Groupe Dynamite
Groupe Dynamite Inc (GDI) is a Montreal-based, privately held, house of integrated omni channel brands, designing and distributing accessible, trend-forward fashion for women since 1975. The organization's mission of "Empowering YOU be YOU, one outfit at a time" is brought to life through the house’s two banners: GARAGE, established in 1975, and DYNAMITE, established in 1984. The brands began expanding retail stores in the United States in 2007. As of 2023, GDI operates nearly 300 stores across the United States and Canada, as well as shoppable brand experiences at GarageClothing.com and DynamiteClothing.com.
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fashion Retail |
| Founded | 1975 (Montreal, Quebec) |
| Headquarters | Ville Mont-Royal, Quebec, Canada |
Key people | Andrew Lutfy, CEO |
| Products | Clothing |
| Revenue | 450M CAD |
Number of employees | 4,300 (2020) |
| Subsidiaries | Garage |
| Website | groupedynamite.com |
Andrew Lutfy, who first joined Groupe Dynamite in 1982 as a stock clerk and became its sole owner by 2002, is CEO and President, and Chairman of the Board. In 2007, Andrew Lutfy was presented with the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the year award and in 2016 he was named Distinguished Canadian Retailer of the Year.
In January 2024 the company announced the appointment of Jean-Philippe D. Lachance as its Chief Financial Officer, coming from Alimentation Couche-Tard and previously, Dollarama. He joined the company's top executives, Chief Customer Officer Stacie Beaver, Chief Digital Officer Maxime Boyer and Chief Technology Officer Dave Stevens. The company’s Board of Directors includes Chris Arsenault, Marie Josée Lamothe and Andy Janowski.
As of 2024, GDI employed 5,500 people, of which 10% are corporate employees based out of the Montreal headquarters. Recognized as a top employer, GDI’s culture reflects the company’s values of Ownership, Customer Focus, Passion, Empathy and Curiosity.
Lutfy has been a driving force behind Groupe Dynamite’s community initiatives. Groupe Dynamite has been a partner of the Centraide of Greater Montreal since 2009 and has raised more than $2.5 million by 2023. In 2019, Centraide of Greater Montreal tapped Lutfy as global campaign co-chair for a campaign that achieved record-breaking results. In April 2022, GDI raised $151,000 for the Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Appeal from the Canadian Red Cross.
Groupe Dynamite has been named one of Montreal’s Top Employers in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023 and Canada’s Top Employers for Young People in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2023. Groupe Dynamite is in Forbes’ 2023 Canada’s Best Employers For Diversity and Canada’s Best Employers.