GREAT MOMENTS IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Roots and the Toronto International Film Festival continue their storied relationship more than 30 years after it first began.

Longtime observers of the Toronto International Film Festival were not surprised this week when the Roots flagship store was the site of one of the main events helping kick off this year's 10-day showbiz extravaganza.

Yesterday, in an initiative co-sponsored by Roots, the Barenaked Ladies performed a free mid-day open-air concert just outside the store on Bloor Street. It helped create the buzz and set the scene for the official opening of TIFF 2006 later in the day.


Roots and the Toronto Film Festival. They are both creations of the 70s and have grown up together. Both have evolved tremendously since their inception. Both have attracted great acclaim to Canada, adding cachet to the city they call home. Both exude style, flair, and excitement. Both attract celebrities and the media spotlight. Both have benefited from their longtime collaboration. Both are exceptionally busy during a 10-day period every September.

This year is no exception as Roots is involved in a myriad of TIFF-related events, including hosting the AOL Moviefone’s Unscripted on-line interview show and CTV’s eTalk entertainment program at 100 Bloor Street. The two have found temporary homes at the specially prepared Roots lounges on the store’s second floor, where countless celebrity interviews will be filmed during the festival. Coordinated by Raymond Perkins, Director of PR and Special Events, the lounges and the Roots eTalk Hello! Magazine Clubhouse at the Roots store were inaugurated yesterday in connection with the Barenaked Ladies concert.

Roots and the TIFF go way back together. Although Roots was only three years old when the festival began in 1976, it was one of the original sponsors of the event. Roots Co-Founder Michael Budman was one of the Festival’s original board members.

Since then, there’s been a great synergy between TIFF and Roots. From the official merchandise Roots has designed for TIFF to the number of prominent friends of Roots the company has connected to TIFF to the countless events Roots has hosted for TIFF, it’s clear Roots contributes greatly to the annual event. And no one would deny that the association with TIFF has not exactly been bad for Roots business, either.

Every year since 1976, Roots has produced, organized, and sponsored so many festival-related events it’s impossible to do them justice in one article. Suffice it to say they have created many special moments and left lasting memories for those fortunate to have been in attendance.

To cite but a few: The Closing Party for the Festival at the Palais Royale in the late 70s; The first George Christie luncheon created by Roots at the Westside Grill in 1984 (that Roots has sponsored every year since); The launch party for the film Les Canadiens at the old Squeeze Club in 1985; The party for Jesus of Montreal at a church on Avenue Road in 1989 with Brad Pitt and Denys Arcand; The Jack Nicholson After Party at the Roots Coach House in 1993; The party for film director Bernardo Bertolucci in 2003; The Us magazine event at Roots 100 Bloor that featured world-famous Parisian DJ and club maestro Claude Challe, and actors Dan Aykroyd, Fran Drescher and Kim Cattrall in 2003; The garden party for photographer and filmmaker Bruce Weber in 2004; The reception for the Goldeneye Film Festival in 2005; The party for renowned architect Frank Gehry (who was the focus of Sydney Pollack's documentary) last year; The dinners for producer Jerry Bruckheimer; The Spaghetti at Midnight after-parties at Sotto Sotto and Sisi Trattoria. The list is virtually endless, as are the number of celebrities attracted to Roots during the film festival.


The first big name to discover Roots while in town for the festival was in 1977 when Henry Winkler, who starred as Fonz in the hottest TV show at the time, Happy Days, and was then in a new movie at the festival. He came into a Roots store but unfortunately there was no camera around. The next day when Bill Marshall, the Co-Founder of the Festival, heard what had happened, he told Michael Budman: "Never let that happen again!" And he was right. Roots has learned a lot since then as evident in the hundreds of photos of celebrities in Roots stores seen in the media.

Of course, Roots – like the Toronto Film Festival itself – is about a lot more than just celebrities. And that's what makes these two important institutions so vital and enduring.Let the show begin!

LIGHTS, CAMERA, APPAREL

Roots creates official merchandise for 2006 Toronto Film Festival

By now, after so many years, it's become a tradition of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). For the 31st edition of TIFF, Roots is the official supplier of apparel for the annual event.

The limited edition merchandise - consisting of custom-designed T-shirts and caps for men and women - is now available in select Roots stores in the city including of course the flagship store on Bloor Street where many festival goers often visit.

The short-sleeved, white T-shirts feature the TIFF print logo on the front, and a Roots logo on the left sleeve. The TIFF print logo is blue on the men's shirt and purple on the women's. Both shirts are made of 100% cotton and feature basic crew necks.

The twill unisex baseball caps are also white and feature the TIFF print logo on the front.
All made in Canada, the TIFF items are available in Toronto (in addition to the Bloor St. store) at BCE Place, Roots Central, Queen St, The Lodge, St. Clair, and Roots Rosedale.
• Women's Film Festival T-Shirt, sizes XS-XL, retail price: $30; Men's Film Festival T-Shirt, sizes S-XXL, retail price: $30; BB TIFF Cap, one size, retail price: $35

TAKING SHAPE

Flagship store pulls out the stops for film festival

This year, the flagship store on Bloor Street is the main focus of Roots initiatives for the film festival. It may not be a movie set but at times over the past week it almost looked liked one. Amid a flurry of activity, Roots people worked against the clock to get everything ready in time – and succeeded.

On Wednesday evening, Pauline Landriault, Director of Visual Planning and Store Development, along with Peter Paquette, Senior Visual Merchandiser; James Wilford, Field Visual Merchant; and Carrie Pcora, Visual Consultant, did a number on the store. They transformed it, remerchandising the entire store to accommodate the two lounges set up on the second floor – the AOL on the north end and the eTalk Hello! clubhouse on the south end. The visual team installed large graphic murals for the lounges and also prepared the large backdrop on the outside window on Bellair Street behind the stage for yesterday’s nationally televised Barenaked Ladies concert.

Joining them late into Tuesday evening were Store Manager Brenda Preston and Assistant Manager Mark Chatarpal, along with several other store employees who kindly stayed late to help with the preparations.

The visual team also customized the large store windows for the festival featuring Roots leather bags and jackets, and lifestyle clothing. Adding to the look of the interior of store are numerous graphics and 85 black and white movie celebrity portraits by George Pimentel exhibited on both floors (See The Source cover story, Issue 53).

Howard Pollack, Director of Purchasing and Facilities, showed his real colours, helping in countless ways with the installation of large murals and with various technical and electrical issues in the hours before and during the Barenaked Ladies concert.

On the public relations front, Raymond Perkins and Anisha Gliddon have an intense week ahead as they help coordinate the various special events at the store they’ve been busy organizing over the past month or two.

With the Film Festival now underway, it’s going to be an exciting time to be at Roots 100 Bloor Street. Roll the film!

IN PRAISE OF A PRO

Julie O'Neill latest to be inducted into exclusive MVP of the Month club

Ask anyone at the Roots Head Office about Julie O'Neill, and you're sure to hear sincere superlatives from people who work with her. With her easy smile and even-keeled, extremely pleasant manner, Julie always brings a positive, team-oriented attitude to her job as Merchandise Manager in the Women's Department. Proactive with an unfailing sense of initiative, Julie never shies away from taking on new responsibilities.

But for all her attributes, Julie was selected this week as the latest Roots MVP of the Month for other reasons as well. In recent weeks, the results of her work have shown themselves in the particularly strong sales of the women's fall collection. Of course, others in the Women's wear also deserve credit. Jules Power, Senior Designer in Women's wear, plays a big part in this achievement having created the winning styles. Likewise Stephanie Briers (Graphic Artist), Nikki Kime (Senior Technician), and Yougin Lee (Technician) all are also important players in the process.

In the general scheme of things in the fashion business, design is relatively easy to understand and more celebrated. Not so the role Julie performs which is just as critical to the success of sales. At a company like Roots that is at once a major manufacturer and retailer, Julie's well-honed buying skills are vital. She's responsible for assortment planning – deciding on the right quantities to order for each style, colour and size – pricing and meeting gross margin targets to ensure profitability and growth in the women's wear department. No small task, especially given the number of products the women's wear department are producing each season. It's a tall order but Julie does it with brio and makes it look almost easy, season after season.
Hats off to Julie on this well-deserved honour.
• Next week, a full-length profile of Julie will be published in the MVP of the Month section (Behind the scenes - Team Roots) on the Roots website.

ENTERTAINMENT WORLD CAN’T GET ENOUGH ROOTS

Madonna and The Who place custom orders for current world tours

Lately, it seems barely a week goes by without the Business-to-Business Department chalking up yet another sale of Roots products to a new movie production, TV show or major rock performers. Last week, we reported on the deal with Steely Dan that followed hot on the heels of an order from the producers of NBC’s hit TV series The Office. We could go on listing the many others but regular readers of The Source know what we’re talking about and need only consult back issues to see the A-list roster of clients from the entertainment world who have ordered Roots merchandise during the past year.

This week, in the latest such installment, Roots received custom orders from two more heavyweights in the musical arena. The Roots leather factory is now hard at work making 210 large Banff Bags in gaucho leather for Madonna and her on-going Confessions Tour. They are being shipped to Japan to be presented as gifts to her band and production crew at a concert in Tokyo later this month.

At the same time, the factory is also making some 100 large Banff Bags in brown football leather for the 2006/07 world tour of the legendary British rock band The Who. They are being shipped to Philadelphia to be presented as gifts for the musicians and production crew next week.

DOING THE RIGHT THING

The latest in our series on Roots people helping others

This week, Nikki Kime, Senior Technician from the Women’s Wear Department, traveled south to Philadelphia to participate in the 2006 Livestrong Challenge, a fundraising event by the US-based Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF). As part of the initiative this weekend, walkers, runners, cyclists and volunteers raise funds for the LAF’s mission to support people affected by cancer.

In May this year, Nikki’s brother, Charlie Kime, was diagnosed with testicular cancer, the most common solid tumor type of cancer afflicting men between the ages of 15 and 35 years. Fortunately, Charlie’s cancer was detected early and he had an excellent prognosis. Though he had a good fight ahead of him, he successfully finished his treatment in July and is currently working in New York as an equities analyst.

In an effort to support and inspire cancer survivors, Charlie will also be participating in a 10K bike, walk and run as part of the Livestrong Challenge. This annual event takes place in cities across the US, enabling anyone to support the LAF’s mission to inspire and empower cancer survivors.

Nikki, who is a part of his team of six runners, has helped him raise funds for LAF. Together the team has raised some $42,000 in donations, which will go to the Lance Armstrong Foundation. The funds will be used for cancer research and to provide practical information and tools for people living with cancer.

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

MAKING IT COUNT

Roots head office employee bakes and runs for a good cause

Leather Merchandise Flow Analyst Lee Fancy wants to help in the fight against breast cancer. To that end, he will be selling cookies at the Roots Head Office next week to raise funds for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation CIBC Run For The Cure.

Lee, who recently found out that a close friend is fighting breast cancer for the second time, will be taking part in the CIBC Run in Toronto on October 1.

“It makes you realize that everyone out there probably knows someone who is fighting this terrible disease,” says Lee. “It could be your mother, aunt, sister or a friend. This is my way to support my friend and to show that everyone, including men, can do their little bit to help.”
In his own words, Lee makes ‘a mean cookie.’ He will be selling individual packs of the homemade chocolate-chip cookies in The Hub area of the Head Office on Tuesday, Sept. 12 for a suggested donation of $5. He hopes to raise at least $250.

• Those wishing to make additional donations to Lee’s efforts can also enter his first name, last name (Lee Fancy) and Run For The Cure location (Toronto) on: https://www.cibcrunforthecure.com/html/participant_search.asp?languageid=1

LENDING A HAND

Roots makes its presence felt at SuperWalk 2006

This weekend, for the sixth consecutive year, Roots is a sponsor of the SuperWalk for Parkinson’s.

In support of the initiative, organized by the Toronto-based Parkinson Society Canada (PSC), Roots is donating seven leather bags as prizes in the event’s National Team Challenge draw. To be eligible, teams of 4-10 walk participants must collectively raise at least $1,000. Each member of the winning team, in addition to receiving their individual SuperWalk prizes for how much they raise, will receive one large leather Banff Bag, (retail value: $358).
Roots will also provide gift certificates of different amounts. Participants will receive a $10 gift certificate for every $100 s/he raises, and one $500 gift certificate will be rewarded to the top-earning student.

Registration for the SuperWalk in Toronto starts at 9 a.m. on Sunday, Sept. 10 at Earl Bales Park at Bathurst and Sheppard. The SuperWalk itself, dedicated in Toronto to the memory of Jerry Friedman, who helped increase awareness and raise money to conquer the disease, kicks off an hour later.

Established in 1965, the PSC is a non-profit volunteer organization aiming to help find the cause and cure for the disease.

• For more information, or to skip registration lines and save time by pre-registering and pledging on-line, visit the official website at: www.superwalk.com

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 and sports who visited Roots stores recently:
· Toronto (100 Bloor Street) – Members of the Canadian rock band Barenaked Ladies visited the store after performing just outside as part of a free concert (See cover story). Canadian singer/songwriter Esthero and Canadian actress Tonya Lee Williams of the American soap opera The Young and the Restless were also present at the concert and later at the store.

· Windsor Crossing (Windsor, ON) – Former NHL player and five-time Stanley Cup winner, John Ferguson Sr. of the Montreal Canadiens, was in the Roots outlet store with his son John Ferguson Jr., current General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs, shopping for back-to-school kids items.

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

RE-INVENTING ATHLETIC FLEECE
Two new ways for men to wear stripes

Following the current all-over print trend, the Trent Stripe Hoody and Dalhousie Stripe Crew Sweatshirt combine athletic fleece with preppy stripes.

Made of 80% cotton and 20% poly-fleece, the hoody and sweatshirt are great for early to mid-fall weather. Additional details include the classic beaver patch on the left chest and an all-over yarn-dyed finish, meaning all stripes are knit into the sweater, not printed.

Created by Senior Designer for Mens, Rita Shulman, both the pop-over hoody and crew neck sweatshirt come in different colours. The hoody is available in black with port stripes, walnut with medium grey mix stripes, and medium grey with grey mix stripes. Midnight navy with grey mix stripes, and charcoal mix with port stripes make up the sweatshirt colours.

Coordinated by Martha Galora, Merchandise Manager for Mens, the hoody and sweatshirt are set to hit stores next week and are available at select Roots stores in Canada.

• Trent Stripe Hoody, sizes XS-XXL, also available at select Roots stores in USA, retail price: $88; Dalhousie Stripe Crew Sweatshirt, sizes XS-XXL, retail price: $84

KING CREATES GOOD VIBES

Performer makes a return appearance at Winnipeg by popular demand

Following the success of her first concert at the Roots store at Winnipeg’s St. Vital Centre two months ago, singer/songwriter Jodi King was invited back for a return engagement. Last week, she seemed right at home as she made beautiful sounds for customers and employees during a two-hour performance. She attracted a large crowd of all ages packing the store with people responding to the Winnipeg-born classical pianist and lyricist. It didn’t hurt that regular announcements about the concert were made on the mall intercom service directing shoppers toward the Roots store.

“Jodi King is an amazing performer and a great promoter of Roots,” says Store Manager Joseph Meissner. “She makes a point to talk about Roots items to the customers during her performances.”

Jodi’s energetic performances in the store are creating added interest in her music and led many customers to ask about her products. Later this year, Roots stores in Winnipeg and Toronto plan to sell Jodi’s soon-to-be-released first album and her personalized T-shirts, to be made by Roots.

Jodi is the latest among the many upcoming Canadian musicians that Roots has supported over the years. In the coming months, she’s also slated to perform in other Roots stores. Last spring, she sang at the Roots-sponsored Fashion Targets Breast Cancer event in Toronto at the flagship store on Bloor Street.

THE TRUE TEST OF SERVICE

Store in Waterloo scores big with mystery shopper for second year running

Six times a year, the Conestoga Mall in Waterloo, Ontario, carries out secret shopping exercises in which evaluators go into stores unannounced to see what’s what. For the past two years, Roots has consistently received a 90-plus score in every one of the exercises. In the most recent one, some of the newest staff members of the store were responsible for acquiring top scores.

Earlier this year, when Sales Associate Alison McDougall greeted a customer and directed her toward the Babies Department, she had no idea that the pregnant lady she was serving was actually a secret shopper.

The then Keyholder now Assistant Manager Adrienne Wilford helped the undercover shopper buy babies items before she went on to the Men’s Department where Sales Associate Letizia Ferreira guided her through the sweatshirts. She helped the lady pick the right sizes for her husband and suggested styles that would fit her.

Last month, the store received their score sheets from the mall administration and the three girls had helped the store achieve a 95-plus score for customer service. At the time of the exercise, Alison had been working at the store for only a few months and both Adrienne and Letizia even less.

“It is amazing that within the short time since they started working at Roots, they played a vital role in the store receiving such above average results, especially on a busy Sunday,” says Store Manager Alison Sochasky. “It’s the source of great pride for me to be working with such a great team.”

Last year, after a similar performance, the store was the recipient of a Customer Service Award from the mall administration.

OF MIND AND MATTER

Proof that Roots sweats help you smarten up

No surprise that you feel better when you wear comfortable clothes that look good on you. What you didn’t realize perhaps is the cognitive factor at work when you put on certain items.
In the current issue of Men’s Health magazine, there’s a report on a new study by Harvard University that has found that dressing comfortably can boost brainpower. In a study of 88 students, those wearing sweats earned higher marks on cognitive-ability tests than those dressed in suits.

“We had assumed that looking good made people feel good and helped them perform,” says lead author Richard Bell, Ph.D.
Of course, when it comes to Roots, wearing sweats is looking good - and being comfortable. Wearing a suit may actually distract the brain and make it harder to retrieve information.

THE NUMBERS

More for the eye

5,586 – That’s how many active (currently viewable) pages there now are on the Roots website. It’s more than double the number there was last April, reflecting the sharp increase in material on the site. And it’s still growing. Over the next 10 days, another 500 pages will be added for a new Roots store locator for the English Canadian, French Canadian and American versions of the site.

MOMENTS THAT MATTER

Big developments in the life of Roots staff (in alphabetical order)

Phil Papadopoulos, Store Manager, Masonville Place, London, ON is on a multiple celebration spree. Tomorrow he will be getting married with his fiancée Karen Buckrell. This a few weeks after celebrating his 30th birthday. On Tuesday, he will also mark his second anniversary working at Roots. Congratulations Phil!
• Please send us details of similar good news and we’ll be happy to publish it in The Source (email: rsarner@roots.com)

HEALTH TIP # 18

The latest in our series of easy ways to stay healthy

Eat the rainbow: Residents of the Japanese island of Okinawa are known for being the world's healthiest and longest-lived people: They have the lowest rates of heart disease, stroke and cancer in the world, and the highest percentage of people living over 100.

The Okinawans believe that a varied diet is the basis of good health. They usually eat 15 to 18 different foods every day. The staples of their diet are fish, vegetables, fruits, whole grains and legumes, predominantly tofu and other soy foods. Their primary cooking fat is omega-3 rich canola oil. Okinawans are pioneers in "eating the rainbow," believing that every meal should contain at least five colours for reasons of health and aesthetics. They're obviously doing something right.
* Source: Self-Healthing Newsletter, www.drweilselfhealing.com

GREEN TIP # 21

The latest in our series of easy ways to help the environment

Smooth Move: Changing the oil regularly is a double bonus for your car and the environment: when your engine is running in top condition, it's burning fuel most efficiently.
The average recommendation for oil changes is every three months or 5,000 km. Ask the mechanic to see that your old engine oil gets recycled, and check the replacement oil: the best oils for fuel efficiency are labeled “Energy Conserving” and can reduce your fuel consumption by 3%. Frequent tune-ups of your vehicle will keep it running smoothly (a poorly maintained vehicle can operate 50% less efficiently!). A healthier car is a greener car.
For more: Bone up on the Quick Tips from Natural Resources Canada: www.oee.nrcan.gc.ca/transportation .
- (Source: Green Tips: How to Save Money and the Planet, published by Green Living Enterprises)