Earlier this week, Edmonton-based publicly traded cannabis retailer chain Fire & Flower launched a CBD brand and product labeled “Revity”. This makes F&F the first store in Canada to launch a cannabis product for consumers since recreational legalization in October of 2018. However, Tokyo Smoke launched products with Aphria and WeedMD prior to legalization and Superette announced the impending launch of their vape product a few weeks ago. F&F brand’s first offering is a CBD oil and it is anticipated that more product formats will be offered in the near future.
The brand is launching in Saskatchewan first and its oil will be in Fire & Flower stores by August 14th. The franchise chose to focus on Saskatchewan because of its favourable supply chain that allows for private wholesale distribution. It appears that the chain currently has seven retail locations in the province.
Fire & Flower’s CBD Brand
Revity is a partnership between Fire & Flower and WeedMD, a licensed cannabis producer, who will manufacture, package and ship the CBD oil. Fire & Flower decided to publicly announce that these products are being fulfilled by WeedMD, which is an uncommon strategy for a retailer’s white label product in CPG industries outside of cannabis.
Fire & Flower used their in-house digital retail and analytics program known as “HiFyre” to identify consumer insights in product formulation, consumer segments, price and format to produce the Revity CBD Oil. They believe this oil is perfectly suited for the consumers entering their stores.
On-Brand for the Cannabis Retailer
The Revity brand has a similar aesthetic to the Fire & Flower brand, sporting an orangey-red theme with patterns and repeating shapes. Revity invites consumers to “Find your wave.” and features marketing copy such as “The new wave is coming, let it carry you. Revity is a product for daydreamers, cat-nappers, and star-gazers. What are you wading for?”. The product seems to be aimed at adventurous millennials and/or those looking for relaxation and calm. The brand has no social media presence but they have a sleek and well-designed landing page with product details.
This product proudly boasts that it is stripped of all plant matter, terpenes, and secondary metabolites other than CBD. This would likely not be perceived as a benefit by an experienced cannabis user, while a new or curious user could perceive CBD-only as an advantage. The product contains 23-26 mg/ml of CBD.
This will not be the last time that a cannabis retailer creates its own products. Cannabis retailers in Canada have an upper hand over Licensed Producers when it comes to marketing because they are able to fully immerse their consumers in their brand. When a consumer enters a store, they usually interact with the brand and its employees for several minutes. This gives retailers like Fire & Flower enough time to truly delight the consumer and establish deep and lasting brand loyalty. If consumers trust the budtenders at these establishments, they will accept their recommendations for their in-house brands and products.
Superette Launches 510 Vape Product
Another award-winning Canadian cannabis retailer, Superette, has also recently announced a product launch with their Jumping Jack 510 Vape & Battery. This Superette-branded vape pen and cartridge is made in collaboration with Fume Labs and The Blinc Group and is the first in a future line of products. Jumping Jack 510 cartridge is created using natural terpenes and is a true representation of a Jack Herer x Super Silver Haze cross. The product has been approved by the AGLC and will be available for sale in private retailers across Alberta this month and in other provinces beginning in the fall.
Future of Cannabis Retailer Owned Brands
It will be interesting to observe if and when other retailers (both franchises and independent) launch their own cannabis products. Some retailer brands may follow the strategy of F&F, announcing the name of the LP fulfilling the product, but others will choose not to disclose the name of the producer in the partnership. Shelf space may become more competitive in the future as retailers look to prioritize their own products to maximize profits. We look forward to analyzing the marketing and branding of future products offered by retailers.
Last Updated on August 13, 2020 by ADCANN
