The Globe and Mail reports in its Saturday edition that Roots' loss widened in the second quarter as it set the date for a shareholder meeting to vote on its deal to be acquired by Marquee Brands. A Canadian Press dispatch to The Globe says Roots will hold a virtual shareholder meeting on Oct. 13 to vote on the friendly offer by the New York brand management firm to take Roots private at $4.10 a share. The company expects the transaction to close in the fourth quarter of the fiscal year, subject to shareholder support as well as court and regulatory approvals. Roots agreed to go private in August. If the proposed deal goes through, Marquee Brands, the company behind Martha Stewart, Laura Ashley and Roberto Cavalli, says growth will be a top priority. Chief executive officer Heath Golden said in August that he envisions Marquee Brands bringing Roots to big markets such as Korea, India and Mexico and expanding the small presence it already has in the United States and China. The deal came after Roots announced a strategic review in March, where the board said it would study a range of possibilities, including a possible sale. Roots reported a loss of $6-million in its second quarter, up from $4.4-million a year earlier.