Whether you partake or not, visiting a marijuana shop in the US states where it has been legalised is a visit to best practice retail.
I guess because of the tough road to legalisation, the retailers have been sure to get it right in terms of layout, product information, displays and customer service.
I have seen many different shops and each was an excellent showcase of best practice retail. These photos are from MedMen in Venice Beach, LA, from a few days ago. You can see a clear and easily accessed shop layout, excellent product information available from the tablet computers, good VM and more.
The approach is professional retail. Of course, a benefit for them is that they have been able to come to this without a legacy retail experience holding them back.
Here’s the front of the MedMen shop on Fifth Avenue in New York. It looks right at home above the high fashion stores.
While, for sure, there is margin for the space, and the been to fully explain each product, these stores provide knowledge and service. Now, these two things, knowledge and service, are vital in any local specialty retail setting.
What I saw at MedMen and similar marijuana stores is a reminder of focussing on these, and providing to shoppers experiences that demonstrate strengths of the business, experiences that bud trust.