June 16, 2006

A week in the world of

Issue 43 – June 16, 2006

TOPS IN POPS AT ROOTS

Wayne Gretzky with father Walter, (left), stand tall with Roots for Father’s Day

HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES Ilich Mejia comes up big photographing the Great One and his family for Roots SENSATION OF STYLE Roots showcases upcoming collections at Montreal fashion fest BRINGING GREAT MINDS TOGETHER Idea City attracts the support of Roots

HE SHOOTS, HE SCORES Ilich Mejia comes up big photographing the Great One and his family for Roots SENSATION OF STYLE Roots showcases upcoming collections at Montreal fashion fest BRINGING GREAT MINDS TOGETHER Idea City attracts the support of Roots FASTER THAN YOU CAN SAY… Transferring store completed in record time SHOWING THE WAY Roots BC staff make tracks for a good cause LENDING A HAND Roots staff in Windsor help out their community RAISING A GLASS Roots outfits mixologists at the Drinks Show XM DAY AT ROOTS Special offers for Roots customers from satellite radio.

THE ROOTS OF TAMAKWA Bringing style to a wilderness paradise GETTING AT THE SOURCE Roots weekly newsletter enters cyberspace, now available online NOT JUST FOR HIGH ALTITUDES New ski collection to hit stores THE SOURCE GOES HIGH-TECH Updating methods for delivering the goods to readers

Departments FRESH INK GUESS WHO JUST DROPPED IN…

NEW AND NOTEWORTHY SPREADING THE WORD MOMENTS THAT MATTER UP FRONT ON THE MOVE OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS GREEN TIPS HEALTH TIPS SPECIAL DELIVERY

This week, in large posters in the windows of Roots stores, in colour ads in newspapers across Canada – and, lest we forget, on the cover of The Source – Wayne Gretzky, his father and son, appear together in striking photographs wearing Roots apparel for Father’s Day. The images are the result of an extraordinary photo session that took place recently at the Los Angeles home of the hockey legend. It was arranged by Roots Co-Founders Michael Budman and Don Green who have been good friends with Wayne since the 1980s. They traveled to LA from Toronto as did Senior Art Director (and photographer) Ilich Mejia who arrived a day earlier to scout locations for the shoot.

The consensus was that shooting outside would be more in keeping with the Roots style and sensibility.

Wayne’s father Walter, his wife Janet and their sons Tristan, Trevor and Ty were also present for the shoot that was styled by Don. “There was such a relaxed feeling during the session,” says Ilich. “It obviously helped that it was at the Gretzky home but more importantly, it was their incredible sense of warmth and hospitality that made things so conducive. They really made us feel so comfortable.”

The atmosphere helped inspire Ilich to capture three generations of the Gretzky family in a memorable series of photos that in addition to the current Father’s Day campaign will also be used for the Roots Canada Day promotion.

“What was most memorable about the whole thing,” says Ilich, “was just seeing Wayne Gretzky around his family in everyday situations and seeing what a quality person he is also off the ice. It gives an insight into his stature and what he has accomplished.

You walk away from this kind of experience so inspired.”

SENSATION OF STYLE Roots showcases upcoming collections at Montreal fashion fest For the second year in a row, Roots will be participating in the Sensation Mode fashion and design festival in Montreal next week. Launched in 2001, this outdoor event is held during the Canadian Grand Prix 2

weekend. It highlights Quebec and other Canadian talent in fashion and design, strengthening Montréal’s reputation as an international fashion centre.

Styled by Nella Walker, Director of Design, Roots will showcase its upcoming fall collection, the Canada Day line and new fall leather bags and jackets at Sensation Mode. The Roots presence at the event was coordinated by Kim Court-Hampton, Executive Assistant to Michael Budman, and Anisha Pillay, Public Relations Coordinator.

BRINGING GREAT MINDS TOGETHER Idea City attracts the support of Roots Next week, Roots will help kick off Idea City, an annual conference that brings together major achievers from the fields of business, the arts, science, medicine, technology, media and more. As one of the corporate partners for this event, Roots will be providing custom-made Idea City canvas and leather bags as gifts to the participants.

Designed by Karl Kowalewski, Director of Leather, the bags are made in natural coloured canvas combined with brown leather. They sport the red, black and yellow Idea City emblem along with the Roots logo.

The conference is organized by long-time friend of Roots Moses Znaimer, cofounder and former president of City-TV. More than 500 delegates and 50 speakers will attend this three-day forum taking place at the Isabel Bader Theatre in downtown Toronto.

FASTER THAN YOU CAN SAY… Transferring store completed in record time Talk about being on the case and turning on a dime! Last week, thanks to a stellar effort by a group of highly dedicated Roots employees, the store in London, Ontario moved from its existing location to a temporary one, until the new store opens in White Oaks in September.

What was so impressive is that the entire operation was completed with near lightning speed. Construction began on June 5. The process of actually moving the merchandise and other elements began on Thursday, June 8. Just over 24 hours later, everything was in place and on Friday evening, the store was ready to welcome customers.

Wade Stansbury, Store Manager, White Oaks store, with the help of Chris Crowe-Campeau from the Roots Windsor store and Phil Papadopoulos and Pamela Keegan from the Masonville (London) store made this quick turn-around possible.

Special congratulations to the building team of MCM and Construction Manager Howard Pollack and the crew consisting of Chris Lesniak, Zbigniew Gembora and Zenon Slezak.

SHOWING THE WAY OUT WEST Roots BC staff make tracks for a good cause Inspired by the ongoing commitment of Roots to the Rethink Breast Cancer campaign, Vancouver staff showed their support by participating in a local fundraising initiative last weekend.

Two teams, the Roots Razors and the Roots Blades set out on a 16 km “Seek the Peak Relay” walk winding through North Vancouver, heading up the legendary “Grouse Grind”, 4,100 feet up to the Peak of Vancouver. On a recent visit to Vancouver, Roots 3

Co-Founders Michael Budman and Don Green completed the Grouse Grind climb.

Their determination to reach the top further motivated the Vancouver staff to follow their lead.

Taking part were (in alphabetical order, starting with the two Roots team leaders): Lyn Frankel, Corporate Sponsorship Manager, Western Canada; Ross Shafer, Regional Field Business Manager; Debbie Barnes, Manager, Robson Kids; Mark Farr, Manager, Robson Street; Tosha Felstead, Assistant Manager, Whistler; Tasha Gordon, Keyholder, Robson Street; Calin Lennox, Salesperson, Whistler.

Collin MacDonald, Visual Manager for Western Canada; Andrew O’Carroll, Salesperson, Whistler.

Most of the Roots team hiked the first 10 km while staff from Whistler completed the full 16 km course including the “Grind”. Everyone vowed to do the complete course next year. To that end, plans are underway for monthly Roots hikes starting in July in order to train for next year. Together with this being an important fundraising event, it was a great opportunity for the BC staff to work together as a team representing Roots for such a worthy cause.

LENDING A HAND Roots staff in Windsor help out their community Two members of the sales team at the outlet store in Windsor, Ontario have spent time recently for good causes. Last weekend, Lauren Neuberger participated in the Relay for Life, a fundraising event at the Massey High School track to benefit cancer research.

Meanwhile, Monique Coral has been busy of late helping to build houses for Habitat for Humanity, a charity dedicated to combating poverty housing by building homes in partnership with families in need. It’s an ongoing project that Monique has participated in for the past few years.

RAISING A GLASS Roots outfits mixologists at the Drinks Show Roots is set to participate in Canada’s largest cocktail party, otherwise known as the Drink Show. It begins late next week in Toronto. Founded in 2004 and organized by City-TV and Martini Club, the annual event celebrates the age-old custom of cocktails in North American culture. Roots is providing T-shirts for the bartenders, also known as mixologists, that sport the Roots logo.

More than 100 handcrafted cocktails and spirits along with fresh oysters can be sampled over the two evenings of the show that will be held at the Muzic Building near Exhibition Place.

XM DAY AT ROOTS Special offers for Roots customers from satellite radio XM Satellite Radio teams will promote their satellite service in select Roots stores as part of the company’s partnership with Roots on XM Day to be held next week on June 24.

Special three-day free trials will also be offered to customers as part of this campaign.

XM Radio is the exclusive official radio broadcaster of the FIFA World Cup. In line with another promotion, the satellite radio is also sponsoring prizes for the ongoing Roots United soccer contest.

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NOT JUST FOR THE HIGH ALTITUDES New ski collection set to hit stores The Alpine Roots collection is soon set to hit stores targeting the summer season in the ski cities of Whistler, Sun Valley, Park City, Aspen, Mont Tremblant and Banff in North America. The line, which comes in two separate deliveries, is inspired from past Olympic ski uniforms and the Adidas ski collection from the Seventies. The first delivery with lighter fabrics will hit stores next week while the second delivery, consisting of new styles and heavier fabrics will come in fall.

Created by David Young, Senior Designer, Special Projects, with Associate Joanne (Jojo) Joseph, the Alpine Roots collection consists of double knit Pique track jackets, fleece hoodies, tanks, freestyle track pants and shorts. A special Coolmax Jersey with sweat reducing wicking properties is used for T-shirts. A custom-made hounds tooth jacquard fabric is also used for details in select pieces throughout the line designed for men, women, youth, kids and babies. Made in Canada, the first delivery is available in all the ski city stores; select top tier Roots stores in other cities of Canada and the store in Los Angeles.

The products feature screenprinted names of famous ski cities and also carry a Roots Alpine patch specially designed by David for the collection.

The ski program comes in an advanced colour scheme made up of purple, black and brown with accessories like baseball caps featuring city names with the Roots logo, in line with the rest of the collection. Sizes: XS-XL for women; XS-2XL for men. Retail price range: $40 for T-shirts to $150 for jackets

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THE ROOTS OF CAMP TAMAKWA Bringing style to a wilderness paradise As a part of its long-standing relationship with Camp Tamakwa, Roots is carrying exclusive Tamakwa-related apparel at select stores. The garments are designed in the classic Roots style and fit and serve as souvenirs of this summer paradise located in Ontario’s fabled Algonquin Park.

Founded in 1936 by Lou Handler and Omer Stringer, Tamakwa is located on South Tea Lake and is one of the best-known camps in Canada. During their youth, Roots Co-Founders Michael Budman and Don Green spent many summers at Tamakwa, both as campers and later working on staff.

The collection consists of outdoor friendly, 100% cotton French Terry fabric hoodies, cotton T-shirts and polos, tanks, shorts and sweatpants. Details include Camp Tamakwa related flock prints. Made in Canada, the line is coordinated by Senior Product Coordinator Ed Cox with design input from Michael and Craig Perlmutter, Director and Co-Owner of Tamakwa.

The clothes, which are highly popular with current and former Tamakwans and assorted Algonquin Park aficionados, are available at The Roots Lodge and the Roots Bloor Street store in Toronto and at the Birmingham, Michigan store for the many Tamakwa campers from the Detroit area. In addition, the line is also sold at Tamakwa during the summer, especially to relatives and friends on Visiting Day in late July.

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 St.) – Members of the Dave Matthews Band were at the flagship store just before their concert at the Air Canada Centre on Tuesday to gear up in Roots.

St. Catharines (Ontario) – Representatives from the props department at the Shaw Festival were in the store to purchase a Roots bag for one of their productions. The Bistro Bag will be featured this summer in Rosmersholm, a new adaptation of the Ibsen classic, at the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. (A few years ago, the Shaw Festival featured the Roots leather Business Briefcase in its production of Lord of the Flies.)

UP FRONT What’s in the Roots window displays this week Roots stores display Father’s Day posters featuring Wayne Gretzky with father Walter Gretzky (see lead story on page 2). Other posters also include Wayne with his son Tristan Gretzky.

Roots Camp continues as the main display this week with camp-style posters in the windows. The much-publicized Roots United soccer visuals form the secondary display with posters showing Haydain Neale of Jacksoul with a Vespa motor scooter.

Select top stores also have a real Vespa in view. Outlet stores continue to feature Roots swimwear.

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FRESH INK A selection of coverage of Roots in the media Here are some recent sightings of Roots in the pages of newspapers and magazines: Metro (Toronto), June 16. Item in the Hot Ticket column about the recent launch evening for the 2006 Rethink Breast Cancer campaign featuring a photo of Roots Co-Founder Michael Budman with Rethink Executive Director MJ DeCoteau.

The Edmonton Journal, June 13, The Calgary Herald, June 13, The Prince George Citizen, June 10: Article on the success of the recently launched Roots United soccer collection.

The National Post, June 10: Spotlight on in camouflage-print duffle bag in the Father' s Day gift section.

The Coast (Halifax, NS), May 25: Mentions the recent Rethink Breast Cancer event at Roots and the collection being available at Roots stores.

Chatelaine magazine, July issue: Mentions Roots cutlery available at Sears.

Green Living magazine, June issue: Mentions Green Tips book being available at Roots stores.

Fashion magazine, July: Great shot of the Hampton Bag in the style round up.

Toronto Life magazine, July: Camel coloured Roots beach tote featured in the fashion “Lighten Up” feature.

Flare magazine, July: Oversized linen and black leather tote figures prominently in its “Tote ‘em Poll” feature.

Fashion magazine, June issue: Spotlight on Roots Athletics jacket featured in the “Summer Getaway Guide” section.

Canadian Interiors magazine, May/June issue: Cover story showcasing the Roots head office in Toronto.

Marketnews, May: Spotlight on new series of Roots cases for MP3 players.

SPREADING THE WORD Guide to new ads appearing this week and next Thurs., June 15 - Eye Weekly (Toronto) ran a full-page colour ad on the outside back cover and a half-page ad, both featuring Father’s Day and three generations of the Gretzky family – Walter, Wayne and Tristan.

Thurs., June 15 - Toronto Star ran a half-page colour ad in the fashion section featuring Father’s Day and three generations of the Gretzky family – Walter, Wayne and Tristan.

Sat., June 17 - Globe and Mail will run a half-page vertical colour ad in the Globe Style section featuring Father’s Day and three generations of the Gretzky family – Walter, Wayne and Tristan.

Sat., June 17- Globe and Mail will run a 1/8 page vertical colour ad in the Globe Style section featuring Cosmoda Father’s Day (Watch for Dad).

Sat., June 17 - National Post will run a full-page colour ad on the outside back cover in the Toronto section featuring Father’s Day and three generations of the Gretzky family – Walter, Wayne and Tristan.

Sat., June 24 - National Post will run a full-page colour ad on the outside back cover of the Toronto supplement featuring current Roots products.

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ON THE MOVE New appointments and promotions at Roots (in alphabetical order) Mary Morrison, appointed part-time Keyholder, Windsor, Ontario

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS

Our weekly spotlight on new positions at Roots

Here is a list of current job openings at Roots stores along with the appropriate contact person. For more information, please refer to the separate email notices sent out recently about each position: Store Manager, Coquitlam Centre, BC (Bronze level store) E-mail your resume to the attention of Ross Shafer at rshafer@roots.com Deadline: Friday, June 16.

Store Manager, Park Royal, West Vancouver (Silver level store) E-mail your resume to the attention of Ross Shafer at rshafer@roots.com Deadline: Friday, June 16.

Store Manager, Metrotown, Burnaby, BC (Gold level store) E-mail your resume to the attention of Ross Shafer at rshafer@roots.com Deadline: Friday, June 16.

Store Manager, St. Vital, Winnipeg (Silver level store) E-mail your resume to the attention of Samara Snyder at ssnyder@roots.com Deadline: Friday, June 16.

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 Deadline: Sunday June 18 MOMENTS THAT MATTER Big developments in the life of Roots staff Emily Sousa, Full-time Keyholder from store at Burlington Mapleview Centre, (Ontario) recently gave birth to a baby boy named Nathan.

- Please send us details of similar good news and we’ll be happy to publish it in The Source (email: rsarner@roots.com)

GETTING AT THE SOURCE Roots weekly newsletter enters cyberspace, now available online Regular readers of The Source have seen it evolve considerably since it was launched last summer. From the increase in the number and diversity of editorial items in each issue to the use of photos and illustration to the redesign of the front page, it’s very much a work in progress.

This week, in the latest innovation, The Source’s readership expanded dramatically when it was added to the Roots website in the form of a blog. Now, anyone anywhere with a computer and an internet connection can read The Source on line. The blog format allows for new material to be added whenever appropriate and for readers to write us in response to specific articles or items. For now, the plan is to have each new issue of The Source to be posted, in an abridged form, on the blog by every Monday morning. Big thanks go to James Connell, Director, New Media and E-commerce, for his invaluable assistance in helping make this blog a reality.

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THE SOURCE GOES HIGH TECH Updating methods for delivering the goods to readers On the technical front, The Source has joined the likes of the BBC, Reuters, CNN and other major news organizations by offering an RSS (Really Simple Syndication) reader feed. RSS is a family of web feed formats, specified in XML and used for web syndication. RSS is used by (among other things) news websites, weblogs and podcasting.

In the case of The Source, along with the text of each weekly issue, any mid-week updates will also be delivered immediately to your RSS reader if you have one. Web browsers like Firefox, Opera and the new Rogers/Yahoo webmail client (new in beta) all offer RSS readers. When you visit the Roots blog, just click on the RSS link to subscribe.

Last week, in another technical development, there was a change to the electronic delivery of The Source to Roots staff. All Roots employees, except those in stores, must now access each issue from a common shared drive called the S Drive. This new system also acts as an archive for past issues.

“Having The Source in the commonly shared S drive every Friday allows all staff to view one file as opposed to sending out 200-plus copies which take up valuable disk space on the Roots email server,” says Robin Nelson, Director, Information Technology.

“Each week, there have been numerous instances of support calls related to over-flowing mailboxes.”

ON THE FRONTLINES A new series for retail staff on making a difference in Roots stores This issue of The Source marks the debut of a regular column by Heather Hillen, Co-manager of Roots Central in Toronto’s Eaton Centre. Each week, Heather will offer her take on what makes customers enjoy shopping at Roots stores. It’s based on her many years working in Roots stores.

The Welcoming Factor

By Heather Hillen “Welcome to Roots. We’ve been expecting you...” Is this how you make every customer feel when they walk into your store? Whether your store has an assigned greeter or you take turns, the objective is the same. Making customers feel welcome and making them feel comfortable to tour the store is key.

When was the last time you went to a party, function, conference, class or other event and didn' t know anyone, or maybe just a couple of faces looked familiar? This is how customers feel when they enter our stores. They look for a friendly face to guide them to something new, something they’re looking for or they’re simply open to suggestions.

Greeters set the standard of the experience and service to follow. They are like that first handshake when meeting someone. Greeters are informative, knowledgeable and, simply put, friendly. Remember these characteristics the next time someone walks through the doors and you are well on your way to building a new friendship.

Regular Roots customers are genuine in that they can relate to our products through experiences, word-of-mouth and our company' s integrity. Therefore, they expect no less from our service.

As such, greet them with pride. I challenge everyone to teach each other how to greet better. Fresh thinking and new ideas come from conversation and discussion. For those of you eager to learn how to greet better, ask one of your managers to tag team with you and coach you to success.

“Welcome to Roots… and the start of a new friendship.”

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ON OFFER Special deals for Roots staff Here is the latest exclusive offer for Roots employees: WaySpa.com is North America' s leading spa source. Visit WaySpa.com to browse through, purchase and book spa packages and services at premium spas in major cities in Canada and the United States.

Spa gift certificates are also available.

With a purchase of $79 or more on WaySpa.com, Roots employees and friends will receive a free gift. Just enter coupon code 3UH8262. Offer valid for one gift per user and expires on July 31, 2006.

GREEN TIP # 9 The latest in our series of easy ways to help the environment Lights out! Turn things off when you’re not using them. That goes for lights, computers and televisions. Don’t waste it if you are not using it.

It is a myth that more energy is used when something is turned off and then turned on again. You always save energy if you turn things off…even if you’re only gone for five or 10 minutes. (Source: National Post) HEALTH TIP # 6 The latest in our series of easy ways to stay healthy Get fresh air and sunshine every day: These are the fifth and sixth food groups. It’s best to get sun exposure in the morning or late afternoon to avoid the risk of sunburn (which is unquestionably harmful). Getting out for a walk and fresh air in the evening after dinner is one of the most enjoyable and relaxing things you can do, especially at this time of year.

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.

SPECIAL DELIVERY Recent letters from the world of Roots TRUE TO ROOTS

After I received my tax refund this year, I went to Roots and bought the Tribe Bag I like so much. I’m very happy with it. But I' ve always been a fan of your products and company. The first gift I gave my husband when we were dating in the 1970s was a Roots sweatshirt. He still has it.

I’m about to purchase my second Roots tribe leather bag although it’s hard to choose which one to buy. My first tribe bag was the Village pack. I’m thinking of having a collection of tribe leather bags, one small and one large.

I like it because I can use it anywhere without worrying if it will get dirty. I even use it when I go to work. I just love it. And it still looks good with my Sunday dress when I go to church. Some women stare at it and ask me where it comes from. I answer, "It’s Roots Canada.”

Made in Canada, Roots bags are great, especially when you travel. Quality, design and name brand. With all the name-brand knockoffs I see women using, it makes me sick. They must lack self-confidence if they buy knockoffs. I’ve read that authorities in

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United States and Europe can question travelers about the authenticity of their bags, especially if they’re carrying bags with Louis Vuitton logos.

I don' t have to worry about that because I am a Roots customer. Thanks for authentic, excellent products.

Lina Serafico Mississauga, Ontario DOING OUR SHARE

In keeping with the Roots ethos, the staff at our outlet store do all we can to help the environment. As such, I recently made a phone call to the property manager of the plaza where our store is located to ask for recycling bins to be placed in our garbage room.

They questioned why? I replied, “why not?” I explained to her that Roots is actively involved in supporting a cleaner and healthier environment.

The person said she would look into allowing recycling bins to be placed in our garbage room and someone would let me know. I will keep you posted on whether it is approved or not.

Sometimes businesses do not like to recycle because somebody has to take care of the bins but we can do our part and ensure they are properly sorted by all. We all have to do our share in saving our environment and put together a 100% team effort.

Lori Normore, ‘Roots 73’ Outlet Manager Cambridge, Ontario IN THE BAG

I am a part-time associate at Centreville in Montréal and I have been working at Roots for more than four years. I was delighted to see the recent introduction of the Roots ecofriendly, reusable canvas shopping bags. I had actually submitted such an idea to the head office a few months ago.

I’m happy to see that my suggestion for the bags was taken into consideration and that the bag is now so well received by customers. It’s a great step for Roots.

Michelle Duhaney Roots Centreville, Montreal 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.

_____________________

THE SOURCE

A week in the world of Roots Editor: Robert Sarner (rsarner@roots.com)

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