Roots Sues Meijer Over ‘Roots & Threads’ Kids Clothing Line
Roots Sues Meijer Over ‘Roots & Threads’ Kids Clothing Line
Roots, the iconic Canadian apparel brand, has filed a federal trademark infringement and unfair competition lawsuit against Meijer, a major Michigan-based supercenter chain.The lawsuit, filed on
Roots, the iconic Canadian apparel brand, has filed a federal trademark infringement and unfair competition lawsuit against Meijer, a major Michigan-based supercenter chain.
The lawsuit, filed on August 8, 2025 in the US District Court for the Western District of Michigan seeks to halt Meijer’s launch of a private-label kids' clothing line, “Roots & Threads," alleging that the move unlawfully trades on Roots’ decades-old trademark rights and constitutes an outright attempt to trade on the goodwill and consumer
recognition surrounding the ROOTS mark. The Dispute: “Roots & Threads” Versus “ROOTS” Meijer , which operates over 500 supercenters across the Midwest, recently applied to register “Roots & Threads” as a trademark and plans to launch a new children’s apparel collection under that name for the 2025 back-to-school season.
According to the lawsuit, Roots learned of Meijer’s plans through routine trademark monitoring and alleges that Meijer’s actions, if left unchecked, will cause “inevitable confusion” among shoppers and dilute the Roots brand’s goodwill and reputation built over decades.
The Roots complaint highlights that: Meijer’s intended ‘Roots & Threads’ children’s line directly overlaps with Roots’ own “Roots Kids” and “Baby Roots” product ranges. The U.S.
Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has already issued a non-final Office Action, refusing Meijer’s registration application due to the likelihood of confusion with Roots’ registered trademarks…
Members-only article
Unlock the rest of this story
Join free to keep reading RetailBoss law coverage, industry analysis, and market intelligence.
Full article access
Industry analysis
Free account
Free access. No credit card required. Your account is created after you verify your email.
