Putting Consumers First
Highway Cannabis Co., known for its consumer-driven mindset, opened its second Los Angeles location in Marina del Rey. The grand opening, which took place on Jan. 28, was delayed several times due to the holidays and recent storms.
The delay didn’t stop visitors from coming by to enjoy food by Alfredos Fruits & Speak Cheesy and performances by Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse, Sammy Dread & Friends, and Brainstory. Only those of legal age were able to participate.
The entire Highway product line is available in the shop ranging from flower and pre-rolls to edibles. A curated selection of third-party brands will also be available.
Chris Colon, founder and CEO of Highway Cannabis Co., said that he and his team worked hard to ensure products not made in-company were only the best of the best.
“We wanted to make sure that we were very diligent about what products we brought in,” added Matt Fosburg, VP of retail. “We want no bad experiences. When you leave our store, whether it’s our products or a third-party product, we want to make sure that you have the best possible quality experience out there.”
That mentality of putting the consumer experience first is one thing that runs through every aspect of Highway Cannabis Co.. By the time Colon founded the business, he was already a leading member of the cannabis industry. But the thing he said that bothered him about the traditional retail process was that it was driven so heavily by ease of production rather than focusing on creating products that give users a quality experience.
The emphasis on consumer experience shows through in the set-up of Highway Cannabis Co., which Fosburg and Colon said took into account the many different types of people who shop for cannabis.
To accomplish that, Colon came up with the idea of separating the store into different zones: the Blossom Bar, the Dab Bar, the wellness section, and the edibles. At the Blossom Bar and the Dab Bar, Highway’s Bud Tenders are available to help new customers who have a lot of questions or connoisseurs looking to browse.
“(Fosburg) and his team did a fantastic job at designing the store with the Blossom Bar in mind,” Colon said. “People can sit down and enjoy the experience—sit there for 45 minutes to answer any questions that they have without interrupting the flow of any of the other customers. It really allows us to cater the experience to the person who’s there, because there’s many different kinds of cannabis users. The problem with most retail concepts is that they’re all treated the same, when in reality, every person coming in is looking for a different experience. That’s the main thing of what we’ve done to make the experience accessible for everybody.”
The Blossom Bar isn’t the only innovative design choice that Colon and Fosburg made. Highway Cannabis Co. will also have an event space to host local artists and community events. And as a way to give back to the community, the event space can be booked free of charge.
Based on initial reviews, the community is noticing the new set up of Highway Cannabis Co.’s new location. Colon said some of the best feedback they have received are personal calls from customers remarking how wonderful their shopping experience was.
Products flying off the shelves at the new location are their edibles, Fosburg said. The Hula Mamma edible collection, which comes in Indica, Sativa, and Hybrid, is particularly popular. They have also had great success with their Stargazer gummies, meant for sleep, which are a combination of THC and CBN. Highway also boasts the “world’s largest eighth, weighing in at 4 grams.”
“And since we created these products, we are able to lower pricing, so we’re able to bring people the lowest price(for what) we believe is the best quality product,” Colon said.
