Whether medicinal or recreational, cannabis dispensaries – like most retailers – are putting design first in an effort to elevate the in-store experience and differentiate their brands in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
From concepts reminiscent of a high-end jewelry store to others that impart a sense of community and belonging, the following showcased cannabis dispensaries have proven their importance and value to the retail industry.
📷: Scott Maclin, Somersworth, N.H.
Dockside Cannabis (Seattle)
A former metal fabrication shop in the Fremont-Ballard neighborhood of Seattle, Dockside Cannabis’ newest location merges clean, fresh materials with large apertures.
📷: Lawrence Anderson, Los Angeles
Architecture: Graham Baba Architects
While many cannabis retailers store product in glass sales counters – leading to bottlenecks and intimidation – Dockside opted to merchandise product in the store’s center, where it could be browsed in a less inhibited, more leisurely way.
📷: Lawrence Anderson, Los Angeles
Architecture: Graham Baba Architects
Common Citizen (Marshall, MI)
Once a gritty lounge frequented by local automotive workers, Common Citizen’s Flint location has been transformed into an avant-garde cannabis dispensary.
📷: Courtesy of GH+A
Design: GH+A
The black-and-white architectural palette represents authenticity and is complemented by the approachability of clean-lined furniture. Acoustical felt floating ceiling treatment grounds the industrial space and acts as an art installation.
📷: Courtesy of GH+A
Design: GH+A
The shop’s café allows guests to relax with a coffee and chat with a Citizen advisor.
📷: Courtesy of GH+A
Design: GH+A
Grass Monkey (South Portland, ME)
Wanting to break from the norm of dispensary design, Grass Monkey doubles as an art gallery and features an eclectic aesthetic with bespoke art, graffiti and biophilic moments.
📷: Scott Maclin, Somersworth, N.H.
Design: The McBride Co.
The cashwrap area is arguably the star of the show with a 6-foot-tall sculptural, graffiti-laden banana drawing customer attention. Wooden slats with a bright green to yellow gradient – like a ripening banana – are situated around the top of the cashwrap, and an eye-catching gorilla statue with a plant growing out of its head like a green mohawk sits toward the back.
📷: Scott Maclin, Somersworth, N.H.
Design: The McBride Co.
Valentino Mikalef, a renowned street artist and Creative Director of Klughaus (New York), was brought in to create street art-inspired graffiti onsite.
📷: Scott Maclin, Somersworth, N.H.
Design: The McBride Co.
FIKA Herbal Goods (Toronto)
The FIKA Herbal Goods flagship in Toronto’s historic Distillery District takes inspiration from deep woods and earthy tones to create a feeling of warmth and comfort.
📷: Courtesy of CNW Group/FIKA
Design: GH+A
The centerpiece of FIKA’s retail experience is three eye-catching yet approachable “Flower Bars.” The cannabis flower is displayed in magnifying domes, which are organized left to right by strain type and top to bottom by THC strength.
📷: Courtesy of CNW Group/FIKA
Design: GH+A
FIKA’s “The Tuck Shop” features a selection of cannabis-infused chocolate, gummies and cold beverages.
📷: Courtesy of CNW Group/FIKA
Design: GH+A
Gnome Grown (Oregon City, OR)
Design references to sustainable, organic cannabis farming are a hallmark of Oregon’s new Gnome Grown dispensaries.
📷: Richard Cadan, Farifield, Conn.
Design: High Road Design Studio
The inspiration for the gnome motif is sustainability, and the interior needed to reflect that.
📷: Richard Cadan, Farifield, Conn.
Design: High Road Design Studio
The shop offers its own cannabis and extracts alongside an assortment of flower, edibles, extracts and topicals from other Oregon-based brands.
📷: Richard Cadan, Farifield, Conn.
Design: High Road Design Studio
Level Up (Scottsdale, AZ)
Level Up wanted to convey a sense of decadence and style, catering to baby boomers and those around or under 40, without alienating its younger customer base.
📷: Richard Cadan, Farifield, Conn.
Design: High Road Design Studio
The result is a space that exudes a masculine, high-end vibe with aviation iconography, chrome accents, black leather, stacked stone, lush green hues and a felt feature wall.
📷: Richard Cadan, Farifield, Conn.
Design: High Road Design Studio
Extendable shelving allows the product to be easily readjusted. Various risers and platforms were designed to sit atop the shelves and house leather jar holders for organizing plant product, transdermal patches and edibles.
📷: Richard Cadan, Farifield, Conn.
Design: High Road Design Studio
Maitri Medicinals (Uniontown, PA)
One of VMSD‘s 2019 Renovation Competition Honorable Mention winners, Maitri Medicinals greets customers with a mid-century aesthetic.
📷: Richard Cadan, Farifield, Conn.
Design: High Road Design Studio
Maitri contributes new strains to the Pennsylvania marketplace, offers legacy strains, and cultivates small-batch craft cannabis.
📷: Richard Cadan, Farifield, Conn.
Design: High Road Design Studio
Skymint (Michigan)
The sales floor at Skymint’s Nunica, MI location is abundant in its natural light, the ideal environment for happy plants. Wall cases are organized by category of consumption – from vaping to flower and everything in between.
📷: Courtesy of Skymint Brands
Design: Internal design team
“We really wanted to design the store where the product is out from behind a barrier and on a regular sales floor like any jewelry store or fashion store,” says Summer Ransom-Cleveland, Skymint’s Chief Retail Officer.
📷: Courtesy of Skymint Brands
Design: Internal design team
20+ Winning Displays to Inspire a Cash Register-Ringing Look for Your Store
Whether medicinal or recreational, cannabis dispensaries – like most retailers – are putting design first in an effort to elevate the in-store experience and differentiate their brands in an increasingly crowded marketplace.
From concepts reminiscent of a high-end jewelry store to others that impart a sense of community and belonging, the following showcased cannabis dispensaries have proven their importance and value to the retail industry.
📷: Scott Maclin, Somersworth, N.H.