Rustic Cannabis

Welcome to IRCC's Retailer Spotlight, where we shine a light on the incredible independent cannabis retailers shaping the industry. 🌿✨ Each week, we celebrate the passion, dedication, and unique stories behind our valued partners. These retailers not only provide exceptional customer experiences but also contribute to the growth and innovation of the cannabis community. 💚

This week, we’re thrilled to feature Drew from Rustic Cannabis in Bowmanville and Fenelon Falls, Ontario 🙌

1️⃣ What inspired you to open a cannabis retail store? 🌿✨

What inspired us to open a cannabis store started with a lifelong passion for cannabis and the cannabis culture 💨💚. After the legalization of cannabis, we saw the opportunity to open a family-run business 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦.

When we pictured our future store 🏡 and what we wanted it to look like, the word Rustic kept coming up 🌲🪵. We have a family cottage up north 🏕️, and a lot of our inspiration inside the shop came from there.

2️⃣ How does being an independent cannabis retailer shape your approach to business compared to corporate chains? 🤝🌱

Being an independent retailer and family-run store gives us the opportunity to be much more personal with our customers 🤗💚, as opposed to the more corporate stores 🏢.

We know many of our customers by name 🏷️ and share in the highs and lows of their daily lives 📅💭. The personal connection with our customers is what makes Rustic so special. It really is a "where everybody knows your name"type of shop 🏡😊.

3️⃣ Can you describe your store’s vibe or atmosphere? 🏡✨

We try to keep the vibe in the store as chill and welcoming as possible 🌿💫. When designing our interior, we put a large focus on the lighting 💡 to ensure it was a bright and clean space ✨ where everybody would feel comfortableand at ease—from cannabis connoisseurs to first-time cannabis users 🍃🌱.

Positivity is our vibe 😃💚, and at Rustic, you will always be greeted with a smile 😊.

4️⃣ How has being a member of the IRCC helped add value to your business? 💼🌿

Being a part of the IRCC has provided us with an opportunity to be able to be more flexible with our pricing 💰, therefore allowing us to better serve a wider demographic 👥.

It has also exposed us to brands and companies that we would not have previously explored 🔍💡.

5️⃣ What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced as an independent cannabis retailer in your province? 🌱

The hardest part of being an independent cannabis retailer has been adhering to the many regulations set out by the province.

The cannabis industry is so new and continuously changing . Another difficult part of this industry is the over-saturation of the market .

We weren't the only ones to have this idea, so it can be challenging when it seems like another cannabis shop is opening up on every corner .

6️⃣ What brands in the market currently excite you and why? 🌟🔥

There are so many amazing brands that we are excited about because of the quality of their product.

Some of those are: 1964, Naked Mummer, and Woody Nelson 🌱💎.

7️⃣ What is the most rewarding aspect of running an independent cannabis retail store? 🌿💚

The most rewarding aspect of running an independent shop is sharing great cannabis with our customers 😊💨.

Sharing our love for cannabis daily is something we feel very grateful to be able to do 🌱💖.

We try to focus on lifting the stigma around cannabis in our communities 🚀💚.

8️⃣ How do you stay informed and ahead in this rapidly evolving industry? 📚🌿

It's important to listen to our customers 🎧💬 when we are trying to stay informed. They are our bread and butter 🍞🧈, and we always want to make sure they are heard.

We depend on companies like the IRCC to keep us up to date 📆🔍 with the LPs and their current offers.

9️⃣ How do you envision your store and the independent cannabis retail landscape evolving over the next five years? 🚀🌱

Over the next five years, we envision growth 📈 in our company.

We hope to expand and continue to spread the Rustic love ❤️ for cannabis to even more communities throughout Ontario 🍁.

🔟 If your store had a signature product or strain, what would it be and why? 🌿🔥

Organic Comatose would be the strain that best represents our store 💚💨.

It’s high quality, reliable, and consistent—which is the Rustic way ✅.

Website: rusticcannabis.ca

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rustic_cannabis_/