BeleaveĀ Inc. is one of the two stores that will be opening up shop on the Saskatchewan side of Lloydminster. With the legalization date of October 17th not far away, marijuana retailers are are getting prepared.
Beleave is looking to hire locally ahead of opening up sometime in the fall. SeniorĀ Vice President for Regulatory AffairsĀ Grant McLeod says the company will have a focus on the customer’s experience in order to separate them from other retailers.
“We’re really focused on customer service, providing education, providing a brand experience, providing an appropriate physical layout, accessibility depending on where ourĀ location is. As well as the product itself.”
The company will be looking for people who are enthusiastic about the industry, have a little bit of knowledge on cannabis, and someone who is willing to learn and can communicate with the consumer.
“We will be focused on guiding consumers through the cannabis product and understanding the various componentsĀ of cannabis such as THC, CBD, terpenoids, terpenesĀ and cannabinoids.”
BeleaveĀ Inc. receivedĀ one of two pot permits that were issued for Lloydminster by the Government of Saskatchewan. A total of 51 permits were given out in a lottery earlier this year. The Alberta side of the city might see far more stores since the province has set no limit to private cannabis stores. McLeod says they will need to be cautious due to being in a border city.
“We certainly can’t deliver cannabis across the border. If people do come to the province of Saskatchewan and they are there for the moment and are consuming the cannabis there then we are happy to serve them.”
Even though there is a prohibition bringing cannabis across the border, BeleaveĀ understands that retailers on the Alberta side are still competitors.
The company is currently in the midst of designing the store. McLeod says the actual hiring process won’t start until “the procedures and processes are down, internally and in terms of supply.”
The companies retail stores will be limited across Canada.Ā BeleavesĀ houseĀ brand,Ā Seven Oaks, has supplyĀ agreements to distributeĀ their product in B.C, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Ontario. McLeod says the company is more of a production, distributionĀ and brand building company as opposed to a retailĀ business. The company is considering other retail opportunitiesĀ due to the level of customer interaction retail stores provide.
“We are looking to hire local talent, to hire locally. I think that this store is hopefully an icon and institutionĀ of the community and so it should reflect the community as well.”