October 2007

The Source • 1Issue 76 - October 2007

A window into the world of RootsRootsRootsRootsRoots Issue 76 • October 2007

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Actor Russell Crowe and his rugby team in Australia wearing their customized Roots

2 • The Source Issue 76 - October 2007

PublishersMICHAEL BUDMAN, DON GREEN

EditorROBERT SARNER

Editorial AssistantCARLY ANDERSON

InternKASI BRUNO

The Source is published every monthby Roots Canada Ltd. We welcomeletters from readers for publication.Please address all correspondence toThe Source, Letters to the Editor, RootsCanada, 1400 Castlefield Ave., Toronto,Ontario, M6B 4C4 or by email [email protected] Letters may beedited for length and clarity.

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

DepartmentsFRESH INK

GUESS WHO JUST DROPPED IN

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

MOMENTS THAT MATTER

GREEN TIPS

HEALTH TIPS

STAYING POWER

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 76I S S U E 76I S S U E 76I S S U E 76I S S U E 76

SPECIAL DELIVERYA selection of recent letters from the world of Roots

EXTRA! EXTRA!In keeping with our monthlypublishing schedule, the nextissue of The Source will appear inlate October.

• The Source wants to hear from you.Please send your letters to Robert Sarnerat [email protected]. Letters may beedited for length and clarity.

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THE LURE OF ROOTSFar from the retail spotlight, theBusiness-To-Business Depart-ment attracts high profile clientsinterested in customized Rootsproducts

KOREA GETS IN TOUCH WITHITS ROOTSMore locations open as part ofon-going expansion in Asia

AN ADVANCE LOOK OUT WESTVancouver fashion journalistsget a sneak preview ofupcoming holiday collection

IN THE SPOTLIGHTRoots makes its presence felt atrecent Toronto International FilmFestival

ROOTS HAS SOULRelease of third compilation CDin time for film fest

EXTREME MAKEOVER,DISNEY EDITIONNew version of film joins Rootsat Canada pavilion at EpcotCentre

TAKING WINDOW SHOPPINGTO A NEW LEVELRoots launches first-everinteractive display in Toronto

UNITED FOR PERURoots employee Miguel Gomez-Arbocco helps out a worthy

ROOTS PROTECTION?Recently, I was unfortunately hitby a car while I was riding mybike to work in the morning. Butfortunately I was wearing RootsCapri cargo pants, as they savedmy legs from major road rash.The pants are made with suchstrong material that they wereonly slightly damaged in theincident. Any other pants, Iventure to say, would have beentorn to shreds along with mylegs.

Thanks a lot for making suchgreat pants. Keep up the excel-lent quality!Jessica Zippin, Program ManagerClean Air Foundation, Toronto

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ROOTSI have been making many moviesin Toronto and Montreal for overa decade. The greatest discoveryI have made while being onlocation with a film in Canada isshopping at Roots.

I love the craftsmanship andstyle of Roots clothes. Theyalways come in the most beauti-ful colors. They are always newand different and reliablewhether I am buying summerlightweight clothing or theheavier, warmer winter clothing.

I can honestly say my closetis jam-packed with Rootsclothing and I can always goback to the store and findsomething new that I want to

purchase. I have never beforeconnected so completely with aline of clothing.Craig Zadan, Los AngelesExecutive Producer of Chicagoand Producer of Hairspray

FAITH RESTOREDI’m not sure how many compli-mentary emails you receive but Iwould like to call attention toone of your exemplary employ-ees. Bethany Peckham, whoworks at your Waterloo, Ontariostore, recently went out of herway to help me find a watch formy sister.

The first time I went into thestore to look for a watch, themodel I wanted was out-of-stock.One of the employees promisedto call around to other stores butthen never got back to me. Ihappened to be in the store aweek later when Bethany wasworking and asked about thewatch again.

She stopped what she wasdoing to look through thelogbooks and then took down myinformation. She promised tocall back which she did by theend of the same day. She alsoexplained what she was doing tolook for the watch and when shewould call again.

Bethany followed through oneverything. She was veryimpressive and by far the mosthelpful and professional person

I’ve ever encountered at Roots.She certainly has restored myfaith in your company.Dianne BarnesBaden, Ontario

THANK YOUWe want to thank Roots fortaking part in our 2007 Gala. Weare deeply grateful for yoursupport of this event, and foreverything that such assistancemakes possible at MulgraveSchool. The Gala continues tobe a highlight of the year on ourschool calendar, as well as anundertaking that reflects anenormous commitment on thepart of volunteers and donorsalike.

It is a fun event that servesas an opportunity for parents tomeet, mingle and rally togetherin support of the school. Cer-tainly, it is a great pleasure towitness, year after year, theoutpouring of support that isrealized by way of this veryspecial event.Tony Macoun, Head ofMulgrave SchoolWest Vancouver, BC


Continued on next page

Lyn a fewmonthsbefore Rootsopenedfor business in1973

THE LURE OF ROOTSFar from the retail spotlight, the Business-To-Business Department attracts high profile

clients interested in customized Roots products. By ROBERT SARNER

Last year, whenAcademyAward-

winning actorRussell Crowewanted good qualitycustomized apparelmade for the SouthSydney Rabbitohs,his professionalrugby team inAustralia, he knewwhere to go. Hecould have easily had it manufactured close to home inAustralia but he didn’t. Likemany other top-flight sports andentertainment-related figuresbefore him, he chose Roots forwhat he needed.

Russell first became ac-quainted with Roots in 2004while in Toronto filmingCinderella Man in which he hada starring role. As a gesture tothose involved in the movie, heordered custom-designed jackets,vests, hoodies, bags, caps andsleeveless T-shirts from Roots asgifts for the cast and crew. In2006, not long after he becamepart owner of the Rabbitohs,Russell placed his first order foroff-the-field hoodies for the

team. The merchandise was sowell received by players and fansin Australia that this summer heplaced a second order with

Roots, expanding it to alsoinclude headwear. In each case,he dealt directly with theBusiness-To-Business (B2B)Department at the Head Officethat specializes in such initia-tives.

When the general publicthinks about Roots, they usuallyassociate it with what they see inthe company’s 170 stores inNorth America and Asia. Mostcustomers – and even someretail staff – have little idea thatRoots is also a major producerof custom-made merchandisefor an impressive roster ofinternational, high profileclients.

Under the leadership ofMelindaMcDonald,Vice-Presi-dent, Whole-sale andBusinessDevelopment,the B2B staffhave estab-lished a greattrack record.They excelworking withoutsideorganizations

and companies. They aremasters at taking other people’slogos and branding and puttingthem on any of the full gamut of

Roots products from leathergoods to apparel to accessories.Clients choose from either thestock program of various coreRoots products or order customcreated items.

Often the staffmust contend withnear-impossibledeadlines on time-sensitive orders,overcomingproductionimperatives andcomplex delivery logistics. Thecustom-designedproductsare used for various purposes —as employee sales incentives,appreciation gifts, retail pro-grams, uniforms, official teamoutfits, apparel for specialevents or even for campcounselors.

“The B2B program has manybenefits for Roots,” saysMelinda, who joined thecompany in 1997 as Director ofFranchising and took over theB2B operations in 2005. “TheB2B activities are a greatcompliment to our core businessincluding contributing to theproduction at the leather factory.The work we do in B2B puts ourbrand in the public eye in adifferent manner than the retailstores can do. It also associates

our name withgood causes, andputs Roots in thespotlight in ahighly crediblemanner.”

The B2Bdepartment iscomprised of atightly-knit groupof men and womendevoted to servingthe needs and

desires of clients looking tocombine the quality and imageof Roots products with their ownlogo and brand. Most of theorders come to Roots via wordof mouth from people who haveseen what

Roots has done previously forother B2B accounts. Not to bepassive, the sales reps areextremely enterprising inseeking new business, never shyabout making cold-calls, al-though not to just anybody.

“The greatest challenge forus is who we associate ourselveswith in terms of who we do workfor,” says Melinda. “Who we puton our product can enhance orundermine our image so we mustalways be mindful of who wealign ourselves with. Otherwisewe run the risk of hurting theperception of Roots. The othermajor challenge we face ispricing. We have a minimum

The Rolling Stones get travel satisfaction with Rootsluggage tags made from tribe leather

The Rabbitohs enjoy their Roots gear courtesy of team owner/actor Russell Crowe

Audi gears up at the American Le Mans Series/GrandPrix of Mosport with a customized collection of Roots polos


TAKING STOCKRoots clients are an impressive bunch

level of quality that can make usmore expensive than others. Butwe won’t compromise on quality

In recent years, the B2BDepartment has attracted a

wide range of high profilequality customers in Canadaand the United States. Thefollowing is a selection (inalphabetical order) ofcompanies, organizations andspecial events that haveordered customized Rootsmerchandise with their logosor brand name integrated intothe finished product. The orders have ranged fromleathers goods to headwearand athletic apparel:Audi Canada, BarbadosOlympic Association, Bermuda

Olympic Association, CampTamakwa, Canadian BloodServices, Canadian Red CrossSociety, Fairmont Hotels,Grand & Toy, Indigo Booksand Music, Mazda, NBC,Rogers Communication,Russell Crowe/South SydneyRabbitohs rugby team,Sundance Film Festival,Toronto Blue Jays, TSN (TheSports Network), US ComedyArts Festival (Aspen), UnitedStates Olympic Committee,Universal Studios, VirginMobile, Warner Bros,TheWayne Gretzky Foundation,ZipCar.

to make a certain price point.”Fortunately, there is no lack

of clients who appreciate Rootsquality and service and wanttheir company or organization tobenefit from the association withthe venerated beaver brand.Although the B2B Departmenthas made its name in the sportsand entertainment fields, it’scomfortable serving a widerange of customers. In the pastyear alone, the B2B Departmenthas also worked with a culturalconference, hospital, car-sharingcompany, and a humanitarianorganization to provide customproducts.

This summer, luxury carbrand Audi Canada contactedRoots in search ofa specific look inpolos, yogajackets andbaseball caps formen and women.So B2B took theinitiative to createa collection forAudi who thendecided to featurethe customizedapparel at theAmerican LeMans Series/Grand Prix ofMosport eventwhere they soldextremely well and promoted theAudi brand with

style.In addition, the B2B Depart-

ment also coordinates manysponsorship initiatives, rangingfrom the annual Toronto Interna-tional Film Festival to theUnited States Olympic Team tothe International AIDS Confer-ence held in Toronto.

Working on high-profileprojects has become secondnature for David Jackson,Account Manager in the B2BDepartment, who has coordi-nated orders from everyone fromRussell Crowe to Madonna toU2. “There are many gratifyingaspects to my job,” says David.“Establishing great relationshipswith clients and also suppliers;

Working withthe manypeople thathelp to get thejob done;Receiving callsfrom clientspraising andthanking us forthe finishedproduct theyreceived. Whenmovies comeout a yeardown the lineand knowingthat we pro-vided product

for it. These are the great thingsabout this work.”

Originally,when B2Bactivities atRoots firstbegan around1990, they werehandled as partof the whole-sale side of thecompany. Thefirst orderscame fromDexter Shoes inthe UnitedStates thatpurchasedRootsbackpacks andshoes as part ofan incentiveprogram for theiremployees. Soon

after both Reebok and Nikeplaced orders with Roots followed by severalmovie productions. In the earlyyears, the B2B operation was ledby Roots Co-Founder MichaelBudman, along with Ed Coxand Karl Kowalewski. Overtime, as the number of ordersgrew, the B2B operation becamea more autonomous division ofthe wholesale department.

Although the Business-To-Business Department was neverpart of the original plans forRoots, it’s become an integralpart of the company, bringinggreat cachet and synergy to thebrand. It’s a true compliment toRoots, in both senses of theword. - R.S

As a part of its on-going collaboration with NBCTelevision, Roots outfits the cast and crew of the hitseries The Office.

Madonna thanked the band andproduction crew of her latestConfessions Tour with speciallycustom ordered Banff Bags ingaucho leather.

Universal celebrated the recent releaseof The Bourne Ultimatum with speciallymade jackets for the film’s cast, crewand executives.

Spiderman producers stay true totheir roots by placing a major orderfor Roots apparel for the third filminstallment of the comic bookblockbuster.

Car-sharing companyZipcar among one of manyB-2-B clients


AN ADVANCE LOOK WAY OUT WESTVancouver fashion journalists get a sneak preview of upcoming holiday collection

Coming off the heels of thesuccessful fall fashionshowcases staged by

Roots earlier in the summer inToronto and Montreal, theRobson St. store in Vancouverplayed host to an intimategathering of prominent fashionmedia people based on the westcoast.

In late August, more than 20style editors and writers fromvarious publications includingFashion magazine, The Vancou-ver Sun, Westender, Ion andVancouver magazine, previewedthe fall/holiday collection in amorning event hosted by RootsCo-Founder Michael Budmanand Lyn Frankel, RetailAmbassador, British Columbia.

The show featured the latestin winter wear with plaid shirts,cashmere blend cardigans, togglesweaters, long hoodies and downvests.

The Robson location was theprime spot for the presentationas it had the extensive leatherline and other winter accessoriesalready on hand.

The collection receivedglowing reviews with consider-able media coverage and re-quests for products to be fea-tured in photo shoots.

Two or three times a year,Roots hosts such events. The“trunk show” is designed topreview the new fabrics, leathersand styles to be featured in thecoming months.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

eTalk’s Tanya Kim, broadcasting at 100 Bloor

Roots makes its presence felt at recent Toronto International Film Festival

It was a bustling ten days asthe 32nd annual TorontoInternational Film Festival

(TIFF) hit town and flooded thecity with celebrities andmoviegoers alike. Roots was atthe centre of the action teamingup with CTV’s eTalk Daily andthe American Movie Channelfor around the clock coverageand interviews at the flagshipstore on Bloor St.

eTalk, the popular Canadiannews-entertainment programwith hosts Ben Mulroney andTanya Kim, broadcast live fromthe in-store studio with anaverage audience of close tohalf a million viewers over thecourse of the Festival. An eTalkBack booth was on site for

Roots shoppersto recordreviews ofTIFF movies orleave videomessages aboutcelebritysightings.Highlights wereaired nightly onthe program.

AmericanMovie Channelalso sharedaccommodationwith eTalk for the filming oftheir talk show, Shootout,withhosts Peter Gruber and PeterBart, which welcomed countlessstars into the Roots setting.

The second floor level of100 Bloor was transformed intothe Roots Lounge which offeredvisitors food, drink and liveentertainment in the form ofyoga demonstrations. ActorsMichael Douglas, CatherineZeta-Jones and rapper WyclefJean were spotted enjoying theambiance.

In keeping with a longstanding tradition, Roots was

also the co-sponsor of theexclusive George Christylunch at the Four SeasonsHotel which drew out starssuch as Geoffrey Rush,Charlize Theron and WoodyHarrelson.

The official merchandiseof the festival was alsosupplied, with custom madeT-shirts bearing the TIFF printlogo on the front and theRoots logo on the left sleeve.

The Toronto InternationalFilm Festival featured 349films from 55 countries andran from September 6-15.

(l. to r.) Catherine Zeta-Jones,Robbie Robertson, Michael Douglasand Michael Budman at 100 Bloor.

Fall’s hottest accessorygets a new look

With chilly mornings and coolermonths ahead, Senior Acces-

sories Designer Lynne Morris hascreated a light and sophisticatedcollection of neckwear for women.

The Beatrix and Emily PlaidShawls were custom made by aweaver in India. They are made of afine,lightweightwool thatisn’t itchyagainstthe skinand issuitableforcrossingover intoindoor or outdoor wear.

The particular width of thegarment allows versatility in how it’sworn; it can be folded and loopedaround the neck for added warmthor also worn open as an elegantwrap.

Available in four colourwaysacrossthe twoplaiddesigns,theshawlsareavailableat all of

the major

Roots leather stores. Retail price: $58

STYLISH WARMTH

Beatrix Plaid

Emily Plaid


FINE PRINTA selection of coverageof Roots in the media

Here aresomerecentsightingsof Rootsin thepages of

newspapers and magazines:

STREET PRESENCELive models get animated in Centre-ville’s windows

In late September, the Centre-ville location in downtownMontreal and Club Sportiff

teamed up for the third consecu-tive year to promote a healthylifestyle and physical fitness.

Over a five-day period,instructors from the fitness club(clad in Roots Yoga apparel)performed two-hour choreo-graphed demonstrations in thestore window, showcasingmoves from many of the coursesoffered at their gym.

Proving that exercisecan be fun as well asbeneficial to your health, thetrainers provided an eye-catching display of dancing,trampolining, pilates, yogaand free weights, as well ascore strengthening andsports conditioning. Curiouspassersby were treated tofree trial passes to thefitness club.

“We have a greatrelationship with ClubSportiff,” says AranPamplona, Store Manager.

“Roots sharesthe same views onhealthy living andso it makes senseto partner up,promote eachother and getMontreal tonotice. We reallyhad a great timeproducing atraffic-stoppingevent.”

• Canadian Living, Oct. issue. Roots UptownBag in black patent leather featured in The ‘IT’bag section.• Sway, Sept. Spotlight on the Roots St.Tropez bag.• The Calgary Herald (Calgary), Sept. 25.Article entitled ‘Handbags to carry you throughyour day or night’ mentions the Roots Uptownbag in black patent leather.• The Globe and Mail, Sept. 21. Articleentitled ‘Roots plants the flag in China’ focuseson Roots launching its Beijing flagship store.• Marketing Daily, Sept. 19. Article on Rootsinstalling interactive window display at flagshipstore in Toronto.• The Province (Vancouver) Sept. 18. Articleentitled ‘The hoodie goes everywhere’mentions the Roots Fleece Jacket.• The Vancouver Sun (Vancouver), Sept. 18.Article entitled ‘Essential handbags come in’mentions the Roots Uptown bag and Laurentote in long beach. Michael Budman is quoted.• Fashion, Sept. issue. Article mentions Rootsrecent Fall Trunk Show in Vancouver.• Shops.ca, Sept. 17. The Urban Editor Bag invintage tribe leather and the classic greysweatshirt hoody featured in the ‘Back toSchool’ shopping section.• The National Post, Sept. 15. Roots passportholders were one of the items given at theGeorge Christie luncheon compliments of Roots.• Metro Calgary (Calgary), Metro Edmonton(Edmonton), Metro (Toronto), The TorontoStar (Metro), Sept. 13. Actors Catherine Zeta-Jones and husband Michael Douglas posewith Robbie Robertson at the Toronto RootsBloor St. store.• The Province (Vancouver, BC), Sept. 12.Article entitled ‘Small, stylish and ultra-practical’ mentions the Roots Village bag.• The Chronicle Herald (Halifax, NS), Sept.12. Article cites Roots and the Rethink BreastCancer Foundation for teaming up to developtwo special edition Roots watches for BreastCancer Awareness Month.• The Toronto Star, Sept. 7. Mentions actorJeff Goldblum visiting Roots flagship store onBloor St.• Globe and Mail, Sept. 1. Roots PatentLeather Laptop Bag, Knit Skullcap, LongToggle Sweater and Women’s briefcase bagfeatured in the ‘Style’ section.• The Toronto Star, Sept. 1, Metro (Toronto),September 23, Metro (Vancouver), August 23,Metro (Edmonton), August 23. Metro(Calgary), August 23. Spotlight on the RootsAlpine backpack.• National Post, Sept. 1. Spotlight on theRoots Downtown Bag and Roots retro graphicT-shirt featured in the ‘Retail Therapy’ section.• Globe and Mail, Aug. 31. Spotlight on theRoots Patent Leather Laptop Bags featured inthe ‘Style Counsel section.• Yukon News (Whitehorse), Aug. 24. Letter toeditor from Robert Sarner correctingmisinformation about Roots in recent article.• B Magazine, Aug. The Toronto Star, Aug.23. The Fashion and Design Festival featuringRoots as one of the retailers showcasing thelatest collections.• Fashion, Aug. Mentions the Roots MilanoSatchel and the Roots Madonna Bomberjacket in black patent vernice featured in the‘Fashion Shop’ section.• Canadian Living, Aug. Spotlight on theRoots brown cotton long-sleeved fooler polofeatured in the ‘Trend Watch: School’s In’section.• Where Toronto, Aug. issue. Spotlight on theRoots Lauren bag.• The Globe and Mail, Aug. 25. Spotlight onthe Roots Norbie bag featured in ‘Fall’s Top 10’section.• Hello!, Aug. 20. David Beckham spotted atthe Roots flagship store on Bloor St.

KOREA GETS IN TOUCH WITH ITS ROOTSMore locations open as part of on-going expansion in Asia

On the heels of recent open-ings in China, Roots hasinaugurated eight stores in

neighbouring South Korea sinceAugust, including the Kyehwaflagship store and Myeungdonglocales.

Always a cause for celebra-tion, special events were stagedat freshly opened Roots through-out the country, attractinghundreds of people and theKorean media.

In Kyehwa, a large outdoorstage was erected where musi-cians performed as guests

enjoyed organic foodand beverages.Inside, a DJ spunmusic as visitors gottheir name stenciledon Roots eco-friendly T-shirts.People were invitedto put green tips onthe ceremonial “ecotree,” which greetedthem at the entrance.

Roots Co-Founder Don Greenwas on hand for theinaugural ribbon-cutting cer-emony in Myeungdong, wherehe helped introduce the brand tothe public and gave his own eco-tip for the tree. Senior execu-tives from Li & Fung (Rootspartners in Asia), diplomatsfrom the Canadian Consulateand local journalists were alsopresent at the festivities.

Later thismonth, morestores arescheduled toopen inMalaysia andSingapore. Inthe next issueof The Source,look forcoverage of thenew flagshipstore in Beijingthat wasofficially

inaugurated in late September.

Don Green, (far right), at store opening


ROOTS HAS SOULRelease of third compilation CD offers a great selection of timeless songs

Roots has always beenabout a lot more thanapparel and accessories.

The latest case in point is TheRoots of Soul Revue, an 18-trackcustom designed CD whicharrived in stores in late Septem-ber.

The third installment in thepopular “Roots of…” series, theRevue boasts tracks from suchsoulful icons as James Brown,Otis Redding, Curtis Mayfield,Aretha Franklin and JackieWilson.

Long-time friend of Roots,actor/comedian Dan Aykroyd, atrue soul man himself, providesthe intro and outro to thecollection of timeless songswhich include: I Got You (I FeelGood); Respect; (Sittin’ On) TheDock of the Bay; Let’s Stay

Together; andKeep On KeepingOn.

Produced byRoots Co-Founder MichaelBudman, with thehelp of MusicalDirector DavinBujalski inconjunction withUniversal Music,the songs featuredon the Revuecould be consid-ered part of theunofficial sound-track to the inception of Roots.Growing up in the Motown erain Detroit, the music thatinspired Michael and fellow Co-Founder Don Green had astrong impact and influenced

EXTREME MAKEOVER, DISNEY EDITIONNew version of film joins Roots at Canada pavilion at Epcot Centre

Roots has been a fixture atDisney’s Epcot Center inOrlando, Florida since

1999. The Center’s 11-countryWorld Showcase includes aCanadian pavilion with a logcabin boutique selling Rootsproducts as a well-knownnational symbol.

While Roots has played apositive role in representing thecountry’s image at the populartheme park, other elements onview have proven less appealing.Until recently, the Canadianexhibit included a controversial

film entitled OCanada!

With Mountiesand lumberjacksfiguring promi-nently in the film,critics said itpresented a largelystereotypical viewof Canada. TheCanadian TourismCommission (CTC)has long argued thatO Canada!, made in1979, perpetuates afalse picture of the

Roots culture as a whole.“The Roots of Soul Revue is

the perfect music mix,” saysDavin.

“The music will always be instyle. It’s that good old soul,

STAYING POWERSaluting those whogo the distance

Recently, many Rootsemployees marked major

anniversaries of their time atthe company. By ‘major,’ wemean benchmark achieve-ments as in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25and 30 years spent at Roots.

We invite anyone cel-ebrating such an anniversaryto send the relevant informa-tion to The Source.

Congratulations to thefollowing employees for theirsignificant contribution andenduring loyalty to Roots:(listed by seniority)

• Lee Moderate, AdministrativeManager, Wholesale, HeadOffice, 10 years• Katherine Gonzales, SalesAssociate, Erin Mills TownCentre, Mississauga, ON, 5years• Rawatti Persaud, PickerPacker, Distribution Centre,Toronto, 5 years• Laurine Shaw, Keyholder,Heartland Town Centre,Mississauga, ON, 5 years• Qinglin (Quinn) Song,Material Handler, DistributionCentre, Toronto, 5 years• Rosanna Xu, Keyholder,Grandview Outlet, Vancouver,

BC, 5 years

country filledwith hokeycliches.

In re-sponse, Disneyrecentlyagreed tooverhaul thefilm to betterreflect contem-porary Cana-dian life. Thenew, improvedversion willoffer a wittier,more up-to-

date look at the country, withcomedian and longtime friend ofRoots, Martin Short, as thenarrator. The CTC is confidentthat the new 14-minute videowill strengthen the country’simage at this high traffic touristdestination and will bettercomplement the pavilion’sexisting Canadian features.

The film, which was pro-duced in partnership with theCTC, will open at the Canadianpavilion on October 5.Entrance to Canada Pavilion at Epcot Center

classic and timeless, just likeRoots.”

Senior Art Director IlichMejia designed the cover jacketand inside booklet for the CDwith liner notes written byGrammy Award-winningethnomusicologist Rob Bow-man who also wrote the linernotes for the two previous“Roots of...” CDs. The newalbum retails for $12.99 and isnow available at all stores acrossCanada.

Launched in late 2005, the“Roots of…” series began withthe Roots of Motown, followedby the Roots of Reggae in thesummer of 2006. Due to thepopularity of the first twoalbums, a boxed set of the entireseries will be available in timefor Christmas.

Martin Short


Big developments inthe life of Roots staff

MOMENTSTHAT MATTER

• Please send us details of similar goodnews and we’ll be happy to publish it inThe Source (email:[email protected])

Hearty congratulations toall of the above for thesegreat moments in their lives.

• Debbie Barnes, StoreManager at Robson Kids inVancouver, married SeanScallion September 1 in theKootenay mountains ofBritish Columbia.

• Roanne Camagay, RetailOperations Coordinator atHead Office, wed JamesMcCready in Markham, ON,August 18.

TAKING WINDOW SHOPPING TO A NEW LEVELRoots launches first-ever interactive display in Toronto

The Rootsflagship store inToronto is currently

the site of a pilot projectthat tests consumerreaction to interactivetechnology. Launchedduring last month’sToronto International FilmFestival and located in thestore’s front window, theflat touch screen featuresvivid graphics and eye-catching video. It allowspassersby to browse andorder Roots products 24hours a day.

In addition to itsinnovative nature, theproject is part of a larger eco-friendly initiative. Workingwith Zerofootprint, an environ-mental organization, Roots isusing the technology to furtherits carbon-offset program.Touch screen users are invited

to join the “Roots Insider”email list and for every personwho joins, Roots offsets theequivalent amount of carbondioxide emitted by a 50-kmdrive, the average distance a

customer travels to get to astore.

“As a company, we’retrying more and more initia-tives that are greener in focus,”says James Connell, Director,

E-Commerce, Digital Market-ing and New Media. “Our aimis to reduce our carbonfootprint by doing moreadvertising digitally ratherthan through print vehicles,and part of that is building anextensive customer email listand getting to know the peopleon it.”

This project helps Rootscreate new customer relation-ships and strengthen existingones. It also serves to engageconsumers by giving them theopportunity to interact withthe brand. The experimentaldisplay is scheduled to be inplace until mid-October.

UNITED FOR PERURoots employee Miguel Gomez-Arbocco helps out a worthy cause

In mid-summer, a majorearthquake hit the coast ofPeru, leaving hundreds of

people dead and thousandswithout shelter. Adding to themisery, the country’s deadliestearthquake in more than 35years coincided with the coldestwinter in its history.

The tragedy promptedpeople around the world to help,

including Miguel Gomez-Arbocco, Printing Managerat the Head Office. Amonghis actions, he helped in thesetup of a benefit concert inToronto in late August thatraised funds for reliefefforts in Peru.

At the concert, Miguelwas involved in sellinggoods, collecting donations,

helping set up for theperformances, bakinggoods and packing boxesof clothing to be shippedto the victims in Peru.Roots also helped in itsown way by donating morethan 100 boxes for thecause which was overseenby Bob Baker, Director ofthe Distribution Centre.

“For me, it’s notsimply a humanitariancause,” says Miguel. “I

was born in Peru and thesuffering of its people hurts medeeply. It’s impossible to fullyquantify the extent of thedamage. Entire villages havedisappeared. We have to gettogether and help the ones thathave the least. This is an ongo-ing effort and without thegenerosity of the donors, nothingwill be possible. Any donationwill be much appreciated.”

For more information, visithttp://www.unidos-por-peru.com/index.html.

James and Roanne McCready

The Pan-American Highway

Interactive touch screen display allows 24-hour access to Roots.com

Miguel with his wife Violeta


GREAT MOMENTS IN RETAILSpotlighting the top performing stores in August

As this issue of The Sourcewent to press, the final sales

figures for stores in Canada andthe Unites States in Septemberwere not yet in but the perform-ance of moststores in Augustwas to be commended.

Topping the pack in terms ofcompany stores was the King-ston, Ontario location thatcaptured the Store of the Monthhonours, beating its sales targetby 143 percent.

As for the Roots 73/Outlet

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 entertainmentand sports who visited Rootsstores recently:

ON THE MOVENew appointments andpromotions at Roots

• Jolene Andrews promoted toAssistant Store Manager atJackson Square, Hamilton, ON.• Gwen Darling promoted toStore Manager at Jackson Square,Hamilton, ON.• Ashley Kendall promoted toAssistant Store Manager atConestoga Mall, Waterloo, ON.• Antra Reimanis appointed toAssistant Store Manager atBurlington Mapleview Centre,Burlington, ON.• Cheryl Somek appointed toStore Manager at New SudburyCentre, Sudbury, ON.

category, the Brossard, Quebecstore took first place with ascore of 231 percent over itssales budget.

Congratulations to ManagerEmma Bury of the Kingstonstore and Nataly Keroack,Manager of the Brossard outlet,along with their respectiveteams, for their winning per-formances in going above andbeyond their objectives.Likewise, hats off also to all theother stores that met or sur-passed their sales targets inAugust.

• 100 Bloor St., Toronto –English rock band The ArcticMonkeys droppedin for a drink at theRoots Lounge.Don Cheadle, starof Hotel Rwandaand Ocean’sThirteen stoppedby the store whilefilming an inter-view for eTalkDaily.Stephen Dorff, actor and star ofthe upcoming thriller ThePassage (which was shown atthe Toronto FilmFestival) visitedthe RootsLounge.Actors MichaelDouglas and hiswife CatherineZeta-Jones metup with RootsCo-FounderMichaelBudman andCanadian musicicon Robbie Robertson for a

Brossard OutletStaff from Kingston Roots

break at the RootsLounge.Actor AaronEckhart (ThankYou For Smoking)checked out thebustling scene andthe leather bagsbefore being

inter-viewed byAmericanMovieChannel.Pittsburgh star JeffGoldblum dropped bythe flagship locationrecently.Rapper Wyclef Jean

visited the second-floor loungeand after being outfitted withRoots gear he treated passersbyto an impromptu yoga session.

Not to be outdone,SpongeBob Squarepantsposed for pictureswith customersand One WeekJob’s SeanAiken.Canadian countrystar ShaniaTwain droppedby the flagship store,checking out the new fallmerchandise and posed for

a picture with Store Manager

Brenda Preston.Star of the Beatlesinspired moviemusical Across theUniverse, EvanRachel Woodstopped by the store,especially appreciat-ing the Roots FlatBags.• BCE Place,Toronto – Bestknown for her role

on ABC’s Family Matterssitcom, actor Telma Hopkinssang along to Roots Radio asshe checked out the newmenswear line.• Robson St., Vancouver –While in town filming thesequel to the action-thriller TheArt of War, Wesley Snipesshopped at the store picking upa black Village Pack. The nextday, his stunt double dropped in

and purchasedthe same bag.Performing withJustinTimberlake’sJustified Tour, R& B singerDenosh visited

the store and went on a spreepicking up the Lauren tote inblack patent leather, a Capricelong hoody, Varsity sweatpants,

Don Cheadle

Aaron Eckhart at Bloor

Arctic Monkeys with Alex Budman (2ndfrom right), R. Perkins (2nd from left)

Stephen Dorff

Roots Original sweatpants, Carapeaked beanie, Skyline watch,Rita cardigan, two destroyedtees and an all-weather athleticbag.• Beverly Hills, California –Country singer Dwight Yoakamshopped at the store.

Spongebob and Sean Aiken

Evan Rachel Wood, Raymond Perkins

Shania Twain (right), Brenda Preston


ACROSS THE UNIVERSERoots.com shipping goes international

With new flagship storesopening worldwidebringing Roots to an

ever-growing market, thecompany’s online retailingdivision of Roots is expandingits reach as well.

In early September, after asummer of hard work, thewebsite was upgraded to includeordersfrominterna-tionalcustomers.Beforethis, therewas noofficialway ofsendingitems outside of Canada and theUnited States. Organized byJames Connell, Director of E-Commerce, Digital Marketingand New Media, purchases cannow be shipped worldwide.Within hours of launching theservice, the first order wasreceived from Australia and wasquickly followed by Finland,France, Japan and an over-whelming number from theUnited Kingdom.

All products intended foroverseas are shipped from the

Roots warehouse in Memphis,Tennessee, are then forwarded to alogistics provider in Californiawhere they are sent to the cus-tomer. Courier and shipping feesdepend on the service designated(express or standard) and geo-graphic location of the shopper.

Partnered with LA-basedoutsourcing company PFSweb, the

onlineexpansionfurtherenhancesthe Rootsbrand andgivesforeigncustomersaccess tomerchan-

dise no matter where they live. This initiative comes just

ahead of the introduction of newfeatures and content to be addedto Roots.com this month. Inaddition, a Google-based cam-paign will target the UK, Aus-tralia, New Zealand, Germany andFrance (the countries with themost online traffic to the site,outside Asia) which will increasethe number of times the key wordof ‘Roots’ with links to the websitewill come up during onlinesearches.

WILD KINGDOM OF ROOTSAspen store gets some surprise visitors

Nature and wildlife havealways been linked toRoots. This was

particularly evident at theAspen, Colorado store in lateSeptember. One afternoon,Manager Peggy McCaffertyand staff noticed a motherblack bear and her two cubseating and sleeping in the crabapple trees outside the store.

This isn’t the first timebears had migrated into thetown from the nearbymountainside. Aspen has had adrought for the last five yearsand coupled with a late winterstorm in May, the mountainberry crop (a staple for thebears) had been completelywiped out.

In search of food, the bearfamily roamed afar, causingquite a spectacle in town.Luckily, the animals were timidand the Aspen police were ableto cordon off areas where theycould feed unencumbered by thepublic.

“It may be fascinating andfun to have these bears up closeand personal,” says Peggy.

“But it’s also unfortunate thatthey must come down to thetown to feed because theirenvironment can’t sustain them.”

Shortly after KeyholderCynthia Jankowski took thesepictures, the Colorado Divisionof Wildlife relocated the familyto the back country in the Aspenwilderness.

YUMMY MUMMIES IN ROOTSErica Ehm launches viral marketing contest for modern mothers

One of Canada’s morerecognizable mediafigures and the first

female MuchMusic host, EricaEhm, is helping women every-where celebrate motherhoodwith the online launch of herYummiest Mummy Contestsponsored by Roots.

Using a user-generatedonline video community akin toYoutube, contestants mustupload a video based on thespecific theme of the sponsoredround and explain why they areso “yummy.” Five moms will bechosen each round based on whoreceives the most online votes.

The Grand Prize winner will beselected by a combination of themost accumulated votes through-out the six rounds and by the“Mummy Mafia” (a judging panelconsisting of representatives fromWeeWelcome.ca, UrbanMoms.ca,MommyClub.ca, SavvyMom.ca,ConnectMoms.com andFunnyMummy.ca)

The Yummiest Mummies ofRound 5 (running from November26 to December 9) will each win a$250-shopping spree courtesy ofRoots. Be sure to check out thelink to the contest featured onRoots.com at this time. The GrandPrize winner will also receive

25,000 Airmiles Reward Miles,enough for a getaway for two.

“Mothers today work toohard,” says Erica. “Forget CEO,this is the hardest job in theworld. A true Yummy Mummystruggles to find the impossiblebalance between being a mother,a wife and a professional.”

The contest, which began inearly September, celebratesmotherhood and runs until lateDecember.

Yummiestmummy.com is aninteractive venue for motherslooking for advice on anythingfrom healthy eating tips toliterary reviews.Erica Ehm


THE ROOTS TOP 10A guide to the sounds ofRoots for October

- Compiled by Davin Bujalski

MUSICAL ROOTSThis month we spotlight Barbados-bred singer Rihanna

THE JOURNEY CONTINUESRoots the latest port of call for peripatetic job researcher

For five days inmid-September,

Roots hosted anenterprising youngman as a part of hisyearlong project thatentails working at adifferent companyeach week. For week25 of his nationwidequest, Sean Aikenwas invited to takepart in Roots activi-ties at the TorontoInternationalFilm Festival. Most of the timehe was based at the Rootsflagship on Bloor Street, givinghim red carpet access to star-studded visits and events. Allthe while, he and his camera-man Ian MacKenzie filmedmaterial for his video blogs onhis website(www.oneweekjob.com).

In addition to coveringevents and interviewingcelebrities at the store, Seantoured the Roots leatherfactory and visited the HeadOffice. He also attended the

Virgin Music Festival on theToronto Island as a part of theRoots involvement in the FlickOff environmental campaignwhich was present at the event.

Instead of paying Sean forhis work, Roots made a donationto the Make Poverty Historycampaign, in keeping with hisrequest of all his temporaryemployers to donate to charity inlieu of wages.

Originally from Port Moody,British Columbia, Sean em-barked on this 52-week journeyto pursue his interests andexplore different possible

1. Roots Is The Future, Davinand The Voyce2. Get Ready, Fergie and TheTemptations3. Shut Up & Drive, Rihanna4. No One, Alicia Keys5. 1973, James Blunt6. Good Life, Kanye WestFeat. T-Pain7. Look Good In Leather,Cody Chesnutt8. 1, 2, 3, 4, Feist9. Do It (Remix), Nelly FurtadoFeat. Missy Elliot10. She’s Royal, Taurus Riley

Born in 1988 in Barbados,Robyn Rihanna Fentyalways exhibited a special

quality, winning beauty andtalent contests as a young child.Living in the West Indies,however, she never expected thesort of international stardom shewould later attain.

It came courtesy of a fatefulmeeting with a New York musicproducer vacationing in Barba-dos with his wife, a native of theisland. When someone turnedEvan Rogers on to Rihanna, heoffered her an opportunity torecord music after he recognizedher talent and potential. Soonenough, Rihanna recorded somedemos that sparked the interestof newly appointed Def Jampresident Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter.This led to an audition and a

contract withDef Jam.

Comesummer 2005,Def Jam released“Pon de Re-play,” the leadsingle of Musicof the Sun,which featuredsynthesizedCaribbeanrhythms andbeats withurban-popsongwriting.“Pon de Replay” caught fire,reaching number two on TheBillboard Hot 100. The albumspawned another hit, “If It’sLovin’ That You Want,” whichbroke the Top 40. Rihanna’sfollow-up album, A Girl Like Me,

was a biggersuccess, withthree majorhits: a chart-topper(“S.O.S.”) andtwo Top Tens(“Unfaithful,”“Break ItOff”).

Rihanna’sthird album,Good GirlGone Bad(2007),continued her

success but with a dance-popchange of direction. Collabora-tors included Jay-Z, Ne-Yo,Timbaland, and StarGate. Thelead single, “Umbrella,” shot tonumber one and, for the thirdyear in a row, was a potential

“song of the summer.” It showedthat Rihanna has become one ofthe biggest singles artists of thedecade. - Davin Bujalski- Listen to Roots Radio to hearRihanna’s music. To learn more her,visit www.rihannanow.com

careers. “My goal isto gain a betterunderstanding ofwhat my idealcareer would looklike,” says Sean, 25.“After I got mybusiness degree, Ipromised myselfthat I would notsettle for a careerthat I’m not trulypassionateabout. I want to

inspire many others ofmy generation in similarsituations to commit to goingafter their passions.”

Since he began his questlast winter, Sean has workedacross Canada in various one-week stints, including being asnowshoe guide in MountSeymour, BC; teaching yoga inEdmonton; working as a tattooparlour assistant in Toronto andtending bar in Halifax. High-lights from Sean’s week atRoots can also be found atroots.com, under About Us/TIFF blog.

Sean Aiken (right) with Wyclef Jean at the flagship store

IN THE BAGRoots helps commemorate2007 Genesis reunion tour

With some 150 million albumssold worldwide, members of

the English progressive-rock bandGenesis have reunited nearly 40years after initially forming.

The Turn It On Again tourbegan this past summer and seesthe trio of Tony Banks, Phil Collinsand Mike Rutherford performingacross North America and Europe.

Concert Promotions Interna-tional (CPI) commissioned Rootsto produce 205 custom-madeblack leather Athletic bags bearingthe Genesis logo, which weregiven to crewmembers and VIPson the North American leg of thetour.

The order was facilitated byDavid Jackson in the Business-to-Business Department, andmade at the state-of-the-art leatherfactory in Toronto.


GREEN TIP #41Easy ways to help theenvironment

As part of our continuing series of team pictures of all the stores in the Roots retail family, this issue of TheSource is shining the spotlight on the Park City store in Utah. Back row (from left to right): Matt Ford, Amanda

Meier, Nicole Kimball. Middle row: Erin Cummings, Ashley Goodwin, Brandy Davis. Front row: Steve Cummings

STARTING LINEUPIntroducing the people who make it happen at Roots stores

SPEAK TO MY AGENTThe littlest customers show their Roots

Regular readers of TheSource know that earlythis year, we launched

this feature to showcase photosof children wearing Roots. Itgrew out of the fact that weoften receive unsolicited photosfrom customers who want toshare with us pictures of their

children, cousins, nieces,nephews, grandchildren, oreven pets wearing Roots andasking if they could be in afuture advertising campaign forthe brand.

Everyone is welcome tosubmit their favourite shots toThe Source to be considered

for publication. Please sendyour pictures [email protected]. Besure to include the name andage of each child or pet in thephoto, where it was taken and asentence stating that you agreefor the photos to be used in TheSource.

Ashley Toy, 10 months, Lisle, Illinois

FROM THE GROUNDUP:You may not know aboutgeothermal energy, but it is rightthere in your backyard. It’s themost environmentally benignmethod of “space conditioning”.Instead of relying on electricity orfossil fuels to heat or cool yourhome, geothermal heating usesthe solar energy in the earth.

Soil and near-surface rockshave an almost constant tempera-ture from geothermal heating. Byinstalling a system of undergroundpipes under your backyard, ageothermal system uses water totransfer heat. In winter,geothermal heat pumps draw onearth heat to warm the house, andin summer they transfer heat fromthe house to the earth. They pro-vide one of the most efficient -and therefore least polluting - heat-ing, cooling and water-heating sys-tems available.- (Source: Green Tips - How to SaveMoney and the Planet, published byGreen Living Enterprises)

FILL UP WITH SOUP:Obesity has become epidemicthroughout the industrializedworld. As a result, the rates ofheart disease, stroke, cancer, anddiabetes are rising with alarmingspeed. One simple dietarychange can cut your risk of beingcounted in the premature deathstatistics — eat soup at leastonce a day. A nutritious soup thatis low in salt rehydrates as it nour-ishes and flushes waste from thebody.

Bottom line: people who eatone or more bowls of soup eachday lose more weight than thosewho eat the same number of calo-ries but don’t eat soup.Homemade is best, as cannedsoups are loaded with salt andchemicals.- (Source: Secrets of Longevity, by Dr.Maoshing Ni)

Easy ways to stay healthyHEALTH TIP #38


NEW & NOTEWORTHYA guide to just-launched Roots products

WINTER SIZZLENew fleece style launches in a rainbow of colours

Just in time for the new Fall/Winter ‘07 line, the new

Caprice Hoody is the talk of thetown. Created by AssociateWomen’s Wear Designer JoanneJoseph, this is the first time afleece style has ever beenoffered in such a variety ofcolours (nine in all).

Made of a blend of suededcotton polyester fleece, thevintage wash applied to thegarment leaves it with anextremely soft and luxurioushand. The cut is of a longerlength, reaching the hip of theaverage woman and resulting ina flattering silhouette. In the

CARRY-ALLS OFFER PORTABLE STYLEThis fall offers stylish alternatives to backpacks

The new autumn carry-alls bySenior Accessories Designer

Lynne Morris are moderndesigns inspired by vintageathletic bags of the 1970s.Fashionable yet practical, thesepieces transitionperfectly from theclassroom to thegym. A selectionof bags in variedcolours are nowavailable acrossall stores.

The All-Weather AthleticBag (pictured) isa smaller shapeddesign in plainblack and vintagewhite and black with the beaverlogo featured as a subtle metalplate. The interior revealsseveral interior pockets as wellas a separate wet/dry bag. Theshoulder strap is detachable andcomes generously padded.

Retail price: $68The Heritage Athletic Purse

is the largest of the collection.Adorned with the same logo asthe Women’s Heritage AthleticHoody, the vinyl bag comesequipped with interior pockets

colder months, the Caprice willbe a great layering piece.

Other features include thedouble-layered scuba hood,which zips up higher than aregular hood allowing for moreprotection from the elements.Spacious front pockets allow forquick access to frequently useditems. A two-way center frontzipper and thumb holes on thecuff for added warmth are otherpopular features.

The graphic detailing issimple and clean with a Rootsflocked beaver on the left chestin vintage white. Colours offeredare: retro red mix, jade mix,

English mustardmix, coral sunsetmix, indigo mix,winter raspberrymix, T-bar grey,salt and pepper,and black.

The Capricehoody is avail-able now in allstores with avarying selectionof shades atdifferent loca-tions.

Sizes: XS-XL; Retail price:$78

with a separate zipped compart-ment for wet items in addition toa water bottle holder on the side.The handles are padded forcomfort and are long enough tobe easily worn over a coat.

Retail price: $68The Retro Tennis

Bag was inspired froma vintage flea marketfind. With a versatilesquare form, this itemis much narrower andlighter than the otherpieces in the collec-tion. The outside zippocket allows ampleroom for a racket orschoolbooks. As withall items in this line,

the interior reveals numerouspockets and the exterior featurescomfortably padded handles.

Retail price: $68The Retro Sport Purse is a

streamlined version of thevintage tennis bag with intricateembroidery on the front logo.Reminiscent of the entire 70s-inspired line, it is designed withplenty of interior pockets andpadded handles for relief duringextended wear.

Retail price: $68

IN PRAISE OF WARM COMFORTNew menswear items take the chill out of fall

With autumn now officiallyhere, it’s time to start

bundling up in clothing that iscomfortable as well as warm.The menswear team has creatednew versatile outerwear that’ssure to be carried over to winter. The layering vest is a highlytechnical piece to be worn eitheras a second item under a water-proof shell jacket or on its ownfor crisp fall days. It’s made of95% down fill, with a slim fitallowing for optimum layeringwith a maximum range ofmotion. Secure zippered pocketsare featured at the front of thegarment with a zip pocket on theinterior.

For additional warmth, the95% down fill layering jacketoffers extra coverage for thearms. Much like the vest, theslim cut allows for a wide rangeof movement while still beinglight enough to wear underneatha shell jacket. Front zipperedpockets provide secure storageof valuables and gloves with anadditional pocket inside.

The items are ideal for

traveling as they can be easilyfolded up into the interior meshzip pocket taking up minimalspace. Both garments areavailable in black at most storesin Canada and the US. Sizes: S-XXL

Retail price: Vest - $120;Jacket - $198

October 2007

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