Roots

What Roots does

Roots Corporation is a Toronto-based Canadian heritage lifestyle brand founded in 1973, publicly traded on the TSX under ROOT. The company designs, manufactures, and retails casual apparel, fleece sweats, activewear, and premium leather goods under its iconic Original Sweats™ collection and Cooper Beaver logo, alongside sub-brands such as The Cloud Sweats™, Salt & Pepper™, Roots Roam™, and the Canada and Made in Canada lines. Roots operates 100+ corporate retail stores in Canada, 2 in the United States, and 100+ partner-operated stores across Asia, complemented by direct e-commerce on Shopify and a growing roster of brand collaborations (New Balance, NFL, WNBA, Toronto Blue Jays, Seth Rogen, Wicked, ZANMANG LOOPY).

The business makes money through four primary streams: direct-to-consumer retail and e-commerce (the largest), domestic wholesale, B2B custom co-branded genuine leather products for enterprise clients (sports leagues, entertainment studios, Fortune 500 corporates), and brand licensing royalties. Pricing is unit-based across a wide range—from kidswear starting at CAD $7.50 to premium Original Sweats™ sweatpants at $54–$88 and leather goods at higher tiers—with Afterpay installment support. Roots pursues a sustainable materials strategy centered on organic cotton and recycled polyester, and in January 2026 signed a 10-year distribution partnership with Metro Supply Chain to harden its omnichannel backbone. In March 2026 the Board initiated a strategic review (with J.P. Morgan and Torys as advisers) exploring options including a potential sale, against a backdrop of FY2025 revenue of CAD 277.7M (5.6% YoY), a record 61.3% gross margin, and seven consecutive quarters of positive comparable sales.

Name

Roots

Legal name

Roots Corporation

Website

http://www.roots.com/

Company type

Public

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Roots is a Toronto-based Canadian heritage lifestyle brand (founded 1973, TSX:ROOT) selling casual apparel, fleece sweats, activewear, and leather goods through 220+ retail stores in North America and Asia, plus e-commerce, wholesale, and B2B custom product channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Lifestyle Apparel & Leather Goods

NAICS

Clothing, Clothing Accessories, Shoe, and Jewelry Retailers (458), Shoe Retailers (45821), Footwear Manufacturing (3162)

SIC

Retail-Apparel & Accessory Stores (5600), Retail-Family Clothing Stores (5651), Retail-Shoe Stores (5661)

akta.pro primary industry

Streetwear & Contemporary Apparel Retail (CRAAABAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Casual & Lifestyle Footwear Retail (CRAAADAB), Casual & Lifestyle Footwear (CRAAACAB)

Keywords

• Casual apparel
• Leather goods
• Lifestyle clothing
• Heritage fleecewear
• Custom corporate merchandise

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct-to-Consumer Retail: Company-owned retail stores across Canada (100+ locations), 2 US stores, and e-commerce platform generating primary revenue through retail merchandise sales to consumers.
2. Partner/Wholesale Revenue: Domestic wholesale, custom products, and licensing channels generating 26.6% year-over-year growth in Q1 2026, with $6.8 million in P&O sales.
3. B2B Custom Products: Custom co-branded Roots genuine leather products for corporate clients including jackets, bags, and accessories for employee incentives, appreciation gifts, and VIP gifts. Works with film festivals, production companies, concert promoters, sports teams, and Fortune 500 companies.
4. Licensing Royalties: Licensing of Roots brand for co-branded products and limited-edition collections with sports partners and entertainment properties.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Roots designs, manufactures, and sells casual apparel, leather goods, and accessories under a Canadian heritage lifestyle brand founded in 1973. The company operates more than 100 corporate retail stores in Canada, two stores in the United States, and over 100 partner-operated stores across Asia, alongside a Shopify-powered direct e-commerce platform. A separate B2B division designs and manufactures custom co-branded leather products for corporate clients, team dealers, distributors, and retail partners.

Product overview

Roots is a Canadian lifestyle brand founded in 1973, operating as a vertically integrated apparel and leather goods company with retail stores across Canada, the US, and Asia plus e-commerce. The product portfolio centers on its heritage The Original Sweats™ and The Cloud Sweats™ collections, complemented by Activewear, Leather Goods (bags, wallets, accessories), and various sub-brands including the Canada Collection, Made in Canada, Roots Salt & Pepper™, Roots Roam Collection™, and Isla Collection. The company also offers brand collaborations (New Balance, ZANMANG LOOPY, Wicked, NFL Super Bowl LX) and a B2B custom leather products division serving corporate and sports clients. Products span women's, men's, kids, toddler, baby, and gender-free categories.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• The Original Sweats™ Collection
• The Cloud Sweats™ Collection
• Roots Roam Collection™
• Roots Salt & Pepper™
• Canada Collection
• Made in Canada Collection
• Roots Worldwide Collection
• Roots Activewear
• Roots Leather Goods
• Roots B2B Custom Co-Branded Leather Products
• Isla Collection
• NFL x Roots Super Bowl LX Collection

Quantifiable outcome

• Q1 2026 comparable sales growth of 3.2% for seventh consecutive quarter
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and flagship.

• Participating Restaurants (Home Base)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 May 2026'Home Base' viewing parties at participating restaurants from June 12-21 as part of Summer of Sport activations, creating community connection and driving retail foot traffic.
• Duke University (Toby Fournier)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 8 April 2026Extended basketball brand ambassador partnership with Duke University player Toby Fournier into a second year, coinciding with her AP All-American third-team selection and Duke's 2026 NCAA Women's Basketball Tournament title. Launched second edition of limited-edition WNBA Collection.
• Torys LLPcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 5 March 2026Legal adviser for strategic review, providing legal counsel for the board-led process exploring options including potential sale of the company.
• Metro Supply ChaincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 202610-year strategic distribution partnership with Canadian third-party logistics provider Metro Supply Chain. Roots is transitioning its merchandise distribution to Metro's facility in Ontario. Metro Supply Chain focuses on data-driven, technology-enabled logistics and will enhance Roots' omnichannel experience and support growth. Transition expected to complete by end of Q2 2026, incurring $1.8 million in incremental costs.
• NFLflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 9 December 2025Limited-edition apparel collection for Super Bowl LX, exclusively available at NFLShop.ca. Six-piece capsule celebrating six decades of Super Bowl's cultural significance with Canadian-inspired designs and NFL branding, aimed at Canadian fans.
• Seth RogenflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 4 November 2025Canadian actor Seth Rogen as the face of Holiday 2025 campaign called 'Anything Roots', featuring nostalgic theme and holiday gift-giving concept, primarily in Canada. Campaign emphasizes Roots' heritage, community spirit, and product offerings.
• Toronto Blue JaysflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerSports collaboration featuring Toronto Blue Jays 50th anniversary collection, which helped lift sales to $42.6 million from $40 million.
• WNBA (Tempo)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerWNBA Tempo apparel partnership featuring apparel celebrating Canada's first WNBA team, part of sports collaboration strategy.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Canada Goose: Toronto-headquartered Canadian heritage lifestyle brand making premium outerwear, sweatshirts and accessories sold globally through DTC retail and wholesale. Highly comparable to Roots in origin, premium positioning, Made-in-Canada identity, and store footprint.
• Aritzia: Vancouver-based Canadian contemporary apparel retailer with strong DTC store base, expanding US presence, and a portfolio of proprietary labels. Direct overlap with Roots' womenswear, activewear and accessories categories and similar target demographic.
• Herschel Supply Co. Vancouver-headquartered Canadian lifestyle brand specializing in backpacks, bags, and travel accessories. Comparable as a heritage Canadian lifestyle brand with similar DTC, wholesale, and global retail distribution mix.
• Mark's (Canadian Tire subsidiary): Canadian apparel, footwear and accessories retailer owned by Canadian Tire (a named potential Roots acquirer). Overlaps with Roots in casual apparel, denim, workwear, and outerwear for men and women across Canada.
• MEC (Mountain Equipment Company): Canadian outdoor co-op retailer selling apparel, footwear, and gear with sustainability positioning. Comparable to Roots in Canadian heritage, sustainability narrative, and apparel/activewear overlap.
• RW&CO: Montreal-based Canadian contemporary apparel retailer serving men and women with casual and workwear styles. Comparable in store footprint, target customer, and contemporary casual apparel positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Lululemon: Vancouver-based global athletic apparel incumbent with extensive retail footprint and broad activewear/athleisure category. Comparable as a Canadian-born lifestyle apparel retailer that scaled internationally, providing a benchmark Roots aspires to.
• Nordstrom: Large US-based multi-brand department store and apparel retailer. Comparable as a broad incumbent carrying lifestyle apparel, footwear, and accessories across North America where Roots competes for share of wallet.

Regional players

• Simons: Quebec-based Canadian fashion and lifestyle department store carrying apparel, footwear, and accessories. Comparable as a Canada-only multi-brand retailer operating in similar product categories and customer base.

Emerging players

• Frank And Oak: Montreal-based Canadian sustainable apparel and lifestyle brand with DTC focus and circularity initiatives. Comparable as a smaller Canadian heritage apparel brand pursuing sustainability-led positioning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roots
• Xx.com/rootscanada
• Facebookfacebook.com/roots

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Roots