NIGHT MOVES
Roots Visual Team goes the extra mile after hours
With Christmas just a month away, the Visual Department has been working overtime setting up and redecorating stores for the busy, all-important holiday period. Over the past two weeks, dozens of Roots stores across Canada have been transformed into a more festive mode by a special team of visual merchants. In the Toronto area alone, the team has spent lots of extra hours revamping nine stores, including the flagship location on Bloor Street, Yorkdale, and Roots Central at the Eaton Cent
re.
Led by Pauline Landriault, Director of Visual Planning and Store Development, and Peter Paquette, Senior Visual Merchant and Coordinator, the visual team had the tasks of remerchandising entire stores, redressing mannequins and moving around furniture. They also added festive decorations and props around the stores and in their windows.
“This year, the colour red and our red buffalo plaid dominate our flagship stores with red LED lights and natural wood accessory ‘trees’ and ‘stars,’” says Peter. “The Buffalo plaid theme has been carried through to this year’s gift box and gift bags in all stores coast to coast.”
Some changes are made while the stores are open, but the majority of work is done after hours and continues on into the early morning. The longest revamp was at Central, which took the team 17 hours one night and another 12 hours the next night. Other stores the visual department has redecorated are Sherway, Bayview, Square One, The Lodge, Queen St. and St. Clair.
“Working at night is a great way to adapt the stores for the holidays without disrupting business during the day,” says Pauline. “The team really pulled everything together and we have to thank all the store managers and volunteer staff for supporting us through the long late hours.”
The Toronto set up team involved in the flips consisted of James Wilford, Senior Visual Merchant; and Visual Merchants Natalie Barone; Marcel Gringras, Senior Visual Merchant from Montreal; Carie Pecora; Candice Hilmarson; Lisa Weagle; Emily Rumble; and Vanessa Haight from Western Ontario.
Visual teams in other parts of Canada have been busy as well. Colin MacDonald, Senior Visual Merchant Vancouver, Deephi Dillon, Jeremy Russo and Samira Khattak of Vancouver, and Andrew Gerock in Calgary have risen to the occasion out west. Marie-Anne LaPorte has been doing all of the Ottawa region stores, while Marcel Gringas and Sandra Thiel tackled Quebec stores.
The teams also received invaluable assistance from Bob Baker, Director of the Distribution Centre in Toronto, and his team including Kathy Schweir, Warehouse Manager, Non-retail, and Len Boxil in the Supplies Department, all of whom made sure that the teams received the necessary material for the revamp on time.
“We love what we do,” says Pauline. “We really enjoy working together, and being in the stores helps us all be more successful at what we do. We will be visiting as many stores in the weeks to come to give them our support during these exciting months for Roots.”
With Christmas just a month away, the Visual Department has been working overtime setting up and redecorating stores for the busy, all-important holiday period. Over the past two weeks, dozens of Roots stores across Canada have been transformed into a more festive mode by a special team of visual merchants. In the Toronto area alone, the team has spent lots of extra hours revamping nine stores, including the flagship location on Bloor Street, Yorkdale, and Roots Central at the Eaton Cent
re.Led by Pauline Landriault, Director of Visual Planning and Store Development, and Peter Paquette, Senior Visual Merchant and Coordinator, the visual team had the tasks of remerchandising entire stores, redressing mannequins and moving around furniture. They also added festive decorations and props around the stores and in their windows.
“This year, the colour red and our red buffalo plaid dominate our flagship stores with red LED lights and natural wood accessory ‘trees’ and ‘stars,’” says Peter. “The Buffalo plaid theme has been carried through to this year’s gift box and gift bags in all stores coast to coast.”
Some changes are made while the stores are open, but the majority of work is done after hours and continues on into the early morning. The longest revamp was at Central, which took the team 17 hours one night and another 12 hours the next night. Other stores the visual department has redecorated are Sherway, Bayview, Square One, The Lodge, Queen St. and St. Clair.
“Working at night is a great way to adapt the stores for the holidays without disrupting business during the day,” says Pauline. “The team really pulled everything together and we have to thank all the store managers and volunteer staff for supporting us through the long late hours.”
The Toronto set up team involved in the flips consisted of James Wilford, Senior Visual Merchant; and Visual Merchants Natalie Barone; Marcel Gringras, Senior Visual Merchant from Montreal; Carie Pecora; Candice Hilmarson; Lisa Weagle; Emily Rumble; and Vanessa Haight from Western Ontario.
Visual teams in other parts of Canada have been busy as well. Colin MacDonald, Senior Visual Merchant Vancouver, Deephi Dillon, Jeremy Russo and Samira Khattak of Vancouver, and Andrew Gerock in Calgary have risen to the occasion out west. Marie-Anne LaPorte has been doing all of the Ottawa region stores, while Marcel Gringas and Sandra Thiel tackled Quebec stores.
The teams also received invaluable assistance from Bob Baker, Director of the Distribution Centre in Toronto, and his team including Kathy Schweir, Warehouse Manager, Non-retail, and Len Boxil in the Supplies Department, all of whom made sure that the teams received the necessary material for the revamp on time.“We love what we do,” says Pauline. “We really enjoy working together, and being in the stores helps us all be more successful at what we do. We will be visiting as many stores in the weeks to come to give them our support during these exciting months for Roots.”
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