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Largest cannabis retail space in Canada
Aurora Cannabis announced the grand opening of its flagship 11,000 sqft retail space at West Edmonton Mall on Wednesday morning
Aurora Cannabis announced the grand opening of its flagship 11,000 sqft retail space at West Edmonton Mall on Wednesday morning.
“Aurora is proud to call Edmonton home. It’s here where we established our roots and built our business. There’s no better place for us to open the doors to our flagship store and to welcome consumers from all over the world to join us in celebrating how far the cannabis movement has come and how quickly it continues to grow,” said Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora. “This space is a reflection of Aurora’s core values, a celebration of our past, and cements our position as an innovative industry leader. We invite new and experienced consumers alike to come to learn and explore.”
The nearly 11,000-square-foot retail space is going to be divided into two areas, a cannabis and paraphernalia store and a retail 'experience' store that has seating areas beside products. Space will also be featuring a mural "Homegrown," which is a mural painted by Rust Magic. It's a celebration of street art and a tribute to the culture of Edmonton.
“My vision is that first of all customers are completely blown away, this is not what they expected,” said Zamina Walji, vice president of retail and consumer strategy. “That they feel that it’s an inviting environment where they can ask any questions that they want, that they feel like they have the time to spend in the store, that they’re not rushed to the journey of the actual transaction.”
Not only cannabis and products to consume it but also Aurora clothing, coloring books, puzzles, color-changing umbrellas, other accessories, and various natural soaps will be available at the store.
To design an innovative retail experience, Aurora enlisted Bruce Mau Design in collaboration with GMC Architects, creating a place for consumers to gather. Inspired by technology, innovation and nature, space explores the relationship between the natural elements that are core to the Aurora brand and the state-of-the-art production and commitment to industry advancement that drives Aurora’s continued growth. References to mountains, sky, water, and sun permeate through material, lighting and digital experiences.
The flagship store will host world-class researchers, creators and culture makers to lead sessions with artists, chefs, local innovators and experts in the emerging world of cannabis to deliver next-level inspirational experiences. In the age-gated cannabis store, visitors will have access to over 42 different cannabis products from the Aurora family of brands, such as San Rafael ’71, Alta Vie, Whistler Cannabis Co and Woodstock, all while being served by passionate and knowledgeable retail staff.
The store is believed to be the first in the world of its kind to be located within an enclosed mall. When signs for the store first popped up, the operation was met with some hesitation as some mall-goers voiced frustration with a cannabis store in an area often frequented by young people.
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Image source: CTV Edmonton Edmonton