SHINING BRIGHT

New collection is called “The Future Looks Bright” with good reason

At Roots, the design process is a wondrous thing that leads to great results. Take the new ‘The Future Looks Bright’ collection for instance, which began to arrive in stores a few days ago. Comprised mostly of vibrant-coloured polos, T-shirts, sweats and leather handbags, it is the first installment of the Spring ’07 collection.

“There’s a lot to like about this new collection,” says Product Coordinator Syd Beder. “It not only looks good and is distinct from our competitors but it’s also assertive in the message it projects. It ties in perfectly well with the longtime Roots values of health, wellness and the environment. When we say ‘the future looks bright’, we mean it, both in terms of the colour palette and in saying that we must all do what we can to make the future better.”

Like the environmental message, the positive feel and optimistic view of the collection are very much in keeping with a sensibility that has prevailed at Roots ever since the company began in 1973. It comes across in different ways, both in many of the ‘Future Looks Bright’ products – which feature environmental and pro-peace statements as part of the design – and in the marketing campaign for the collection which includes a similar theme.

The collection is the fruit of several creative minds working in harmony in the Design Department at the Roots Headquarters in Toronto. Jules Power, Rita Shulman, Dylan Anderson, Karl Kowalewski, Elsa Desouza, Lynne Morris, Marisa Battaglia, Stephanie Briers and Tracy Klem represent menswear, womenswear, leather goods, accessories, kids, baby and graphic design. Together, they bring a richness of backgrounds, styles and sensibilities to the table.

In creating this collection, the design team made a key decision to use bright colours with a theme and message that would help set Roots apart from other brands. From sunrise yellow to lotus pink to faded red, foliage green and honey peach, the colours are a refreshing change at this time of year. Statements featured on many of the tops include Protect Nature; Stop Global Warming; Unite For Peace; Demand Clean Water.

Sounds pretty simple and straightforward but it’s not. With each product, there’s so much more than meets the eye. What the customer sees is only the last stage in the product’s multi-faceted evolution from the original idea to the actual manufacturing. It’s all part of the creative and production process at Roots that’s both intuitive and logical.

In coming up with a new collection, the designers conduct extensive research and planning. They work closely with Roots Co-Founders Don Green and Michael Budman, Director of Design Nella Walker and Syd Beder. For inspiration and to further stimulate creativity, the designers travel to various fashion capitals, study the styles in the streets and in music and movies, and consult international fashion forecasting services. All the while, they keep their eyes and ears open to influences from a mix of sources.

The design team must wrestle with countless aspects – aesthetic and practical – critical to the customer’s perception of Roots. By deciding on all the variables – colours, fabric, textures, cut, fit, embellishment, graphics – the designers determine the look and ultimate success of an item. Details, details, details. At Roots, they all matter. It’s the only way to ensure quality and integrity.

The challenge is to remain fresh and relevant, season after season. With ‘The Future Looks Bright’, the design team has created a winning combination to kick off the new year in a bold, stylish and eye-catching manner. But it’s more than just the look.

“In our own modest way,” says Syd, “we hope this collection and its main message will help people to sit up and become more pro-active regarding the future. We all need to do more and be more assertive to help bring about a better future for generations to come. It’s not going to happen if we just sit back.”

Although the ‘Future Looks Bright’ theme is unique to Roots, it reflects certain current trends. For example, one of the elements in the collection is a nautical theme, which is in fashion this season. Roots integrated it with an environmental angle in the graphic T-shirts for men and women which highlight the message ‘Save Our Oceans’.

“Roots has always stood for certain values,” says Don Green. “I see this new collection as the latest chapter in our efforts not only to create great products but also to raise awareness about important issues and to affect positive change, especially where the environment is concerned. The future looks bright, but only if we all do our part to make the world a better place.”
While the ‘Future Looks Bright’ collection is just beginning to roll out at Roots stores, those who created it have long since moved on to new projects for the next season. Such is the life of the design team at Roots.

Designers in any field are used to thinking ahead. They have to. Like fortune tellers, they read the future long before it arrives. Fashion designers face a particular challenge. They must think up designs that will be stylish and pertinent well in advance of the clothes hitting the market many months later. To be successful, designers must have a special sense. At Roots, they must create compelling styles that both reflect and define prevailing trends and are true to the Roots look and heritage.

The Roots design team is already hard at work on the Fall/Holiday 2007 collection, and will start focusing soon on the Spring 2008 styles. The design process never stops. But for all their creativity and success, the designers know they can’t rest on past laurels. They’re only as good as their next collection. – R.S.

BRIGHT IDEA

New “Future” collection inaugurates use of informative hangtags

With the launch of the ‘Future Looks Bright’ collection, Roots is introducing a new generation of ‘hangtags’ designed to help customers make a more informed purchase. Each tag includes details on a product’s features and benefits. In a reader-friendly manner, it lists the fabric content, fit, styling aspects, size, price and bar code.

Going forward in 2007, all new products at Roots will have such hangtags. They will also benefit retail staff by helping them be more knowledgeable about merchandise in the stores.

Printed on glossy card stock, the front panel of each hangtag features a vintage colour painting of a beaver in the woods by celebrated Canadian artist Heather Cooper. She helped design the original Roots logo in 1973 and was closely involved in creating the company’s first advertising campaign during the same period.

WENDY IN TV LAND

US television producers can’t seem to get enough Roots

The list of American TV shows ordering Roots products keeps growing. This thanks to Los Angeles-based Roots salesperson Wendy Goodman who makes it her business to connect the entertainment world with Roots. In recent weeks, she’s been particularly busy with these latest deals in TV land:

• The Sopranos – A plot line from this HBO hit show served as an inspiration to develop a collection of some 400-zip polo T-shirts. Made in Canada from 80% cotton and 20% polyester fleece, the polos feature a screen print on the front, collar and the back. Executive Producer David Chase, the writer/director who created The Sopranos, is a long time friend and fan of Roots.

• The People’s Court - The judge of the widely popular American “judge show” in which actual small claims court cases are heard, ordered micro fleece fabric zip-polos. Some 220 polos with embroidery details on the neck and sleeve were shipped to the offices of the show in New York and Los Angeles.

• Veronica Mars – When the creators of this teen-mystery-drama were looking for the perfect gift to give for the end-of-year holidays, they turned to Roots and ordered more than 170 black vintage twill fabric caps with embroidery details.

• Studio 60 – More than 300 black full-zip hoodies were shipped to the Studio 60’s office in Los Angeles when the makers of the US-based drama series needed branded products for the show’s cast and crew. The hoodies were made in Canada from 80% cotton and 20% polyester fleece fabric with distressed print details.

• How I Met Your Mother – Producer Pamela Fryman knew the quality of Roots products having purchased them for her previous shows – Two and Half Men and Just Shoot Me. This time, for her latest sitcom, How I Met Your Mother, Pamela contacted Wendy Goodman once again and ordered some 200 adult and kids Roots hoodies. Made in Canada from 80% cotton and 20% polyester fleece, they feature wool-felt appliqué embroidery.

• The Jimmy Kimmel Show – Executive Producer Jill Leiderman of the late-night Jimmy Kimmel Show purchased more than 350 full-zip hoodies for the program’s staff and ABC TV’s executives. Made in Canada from 80% cotton and 20% polyester fleece fabric, the hoodies have with white satin twill appliqué and embroidery detail.

All of the above orders were executed in Toronto by the ever-reliable Mary Jane Saliba, Senior Product Coordinator in the Business-to-Business Department at the Roots Head Office. She and Wendy make a potent team.

GETTING A JUMP ON SPRING

Fashion cognoscenti from Canadian media take in ‘trunk show’ at Roots

Just before the start of each new fashion season, Roots hosts an informal event called the ‘Trunk Show’ for fashion editors and writers to give them a preview of the next season’s collection. A few weeks ago, style mavens from the Canadian media congregated at the Roots Rosedale store in Toronto to get a close-up look at the spring line of products.

Some 30 fashion journalists from different newspapers and magazines including The Globe and Mail, National Post, Flare, Fashion, Wish, Canadian Living, and Glow attended the morning event.

They were received by Diane Bald, Founder and Director of Roots Home and Denyse Green, Founder and Director of Roots Yoga. Company Co-Founders Michael Budman and Don Green were also present for the gathering. As part of the refreshments, guests were served organic coffee (now sold at Roots Bloor Street).

Karl Kowalewski, Director of Leather, joined Diane and Denyse in introducing the new leather bag collection while Nella Walker, Director of Design, showed the apparel products for the upcoming season. They gave background details on new fabrics, new types of leathers and new styles featured.

Many of the editors requested – and in the days following the event received – products to use in photo shoots for fall issues of their publications. Similar “trunk shows” are now planned for Montreal and Vancouver.

GREAT MOMENTS IN RETAIL

What a month! Spotlighting the top-performing stores in December

What a way to end the year! The last two weeks of December proved the highpoint of 2006. During that period, thanks to the rush to buy Christmas gifts followed by the Boxing Week sale, Roots stores generated the greatest December sales revenue in the history of the company.

Such was the demand from customers to buy products that in stores across the country by New Year’s Day, many shelves were almost empty. During Boxing Week, some stores attracted such large crowds that security was needed to control the flow of people. Huge lineups of customers at the cash registers were common, and in some cases customers had to wait in line for up to an hour to pay for their purchases.

The result is that the highest number of stores this year achieved or exceeded their sales target for the month. In terms of ‘Store of the Month’ honours, the Roots store in Kingston, Ontario captured first place among company stores while the Fanshaw Outlet in London, Ontario headed the pack in the Outlet sector. The Kingston store surpassed its sales target by more that 205 percent and the Fanshaw Outlet finished the month 145 percent over budget.

Congratulations to Store Managers Jennifer Levesque of Kingston and Phil Papadopoulos of Fanshaw, London, along with their respective teams for their performance. And hats off to the entire retail staff for contributing to such a record-breaking month of December across the board.

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, sports and politics that visited Roots stores recently:

· Bloor Street, Toronto - Dalton McGuinty, the Premier of Ontario, shopped at the Roots flagship store.
Actor Alan Rickman, known from the Harry Potter movies, visited the store where an after-screening event was held for his latest movie Snowcake. Also at the store: Actor/comedian Dan Aykroyd; VJ Melissa Ford; music video director Lil’X; Canada’s Next Top Model host Jay Manuel; and entertainer Sugarbaby.

· Bayview Village, Toronto - R&B and gospel singer Eric Benet purchased a Cooper Kanga Hoody at the store.

· Birmingham, Michigan - Actress Cheryl Hines, most famous for her role as Larry David’s wife on HBO’s Curb Your Enthusiasm, shopped at the store while preparing her wardrobe for this month’s Sundance Film Festival.

· Mont Tremblant, Quebec - Actress Catherine Zeta-Jones, known for her roles in such films as The Legend of Zorro; Chicago and Ocean’s Twelve, visited the store.

ADDING TO THE SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

Results from pilot project to determine benefit of in-store kiosk with computer

This week wraps up the first-ever Roots “Spin & Win” contest. Designed as a marketing tool to promote the company’s recently revamped and expanded website, the month-long contest gave shoppers free prizes and a chance to win a $500 shopping spree.

As part of the initiative, all shoppers received tokens with a numbered code upon entering the three participating stores in Toronto. Using a computer at an in-store kiosk, customers typed in the code from their token. Each token was a winner and prizes included $5 off a minimum $20 purchase, $10 off a minimum $50 purchase, and discounts off purchases made at roots.com. Additionally, each participant was given five ballots to enter for a shot at the grand prize of a shopping spree.

“People have been lined up to use the kiosk and enter the contest,” says James Connell, Director of E-Commerce, Digital Marketing and New Media at Roots. “Based on the rate of redemption, I think the effort was successful.”

Tested only at Roots Central at the Toronto Eaton Centre, Roots Yorkdale, and the flagship store on Bloor St., the contest also served as a fun way to enhance the in-store shopping experience. It also helped attract thousands of more people to register their names and email addresses with Roots in order to automatically receive mailings about new products and new promotions at Roots.

PARTY TIME

Staff usher in holiday with annual celebrations

In late December, in keeping with a time-honoured tradition at Roots and the festive spirit of Christmas, staff at the Head Office, Distribution Centre and leather factory took part in their annual holiday get-togethers.

At the Head Office, employees converged on The Hub area for an evening of live music, refreshments and prizes. During the event, Roots Co-Founders Don Green and Michael Budman presented gifts (leather jackets and bags) to employees who recently celebrated landmark anniversaries in their careers at Roots (5 and 10 years).

The leather factory hosted its traditional holiday lunch for its employees with freshly cooked turkey along with potatoes and fresh vegetables. Karl Kowalewski, Director of Leather and his brother Henry Kowalewski, Plant Product Manager at the factory, participated in the celebrations as they always do every year. As part of a lucky draw, Leather Stitchers Ibette Urbine won a 32" LCD High Definition flat screen TV and Maria Silva won a mountain bike with anti-shock suspension. All employees also received a turkey and other gifts.

A little further south at the Distribution Centre, Bob Baker, Director of the DC, held a holiday luncheon on the premises for his entire team. Adding to the holiday spirit, they were accompanied by Buddy the Roots Beaver and Mrs. Clause. Several prizes were given away including a 27” Toshiba TV, won by Jaswinder Phull and two Panasonic Microwave ovens won by Yvette Gordon and David Cheng. Other prizes included a music system and Roots items.

Michael and Don participated in all three celebrations where they thanked employees for their hard work, gave away prizes and congratulated everybody for the success of Roots in 2006.

MVP OF THE MONTH

Spotlight shines on the man on the move who delivers the goods

It’s not just what Ziggy Pisch does every day at Roots that earned him December’s MVP of the Month recognition. It’s also how he does it. Ziggy is your proverbial nice guy. Always agreeable, always helpful, always with an easy smile. It’s no surprise he’s a popular figure at Roots.

As head of the Transportation Department, Ziggy oversees both company vehicles and is responsible for all sorts of deliveries and pick ups for the stores, the Distribution Centre/Warehouse, the Head Office, customers, contractors and special projects. As such, he’s usually on the move. You name it, if it’s in Toronto and needs to go from one place to another at Roots, Ziggy is on the case.

Last summer, he celebrated his 15th anniversary at Roots. Ziggy, who grew up in Toronto, joined the company in 1991 as an Order Filler, working in the Shipping/Receiving side of the business before transferring to his current position.

“In my work, things can be moving along at a normal pace, but can then quickly turn quite hectic,” says Ziggy, 35. “Staying on top of the situation can be demanding, but at the same time very satisfying when it all comes together. I receive a great deal of satisfaction knowing that the people at Roots are depending on me to be the link between all the departments.”

Known for his reliability, Ziggy is a personable, down-to-earth man who is extremely loyal to Roots. “Over the years, I have met many interesting people in my work and I’ve been lucky to experience many exciting things at Roots. It helps motivate and encourage me to see all the new and exciting things yet to come for Roots. I’m looking forward to being part of it.”
Roots is fortunate to have Ziggy as part of its team.

STYLING A CITY

Windsor launches line of city-branded Roots products

Along with film producers, rock stars, concert promoters and the US Olympic Association, the latest to turn to Roots for custom-designed products are mayors looking to promote their cities with style. Last month, the mayor of Windsor launched the first-ever line of city-branded products made by Roots.

The custom-designed collection was initiated by Mayor Eddie Francis who first contacted Roots last year with the idea as a way to help enhance the city’s image and cachet. Liz Doggett, Manager of the Wholesale Operations at Roots, along with Joanna Iachetta and Kim Ryatt, Account Managers in the Business-to-Business Department, coordinated the collection comprised of T-shirts, sweatshirts, baseball caps, fleece-lined toques and bags featuring the Roots and Windsor logos.

“Roots has worked closely with the City of Windsor to design a very appealing line of clothing with a look that reflects our great pride in Windsor,” says Mayor Francis. “The merchandise offers local residents and out-of-town visitors items that display pride, recognition and quality along with a very Canadian feel, which is why we approached Roots.”

The specialized apparel is available in select locations in Windsor, with more locations to be added in the coming months.

HOLIDAY SPIRIT AT ITS BEST, PART 3

Stores in Western Canada show their real colours by helping their communities

As highlighted in the last two issues of The Source, as part of one of the end-of-the-year traditions at Roots the staff at many if not most stores come together to do something in support of their respective communities. All their numerous initiatives can’t be spotlighted in one issue.

The last two issues spotlighted the actions of stores in Eastern Canada, Quebec and Ontario. This last installment, focuses on stores in Western Canada.

• Kingsway, Edmonton, AB – Store Manager Sheila Brisson and her team donated their Christmas staff party money to Catholic Social Services, which provides support to new immigrants in Canada. They also collected money among the staff by selling bottles of water in recent months to purchase Roots clothes and toys for an immigrant family.

• Mayfield Common, Edmonton, AB – Store Manager Ron Deering and his team donated caps and toques to Kids With Cancer Society, which provides support and services for children with cancer.

• Chinook Centre, Calgary, AB - Store Manager Denise Bazzana and her team donated their Christmas Party funds to the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

• Grandview Outlet, Vancouver, BC – Store Manager Daniela Bosa and her staff helped the Salvation Army with their Adopt A Family campaign. They arranged a bake sale to raise money for a family that lost their father. The staff bought gift certificates at Chapters, Roots clothes and chocolates for the family and also donated a gift basket.

• Kamloops, BC – Store Manager Darlene Thorne and her team saved all their empty bottles of water in the store during the whole year, and recycled them to get money and buy food for the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

• Mayfair, Victoria, BC – Store Manager Bob Heyes and his team donated money to the grocery chain Thrifty’s Feed a Family campaign. With this money, they were able to purchase hampers for 12 families.

• Seven Oaks, Abbotsford, BC – Store Manager Avis Baker and her team used their Christmas staff party money to help the Salvation Army and its Adopt A Child campaign by buying a Roots watch and a Roots sweatshirt for an unprivileged child.

• Victoria, BC – Store Manager Lea Weir and her team arranged a clothing drive for the Women in Need Society, which helps women and children. They also donated their Christmas staff party money to buy Roots clothes for underprivileged children in their community.

• Winnipeg Outlet, Winnipeg, Manitoba – Store Manager Paul Rogers and his team helped the local charity Koats for Kids, which collects gently worn/new coats, hats and mitts for needy children. Each Roots employee donated money for the cause.

SPEAK TO MY AGENT

The littlest customers show their Roots

You’re never too young to look good in Roots. Many people obviously agree, based on the mail we receive in the Communication Department. Both customers and staff often send in photos of their children, cousins, nieces, nephews, grandchildren, friends or neighbours wearing Roots, asking if they could appear in a future ad campaign for Roots.

We can’t make any promises about that but starting with this issue of The Source, we will publish a selection of such pictures on a regular basis. Everyone is welcome to submit their favourite shots of little kids in Roots. For now, our focus is on children up to the age of five years old.

Send your photos to photogallery@roots.com Be sure to include the name and age of each child in the photo, where it was taken and a sentence stating that you agree that the photos can be used in The Source.

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY

GOING PLACES
The right look before and after taking to the slopes

The ski-city line of Roots apparel that arrived in stores in recent weeks is not just stylish but also a source of information. Inspired by popular North American locations, the collection features creative graphics reflecting the lifestyle of each chosen ski resort – Whistler, Banff, Mont-Tremblant, Aspen, Park City, and Sun Valley – and spotlights the year in which each was established. For example, the oldest is Banff which was founded in 1880.

Coordinated by Director, Merchandise Purchasing and Flow Jarar Kazmi, Merchandise Manager for Women Julie O’Neil, Associate Men’s Designer Dylan Anderson with prints designed by Graphic Artist Stephanie Briers, the line is made up of T-shirts, polos and sweatshirts. The collection also includes two big cities for good measure – Toronto and Vancouver.

Made for men, women and children, the collection is available in select stores in Toronto and Vancouver and in the ski-city stores.

Men’s: Sizes available: XS – XXL; Retail price range: $32 - $78
Women’s: Sizes available: XS – XL; Retail price range: $32 - $78
Kids: Sizes available: S – XL; Retail price range: $22.95 - $49.95
Babies: Sizes available: S – 5T; Retail price range: $18.95 - $39.95

MAKING LIFE EASIER FOR NEW PARENTS
Roots Diaper Bags prove a popular accessory

To meet the big needs of a little baby, the right diaper bag can make all the difference. The solution from the Roots Babies Department has attracted many parents.

The stylish bag with multiple pockets is designed to suit both men and women. Made in one size from 100% Nylon fabric, the bag comes in a navy and black combination, and in a new walnut colour, introduced this season. Additional features include loops with snaps to attach to the stroller for easy carrying. The nylon shell wipes down easily with sponge allowing easy care.

Designed by Senior Accessories Designer Lynne Morris, Senior Babies Designer Elsa De Souza and coordinated by Merchandise Manager for Babies and Kids Marisa Battaglia, the bag has long been a success with new moms. It’s also been mentioned on many maternity-related blogs.

“I have a Roots diaper bag and I love it,” says one of the bloggers about the hit bag. “It has front pockets in which I put two diapers for each child so I don’t have to rummage around in the big part. It also has a lot of little pockets, a place for my bankcard, a big back pocket (perfect for a colouring book and crayons), and lots of room in the middle for toys, books and extra clothing.”
We couldn’t say it better.
Available in select Roots stores in Canada.

Retail price: $42.95

BRIGHT KIDS
Sending the right message in style

As part of the ‘Future Looks Bright’ campaign (see cover story), four new pieces have been added to the kids collection. For girls, the latest shirt to hit stores is the Haily long-sleeve T-shirt. Available in lotus pink, honey peach, and sunrise yellow, the brightly-coloured shirts feature positive messages: ‘The Future Looks Bright’; ‘Down to Earth’; and ‘Ready For Anything’.

The latest short-sleeve shirts for boys in arrive in stores also feature positive messages. The ‘It’s Cool to Be Green’ shirt comes in foliage green; the ‘Protect Nature’ shirt comes in sunrise yellow, and the ‘Save Our Oceans’ shirt comes in grey mix.

All kids shirts are made of 100% cotton jersey and are currently available at select stores in Canada and the US.

KIDS: Haily LS T-Shirt, sizes S-XL, retail price: $24.95; It’s Cool To Be Green T, sizes S-XL, retail price: $19.95; Protect Nature T, sizes S-XL, retail price: $19.95; Save The Ocean SS T, sizes S-XL, retail price: $19.95

ORGANIC FOR BABIES
Little ones deserve the best in soft cotton

The latest baby collection of the season is the Organic Layette Group. Made from 100% organic cotton, the environmentally friendly line has a soft texture just right for babies. Each piece features the traditional Roots beaver logo and comes in Solid Ice, Striped Ice and Driftwood.

Designed by Elsa De Souza, Senior Designer of Babies, the collection will arrive in Roots stores in Canada next week.

• BABIES: Organic Jumpsuit, sizes XS-XL, $32.95; Organic 2PC, sizes XS-5T, $32.95; Organic Bodysuit, sizes XS-XL, $16.95; Organic Diaper Pant, sizes XS-XL, $16.95; Organic Toque, sizes XS/S and M/L, $12.95; Organic Blanket, one size, $32.95

GREEN TIP # 29

Easy ways to help the environment

Ditch plastic bags. Every year, Canadians use an estimated 10 billion plastic bags, (including 200 million in Toronto) a considerable contribution to the 500 billion to one trillion used worldwide. That’s a lot of material that’s anything but eco-friendly. Made from polyethylene, plastic bags are not biodegradable and are making their way into our oceans and waterways.

According to recent studies, the oceans are full of tiny fragments of plastic, all toxic, that are beginning to work their way up the food chain. Do the responsible thing. Invest in stronger, re-usable bags, and avoid plastic bags whenever possible.

HEALTH TIP # 26

Easy ways to stay healthy

Tea party benefits all guests. Celebrity testimonials are all well and good, but none of them can top this: tea is the beverage most commonly enjoyed by centenarians around the world. The free radical-inhibiting property of tea is more potent than that of vitamin E, and tea is a proven preventative and treatment for atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries).

The polyphenols in tea, especially the catechins, are powerful antioxidants that help ward off diabetes and cancer.

Source: Secrets of Longevity, By Dr. Maoshing Ni

SPECIAL DELIVERY

Letters from the world of Roots

LEAVING THEM SINGING
Recently, I was shopping for a gift for a person I’ve never met - my son’s girlfriend. They live in Japan and Christmas was going to be our first time meeting. All I knew about her was that she loves anything from Roots, her favourite colour is pink, and that she wears a small.

Normally, I loathe shopping! When I entered the Roots store in Hamilton, (Ontario), I was greeted by a person who was smiling and asked if she could help me with anything. Pink is not a colour for winter. There were no small jackets. I was frazzled, to say the least.

I would like you to know how wonderful this salesperson was. Her name was Miyeko Simons. She asked me questions about the girl. Told me that if it’s a jacket, it’s best not to buy a small to allow for layers to be worn under it. She advised me about things that, had I not been so stressed out, I might have thought about.

Finally, she even put the jacket on so I could see what it looked like. She looked beautiful in it. By the time I left your store, I was singing Christmas carols, all thanks to Miyeko.
C. Czikk
Brantford, ON

FRANK DOES IT RIGHT
I’m writing to pay tribute to one of your retail employees. In mid-December, I visited the Roots store in the Eaton Center in Toronto. My main reason was to buy a Christmas gift for a friend although I was not sure what to get.

Fortunately for me, a very nice salesperson by the name of Frank Echeverria offered to help me. He provided excellent ideas. There was a sweater that I was interested in buying but I was not quite sure how it would look on my friend (who is a guy).

Frank tried on the sweater for me so I could see how the sweater might look on my friend. It helped a great deal and I ended up buying the sweater.

Frank demonstrated great customer service and went the ‘extra-mile’ towards closing the sale with me. It worked. I mentioned this to the store manager but I also wanted to send this message to the Head Office to ensure that Frank receives positive feedback from the Roots management.
N. Mohammed
Toronto

WORTH VISITING
I am writing to compliment you for the excellent Roots products that I bought in your store in Pointe Claire during my recent visit to Quebec. All the clothes that I purchased are of wonderful quality and the store staff were extremely helpful. I enjoyed my visit there.
Thank you for such a positive experience.
H. Musgrove
Cleveland Heights, Ohio

SUPERIOR SERVICE
I just wanted to pass on some positive feedback on the great service I recently had at your Market Mall store in Calgary. I believe the person who looked after me, Jennifer Hughes, is the store manager and if not, she should be!

I received a Roots handbag for Christmas from my sister. The first day, I carried it the buckle somehow came loose and I lost it. I was feeling sick about it not only because the bag cost $188 but also because I loved it.

I went to the store and Jennifer said she could try to order a new buckle for me but then spotted the same bag on the shelf. She immediately gave me the replacement piece and said she would order a new buckle for the one still in the store. It was an example of superior customer service.
With the shortage of staff in this city, Roots is very lucky to have someone who cares about your customers. This act will certainly bring me back again and again.....not only because of the quality of your products but the excellent service I received. Thank you.
L. Smith
Calgary, Alberta

The Source wants to hear from you. In addition to reporting on new developments at Roots, The Source also serves as a forum for ideas and commentary from readers. Please send your letters to Robert Sarner at rsarner@roots.com Letters may be edited for length and clarity.