What We Heard at the Ottawa Retailer Exchange — And Why Local Matters More Than Ever
The cannabis industry needs better conversations between the people building brands and the people actually selling them.
That was the goal of the Tether Retailer Exchange + Sampling Event in Ottawa: bring brands, retailers and industry leaders together to talk candidly about what is working, what isn’t and what it takes to win in an increasingly competitive market.
And Ottawa reinforced something we’ve been seeing across Canada: there is no single Canadian cannabis market.
The Neighbourhood Matters More Than the Province
One of the strongest themes from our retailer discussion was the importance of getting local.
Two stores only a few kilometres apart can have dramatically different customers, category preferences and sales patterns. Brands that understand those differences before walking into a buyer meeting immediately change the conversation.
Instead of asking, “Will you carry us?” the opportunity becomes, “Here’s why we believe this product makes sense for your customer.”
That shift is increasingly important as retailers become more selective about what earns space on their shelves.
"The Retailer Exchange has been an excellent addition to Purileaf's event calendar,"
says Sergey Mokin, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Purileaf.
"It allowed us to engage directly with retail decision-makers, showcase our portfolio, and establish long-term trust and collaborative marketing strategies."
Retail Relationships Are Getting More Sophisticated
We also dug into what it means to build an effective retail strategy across Canada.
Working with a national chain requires a different approach than building relationships with strong independents. Provincial distribution models, direct delivery opportunities, local regulations and purchasing structures add another layer of complexity.
Brands need to understand who their priority retailers are, what matters to those retailers and how they can support sell-through after the listing.
Independents continue to punch above their weight. Great independent retailers don't just sell products, they build communities, identify trends and influence what consumers and the wider industry pay attention to next.
Budtender Engagement Still Matters
Following the Retailer Exchange, we moved into sampling giving brands the opportunity to put products, education and people directly in front of the budtenders and retailers who influence purchase every day.But sampling alone isn't the strategy.
The value comes from combining the touchpoints: buyer conversations, education, sampling, content, follow-up and ongoing visibility.
In an industry where margins are tight and every marketing dollar needs to work harder, brands need more than attendance numbers. They need access to the right people and opportunities that can turn those connections into business.That’s how we’ve built Tether.
What Ottawa Told Us
Five years into building Tether, events continue to teach us what this industry actually needs.
Brands want measurable impact. Retailers want relevant products and better partnerships. Budtenders want authentic education and experiences worth their time. Everyone wants fewer wasted dollars and solid ROI
Our role is to keep bringing those groups together and to use the network, market intelligence and trust we’ve built across Canada to make every touchpoint work harder.
"We believe the future of cannabis retail is built on stronger connections between brands, retailers, and consumers,” says Lily Nezarati, Director of Sales and Partnerships at Poof. “We're proud to support events like the Retailer Exchange that bring the industry together to collaborate and innovate."
Tether isn't just about events. It's about creating the connections and awareness that help cannabis businesses grow.
Thank you to our Retailer Exchange partners including the OCS, Purileaf, Poof, Full Bloom Advisory.
Stay tuned for our next Retailer Exchange, TBA!