Canadian clothing retailer Roots is hoping an IPO will help it expand internationally, including Singapore and Malaysia.

It is also hoping to add up to 25 locations between China and Taiwan, where it already has a presence.

For the heritage-fashion retailer, the switch from being a private company for more than four decades comes against a challenging retail environment that has seen numerous bankruptcies and mass store closures and layoffs, reports CTV News.

Now the company, known for its poor-boy hats and woolly mittens that have been worn by Canada’s Olympic athletes, has applied to list on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Roots has 120 stores in North America and with Taiwanese partner Branded Lifestyle has 136 outlets between China and Taiwan.