EN2’s Top 5 Things to Consider When Building A Cannabis Store

This guest post was written by Nuno Paul, Chief Executive Officer at EN2 Development Corp.

---

Recreational cannabis is a relatively new industry that can hold unexplored horizons. Through successful client rollouts of retail storefronts, EN2 Development Corp. has experienced and gained working knowledge to ensure a compliant opening. Here are the top 5 things to consider when building out your retail cannabis storefronts:

#1 HVAC System:

This is a common oversight and a costly one. HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) systems are big ticket items that shouldn’t be overlooked in the design and construction process. When running a retail cannabis store, it is very important to have adequate ventilation and air exchange to ensure both a pleasant working environment for staff and an enjoyable shopping experience for customers. If you require a new or upgraded system, the cost can sometimes exceed values between $10,000 - $50,000. Without thoughtful consideration, a big portion of your budget could simply vanish into...thin air (pun intended).

#2 Floor Plan:

As cannabis shops are a newer retail space, it can be confusing to build a store that will flow well. If you think of the process like a restaurant, it may be a bit easier. With that similar approach in mind - you need an attractive space for existing and potential customers.

With a  functional kitchen, or in this case a fulfilment room, product can be efficiently streamlined from the back area to the front. A good menu with details and simplicity, plus a working office to run it all will allow for a smooth operation.

It is important that your space can accommodate all those elements. One cannot take away from the effectiveness of the other or be overpowered.  A carefully balanced retail storefront  designed to flow well together and work in harmony will keep customers happy and staff efficient.

#3 Adequate Storage:

Our third item stems from the connection to our previous suggestion. One of the biggest problems we ran into with our business client was not having enough storage. With the laws pertaining to cannabis storage, make sure your retail cannabis store has enough secure storage for increased business traffic. Plan for growth and remember that if product isn’t available due to simply poor storage design, a sale opportunity could be missed.

#4 Windows:

With cannabis storefront layouts, remember that your window frontage is an important aspect not to overlook. With the current laws in place, you cannot have cannabis products viewable from the outside. Make sure you account for this when designing and constructing your ideal cannabis retail store.

You want to achieve a good balance of natural light into the store without jeopardizing any laws or regulations. Having an adequate plan for windows may include vinyl, frosting, and construction of sightline walls to achieve a unique store atmosphere.

It is important to ensure windows aren’t easily broken by implementing reinforcements to help  prevent any unauthorized access to storefronts and secure storage areas.

#5 Shared Spaces:

It is important when choosing a location that your space is not shared. Another business cannot have access to your amenities, so you need to account for different cost associations. Separate bathrooms may be needed for clients and staff, isolated common spaces, and secure staff rooms need to be distinguished.

This seems like a no brainer, but it’s a bigger issue than you think. Determine if your space has enough footage to cover the basis of protecting your patrons entering and exiting the store by knowing access points and shared area of space.

That sums up our list of The Top 5 Things to Consider When Building A Cannabis Store. Always make sure your contractor understands the laws surrounding cannabis construction. Visit https://en2.swipepages.co/cannabis to get in touch with us and see how we can help on your next retail cannabis project.

Thanks for reading!

Nuno Paul
Chief Executive Officer at EN2 Development Corp