. Liz Doggett, Man-ager of the Wholesale Opera-tions at Roots along with

Joanna Iachetta and KimRyatt, Account Managers inthe Business-to-Business De-partment, coordinated a collec-tion comprised of T-shirts,

sweatshirts, baseball caps,fleece-lined toques and bagsfeaturing the Roots and Wind-sor logos.

“Roots has worked closelywith the City of Windsor todesign a very appealing line ofclothing with a look that re-flects our great pride in Wind-sor,” says Mayor Francis.

“The merchandise offerslocal residents and out-of-townvisitors items that displaypride, recognition and qualityalong with a very Canadianfeel, which is why we ap-proached Roots.”

The specialized apparel isavailable in select locations inWindsor, with more locations tobe added in the coming months.

STYLING A CITYWindsor launches line of city-branded Roots products

Windsor city councilor Percy Hatfield,(left), displaying a Roots-Windsor T-shirt


A guide to just-launched Roots productsNEW & NOTEWORTHY

BRIGHT KIDSSending the right message in style

As part ofthe ‘Fu-

ture LooksBright’ cam-paign (seecover story),four newpieces havebeen addedto the kidscollection.For girls, thelatest shirtto hit storesis the Hailylong-sleeve T-shirt. Availablein lotus pink, honey peach, andsunrise yellow, the brightly-coloured shirts feature positivemessages: ‘The Future LooksBright’; ‘Down to Earth’; and‘Ready For Anything’.

The latest short-sleeveshirts for boys in arrive instores also feature positive

The latest baby collection ofthe season is the

Organic LayetteGroup. Made from100% organic cotton,the environmentallyfriendly line has asoft texture just rightfor babies. Each piecefeatures the traditional Rootsbeaver logo and comes in SolidIce, Striped Ice and Driftwood.

Designed by Elsa De

ORGANIC FOR BABIESLittle ones deserve the best in soft cotton

To meet the big needs of alittle baby, the right diaper

bag can make all the differ-ence. The solution from theRoots Babies Department hasattracted many parents.

The stylish bagwith multiple pocketsis designed to suitboth men and women.Made in one size from100% Nylon fabric,the bag comes in anavy and black combi-nation, and in a newwalnut colour, intro-duced this season.Additional features includeloops with snaps to attach tothe stroller for easy carrying.The nylon shell wipes downeasily with sponge allowingeasy care.

Designed by Senior Acces-sories Designer Lynne Morris,Senior Babies Designer ElsaDe Souza and coordinated byMerchandise Manager for Ba-

bies and Kids MarisaBattaglia, the bag has longbeen a success with newmoms. It’s also been men-tioned on many maternity-re-lated blogs.

“I have a Rootsdiaper bag and Ilove it,” says one ofthe bloggers aboutthe hit bag. “It hasfront pockets inwhich I put two dia-pers for each childso I don’t have torummage around inthe big part. It also

has a lot of little pockets, aplace for my bankcard, a bigback pocket (perfect for a col-ouring book and crayons), andlots of room in the middle fortoys, books and extra cloth-ing.”

We couldn’t say it better.Available in select Roots

stores in Canada.Retail price: $42.95

MAKING LIFE EASIER FOR NEW PARENTSRoots Diaper Bags prove a popular accessory

Sousa, Senior Designer of Ba-bies, the collectionwill arrive in Rootsstores in Canadanext week.• BABIES: OrganicJumpsuit, sizes XS-XL, $32.95; Organic2PC, sizes XS-5T,$32.95; Organic

Bodysuit, sizes XS-XL, $16.95; Or-ganic Diaper Pant, sizes XS-XL,$16.95; Organic Toque, sizes XS/Sand M/L, $12.95; Organic Blanket,one size, $32.95

messages. The‘It’s Cool toBe Green’shirt comes infoliage green;the ‘ProtectNature’ shirtcomes in sun-rise yellow,and the ‘SaveOur Oceans’shirt comes ingrey mix.

All kidsshirts are

made of 100% cotton jerseyand are currently available atselect stores in Canada and theUS.• KIDS: Haily LS T-Shirt, sizes S-XL, retail price: $24.95; It’s Cool ToBe Green T, sizes S-XL, retail price:$19.95; Protect Nature T, sizes S-XL, retail price: $19.95; Save TheOcean SS T, sizes S-XL, retail price:$19.95

GOING PLACESThe right look before and after taking to the slopes

The ski-city line of Rootsapparel

that arrived instores in re-cent weeks isnot just styl-ish but also asource of in-formation.Inspired bypopular North American loca-tions, the collection featurescreative graphics reflecting thelifestyle of each chosen skiresort – Whistler, Banff, Mont-Tremblant, Aspen, Park City,and Sun Valley – and spot-lights the year in which eachwas established. For example,the oldest is Banff which wasfounded in 1880.

Coordinated by Director,Merchandise Purchasing andFlow Jarar Kazmi, Merchan-dise Manager for Women Julie

O’Neil, Associate Men’s De-signer DylanAnderson withprints designed byGraphic ArtistStephanie Briers,the line is made upof T-shirts, polosand sweatshirts.The collection also

includes two big cities forgood measure – Toronto andVancouver.

Made for men, women andchildren, the collection isavailable in select stores inToronto and Vancouver and inthe ski-city stores.Men’s: Sizes available: XS – XXL;Retail price range: $32 - $78Women’s: Sizes available: XS – XL;Retail price range: $32 - $78Kids: Sizes available: S – XL; Retailprice range: $22.95 - $49.95Babies: Sizes available: S – 5T;Retail price range: $18.95 - $39.95

January 11, 2007

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