GUESS WHO JUST DROPPED IN…

Taking attendance of special guests at Roots stores

Celebrities have long made a point of shopping at Roots. Here are the latest sightings of prominent figures from the world of entertainment who visited Roots stores recently:

· Toronto (100 Bloor Street) – Dan Aykroyd, Canadian comedian and actor, and a good friend of Roots, visited the store. Among others in the store this week were American actor James Marsden, who is in town for the shooting of Hairspray and John Oates of the musical duo Hall and Oates who performed at the Hummingbird Centre.
· Robson (Vancouver, BC) – David Duchovny, Golden Globe Award-winning American television and film actor most famous for playing the character of FBI agent Fox Mulder on The X-Files TV series, shopped at the store.

DOING THE RIGHT THING

The latest in our series on Roots people helping others

Next weekend, while Toronto will be abuzz with countless movie screenings, show biz parties and other special events connected to the 31st Toronto International Film Festival, several thousand people will be involved in something different: The Weekend to End Breast Cancer.

Among those taking to the streets will be Deeva Green, daughter of Roots Co-Founder Don Green. Starting on Friday evening (Sept. 8), participants will walk 60 kilometers across the city before the event ends on Sunday. Net proceeds will support breast cancer research, treatment, and related services.

“One of the main reasons I decided to do the walk this year is because the mother of a close friend of mine passed away this spring from breast cancer, leaving her three children and husband,” says Deeva, 17. “It really hit home why we must do everything possible to find a cure for this disease that affects so many women.”

Deeva, who also lost her grandmother to breast cancer, agreed to raise at least $2,000 but she has set her personal goal at $3,000. To that end, she has sent out letters and email to scores of people soliciting donations for the cause. So far, she’s been quite touched by the support she’s received and is continuing her fundraising efforts up until she begins the walk.

“I think this walk is a fantastic way to bring together both women and men from across the province in a challenge that will be both physically and mentally rewarding,” says Deeva, who has been doing a lot of walking and hiking during the summer to train for the walk.
According to the National Cancer Institute of Canada, approximately 20,500 Canadian women will be diagnosed with breast cancer this year, and about 5,500 will die from the disease.

• Those wishing to make a donation to Deeva’s efforts should go to her personal fundraising page at:

HITTING THE RIGHT NOTE

Roots seals Banff Bag deal with rock band Steely Dan

Not only are Roots bags currently a huge hit at the stores (see cover story), but they are proving increasingly popular in the entertainment industry. This week, following the custom orders for Roots bags in recent months for the tours of U2; The Rolling Stones; The Eagles; Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Roots provided leather bags to Steely Dan and their organization.

The order was timed to mark the end of the band’s highly successful concert tour that began two months ago. Formed in the early 1970s, Steely Dan is known for its distinctive blend of jazz, rock, R& B and pop, produced by its core members Walter Becker and Donald Fagen.

Roots shipped 45 Banff Bags to St. Louis, Missouri, the final stop on the band’s tour. The bags will be used as gifts for band members and the crew. Coordinated by Celso Afonseca of the Business-to-Business Department, the leather bags were made in the Roots leather factory in Toronto and come with the Steely Dan symbol and the Roots logo.

THE PEOPLE BEHIND ROOTS

It takes skilled craftsmen like Elizabeth Mawyin to make Roots bags so good

The woman on the front cover of this issue of The Source was photographed at the Roots leather factory in Toronto while making the Village Pack. Elizabeth Mawyin reflects the quality of people who make Roots genuine leather goods. She is a gifted leather worker who has further developed her skills since she joined Roots shortly after moving to Canada from South America.

This week, she celebrated her 31st anniversary working at the Roots factory. When she began in 1975 and Roots was barely two years old, her first job was to make the negative heel shoes that first established Roots. Thanks to people like Elizabeth who has kept up with the evolution of Roots leather products, the factory is such a productive force. Over the years, Elizabeth has made shoes, bags and jackets. Today, she’s part of the team making only Flat bags due to the incredible demand.

“I enjoy working at Roots,” says Elizabeth, 55, who grew up in Ecuador. “I’ve learned so much since I’ve been here. It’s always interesting to see the development and success of new Roots products.”

MEETING THE DEMAND

To keep up with the sales of The Flats, the biggest hit in the history of Roots leather bags, the factory in Toronto is showing its real colours

By now, the success of the Roots Flats collection is no secret. Indeed, we already reported on it several weeks back in The Source (see Issue 51). What is new is that the popularity of the bags continues to soar, reaching new heights.

Each week, thousands of Village Packs, Village Bags, Small and Large Venetian Bags, and Venetian Village Bags are flying off the shelves at Roots stores with the leather factory in Toronto having to work at full capacity to meet the demand. The Flats have now become the biggest hit in the history of Roots leather bags, surpassing even the success of last year’s Emily Bag.

“With every trend there is a counter-trend,” says Jennifer Taylor Weeks, Merchandise Planning Manager for Leather. “Flat bags are the counter-trend to the extra-large, bulky oversized handbag trend. Flat bags evolved from the need and desire of many women for hands-free accessibility while out shopping or running errands. Many women sport large work or gym totes during the day and on the weekends step out with a sleek flat bag such as the Village Pack, not only for style but for comfort and ease, too.”

Flat bags earned their name because they are literally flat. Within the construction, there are no gussets (meaning the front panel and back panels are sewn directly together without any leather sewn in between). All styles are also designed to be worn slung over the body; no hands are needed to carry these styles; and they all lay flat against the body.

The design is the result of a collaborative effort involving resident leather expert Karl Kowalewski, Roots Co-Founder Michael Budman, his wife Diane Bald, and Denyse Green, wife of Co-Founder Don Green. Each brings something different to the table. Together they are a formidable team.

Like with all successful products, there’s a lot more than meets the eye when you see a Flat bag. Many factors have contributed to their success. Fine design is vital, yet not enough. Something may look great but if it’s not made well, forget it. In creating new products, Roots has always understood that, and it’s most evident with the Flats.

Many people are amazed when they learn that in 2006, when so much is made offshore, leather bags of such quality and reasonable price are still being made in Toronto. The handmade craftsmanship for which Roots has long been known is essential to the Flats’ success. Details matter at Roots and it shows -- in the high quality thread used for the topstitching, the thread colour, the hardware size and colour, and the lining, to say nothing of the texture and tone of leathers used. These are all aspects that make the quality of Roots bags.

The success of the Flats is the culmination of a process that began many months before. Last spring, Karl Kowalewski traveled to Italy to source and select the best leathers to be used for the Flats. He then designed and developed a paper pattern for the first prototype of the bags before making a few samples and testing them at the retail level. Based on feedback and input from customers and staff, Karl and his team made the necessary changes and corrections.
After that, it was time tool up with cutting dies for production. Next, Karl and his brother, Henry Kowalewski, who is equally essential to the production of Roots leather goods, trained the group in the factory that they selected to make the Flats.

Once production is underway, Karl and Henry have to constantly monitor what’s being produced to ensure the necessary quality and to make any needed improvements during production. Lastly, as they always do, Karl and Henry inspect the finished product before packing and shipping it to the nearby Distribution Centre for delivery to stores.

“The flats have become such a hit because they are practical and easy to wear,” says Karl. “The zip pockets and flat compartments allow you to store the new high-tech devices. The shoulder straps are wide, comfortable and allow for hands-free movement. Given that the Flats work so well for women, I see no reason why there can’t be a flat bag for men.”

Leather has pride of place at Roots. The two are inseparable. Leather is part of the soul and DNA of Roots. Original leather goods have been at the heart of the company since its inception in 1973 when Roots began by making shoes.

Leather is what first put Roots on the map. Today, 33 years later, judging by the phenomenal success of the Flats, it’s still an important part of what makes Roots…Roots.

NO MYSTERY BEHIND TOP MARKS

Store in Nova Scotia comes up big in test of retail businesses

Roots stores have long been known for their excellent customer service and inviting store environments. Recently, this reputation has been further enhanced as several locations have received official recognition in independent programs that grade retail businesses.

The latest to win approval from a third-party source is the Roots store in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia which just captured top scores in the Mic Mac Mall “mystery-shopping” program. As part of this initiative, mystery shoppers visit various stores incognito to assess their standards and provide independent evaluations of customer service and store appearance.

Earlier in the summer, as part of their research, an undercover shopper came into the store and was attended to by Assistant Manager Sabrina Hoskins who had no idea that this was no ordinary customer. Sabrina’s top-notch manner and professionalism obviously made a strong impression.

It earned the Roots store an 85-plus score from the mystery shopper who commented: “Sabrina was very pleasant, well groomed and polite. She was walking around the store constantly, tidying up merchandise, watching for customers to enter, and giving me eye contact now and again to see if I needed her assistance. She was assertive but not pushy, courteous and friendly.”

Sabrina, who joined the Roots team at the Mic Mac Mall a year ago, says, “This would not have been possible without the team effort of the entire store staff and the great training that I received at Roots. I love working here and Roots is a great company to work for.”

The mystery shopper also described her shopping experience as very good, adding, “The store was extremely clean, not a thing out of place, uncluttered and organized, very tastefully done.” There’s no mystery behind how Roots stores earn such praise.

BAD GUYS BEWARE!

West Coast store attends crime awareness seminar

In an effort to keep involved in the community and better understand loss prevention issues faced by merchants in the city of Richmond, British Columbia, two members of the local Roots store recently attended a community crime awareness seminar at the local RCMP detachment.

Store manager Barry Rooke and full-time Keyholder Sean Wiens took part in the half-day seminar along with officials from the RCMP, the Security Manager for Richmond Centre mall, the head of Loss Prevention (LP) at the Gap, and LP representatives from several local merchants including Sears, The Bay, Home Depot, and Best Buy. There was no shortage of issues for the specialists to address -- identity theft; credit card fraud; preventative measures to stop shop theft; personal safety; and increased communication between mall security and stores.

"The seminar was highly informative," says Barry, who has been working at Roots stores in BC since 1999. "It was also a great opportunity to build on our relationship with our mall security and learn from the best in the industry. Other related seminars are planned for the future."

Such crime-prevention issues are an inescapable part of running a major retail business today, and it obviously helps for store employees to be as informed as possible.

"I encourage participation in these kinds of seminars," says Julie McCahon, Director of LP at Roots. "They're usually held through a local community policing centre or mall security office. I have attended several such seminars myself and have always come back with something new to help prevent losses. It's important to stress that we always need to be safe and act in accordance with both the law and Roots policies and procedures."

Julie adds that if any retail staff attend such seminars and have questions on how the information relates to Roots, they are encouraged to contact the LP Department at the Head Office.

GREAT MOMENTS IN RETAIL

Spotlighting the top-performing stores in August

The monthly sales figures are now in and this time it's the Chateau Frontenac store in Quebec City that won the title of the 'Store of the Month' for company stores, coming in at 234 percent over its sales budget. For its part, the Vaughan Mills outlet in Toronto captured top honours for the 'Roots 73' locations, finishing the month 120 percent over budget.

Congratulations to Store Managers Nathalie Giroux of the Chateau Frontenac store and Glenys Hepplestone of the Vaughan Mills outlet, along with their respective teams, for their impressive performance.

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

With cooling temperatures in late summer and the arrival of autumn just around the corner, Senior Designer Jules Power has created three stylish women’s products for the new fall season. Arriving in stores by this week’s end, the three fresh outerwear items are complementary to every back-to-school wardrobe.

HERITAGE TOGGLE CARDIGAN
This season, it’s all about the Ivy. The 1950s preppy look, which is said to have originated on Ivy-league college campuses, has come back with a new Roots flavour. Featured alongside other Ivy-inspired items in the new fall collection for women such as the Stretch Rugby Polo, Halftime Rugby Hoody, and the Sidney FT Blazer, Roots is adding this cardigan, made from 100% soft lambswool. This coat features genuine leather trim with toggle closures, and is available in walnut, grey heather, and port.

Additional features include two big patch pockets in the front, and the new Roots Academy inside label and hang tag.

Available in select Roots stores, in sizes XS-XL. Retail price: $88

HURON SWEATER COAT
Canadiana is another Roots theme this season. Made from a soft cotton and wool blend yarn, this long and slim Canadiana-style sweater coat is warm, cozy and cute.

Available in vintage white and black, it features an intricate cable design on the body and sleeve.
The coat also features colourful woven trim attributes on the hood and back, a handicraft reflection of designs Aboriginals used to make. These details make it both a stylish fit, and ideal to wear as a coat in mild fall weather.

Additional features include genuine wood buttons, and a wood beaver hang tag.
Available in select Roots stores, in sizes XS-XL. Retail price: $128

CHINOOK QUILTED VEST
You vest it. Roots has combined comfort and style yet again in this warm, lightweight quilted vest made of nylon and polyester filling. Featuring cool corduroy trimming, felt appliqué and print graphic on the back, the unique styling of this vest makes it great for early fall layering.

Available in warm honey with walnut trim, and walnut with tofino trim, additional features include patch pockets on the front, and custom Roots snap closure.

Available in select Roots stores, in sizes XS-XL. Retail price: $108

GREEN TIP # 20

To bag or not to bag: Next time you go grocery shopping, think twice before getting your purchases bagged. Did you know it takes one 15- to 20-year-old tree to make enough paper for only 700 grocery bags? Bring cloth bags when you shop (such as the Roots Eco-Bag), and if you forget, put your purchases in as few bags as possible.

Paper or plastic? Plastic bags are more convenient than paper but they're not biodegradable. Plastic bags often wind up in the ocean and kill marine animals that get tangled up in them or swallow them. Paper bags are biodegradable but are often made from virgin paper because, manufacturers say, heavy loads require the long fibers in virgin pulp. - Provided by Zerofootprint, an innovative Toronto-based organization that helps companies and organizations reduce their environmental impact. See www.zerofootprint.net

HEALTH TIP # 17

Fail to plan and you plan to fail: Because exercising and eating right are important but not urgent, they can easily take a back seat to issues that are seemingly more urgent (important or not). Proper planning allows us to spend more time doing what makes us happy and healthy, while eliminating much of the time that we might spend doing things which ultimately don’t provide us fulfillment. - Provided by Jeff Hirst, a professional trainer, co-owner of Training Zone, and a former Olympic diver. Jeff is an acclaimed sports instructor (who was the captain of the University of Toronto swim team) and is highly knowledgeable about health and fitness. He can be reached at trainingzone@hotmail.com