WELCOMING SUMMER WITH GOOD TASTE

Staff usher in new season with barbecue lunch

To officially kick off the summer at the Roots Head Office in Toronto, Roots Co-Founders Michael Budman and Don Green invited staff to a barbecue lunch on Wednesday. Under sunny skies and warm temperatures, the festive meal took place outside on the Roots Piazza adjoining the Hub on the main level. It was a perfect setting for the lunch prepared by guest chef Leo Schipani.

Employees lined up for hamburgers, veggie burgers, and hot dogs freshly cooked over an open flame. The lunch also included a healthy combination of salads. Don and Michael addressed the gathering, saying they were thrilled to be hosting the first such BBQ in the new premises and that it was in honour of all the hard work by the staff. As the afternoon progressed, staff members enjoyed fruit smoothies and flavoured gelatos before heading back to work.

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Recent letters from the world of Roots

SEEK AND YOU SHALL FIND
I’m writing to complement two employees at your store in Victoria, BC. Cara-Lee Walker and Katie Hortobagyi did a product search for me after I mentioned that I was looking for a specific item (a tan Lindsay purse) that I was interested in purchasing. They found it and then had it forwarded to a store near me who sold it to me to the great satisfaction of my daughter who received it as a birthday present.

Kate and Cara were courteous and efficient as they put in some extra effort that was effective and much appreciated. Thank you Roots.

J. Mackay
North Vancouver, BC

SOUNDS RIGHT
As the Manager of the Roots store in Waterloo, I always scout out the mall, looking for new products and ideas for visual displays. I also do comparisons on our customer service with our closest competitors. During the past month or two, I noticed that it seemed our store had some very similar music (Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, and so on) to the Cotton Ginny store in the mall.

Recently, I discovered why. Turns out that for the past month or two they've been playing the Roots of Motown CD nonstop. The manager of the store bought it for herself back in April and very quickly decided this was the kind of music she wanted to hear all day everyday in her store.

Now all of her staff are grooving to the music and buying the CD for themselves. Whenever customers ask about the music, they direct them to Roots to pick up the CD. We all know the Roots of Motown CD has been a great success but I thought people at Roots might want to know that it even has competitors singing our praises while on the job!

Alison Sochasky
Manager, Roots store, Waterloo, Ontario


EVERY BIT HELPS
Following up on the various environmental initiatives by Roots reported recently in The Source, I just want to mention our latest contribution here at the Bloor Street store (Toronto) to help make the world more eco-friendly. We decided that also as part of our commitment against global warming that we will no longer be using tissue paper to wrap purchased products unless the customer requests it for a gift.

This may be a relatively small gesture but if everyone does their bit, we can all make a huge difference.

Brenda Preston
Manager, Roots Bloor Street store, Toronto

QUALITY TIME
I live in Kenora on Lake of the Woods in northwestern Ontario, close to the Manitoba border. In 2001, I purchased a Roots watch with a $150 gift certificate I received from my employer after 15 years of service. In our region, our winters are often rather severe, both in low temperatures and in the amount of snow we receive.

Last December, my family and I were enjoying a day of outdoor activity, sliding and skating on the lake next to my nephew's home. Later in the day, I realized I had lost my watch. I searched in the snow, knowing full well that it might be futile. Although I never found my watch, I was satisfied that I had at least tried. Since then, I’ve missed it many times and have looked for one just like it but without success.

Well, January came and went, and February delivered some brutally cold temperatures. We had more snow, more cold, and finally, we got through another winter. Hallelujah! Then, of course, there was rain. In April, when my nephew's wife was out doing some yard work down by the lake, lo and behold, she found my watch. Not only did it still look like new, it was still running and the time was bang on! Surprisingly enough, the crystal wasn’t even cloudy.

All this to say, I'm happy to have my Roots watch back. Thanks for such a great watch. Keep up the good work.

S. Shodin
Kenora, Ontario

A WORD OF THANKS
On behalf of City Planning’s Urban Design Section, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to Roots Canada for providing us with the use of your facilities [specifically The Hub] at your Head Office for our recent design charrette for the Castlefield and Caledonia Design and Décor District.

In my experience, charrettes are always more successful when conducted in an inspiring space like yours. The high ceilings, the proportions of the space, and the quality of light were a real inspiration to us during the two days we were there.

Again, I sincerely appreciate the public-spirited generosity of Roots Canada in facilitating this design charrette.

Robert Freedman
Director, Urban Design
Toronto City Hall

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Here is a list of current job openings at Roots along with the appropriate contact person. For more information, please refer to the separate email notices sent out recently about each position:

Apparel Technician, Head Office
1400 Castlefield Ave., Toronto.
Email your resume to hr@roots.com quoting File# IP93000501
Deadline: Monday, June 19.

Store Manager, Assistant Manager, Keyholders and Sales Associates
New Roots location: 1071 Yonge Street, Toronto.
Email your resume to the attention of Heidi Botis at hbotis@roots.com with a cover letter explaining why you would be best qualified for the position.
Deadline: Sunday, June 18