December 21, 2006

1Issue 63 - December 21, 2006 The Source

A window into the world of Roots Issue 63 December 21, 2006

A YEAR IN REVIEW2006BEST OF

SPECIAL YEAR-END ISSUE

Issue 63 - December 21, 2006 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 63I S S U E 63I S S U E 63I S S U E 63I S S U E 63

In each issue of The Source, wepublish a creative photo on the top ofthis page. We invite readers whotake pictures to submit images theyfeel would be appropriate for thisfeature. Please send submissions [email protected]

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY

The Source wants to hear from you.Please send your letters to RobertSarner at [email protected]. Lettersmay be edited for length and clarity.

PublishersMICHAEL BUDMAN, DON GREEN

EditorROBERT SARNER

Editorial AssistantPAULOMI PATEL

InternJOHANNA DAHL

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 4CR 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

DO

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TEAM SPIRIT IN ACTIONI wanted to mention what a greatteam we have at the Roots HeadOffice in Toronto. Earlier thismonth, on a Tuesday night, Icontacted the IT Departmentwith a request for an extra cashregister for our store in SherwayGardens in Toronto. Respondingimmediately, they workedseamlessly as Robin Nelson,Lena Owens and KatherineHuff put together a register intwo days.

At the same time, PaulineLandriault designed what wewere looking for in terms of acash desk and ordered it onWednesday for a fast delivery sowe’d be able to use the registerfor the weekend. Everything wasinstalled at the store on Friday at8 a.m.

I was so impressed by theperfect synchronization betweenthe different departments. Itmade me feel that we are work-ing for the same cause, which isto help the stores create a greatexperience for both the staff andcustomers.

Ladies, I really appreciatedall your hard work and droppingeverything to assist the store.Thank you.Sanjiv KhannaField Business ManagerToronto

ANDY GOES THE DISTANCEI’m writing to acknowledge theexcellent customer service pro-vided to me by an employee atyour store on Orfus Road in To-ronto. His name is Andy O’Neiland he happens to be the man-ager of the store. He was the firstperson to offer to locate an itemfor me and have it sent to aRoots outlet on my behalf.

I had called a handful ofstores before contacting yourOrfus location. Not only was hea friendly, pleasant person todeal with, he was also thoroughand took the time to provide mewith all of the informationneeded. He was a delight.Laura AtkinsonOttawa

STEPHEN DOES IT RIGHTI just wanted to pass along toyou my sincere appreciation andcompliments for the exemplaryservice I received recently atyour Yonge and St. Clair store inToronto. What a delight it was tohave Stephen Pinnell work withus to find the perfect gift for animportant brother. Stephencouldn’t do enough to help, withsuch a pleasant manner.

As it turned out, the perfectgift in the perfect size was beingworn by one of the mannequinsin the store window. Without

hesitation or any indication hewas being put out, Stephenquickly and neatly disrobed themannequin and within secondshad the gift folded and packagedfor me. I couldn’t help but no-tice that the same mannequinwas fully dressed in an alternateoutfit shortly thereafter.

It was a genuine pleasuredoing business with my neigh-bourhood Roots store. Thank you.Ann DempsterToronto

Our next rendezvous withyou will be in 2007 when

Issue 64 of The Source willappear on January 11.

GET READY FOR 2007

Until then, The Sourcewould like to wish all of ourreaders a joyous, healthyand fulfilling holiday and a

Happy New Year.Thank you for all your support in 2006.

This special year-end issuespotlights some of the majorhighlights at Roots from the past 12months including the following,presented in chronological order:GREAT ONE JOINS THE TEAMWayne Gretzky becomesambassador for Roots

GOLD AT THE OLYMPICSRoots comes up big in Torino forwork with Team USA

SUPPORTING RETHINKGetting behind the 2006campaign against breast cancer

A TOUCH OF CLASSDenyse Jacket a big hit of 2006

CAMPING OUT IN STYLERoots Camp collection scoreswith public and media

UNITED IN VICTORYSpecial line created for WorldCup flies off the shelves

RESULTS ANYTHING BUT FLATRoots Flats prove most popularbags in company’s history

SOUNDS LIKE ROOTSThe Roots of Reggae CD secondin popular ‘Roots of’ musical series

AIDING THE AIDS FIGHTRoots supports major internationalAIDS conference inToronto

‘ROOTS 73’ TAKES OFFNew locations expand outlet presence

NOTHING LIKE A GREAT SWEATAdvance sweat collection one of themost popular Roots products in 2006

A NEW CONCEPT STORE OPENSRoots Rosedale is filled withproducts for the eco-conscious

WEST MEETS EASTRoots launches the first phase ofmajor expansion in Asia

ROOTS YOGA HITS NEW HEIGHTSA new yoga studio adds to theRoots Rosedale store

HOLIDAY SPIRIT AT ITS BESTStore teams come to the aid oftheir communities


THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT COMES ALIVETHE BEST OF 2006Taking stock of the major highlights at Roots over the past 12 months

In life, things happen. At Roots, good things hap-pen all the time. And we don’t mean simply theselling of great products every day of the year.To be sure, Roots is a business but it’s also

much more than that. It’s a community of peoplewho come together every day to work and contrib-ute to a culture and heritage that first began in1973. Each Roots employee, in his or her own way,helps make things happen that make Roots such aspecial place, full of innovation and achievementon many levels.

With 2006 about to morph into 2007, we wantedto take stock of the past 12 months at Roots. Due tospace limitations, we’re simply presenting somehighlights (in chronological order). Of course, it’simpossible to really capture a year in the life ofRoots in just a few pages. For a more comprehen-sive account of 2006, you can always consult pastissues of The Source.

As much as 2006 has proven positive for Roots,initial signs for 2007 point to another exciting yearfor Roots. Stay tuned to The Source as the storyunfolds over the next 12 months.

GETTING THE POINT ACROSS

Someone’s obviouslytaking notice of the

communication andpublic relations work ofRoots. In January, Co-Founders MichaelBudman and DonGreen received the2006 Award ofExcellence forCommunication and PRfrom the CanadianPublic Relations Society(CPRS). Awardedprimarily for actionstaken over the previous

year, it is the greatesthonour a businessleader can receive fromthe professionalassociation ofcommunicators inCanada. Michael andDon received the awardat a special luncheon atToronto’s Fairmont RoyalYork Hotel in thepresence of 300 peoplefrom the fields ofbusiness, media,entertainment, sportsand fashion.

The CPRS Awardwas established in 1991to demonstrate that asuccessful CEO or topbusiness executive mustbe an excellentcommunicator inaddition to having otherabilities. Past winnersinclude some ofCanada’s top businesspeople, such asCharles Baillie, Chair,TD Bank FinancialGroup; Dominic D’Ale-ssandro, President andCEO, Manulife Finan-cial; Piers Handling,CEO of the TorontoInternational FilmFestival; Bobbie Gaunt,President and CEO,Ford Motor Company ofCanada; and AllanStark, President andCEO, American ExpressCanada; JohnCassaday, President,CTV.

IN BOOKS WE TRUST

The printed word hasalways had pride of

place at Roots — in itsadvertising, and in-storecustomer communi-cation and its support ofliteracy. This year, Rootsalso helped launch twobooks, both of whichwere also sold in stores.

In January, theflagship store onToronto’s Bloor Streethosted an evening inhonour of Xiaolan Zhaoand the publishing ofher book Reflections ofthe Moon on Water:Healing Women’sBodies and Minds.Among the severalhundred people inattendance were writersMargaret Atwood, and

Michael Ondaatje andbook publishers AnnCollins of RandomHouse and LouiseDennys of KnopfCanada.

In September, thenew Roots Rosedalestore in Toronto was thevenue for the launch ofNoah Richler’s bookThis Is My Country,What’s Yours? The storewas packed with guests,including a strongrepresentation ofCanada’s literary scene.The event was part ofthe Smarten Upcampaign that Rootslaunched in conjunctionwith Indigo Books topromote literacy.

Last winter,it was

announcedthat hockeylegendWayneGretzkywould beworking withRoots onvariousprojects overthe next fouryears. In thisrole, TheGreat One isserving as anofficialambassadorfor Roots andis involved indesigningclothes andvarious itemsfor thecompany.

In late February, thefirst official RootsWayne Gretzky line ofjackets, sweatshirts, T-shirts and other piecesarrived in stores. Apercentage of the

hockey.In June,

WayneGretzky, hisfather and son,appeared to-gether wearingRoots apparelfor Father’sDay in largeposters inRoots stores, incolour ads innewspapersacross Canada– and, lest weforget, on thecover of TheSource.

Shortlyafter, as part ofthe Rootstribute toCanada for theJuly 1 holiday,Wayne showed

his true colours. TheGreat One dressed inthe Roots 2006 CanadaDay collection and app-eared in posters andnewspaper ads celebra-ting Canada and Roots.

THE GREAT ONE JOINS TEAM ROOTS

proceeds of the saleswent to the WayneGretzky Foundation,which provides lessfortunate youth with theopportunity toexperience the sport of


WINNING GOLD AT THE OLYMPICS

For two weeks inFebruary, the eyes of

the world were onTorino, Italy as the XXWinter Olympics tookplace. Roots was centrestage, thanks toits work as theofficial outfitter ofTeam USA. At theopeningceremonies,watched on TV byan estimated twobillion people,Roots received hugerecognition andwidespread mediaattention for the distinctlook of the large USdelegation as it enteredthe stadium. Eachathlete wore a beautifulwhite leather jacket andthe Roots beret (in red,white or blue).

NBC’s Today Showannounced live fromTorino that the RootsTeam USA beret wasvoted the trendiest,must-have Olympic itemat the Winter Games.Standing outside indowntown Torino, host

Katie Couric modeledthe beret as she toldviewers that Roots wonthe Today Show’s onlinepoll by a landslide,taking 58% of the votes.

As she spokeon camera,dozens ofsmilingspectatorsbehind her werealso wearing theberet.

Adding tothe success of Roots inTorino, SpeedskaterApolo Ohno, the USathlete that Rootssponsored, became oneof the main stars of theUS Team after winningthree medals (includinga Gold). He madeseveral mediaappearances dressed inRoots.

In addition to beingsold at Roots stores inthe US, the Olympiccollection was alsoavailable for the firsttime at some 1,400Target stores throughoutthe country.

MOTOWN EVENT IN DETROIT SUPPORTS CHARITY

Roots has alwaysbeen known to throw

a good party, especiallywhen it’s for a goodcause. In February,leading personalitiesfrom the world ofentertainment, sports,business, fashion andmedia took part in theRoots Motown SuperSoul Revue in Detroit insupport of the ‘MusicRising’ charity.

Motown superstarsMartha Reeves and theVandellas, TheContours and TheVelvelettes topped thebill at the city’s historiclandmark The Rooste-rtail, the preeminentvenue for Motown actsin the 1960s. Organized

by Roots and D.O.C.Optics, the Revue wastimed to take place onthe eve of the SuperBowl being played thenext day across town.

Hosted by Roots Co-founders Michael Bud-man and Don Greenand D.O.C. President

Richard Golden, thecrowd of 500 includedRobbie Robertson(Member of the Rockand Roll Hall of Fame);producer Bob Ezrin(Pink Floyd, PeterGabriel); and PaulAllen, owner of theSeattle Seahawks (whoplayed the next day inthe Super Bowl).

In addition tosupporting Music Rising,which is helping flood-ravaged New Orleans,Michael and Don andtheir longtime Detroitfriend Richard Goldenplanned the evening inhonour of the city andmusic of their youth aspart of Super BowlWeekend in Detroit.

MAKING THE SCENE AT THE GRAMMYS

It’s easy to understandwhy so many people

have the impression thatRoots seems to pop upeverywhere. InFebruary, in yet anotherexample, Roots madeits debut at the GrammyAwards, capturing thefancy of prominentfigures from theentertainment world.

As part of the 48th

Grammy Awards in LosAngeles, Roots apparel,hats and leather bagswere available in theTalent Gift Loungewhere starscongregated during thethree days leading up tothe actual AwardCeremony. Items from

the Roots Team USAOlympic collectionproved especiallypopular with the stars.

Celebrity performersand presenters,including Grammy-winner Kelly Clarkson,Mariah Carey, ElvisCostello, JamesTaylor, HerbieHancock, JohnLegend, Billie JoeArmstrong (of GreenDay), Chris“Ludacris” Bridges,Will.i.am, Dr. John,Jennifer Love Hewitt,and Mary J. Blige,stopped by the Rootsstand, many posing forphotographers as theywore their new Roots.

SUPPORTING RETHINK

In early May, as part ofits on-going support for

different causes, Rootshelped kick off theannual RethinkFashionTargets BreastCancer (FTBC)campaign witha special galaat the flag-shipstore inToronto.

FashionTelevision’s JeanneBeker, the MC for theevening, paid tribute toRoots which hassupported the Rethinkcampaign for the pastseveral years. Morethan 600 people

attended the Spanish-themed event that alsofeatured performancesby Flamenco dancers

and femalevocalists JodiKing andLindaMcLean.

Theevening alsolaunched theFTBCcollection of T-

shirts, tank tops andhats sold exclusively atRoots stores acrossCanada. Proceeds fromthe sale of the collectiongo to Rethink forresearch into finding acure for breast cancer.

In reviewing thehighlights of 2006 in

Roots apparel for wom-en, one of the greatpieces was unquestio-nably the DenyseJacket. It first appearedin stores in Februaryand almost immed-iately started flying offthe racks. Originallyavailable only in a shortversion in black andkalamata, they laterwere also produced in alonger version in othercolours (white, chili

A TOUCH OF CLASS

pepper and electricblue) due to populardemand.

Made from highly

breathable 100% cottonFrench Terry fabric, thejackets blend functiona-lity with fashion featuri-ng details like zipperedside pockets, a stylishfunnel neck collar andan asymmetrical frontzipper. With a flatteringfit, these jackets are agreat alternative to thetraditional sweat-shirt.They were designed byRoots Yoga DirectorDenyse Green withSenior Women’sDesigner Jules Power.

Kelly Clarkson


CAMPING OUT IN STYLE

The summer is aspecial season in

everyone’s life but it’salso the time whenyouth in North Americafortunate enough to goto camp get to escapefrom the city,connect withthe beautyof natureand havefun in thewilderness.The Co-Foundersof Rootshavealways saidtheir time atCamp Tamakwain Ontario’s AlgonquinPark had a majorinfluence on them asthey were growing up.As such, camp hasbeen an integral part ofRoots culture and thisyear the Roots Campcollection was one ofthe biggest hits of 2006.

Launched in lateApril, the collection wasmade up of sweatshirts,zip hoodies, sweat pants

and shorts, T-shirts,button-up shirts, cargoshorts, and a ribbedtank top. The entirecollection featured thedistinct camp greencolour and the signature

Roots Camplogos,

makingthepieceseasilyidenti-fiable.

InMay, in

a tributeto Roots

Camp, oneof Canada’s most influe-ntial fashion chroniclers,the Globe and Mail’sSaturday Style section,featured four colourphotos of items from thecollection in an articleentitled “GoodbyeLululemon, Hello BaggyPants which said: “…Thenew Roots Camp line isright on the money,especially with its old-school forest green. It’sschlump chic…”

UNITED IN VICTORY

In early June, theRoots United collection

arrived in stores justahead of the openingkick off of the WorldCup soccer tournament.Made up of soccerjackets, jerseys and T-shirts, the collection wascreated in honour of

RESULTS ANYTHING BUT FLAT

Of the many greatsuccesses at Roots

in 2006, one stands outas the mostphenomenal, and alsoprobably the mostgratifying. Made in theRoots factory in Toronto,the Roots Flatscollection has farsurpassed salesprojections. Launched inJuly, the popularity ofthese leather bagsshows no signs ofsubsiding. To meet thedemand, the factory hashad to add staff and isworking at full capacity.

Each week, custom-ers are buying literallythousands of VillagePacks, Village Bags,Small and LargeVenetian Bags, andVenetian Village Bags.The Flats are thebiggest hit in the historyof Roots leather bags,going way beyond eventhe success of lastyear’s Emily Bag.

Flat bags are thecounter-trend to extra-large, bulky oversizedhandbags. They evolvedfrom the need anddesire of many womenfor hands-freeaccessibility while outshopping or runningerrands. Many womensport large work or gymtotes during the day andon the weekends like asleek flat bag such asthe Village Pack, notonly for style but forcomfort and ease, too.The Flats, which earnedtheir name because they

are literally flat, areextremely functionalwith pockets for cellphones, Blackberrys,iPods and other items.

The design is theresult of a collaborativeeffort involving residentleather expert KarlKowalewski, DianeBald, Denyse Green,Susie Shiffman andoverseen by MichaelBudman.

The success of theFlats is the source ofgreat satisfaction.Leather has a specialplace at Roots. It’s partof the soul of Roots.Original leather goodshave been at the heartof the company since itsinception in 1973 whenRoots began by makingshoes.

Today, 33 years later,judging by theformidable success ofthe Flats, it’s still animportant part of whatmakes Roots…Roots.

countries playing in theFIFA World Cup, whichtakes place every fouryears. As the largest,most anticipated, mostwidely viewedinternational sportevent, the World Cupand the Roots Unitedline proved a potentcombination in Canada’smulticultural cities.

The collectionfeatured 16 teams/countries participating inthe tournament, all ofwhich had hugenumbers of ferventsupporters in Canada.As a result, RootsUnited proved a run-away success, withmany models/countriesselling out.

The eye-catching adcampaign for Roots Uni-ted featured HaydainNeale from the Toronto-based band Jacksouland Marissa Roberto, aSaskatoon-born danceartist of Italian descent.

AND THE WINNER IS…

For the secondstraight year, Roots

was a sponsor of the

IT’S IN THE BAG

The Roots Eco-Bagmay not have

received the sameattention nor generatedthe same sales figuresas Roots leather bags in2006 but it was a hotitem nonetheless.

Introduced in May,the eco-friendly re-usable shopping bagwas a big hit withcustomers, especiallythose looking to lessentheir environmental

Green TorontoEnvironmental Awardswhich celebrate leadingcompanies,organizations andindividuals whocontribute to making thecity a better place to livefrom an environmentalperspective.

In early May, TorontoMayor David Millerhosted a special VIPreception and ceremonyat City Hall whereawards were presentedto the winners who alsoreceived $5,000 each to

donate tothe envir-onmentalorganization of theirchoice.

Roots, whichunderwrote the prize inthe Green Designcategory, was one of theoriginal sponsors of theGreen Awards whenthey were first launchedin 2005.

Don Green took partin the event, presentingthe Green Design Awardto the Toronto BotanicalGarden.

footprint. It proved sopopular that the initialsupply sold out andthousands more had to

be ordered.Made of 100%

washable, undyed cottoncanvas, the bag has areinforced bottom toensure durability. It wascreated in an effort toreduce the use of paperbags. It didn’t exactly hurtits appeal that there was aspecial offer wherebycustomers who bought theEco-Bag received 10% off onfuture purchases of regularlypriced merchandise.


SOUNDS LIKE ROOTS

Good vibrationsreigned at Roots in

2006 for all kinds ofreasons. One of themwas the release in Julyof the CD The Roots ofReggae, part of the“Roots of…” musicseries of recordingslaunched in late 2005with The Roots ofMotown.

Produced by MichaelBudman, in conjunctionwith Universal Music,The Roots of Reggaewas inspired by his greataffinity for Jamaica, thebirthplace of reggae andone of the inspirationsbehind the creation ofRoots in 1973.

The 18-track CDshowcased the biggestnames in reggae

‘ROOTS 73’ SPREADS ACROSS CANADA

Things have neverbeen better on the

Roots outlet front. Dueto the incrediblesuccess of the existinglocations in Canada, fivenew ‘Roots 73’ outlet

In keeping with its time-honoured involvement

in community-relatedprojects and socialcauses, Rootssupported a majorinternational AIDSconference inToronto inAugust. As theofficial outfitterand sponsor ofthe XVIInternationalAIDS Conference,Roots subsidized thecost of merchandiseprovided to theorganizers of themassive event.

The five-day gatheringattracted some 25,000participants from aroundthe world includingscientists, doctors, educat-ors and policy makers,

AIDING THE AIDS FIGHT

Unknown to mostRoots customers

and many staff, Rootshas a highly successful,on-going relationshipwith NBC Television inNew York. Initiated inthe early 1990s with theRoots/Saturday NightLive collection, thecollaboration has grownover the years and inAugust became evenstronger when NBCsigned a deal with Rootsfor a special line ofmerchandise for the hitseries The Office.

BRINGING STYLE TO THE OFFICE

including Bob Marleyand the Wailers, Tootsand the Maytals, ThirdWorld, Peter Tosh, andGregory Isaacs. Many ofthe greatest reggaeanthems of all time areon this CD, such as Sunis Shining; WonderfulWorld, Beautiful People;The Harder They Come;You Can Get It If YouReally Want and ManyRivers To Cross. Theliner notes were writtenby Grammy Award-winning ethnomusi-cologist Rob Bowman.

The success of TheRoots of Reggaemirrored the sales ofThe Roots of Motown.Next up in the series willbe The Roots of Soul, inFebruary 2007.

stores opened forbusiness in 2006. Thefirst of the ’06 generati-on was inaugurated inThunder Bay, Ontario inJuly, followed inSeptember by Brossard,

Quebec where theRoots outlet is part ofthe new Quartier Dix30,set to be the province’slargest shopping centrewhen it’s fully built.

A few weeks later,Kanata (in the west endof Ottawa) becamehome to an impressivenew 5,000 sq.ft. ‘Roots73’ store. In November,Calgary and London,Ontario were added tothe ‘Roots 73’ roster.

In addition, locationsin Sarnia, ON andHalifax, NS wereconverted from com-pany stores to ‘Roots 73’outlets earlier in theyear. Currently, thereare 25 ‘Roots 73’ outletstores across Canada.

products made for NBC,Roots also has a strongretail presence at theNBC Experience Store inNew York’s famousRockefeller Centerwhere Roots has its ownbranded section. NBCcarries a number of co-branded collectionsproduced by Roots (andmade mostly in Canada)including the US OlympicTeam line; a New YorkCity-themed collection, aSaturday Night Livecollection, and now a linefor The Office.

Based on the originalBritish series of thesame name, NBC’sversion of The Office isnow in its secondseason.

In addition to thecommunity leaders andpeople living with HIV/AIDS.

In supporting theconference, Rootssupplied speciallydesigned T-shirts for

volunteer staff andfor the AIDS 2006Youth Program inaddition to creatingconferencesouvenir T-shirtsand souvenir capsfor sale at various

locations in Toronto toraise funds for AIDS-related work. Roots alsodonated yoga mats foruse by delegates atyoga classes andreturned a percentageof sales of T-shirts soldin Roots stores to theToronto organizingcommittee.

For nearly a quartercentury, Roots has

been a leader in the fieldof fleece. As ProductDevelopment CoordinatorSyd Beder put it so aptlyin the summer: “Fleece isto Roots like denim is toLevis.” But Roots knowsbetter than to rest on itslaurels and this yearfocused on taking itssweats to a new level ofquality.

To that end, thedesign teams for bothmen and women createdthe most advancedcollection ever. On thestyle side, they re-examined the making ofsweats and observedcustomer preferences. In

the process, they’vecreated a softer-feelingproduct and introducedvalue-added features tothe fall styles neverbefore seen at Roots.

With each detail givenclose scrutiny, it was themost well thought-outcollection and offeredcustomers more depthand greater selection(including new fashioncolours) than in previousyears. Emphasizing theback-to-school style, thefall sweats came withsome characteristiccollegiate branding withcampus-inspiredappliqués and print detailsgiving the collection anathletic feel. Theinnovations and the adcampaign supporting thecollection came at a timewhen sweats in generalare enjoying arenaissance of sorts.

NOTHING LIKE A GREAT SWEAT

Cast of The Office


In August, true to itsheritage, Roots added

a creative newdimension to itsextensive retailpresence when itopened Toronto’s firstenvironmentally friendlystore which combinesfashion, home designand yogawear. Locatedjust up the street fromwhere Roots began in1973, ‘Roots Rosedale’opened on the 33rd

anniversary of theinauguration of the firststore.

Designed byarchitect Diane Bald,Founder and CreativeDirector of Roots HomeDesign, who workedclosely with PaulineLandriault, Director ofVisual Planning andStore Development,Roots Rosedale is filled

A NEW CONCEPT STORE OPENSwith products for theeco-conscious, activeconsumer from organiccotton apparel tovegetable tannedleather goods and linensmade from bamboofibers.

The new store takesthe core values ofRoots – personal well-being, a healthylifestyle, aesthetics andrespect for theenvironment and thecommunity – andtranslates them into alively, engaging andsocially responsibleretail space.

In addition to theproducts on sale, RootsRosedale was built in away that’s easy on theenvironment due to allthe eco-friendly buildingmaterials used in itsconstruction.

IN FOCUS AT THE TORONTO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Ever since being anoriginal sponsor of

the Toronto InternationalFilm Festival (TIFF)when it began in 1976,Roots has been one ofits most passionatesupporters. This year,Roots took on a moreleading role through itsinvolvement in severalTIFF-related initiatives inaddition to creatingofficial TIFFmerchandise.

For 10 days inSeptember, the Rootsflagship store on Bloor

Street was a centralfocal point andmeeting spot forfestivalgoers.Coordinated byRoots PR DirectorRaymond Perkins,one section of thestore’s second floorwas converted intoa set/studio for AOLMoviefone’sUnscripted onlineinterview show,another part wasused for CTV’seTalk entertainmentprogram, a lounge was

producers andjournalists, while thewalls of the store wereused to exhibit 85 largecelebrity portraits byToronto-basedphotographer GeorgePimentel. In addition,Roots helped organizeand sponsor the star-studded lunch forHollywood columnistGeorge Christy at theFour Seasons Hotel.

Roots was alsopresent at two TIFF-related events. For theofficial launch party of

the Canadian edition ofHello! magazine, Rootsprovided 100 largeVenitian Bags as giftsfor VIP guests thatincluded severalHollywood stars. Thenext day, the CanadianFilm Centre had a BBQfor nearly 1,000 festivalguests, hosted by filmdirector NormanJewison.

Roots donated alarge Banff Bag for theraffle and provided 700leather key fobs for giftbags for special guests.

ROOTS YOGA REACHES NEW HEIGHTS

In September,Roots Rosedale in

Toronto added animportant componentwith the opening of theRoots Yoga Studiosituated upstairs on thethird floor.

Conceived andmanaged by DenyseGreen, a seasoned

WEST MEETS EAST

In a reflection of itsincreasing global

presence, Rootslaunched the first phaseof a major expansion ofits presence in Asia. InNovember, Don Greenand Michael Budmantraveled to Hong Kongto take part in the officialinauguration of two newstores.

Working inpartnership with theHong Kong-based Li &Fung Trading Ltd, Rootsis also preparing toopen stores in Chinaand other countries inSoutheast Asia. The

plans call for dozens ofnew stores in the nexttwo to three years.

During their trip,Michael and Don alsowent to Taiwan toparticipate in the re-

launch oftheflagshipstore in Taipei. Rootsalready has 20 stores inTaiwan, operated by Li &Fung.

teacher, the studiooffers instruction in sixmain types of yoga foryogis of all levels. Eachweek, there are 25classes taught by 11teachers, all of whomare experienced andcertified from variousrenowned yogaschools.The spacious

setting is beautifullydesigned with lots ofnatural light andexcellent facilities.

In addition to beingthe Director of theRoots Yoga Studio,Denyse directs thehighly popular RootsYoga line of apparel thatshe created in 2001.

created to host visitingactors, directors,


RISING TO THE OCCASION - MVPs OF THE MONTH

You can call them members of the RootsA-team, our all-star squad. Over the

past year, the 10 men and women seenhere were selected as Roots MVP (MostValuable Player) of the Month.Collectively, they span variousdepartments of the company and live indifferent parts of North America. All arehighly devoted, talented and hard-workingindividuals who merit special recognition.All reflect the winning attitude that makesRoots what it is. All were the focus of aseparate full-length article sent to all

WEBSITE UNDERGOES MAJOR REVAMP

In November, the Rootswebsite unveiled an

impressive new look. Thehomepage featured abeautiful winter image ofthe Roots lodge inAlgonquin Park under twofeet of snow. The nextpage on the site’sCanadian section showedanother pastoral photo forthe season along with aneco-friendly tip, inkeeping with the Rootslongtime commitment tothe environment.

Coordinated byJames Connell, Director,E-Commerce, DigitalMarketing and NewMedia, the redesignprocess began last springwith the development ofthe Roots Canadianonline store. Prior to this,roots.com sold productsonly in the US whileCanadian customerswere channeled to sears.ca with which Roots hada special agreement to

sell products in Canada.The overhaul of the

Roots website is a workin progress that will becompleted during thewinter. As part of theredesign, many newfeatures are being addedsuch as a revampedsection for the Business-to-Business Department,and a special ‘GetConnected’ section wherecustomers can locateRoots stores with up-to-date details and picturesof the store. Customerscan also sign-up toreceive store-specificemails for updates onnew styles as soon asthey hit their neighbo-uring Roots locations.

There will also belinks to the separatewebsites for Roots Home(for home products) andRoots Yoga (yogaapparel, accessories anddetails on classes at theRoots Yoga Studio).

For the first time inseveral years, Roots

produced a full-fledgedgift catalogue for theend-of-year holidayperiod. Published inNovember anddistributed in stores, asan insert to

GIFT GIVING MADE EASY

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION…ROOTSHollywood just can’t

seem to get enoughRoots. Over the pastyear, producers orderedcustom designedproducts from Roots forno less than 12 differentmovies. In most cases,the items, ranging fromleather goods toapparel, were used asgifts for cast, crew andthe media.The clients includedmost of the majorHollywood studios suchas Paramount Pictures,20th Century Fox,Warner Brothers, andSony/Columbia Pictures.

In addition, Rootsmade custom designedproducts for variousmade-for-TV moviesand other productionsfor HBO, NBC Universaland Warner Brothers.Special credit goes toLos Angeles-basedSales RepresentativeWendy Goodman andMary Jane Saliba,Senior ProductCoordinator in theBusiness-to-BusinessDepartment at the HeadOffice in Toronto, whooversaw the executionof these often time-sensitive orders.

The movies forwhich the products weremade include The DevilWears Prada, Snakeson a Plane, Spiderman3, and Mimzy.

newspapers anddelivered by CanadaPost to select homeaddresses, the 44-pageguide was well-received. It featured awealth of ideas for giftsfor even the hardest toplease on anyone’s giftgiving list.

Designed by DavidChang ofVisualCommun-ication,the easyto usecatalogueshowcaseda select-ion of thebest ofRootsapparel,

accessories and leathergoods for the season. Itwas printed on recycledpaper and a separateedition was publishedin French for dis-tribution in Quebec. Anonline version wascreated for convenientviewing and for use onroots.com.

employees, displayed at the Head Officeand featured on the Roots website foreveryone to see.

Here are the Roots MVPs for 2006(listed in the order in which they wereselected during the year): Maria Chee(Sourcing Manager in the Women’sClothing and Accessories Department,Head Office, Toronto); Steve Cummings(Store Manager, Park City, Utah); DavidYoung (Senior Designer, Special Projects,Head Office, Toronto); Jarar Kazmi,(Director of Purchasing and Flow, Head

Office, Toronto); Lea Weir (Store Manager,Victoria, BC); Andrew Ligama (AssistantStore Manager, Yorkdale Shopping Centre,Toronto); Anna DiNella (Retail AccountingSupervisor, Head Office, Toronto); JulieO’Neill (Merchandise Manager in theWomen’s Department Head Office,Toronto); Aran Pamplona (Store ManagerCentreville, Montreal); Ziggy Pisch (Headof Transportation Department, DistributionCentre, Toronto).

• To read more about each of these MVPs, go to www.roots.com,click on About Us and then go to Team Roots - Behind The Scenes


ON TOUR WITH ROOTS

Throughout the year,no sooner did the

Business-to-BusinessDepartment completeone order for a concerttour of a major name inthe music world thananother would follow.And when we say major,we’re not exaggerating.

In 2006, Rootsproduced speciallydesigned goods for thetours of Madonna; U2;The Rolling Stones;The Eagles; The Who;Steely Dan; Crosby,

Stills, Nash andYoung; BarbraStreisand; RogerWaters, and the DixieChicks. In most cases,each order consisted ofhundreds of units.Products, all of whichwere made at the Rootsleather goods factory inToronto, ranged fromleather CD holders, toluggage tags and largenotebook Banff Bags.The performers usedthem as gifts for bandmembers, their roadcrew and as VIPgiveaways.

David Jackson,Product Coordinator inthe B2B Department,played a key role intranslating the aboveorders into reality, oftenwith little advancenotice.

Roots employees arean impressive bunch.

When not at work, manyof them are busy servingtheir communities.Throughout 2006, TheSource regularlypublished articles aboutthe various initiatives ofRoots staff determined tohelp with a good cause.Across the country, you’llfind Roots employeesraising funds to fightdeadly diseases, takingaction to protect theenvironment, organizingfood-drives, or initiatingcampaigns in support ofthe under-privileged.

Currently, during theholiday season, almostevery Roots store isinvolved in a charitableaction to mark the holidayseason (See article onpage 10-11).

It’s not an easy task.Roots staff involved in

their communitiesdeserve a lot of creditand that’s why this issueof The Source isdedicated to them.Fortunately, Roots staffare usually not alone intheir charitable actions.Invariably, their co-workers join their initiativeor make donations, andwhenever possible, Rootsoffers its support. It’scalled the Roots spirit.

As Anne Theriault,who works in a store inHalifax said after herteam members joined herin a local AIDS walk: “Iwas not walking alone, Iwas walking forsomething that Rootsalso cared for deeply. Andthere is no better supportthat a person could askfor than having thecompany you work forstand behind somethingyou care about strongly.”

DOING THE RIGHT THING

MORE GREAT MOMENTS IN 2006Jan.: Roots releases official collection for Canadian Speedskating Teamwhose members excel at Winter Olympics the next monthFeb.: Roots is the official sponsor and merchandiser of the US ComedyArts Festival in Aspen, Colorado

March: At 78th Academy Awards in Hollywood, Roots productsincluded in gift baskets presented to nominees in major Oscarcategories including Best Actor/ActressMay: Roots produces first-ever Pride collection in recognition ofgay community and their annual celebrations in North AmericaJune: Roots hosts evening at Head Office to raise funds for ArtGallery of OntarioJune: Roots involved in annual Idea City Conference in Toronto,providing custom-made Idea City canvas and leather bags toparticipantsJune: For second year in a row, Roots takes part in SensationMode fashion and design festival in MontrealJune: Roots creates and outfitts the official team clothing forBarbados at Central American and Caribbean Games inColumbiaJuly: Roots sponsors the Toronto Lesbian and Gay Sports

Alliance and provides uniforms for Team Toronto at Gay Games VII in ChicagoAug.: Roots launches new fragrance for men, Roots Spirit for Men.Sept.: Toronto hotspot restaurant and champagne lounge, Lobby, gets major faceliftwith help from Roots Home DesignSept.: During visit to Vancouver, Tibetan Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, wearsdifferent Roots headwear while taking part in conferencesSept.: One of TV’s top rated shows, Entourage, orders customized Banff Bags fromRoots for cast and crew membersOct.: Roots wins two major interior design awards for Head Office work environment.Oct.: Roots launches first-ever limited edition collection of hats in partnership withlegendary US-based cap maker New EraNov.: As part of its continuing support of fight against global warming, Roots storespromote and sell the environmental documentary film An Inconvenient TruthNov.: Indigo Books and Music selects Roots to outfit staff for its stores across Canadain addition to its Chapters and Coles locationsNov.: Roots takes part in Toronto lecture by French writer/philosopher Bernard-HenriLevy, presenting him with customized Banff Bag and guests with leather-bound journalsDec.: Roots Rosedale store hosts event for launch of new book on original form of yogaDec.: Roots stores feature the work of acclaimed nature photographer Don Standfield

Celebrities have long been attracted to Roots and in 2006 countless figures from the world of movies, music, media, sportsand other fields dropped in to Roots stores in Canada and theUnited States. There were so many in fact that we can’t list them allhere. For this year-end wrap, we’re including a selection of well-known names (in alphabetical order) of those who we had thepleasure of receiving in our stores in 2006.

Actor Jessica Alba, actor/comedian Dan Aykroyd, theBarenaked Ladies, actor Antonio Banderas, singer Buck 65, filmdirector Mike Binder, film producer Jerry Bruckheimer, actor JoanCollins, actor/comedian Drew Carey, comedian Dave Chapelle,

actor Russell Crowe, singer Deborah Cox, singer Mariah Carey, actor Jamie LeeCurtis, actor David Duchovny, actor Robert Downey Jr., actor Donna Dixon, actorHarrison Ford, the Foo Fighters, film producer John Goldwyn, actor Melanie Griffith,actor Cuba Gooding Jr., screenwriter Mitch Glaser, actor John Hurt, actor Tom Hanks,actor Dustin Hoffman, actor Goldie Hawn, actor Angelica Huston, actor Eric Idle, actorMichael Keaton, fashion designer Ralph Lauren, actor/comedian Eugene Levy, OntarioPremier Dalton McGuinty, comedian Howie Mandel, the Dave Matthews Band, hockeystar Mark Messier, TV/film producer Lorne Michaels, actor Mike Myers, musician/singerPaul McCartney, actor/comedian Bill Murray, actor RachelMcAdams, the Oasis band, actor Jason Priestly, actor NataliePortman, actor/singer Queen Latifah, musician/singer RobbieRobertson, singer Ed Robertson, actor Kurt Russell, actorMolly Ringwald, snowboarder Ross Rebagliati, film directorJason Reitman, actor Sissy Spacek, skater Jamie Sale,comedian Gary Shandling, actor/comedian Jerry Seinfeld, actor/comedian Marty Short, actor Tori Spelling, actor Vince Vaughn,actor Robin Williams and actor Catherine Zeta-Jones.

GUESS WHO JUST DROPPED IN…Taking attendance at our stores

Antonio Banderas

Catherine Zeta Jones

Janice Waldrum, Windsor


Back row (left to right): David Morden, Shay-Lyn Elgie, Mark DaleyFront row: Carly Lund, Deb MacDonald and Lauren Brush

Bottom - Jamie Sherrit, Mike Bothwell, Paven Thandi, MichelleResendes. Middle - Lori Normore, Catherine Heaps, NicoleDonaldson, Meghan Loose.Top - Poonam Mistry, Kate Porteous,Christina Furtado, Kevin Craig.Top Star - Emily Sawyer

Top left to right: David De Somma, Justine Boucher, FrankMorash, Connie Reid, Mathieu Hudon, Aline Nazarian, StephaniePresta, Jessica Thompson, Jason Maggio, Jessica DoreyBottom left to right: Christina Piciacchia, Shohreh Lajevardighomi

From left to right: Marie-Lise LeFrançois, Carolyne Hardy, LaurenceBelzile, and Véronique Girard. Missing in action: Mylène Marois.

As mentioned in the previous issue of The Source, one of thenicer traditions at Roots during this time of year is that the staffat many if not most stores come together to do something in

support of their respective communities. The initiatives are numerous– so many that we can’t spotlight them all in one issue – and takemany forms with different recipients. But the intention is always thesame: to try to make the holiday season sweeter for people whosedaily reality is anything but festive.

In the last issue, we highlighted the actions of stores in EasternCanada. This time, we’re focusing on stores in Quebec and Ontario.

QUEBEC• Blue Bonet, Montreal – StoreManager Mark Yoders and histeam are donating their oldRoots clothes to the SalvationArmy in their community.• Brossard – Store ManagerNataly Keroack and her staff

Sainte-Justine Hospital.• Champlain, Brossard – StoreManager Neil Dilis and histeam are collecting donations tohelp the children at Montreal’sSainte-Justine Hospital.• Kirkland Outlet, Montreal –Store Manager Aline Nazarianand her team are helping needychildren in their community byasking customers for donationsfor food and toys. They are alsocollecting clothing to donate.• Laval – Store ManagerMarisa Pamplona and her staffare collecting donations to helpthe children at Montreal’sSainte-Justine Hospital.• Pointe Claire – Store Man-ager Nathalie Massicotte andher staff are collecting dona-tions to help the children atMontreal’s Saint-Justine Hospi-tal.• Rockland, Mont Royal –Store Manager StephanieCampeau and her team arecollecting donations to help thechildren at Montreal’s Sainte-Justine Hospital.

• St. Bruno – Store ManagerGenevieve Boisseau and herteam are collecting donations tohelp the children at Montreal’sSaint-Justine Hospital.

ONTARIO• Cambridge – Store ManagerLori Normore and her staff arehelping the local church withthe “Out of the Cold” programby serving warm food in thechurch. They are also collectingfood among the staff, to give tothe Cambridge Self-Help FoodBank.• Colossus, Woodbridge –Store Manager Sarah Will andher team are collecting foodand money among the staff todonate to a women’s shelter.• Durham Outlet, Ajax – StoreManager Michael Veira and hisstaff are collecting stuffed ani-mals and toys to donate to theChum City Foundation.• Eglinton Power Center,Scarborough – Store ManagerDennis Ibara and his employ-ees are purchasing items forthe Ernestine’s Women Shelter.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT AT ITS BEST, PART 2Quebec and Ontario stores show their real colours by helping their communities

are collecting money so that awoman with a disabled childcan enjoy a day out, whilesomeone looks after her child.• Centreville, Montreal – StoreManager Aran Pamplona andher staff are collecting donationsto help the children at Montreal’s

Sarnia

Cambridge Kirkland

Ste-Foy


From left to right: Claudiane Desruisseaux, Mylène Boisseau-Touchette, Maxime Borgella, Catherine Simonato, Nataly Keroack,Guylaine Bourdeau and Sameh Abdel-Halim.

From left to right: Andrea Webb, Krista Carson, Lindsey Kinsella,Ashleigh Moffat, Missing: Denise Hoegy, Jaclyn Millson

From left to right: Tessa Burkholder, Tricia Moffitt, Liz Mayne, SierraPhillips, Darren Maskell, Corrine Gray, Joey Tanga , Susan VanDalen, Melissa Brennan and Jon Gauthier

From left to right: Andrew Mateo, Vanessa Reda, Chris Lombardi,Leanna Rizzi, Marla Dolowitz, Melanie Stringer, Karen Simpson andStephen Koehler

• Fanshaw, London, ON –Store Manager Phil Papadopo-ulos and his staff are collectingmoney and clothing for London’sWomen Abuse Organization.• Guelph – Store ManagerLindsey Howat-Kinsella andher staff are creating and do-nating Christmas stockings tothe Guelph Aids Committee togive to 18 families affected withHIV or AIDS. The team alsobought a goat and a flock ofchickens to send to a family ina third world country throughHeifer International, a non-profitorganization that fights hunger.• Heartland, Mississauga –Senior Manager Colleen We-ber and her team are arranginga food drive to collect food forneedy people in their commu-nity. They are also collectingused clothing to donate.• Kanata – Store ManagerSusan Van Dalen and her staffare collecting money for theCanadian Forces Personal As-sistance Fund, which providesassistance to former woundedmembers and families of theCanadian Forces.• Niagara Falls – Senior Man-

ager Jamie Quinn and herteam are collecting donations tobuy Christmas gifts for theNova House Women’s Shelter.• Orfus, Toronto – Store Man-ager Andrew O’Neill and hisstaff are arranging a cannedfood and clothing drive to col-lect donations for the NorthYork Salvation Army.• Sarnia – Store ManagerDebra MacDonald and herstaff are arranging a cannedfood drive to collect donationsfor the Inn of the Good Shep-herd, which provides servicesto those who are in need offood and shelter.• South Keys, Ottawa – StoreManager Susan Van Dalenand her team are sponsoring afamily that has two daughters atthe Children’s Hospital.• Thunder Bay – Store ManagerDonna Andreychuk and herstaff are collecting money anddonations for the Bay PattersonHou- se, a battered women’sshelter.• Vaughan Mills Outlet,Vaughan – Manager GlenysHepplestone and her team arecollecting money to purchase a

gift for the Porter Place, a shel-ter for boys and men. They arealso collecting money to pur-chase a gift basket for a staffmember with MS, who has twodaughters.• Windsor Outlet, LaSalle –Store Manager Bernie O’Beidand her staff are collectingmoney and clothing for students

(and their families) at the Im-maculate Conception School inWindsor. The money will gotoward a turkey dinner for thestudents.• Woodside, Markham – StoreManager Melanie Wright andher staff are arranging a fooddrive to collect money for peo-ple in need in their community.

Left side (front to back): Sharan Kiur, Jennyfer Velasquez, VeronicaSalazar. Right side (front to back): Edgar Zarzoso, Catherine Carle,Stephanie Campeiu

Front row from left to right: Lisa Murphy, Anil Jhali, Jeannine Reed2nd rowfrom left to right: Jon Petton, Emily Chan, Melissa Callihoo,Erin Colby; 3rd Row from left to right: Lucy McMurty, AndrewEdwards, Susan VanDalen, Mack Pappas, Angela Rossi

Kanata

Brossard

Rockland

South Keys

Guelph

Vaughan Mills


Documents

December 21, 2006