BY BRANDON HOMMEL
When winter arrives in Canada, a silent beast is awakened. A faint but glorious gobble can be heard, not only down the halls of Conestoga College, but in every province, street and back alley Canada has. The Canada Goose is here.
What is Canada Goose? It is a high-end winter jacket company that was founded in 1957 by a polish immigrant named Sam Tick. Canada Goose was originally called Metro Sportswear Ltd. but changed its name to Canada Goose in the early 1990s. Since the name change, Canada Goose has become the biggest, most recognized winter trend in the world, says GQ Magazine.
The popularity of these jackets hit a record high in 2009, making over $100 million in sales alone. But that’s not hard to do when just a basic Canada Goose jacket runs $800. The company doesn’t stop there; they now sell gloves, scarves and hats, which all include the signature 2×2, Arctic Program logo the company is famous for.
The patented logo can be found on the upper left sleeve of the jackets and on many youths in Canada. The logo is trendy making it a must-have jacket. To many of the people who own a Canada Goose jacket, it’s a symbol of being stylish and staying warm in the winter. And to others, it’s their cult badge, to let everyone know that they too are in the club.
But it’s not all about the logo. It’s also about the warmth and comfort of the jackets, which they are famous for. That’s the reason first-year insurance student, Nathan Beers, wears a Canada Goose jacket and no other. “I wish the jackets weren’t so trendy. But the warmth, comfort and quality they have is like no other jacket I have tried on before.”
Every Canada Goose jacket is down-filled with geese and duck feathers. The hoods have real coyote fur, which make it waterproof and wind resistant, making it the warmest winter jacket in Canada. Jackets have different warmth levels, measured by the company’s TEI, or, Thermal Experience Index, which range from -5 C to -30 C.
When Mike Vaughn, a sales associate at Channers, an upscale men’s wear company in Waterloo, was asked why he thinks Canada Goose is so popular, he said, “It’s all about the kids. Look at Justin Bieber. Sure he is talented, but if he didn’t have every girl in the world swooning over him, he wouldn’t be that famous. It’s the same with the jackets, it’s a statement piece that says look at me, I have a thousand dollar jacket on and you don’t. I’m better than you. And it works! It makes people want them.”
Canada Goose does have competition though. Another Canadian company called Moose Knuckles sells high-end winter jackets as well, that are more stylish and more expensive than its competition. If a Canada Goose and a Moose Knuckles jacket were put side by side, a regular person wouldn’t be able to tell the difference because the similarities are just too uncanny.
They both have real fur hoods, an eye-catching logo located on the upper left shoulder, and are down-filled with geese and duck feathers. But, where Moose Knuckles has Canada Goose beat, is in their jacket selection. Moose Knuckles sells very popular pea coat and topcoats, whereas Canada Goose does not.
At the end of the day, it’s all about what is hot and trendy right now. Who knows if Moose Knuckles is the next Canada Goose? But the one thing Canada Goose has that most popular brands don’t, is that they talk the talk and walk the walk. Not only are they popular because of their name, but what they sell is actually worth buying, if you have an extra $800 lying around.
What is Journalism?