Courtney Jones
Senior Purchasing Manager
The+Source
Las Vegas, NV
They say the only constant is change, and for those of us in the cannabis industry, we have been adapting to ever-changing circumstances now more than ever. Through it all, I’ve looked forward to expanding to a new market and couldn’t be more excited about The+Source opening its third dispensary in Reno, a 45-minute drive from Lake Tahoe and a popular destination for people who love the outdoors.
Our new dispensary joins our two other dispensaries in Las Vegas, which has been our home for more than five years. As a lead in our purchasing department, one of the things that I have most looked forward to with this opening is the opportunity to introduce one of our in-house brands, CAMP, to Northern Nevada. One of the first brands to launch solventless products in the state, CAMP appeals to outdoor enthusiasts, and I think our customers in Reno are going to love it.
Like a lot of our friends in the cannabis industry, we’re still seeing customers hitting purchasing limits in order to decrease the number of in-store visits. This, along with curbside pick-up and the in-house delivery service we implemented earlier this year, has allowed us to keep a minimal amount of foot traffic in our stores. We saw a huge spike in delivery orders in August/September, which we credit primarily to weather that hit 110 degrees and hotter. I even ordered for delivery from our stores a few times. Reno’s going to be a great excuse for me to escape the heat next summer.
We recently hired a new director of cultivation, Bill Campbell, and he’s helping us perfect five new strains that will be hitting our stores this fall, along with some pheno-hunting that we’re involving our staff with. We’re always looking for ways to involve our retail staff in the strategic direction for our company, especially because they’re on the sales floors every day learning what customers are seeking.
Our CAMP line launched a new live rosin cartridge late this summer, which is really the best experience for someone who wants to smoke flower on the go. I didn’t think the quality of our flower could get any better, but with Bill on board, it’s better than ever and really comes out in our concentrates.
We’re also working on welcoming back the third-party vendors that have been on hold over the past few months. Our category sales have significantly shifted this year — we’re not seeing as many cartridges and disposables, because those are typically designed for customers to use as a portable and discrete option. Flower sales have spiked this year, likely because more people are staying home and are able to consume in more traditional ways.
In all, those of us who are lucky enough to work in this industry have found that cannabis is a companion for many in these stressful times.