A look at Nova Scotia’s cannabis stores
Alcohol, marijuana to be sold under one roof
HALIFAX — The Nova Scotia Liquor Corp. offered a glimpse inside one of its coming cannabis stores Wednesday, showcasing a unique retail hybrid not likely found anywhere else in the world.
NSLC president and CEO Bret Mitchell took media on a tour of the cannabis store that’s inside the NSLC on Joseph Howe Drive in Halifax, saying Nova Scotia is the only jurisdiction that brings cannabis and alcohol sales under one roof.
“We have a very unique situation here in Nova Scotia and one that’s definitely going to be setting the stage for the world,” said Mitchell inside the new cannabis store, located in a renovated section of the liquor store.
“It hasn’t been done to my knowledge anywhere else in the world, and so it’s going to make it a very different retail environment than you’ll experience in any other jurisdiction.”
The entrance to the 130 squaremetre rectangular-shaped store — which will be one of the largest in the province — is located in the back left corner of the liquor store beneath large letters that read “cannabis.”
Customers walk through an opening with frosted glass and around a corner into a brightly lit space with light-coloured walls.
Behind the counter and spanning an entire wall are dozens of white boxes that will eventually contain types of cannabis.
The available products will be displayed on television screens and are divided into four distinct categories: relax, unwind, centre and enhanced. Mitchell calls this a “discovery guide approach.”
“The four categories are how we will be grouping our assortments to hopefully help those who are new to the category have an ability to choose what they’re looking for when they buy cannabis,” said Mitchell.
There are a number of tablets at wood grain countertops that will contain information to help customers choose a product. Mitchell said “hosts” will greet customers as they come in, firstly to determine if they’re legal age, and secondly to show them how to shop.
The cannabis will be provided in a sealed bag and must be purchased before leaving the cannabis store boundaries.
There are also a number of safety messages posted on signs throughout store, including warnings against smoking and driving.
Mitchell conceded that the store’s opening would not come without growing pains.
“This is a new experience for us and it’s going to take time to figure out,” he said.
He said in order to have a cannabis store within the liquor store, they must abide by a number of federal regulations, including that it be totally separate from the liquor store. No one under the age of 19 is allowed in the cannabis section.
“There’s going to be some learning. Do people shop the same way? Do they come at the same time of day? How do they interact with staff ? It’s going to be a very different experience,” he said, adding that the average alcohol transaction is three minutes, whereas cannabis transactions will take up to 20 minutes.
Twelve cannabis stores will be opening inside NSLC locations on Oct. 17, said Mitchell.
The introduction of cannabis is expected to double that location’s retail sales, from $11.5 million a year to $22.5 million, said Mitchell.