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Inside the gigantic new Roots flagship store at Yorkdale Mall

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Inside the gigantic new Roots flagship store at Yorkdale Mall

The country’s unofficial outfitter of Netflix-and-chill nights is upgrading a few of its retail stores to “concept” status. First up is its Yorkdale home base, which has doubled in size and moved to the mall’s new wing, near Nordstrom and Uniqlo. A few things that make the space slightly more special than before: it resembles a rustic-luxe cabin in the woods, and there’s an entire section devoted to leather customization, where shoppers can emboss bags or try out various colour schemes and patch combinations on Roots’ classic award jackets. There’s also a bunch of Roots paraphernalia on display, like an “R” sign that hung over the brand’s first Toronto store, replicas of jackets owned by celebs including Katy Perry, and the machine that made the company’s first-ever product: the extremely comfortable (yet aesthetically questionable) negative heel shoe.

The changerooms are printed with seasonal scenery, and decorated with custom Norquay paddles:

Inside the gigantic new Roots flagship store at Yorkdale Mall

 

The furniture is mostly made of reclaimed wood, and the Canadian flag was crafted from Ontario cedar:

Inside the gigantic new Roots flagship store at Yorkdale Mall

 

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The store’s façade, the rear of which can be seen from the footwear section, is made up of 3,000 logs:

Inside the gigantic new Roots flagship store at Yorkdale Mall

 

Roots’ leather factory is only a few kilometres away, and customization requests get sent directly there:

Inside the gigantic new Roots flagship store at Yorkdale Mall

 

Here’s a pair of the brand’s award jackets inspired by Wayne Gretzky:

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Inside the gigantic new Roots flagship store at Yorkdale Mall
Jean Grant has been a freelance writer since 2015, covering a range of lifestyle topics like shopping, interiors, wellness and culture for publications like Maclean’s and Toronto Life. She also enjoys working with brands to develop custom content, and shares personal essays through her Substack newsletter, Nobody is Thinking About You.
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