| Type | Retail |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail |
| Founded | 1957 |
| Founder(s) | Sam Tick |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Canada |
| Key people | Dani Reiss, CEO |
| Products | Outerwear |
| Production output | Toronto, Canada Winnipeg, Canada |
| Revenue | C$<100 million (2009)[1] |
| Employees | 600 |
| Website | Canada Goose |
Canada Goose (also known as Canada Goose Expedition Clothing Outfitters) is a Canadian manufacturer and retailer of cold weather outerwear. The company was founded in 1957 by Sam Tick, under the name Metro Sportswear Ltd.[2]
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Metro Sportswear has been manufacturing the Canada Goose brand since 1957. The company had branded its products and itself under the name Canada Goose since 2000.[2] The company was registered as Snow Goose in Canada when down-filled jackets were introduced in the 1990s. Subsequently, the company registered the name Canada Goose in 2000 and now distributes all of its products under the Canada Goose brand. [3] The company headquarters are located in Toronto, with a regional headquarters located in Stockholm, Sweden.[4]
In June 2010 the company opened a European office in Stockholm, Sweden, its first corporate office outside of Canada. [5] The office, home base for Canada Goose's European operations, focuses on key markets for Canada Goose including Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, France, Andorra and Germany. In 2011, the company had acquired Engineered Apparel, which had been a contractor for Canada Goose for several years prior to the acquisition. The company was brought under the name Canada Goose.[6] Dani Reiss is the current President and CEO of the company, being the grandson of the company's founder, Sam Tick.[2][1]
Canada Goose manufactures a wide range of jackets, vests, hats, gloves and other cold weather apparel designed for extreme cold weather conditions. Canada Goose fills all its coats with a blend of goose and duck down to ensure warmth, it also utilizes coyote fur on the hoods."[1][7] The jackets are known to be a highly fashionable garment.[1][8].
The garments have been popular in Scandinavia since 1998, and became popular in Canada in about 2008.[8][9] Many celebrities have been seen wearing the jackets, though the company does not pay them. These celebrities include Drake, Matt Damon, Emma Watson, Hilary Duff, Hayden Christiensen, and Maggie Gyllenhaal.[7] In addition, the jackets have appeared in some Hollywood movies with actor Nicolas Cage (in National Treasure) and actresses Jessica Alba (in Good Luck Chuck) and Kate Beckinsale (in Whiteout) wearing the jackets.[7] The expedition parka are also standard issue for participants in the United States Antarctic Program.[10] The jackets were also worn by non-playable characters in the video game Deus Ex: Human Revolution.
Canada Goose is involved in several environmental and social initiatives including the Conservation Alliance.[11] Canada Goose is also heavily involved with Polar Bears International. Canada Goose is a platinum corporate sponsor [12], and President and CEO Dani Reiss also serves as the chairman of the board for the board of directors.[13] Canada Goose also created a custom PBI range which includes an aviator hat, the Expedition parka and Chilliwack bomber for men, women and children. $25 from the sales proceeds are donated to the organization.[14]
Canada Goose operates three Canada Goose Resource Centres that offer fabric and materials to northern Canadians free of charge: two in Nunavut (Pond Inlet and Iqaluit)[15]and one in Ontario.[16] Established in partnership with the North West Company and First Air in May 2007, the Resource Centres provide local, traditional sewers with free fabrics, buttons, zippers, Velcro and supplies to support the established practice of making jackets and clothing for members of the community, a strong tradition of northern Canada.[17]
There have been a number of incidents in which counterfeit Canada Goose jackets are often sold online. Often time these fake coats use fur from dogs or cats instead of coyote fur. In addition, instead of using goose down in the coats, insulation called feather mulch is used. The insulation used in counterfeits is not quite as effective as goose down and it can often include bacteria and mildew.[18]
Animal rights group PETA criticized politician Justin Trudeau and his family for wearing Canada Goose products in their 2011 family Christmas photo, because of the use of fur. However, Canada Goose has defended its use of fur, saying that the use of coyote fur is “only as absolutely necessary, and exclusively for functional purposes.”[19]