Canadian lifestyle brand Roots, famous for its sweatpants and sweatshirts, is expanding in the U.S.
In August the retailer will open two stores in the Washington, D.C., area: a 3,550-square-foot unit on M Street, in the Georgetown neighborhood, where shoppers will be able to customize a selection of handcrafted leather bags and jackets; and a 3,200-square-foot store at Pentagon City, in Arlington, Va.
"The U.S. represents a minimum-100-store market opportunity for us, which is an important long-term growth driver," said Roots President and CEO Jim Gabel in a press release. "We will have four new stores open by the end of the summer, moving us well down the path toward our target of 10 to 14 new U.S. retail locations by the end of 2019. We are confident our inclusive lifestyle brand with its legendary feel will resonate well with U.S. customers. With a growing retail footprint and an e-commerce platform that ships to all 50 states, we are increasingly able to bring our iconic Roots brand to a broader base of customers across America."
Roots currently operates 116 stores in Canada and three in the U.S., plus 110 partner-operated stores in Taiwan and 32 partner-operated stores in China.
By Brannon Boswell
Executive Editor, Commerce + Communities Today