Jon Erlichman

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Dani Reiss has spent the past two decades building Canada Goose into a global player.

One of his biggest learning lessons during that time? That Canada has tremendous brand value around the world, and the chief executive of the luxury parka maker thinks more Canadian companies should lean into that opportunity.

“Canada resonates with people. People love Canada and our brand is super strong,” Reiss told me in a television interview for BNN Bloomberg this week.

“I think more Canadian brands and companies should be more forward about the fact that they’re Canadian,” he continued. “At the end of the day, businesses sell products or services to people, and people around the world have a very positive opinion on Canada.”

COMPANY HISTORY

The company was founded in 1957 by Reiss’ grandfather, Sam Tick, who immigrated to Canada from Poland. Reiss came aboard in 1997, when annual sales were roughly $3 million.

One of his first big moves was to change the company name to Canada Goose.

“It’s been one of the most important decisions we’ve made,” Reiss said.

Twenty years ago, Reiss didn’t have an easy time convincing retailers in Toronto to carry a “Made in Canada” parka brand – but he did find buyer interest in markets such as Europe. That overseas success helped the brand grow here at home.

“It is unfortunate that we have a reputation for having to make it outside of Canada before Canada will embrace its own success stories,” Reiss said. 

“Honestly, I think that reputation is a little bit true. My hope is Canada, Canadian businesses, and Canadian investors realize the strength of brand Canada.”

For Canada Goose, that bet is paying off. Sales topped $1 billion for the first time last year, and recently, the company moved into a new waterfront headquarters in downtown Toronto.

“I kind of never saw us in an office tower. This is different because it’s on the water and it doesn’t feel like we’re on Bay Street,” Reiss said.

GROWTH PLAN

Despite looming economic uncertainty, Reiss sounded as optimistic as ever about the road ahead.

“Business goes through ups and down all the time. I’m very encouraged. Traffic in our stores is up, so people are engaged by our brand,” he said.

Canada Goose’s growth plan includes a steady number of store openings in countries such as Japan, China and the United States.

Reiss also gave me a closer look at the company’s growing product lineup, which includes footwear and knitwear, products he called “logical extensions” of Canada Goose’s existing catalogue.

“These are all things that go well with where we’ve come from and that’s authentic. Authenticity is everything to us, it always has been,” he said.

MANUFACTURING AT HOME

While Reiss embraced the idea of taking the Canadian brand around the world, he insisted on keeping the company’s core manufacturing operations in Canada.

That has given Canada Goose as a competitive advantage, he said, at a time when many retailers are navigating a more complicated supply chain due to geopolitical concerns.

“It’s probably the most important business decision that we ever made, in terms of a turning point moment, to keep our manufacturing in Canada,” Reiss said.

“Today, we have seven facilities in Canada that produce 85 per cent of our products. Almost all of our down-filled products are made here in Canada and we’re committed to keeping it that way.”

LONG-TERM VIEW

Canada Goose shares have struggled this year, given the economic worries. But Reiss is running the company for the long-term and he’s sticking with his game plan.

“We know the day-to-day, week-to-week permutations of the stock market are eventually going to end up the place they need to end up,” Reiss said.

“We think in generations, we don’t think in quarters. We know that we’re going to be here and we’re going to be relevant in 10 years, 20 years, 30 years … 50 years. That’s how we make our decisions.”

With files from Cassandra Coleman