ROOTS MVP OF THE MONTH
With Rosemary Eisenhut at the helm, the “Roots 73” stores are performing better than ever. It’s the perfect outlet for her many talents.
October 2005

Next month, Roots will open a new outlet store in Windsor, Ontario. This month, a newly designed and renovated outlet store opened in the Toronto suburb of Mississauga. In September, one opened in Edmonton. The month before, another opened in Moncton, New Brunswick. In the coming year, several more will open across Canada.

Of course, stores don’t just open by themselves. In addition to the financial investment, it takes a special type of person to stay on top of all the countless details, put a winning team together, drive the project through to opening day and then ensure that everything stays on track thereafter. This is not a job for most people. It is a job for Rosemary Eisenhut, Roots MVP of the Month for October.

In a relatively short time, Rosemary has added a new vigour to the outlet operations at Roots. Since joining the company last March as Director of Outlet Stores, she has demonstrated an unswerving passion for the 20 retail locations under her supervision and for those who work there. She has reason to be proud of her work. In the last six months, sales and profitability in the outlet stores have increased substantially compared to the same period last year.

“One of the most gratifying aspects of my work is seeing results almost instantly,” says Rosemary, who spends most of her time in the stores. “I love being involved in everything connected to the outlet stores and working with the staff at each location and feeling like we’re working as a team. I also love working with [Roots Co-founders] Don and Michael, and [CEO] Marshall [Myles]. When you’re working directly with the owners on a project, you can make decisions without going through layers of people. That allows us to turn things quickly.”

Rosemary can be forgiven if she’s feeling a bit of déjà vu in her current position. She previously worked at Roots in the 1990s as an Area and Market Manager for five years. During that period, she played a critical role in the development of the company’s outlet operations. In 2000, she left Roots to work at Blue Bayou and Gap Canada. Until last spring, she was District Manager for the Gap’s Old Navy Division in Ontario.

With her inexhaustible energy and irrepressibly positive attitude, Rosemary likes nothing better than a new challenge. Especially when it takes place on the frontlines of the retail world. “I'm not an office person so I like being in the field,” says Rosemary, 48, who was born in Trenton, Ontario and grew up on a farm about an hour east of Toronto. “To build a team from the ground up for a new store or to re-energize and support an existing store is my job each and every day. I work for my store teams. They hold me accountable as much as I hold them accountable. My father always taught me that with ‘responsibility comes accountability’ and I’ve never forgotten that.”

With Roots outlet stores located across the country, Rosemary is often on the road. She just returned last week from 12 days out west in Vancouver and opening the new Edmonton store. After the re-opening of the Mississauga store last weekend, she’s off to Ottawa and Montreal next week.

Rosemary loves getting to know each store, becoming involved in all aspects of their operation. “I enjoy working on the floor side by side with the managers and their teams to make the Roots outlet experience a memorable one for customers,” says Rosemary. “Since the outlets are a lower price point than our regular stores we can reach out to a larger segment of the population who love our ‘Roots 73’ line of clothing. I also have the privilege of working closely with the outlet design team headed up by Shyrose Kassam and sharing ideas and information with them about what customers are looking for when they come into our stores.”

It’s just over half a year since Rosemary returned to Roots but her impact has already been enormous. “Rosemary is a real doer who’s not afraid of hard work,” says Michael Budman. “She can do many things at the same time without needing a big title. Her incredible energy is contagious, which is great because it’s so positive. The day Rosemary returned to Roots, on March 21, was a great day for the company. It was also Don Green’s birthday and was a good omen.”

When it comes to being back at Roots, Rosemary says it’s better the second time around. “I feel we have a stronger, leaner team at Roots today,” says Rosemary. “I love working with the entire Roots staff. Everyone is open to new ideas and no idea is necessarily too silly. Also, since I returned to Roots, I’ve been working more closely with Don and Michael than I did previously.”

Over the next three years, plans call for opening another 20 outlet (“Roots 73”) stores throughout Canada. With Rosemary on the case, the stores are in good hands. It’s an ideal outlet for her – and for Roots.   – R.S.

Back