Photo by Vivian Johnson.
Photo by Vivian Johnson.
Amazing Retail Designs
Retailers across North America are upping their game, enlisting A-list design firms from inside and outside the cannabis industry to stand out and to keep customers coming back for years to come.
While some of the following stores reside in well-established markets and set the bar high for competitors, others operate in newer markets and act as ambassadors for the entire industry.
Marijuana Venture spoke with the leading designers behind many of these retail stores to get insight on the design decisions and why they work in their respective markets.
Flora Terra
Santa Rosa, California
When the husband-and-wife owners of Flora Terra were looking to develop their cannabis retail store, they wanted a space that connected with Santa Rosa and its residents directly and already had a brand that was in line with the overarching identity of the famed wine region, with its high-end, natural and holistic feel and hand-made products.
But the building posed a unique design challenge with only a long, narrow space for designers Melinda Yoo and Melanie Coddington of Sungrown Studio to work with.
Photo by Vivian Johnson.
“When you have those long, narrow spaces, it’s really important to make sure you’re guiding the customer through in a meandering sort of way versus straight to the back and out the door,” Yoo says. “You want them to have that shopping experience, so we did that by using not only lighting of the products but some cool cases with interesting things mixed in to give them the want to explore.”
The store’s location allowed for plenty of natural light to come in and give off a warm glow with the aid of polished floors and fixtures. The shop also features an open section of the wall so shoppers can see into the grow operation on the other side.
“In some ways people think it’s kitschy, like a selfie sort of area, but it’s deeper than that — it’s that connection that their customers want to implant,” Yoo says.