Marquee Brands to acquire Canadian apparel brand Roots
Longstanding Canadian apparel brand Roots is going private.
Marquee Brands will acquire Roots for C$4.10 per share. As part of the transaction, JM&A Design and Development Inc., led by Canadian retail experts Joseph Mimran and Frank Rocchetti, will serve as core operating partner of Roots, which will continue to be operated in Canada. Marquee Brands says it will focus on global brand stewardship and expansion, as well as new category development.
“Taking on Roots is an incredible honor, and our strategic partnership with JM&A ensures the brand remains anchored in Canadian culture,” said Heath Golden, CEO of Marquee Brands, whose portfolio includes more than 20 brands. “With that foundation in place, we see significant global opportunity to extend Roots into new categories, markets and consumer segments, while remaining true to all that makes the brand distinctive.”
JM&A will oversee the design, development, manufacturing and distribution of men’s and women’s lifestyle apparel, and assume responsibility for retail and e-commerce operations across Canada and the United States, including Roots’ footprint of more than 100 North American stores.
The sale comes following the announcement of a strategic review process by the Roots board of directors on March 3, 2026. Roots said the process involved outreach to a “broad pool" of potential acquirers and resulted in multiple proposals.
[READ MORE: Roots names new chief commercial officer]
"This transaction is a strong endorsement of the Roots brand and the momentum behind our business,” said Meghan Roach, president and CEO of Roots. “Over the past several years, we have restored Roots to a position of strength, with a distinctive Canadian identity that resonates with customers here and around the world. This transaction brings together Marquee Brands’ global brand-building platform and JM&A’s operational leadership to position Roots for its next chapter of growth. Roots remains proudly Canadian, and we are excited to build on our heritage and pursue the significant growth opportunities ahead.”
Founded in 1973, Roots operates over 100 locations in Canada, two stores in the United States, and its e-commerce platform. It also has more than 100 partner-operated stores in Asia.
Advisors
J.P. Morgan is acting as exclusive financial advisor and Torys LLP is acting as legal advisor to Roots. RBC Capital Markets and Raymond James served as financial advisors, Greenberg Traurig acted as legal advisor and Miller Thomson acted as Canadian legal advisor to Marquee Brands. Bank of Montreal led the financing for JM&A, Fasken Martineau DuMoulin acted as legal advisor and Fazzari Partners acted as tax advisor. Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP is acting as legal advisor to Searchlight Capital Partners L.P.
