So, I covered the opening of the first recreational cannabis store in Springfield recently. I was a little apprehensive.
I was worried whether or not I could find a parking space and if the place would be mobbed by prospective customers. That’s happened before.
I was amazed by what I saw. There were two other reporters besides myself, a police officer hired to manage the traffic and crowds and officials from the company. What was missing were customers.
Later that day I went back to go into the store and checked it out. It was neat, inviting and has enthusiastic customer service. And there were some customers.
The experience made me think about several aspects of the cannabis business in the Commonwealth. First, I wondered if we’ve already hit a saturation level. Are there simply too many stores now for the existing customer base?
If that is the case, now is the time for any recreational cannabis business to start doing what other businesses in competitive situations do: market and advertise.
Some cannabis stores do indeed advertise, but it’s clear to me that like any other consumer product simply being there isn’t going to be enough for continual success.
Especially in 2020, businesses must provide reasons to potential customers to acquire their business. An important thing to note is there is still a gray market cannabis businesses which offers consumers products…
