Photo: David Wylie/okanaganz.com
Sarah Ballantyne of Spiritleaf Vernon
Spiritleaf Vernon has been open for more than a year now, and it has become the go-to cannabis store for those who want to shop locally and legally.
Owner Sarah Ballantyne believes it is her company’s commitment to safety and education that draws customers to their location on 53rd Avenue.
“Our staff have done a good job of encouraging our customers to not necessarily price shop but to trust us and support our approach of customer service and education first,” Ballantyne says.
Spiritleaf, which leads the country with more than 60 locations, educates its staff on every facet of its product through an in-house training program. In fact, staff members just completed training on the last of the 2.0 items, like concentrates and beverages. Another key part of the staff’s education is how to use the product. Employees are taught about how to use each accessory that is required to consume whatever form of cannabis you prefer.
If you have a question, Ballantyne’s Spiritleaf Vernon employees will have the answer.
“Not everyone is familiar with how to use those accessories, so we do a deep dive on the products, and we are sourcing products that are mostly Canadian,” Ballantyne says. “That’s really important to us.”
The popularity of those 2.0 items is starting to build, although dried flower remains the store’s No. 1 seller. Spiritleaf Vernon has a dozen varieties of CBD and THC beverages, and more are arriving every week.
“Dried flower has been our number one seller since day one, but we are seeing a shift to those other categories,” she says. “They’re really picking up. They’re trying it on the side of their dried flower.”
Another reason why Ballantyne believes Spiritleaf is so popular is because customers know what they are getting is safe. That is the hallmark of all legal cannabis stores.
“It’s all about safety,” she says. “In the legal market, everything is done in Health Canada-approved facilities, nobody’s touching it, and there’s no cross-contamination with anything.”
Spiritleaf is ready for the holiday season as well. Canada Post allows for cannabis shipping across the country, so Spiritleaf will package it for you and all you have to do is take it to the post office and pay for postage.
And buying at Spiritleaf will help keep the money in Vernon, as the employees all live in the Okanagan and spend their money there, too.
“Supporting local contributes back to the community,” Ballantyne says. “I have 10 staff, and they have kids here. They have homes here.”
In addition to its store in Vernon, Spiritleaf has locations in Kelowna, West Kelowna and Penticton.
This article is written by or on behalf of the sponsoring client and does not necessarily reflect the views of Okanagan Edge.
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