Groggy was a youthful streetwear brand that catered to a 16-to-30-year-old demographic. It was manufactured and wholesaled by Trio Group Inc, a multi-divisional company with offices on Chabanel Street in Montreal. Trio Group was primarily an importer, manufacturing other brands such as Cream Soda and Covet, as well as holding Canadian licenses for Hang Ten and Ocean Pacific.
According to Trio Group’s former Vice President Lloyd Prinzant, Groggy’s name was inspired by the dazed demeanor of the Gen X/Millennial youth of the era.
Well made yet affordable, Groggy’s 1970s-inspired double-knit track jackets, brightly coloured novelty fake fur coats, fleece hoodies and T-shirts were bestselling styles.
As with most streetwear brands, logos took centre stage and were incorporated into most garment designs.
Sold across Canada in independent and specialty stores like Simons and Off the Wall, Groggy generated approximately $7-10 million in annual sales during the brand’s peak years in the mid-2000s, with Western Canada being a particularly lucrative market. Groggy was aligned with other skate and snowboard brands, hip-hop labels and club wear of the era, including fellow Montreal-based company Luscious and American streetwear giant Triple Five Soul.
Sources
Interview with Lloyd Prizant and Linda Yoffe, February 1, 2022.
Rabinovich, Simona. “Taking it to the Street,” The Montreal Gazette, April 6, 1998, F6.
