The weed cultivator and manufacturer, with a reputation as a medical supplier, is aligning its retail properties across the country under one name: Cannabist.
Jesse Channon, chief growth officer at Columbia Care, says there is a need for welcoming, inviting spaces for people who are discovering the plant for the first time.
As such, the new retail spaces are inspired by the hospitality industry as well as the Apple Genius bar and the sophisticated style of Starbucks.
The design of the new shops pays homage to the fact that Columbia Care began in New York with an art deco design and aesthetic, and designed with the three core pillars of the brand in mind: “Higher knowledge, higher standard and higher experience.” The tagline “higher experience” appears on the wall of the space itself.
“It’s a consistent experience with bars, like an Apple Genius Bar, as designated areas for product demos to learn about the plant.
Along with new design, the shops will launch proprietary technology, created in-house, that will help the discovery experience, Channon says.
The first redesigned store opened on April 30 in Springville, Utah, and three more are opening by the end of May in Tempe, Arizona, Villa Park, Illinois and San Diego, California.
The rebrand helps Columbia Care become known to consumers through one brand rather than the several retail brands it has acquired in its 17 U.S.
Not all Columbia Care brands will disappear under the Cannabist name, however.
The pandemic has sped along the adoption and use of recreational cannabis, and cannabis companies are seeing an uptick in sales.
The study found that 26 million Americans reported using some form of cannabis because of COVID-19, with 24 million saying they will continue their use after the pandemic is over.
Over the past year, the company launched Virtual Care, a service where customers can shop virtually for cannabis.
She has covered the advertising industry for Ad Age since 2019 and has previously covered brands and agencies at Digiday and digital platforms at Campaign U.S.