Beckie Prime

If you are a Canadian cannabis LP and you do not have an operational gross margin (net rev - cogs, excluding any biological assets revals) of at least 30%, you have a de facto zero percent chance of surviving. You will never cover the operating expenses needed to run the business and generate a positive IFO - never. A big part of the issue is, too much capacity and with that, the fixed cost burden that hits every gram that is grown. A second issue is continually decreasing sell-in prices, to try to sell all that too-much product. Then, you can likely throw in inefficiencies in portfolio management, with too many strains and skus. You'd love to see IFO margin, as a percentage of net rev, sit more than 10%, but that can never happen when operational GM, for many Canadian cannabis growers, sits at under 10%. It. Will. Never. Work. You are in the business of selling your cannabis for more than it costs to grow - you better start there and fix that.

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September 1 marks the start of Organic Month with Canada Organic Trade Association! ☕️ The organic industry in Canada is booming, with annual sales exceeding $10 billion and continuing to rise. 📈 Organic coffee is leading this trend, as nearly 40% of Canadian coffee drinkers actively seek out organic options. Furthermore, organic coffee is always free from GMOs, which is important to over 50% of Canadian coffee drinkers who prefer their coffee to be GMO-free. Discover how organic coffee can elevate your business. Read our blog to learn more about the benefits and start offering organic coffee to your customers today. https://bit.ly/3yXlpV9 Source: Canadian Coffee Drinking Trends June 2023 Report #CanterburyCoffee #COTA #Organic #CanadianOrganics #OrganicMonth #OrganicMonth2024 #OrganicCoffee #ChooseCanadaOrganic #Coffee

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Why Every Canadian Household Needs FreshTrack Right Now!   Imagine this: you open your fridge, reach for that fresh shrimp you bought last week, and you're hit with a question—Is this still good? We've all been there, debating whether to trust our noses or those vague "best before" dates. Enter FreshTrack, your new kitchen superhero, swooping in to make spoiled seafood a thing of the past!   FreshTrack’s secret? It’s not just any ordinary packaging—it’s a smart, colour-changing, freshness-detecting marvel! These smart colorimetric films are crafted from eco-friendly PolyVinyl Alcohol (PVA) and natural dyes from Arnebia euchroma (yes, we’re talking super plant magic). As your shrimp sits in the fridge, these films work around the clock, changing colours based on freshness. If the shrimp is going bad, FreshTrack lets you know with a simple, visible signal, so you can ditch the sniff test forever.   Let’s face it—food waste is a major buzzkill. Canadians throw away tons of perfectly good seafood yearly simply because we don’t know when it’s spoiled. But with FreshTrack, you’ll keep your shrimp fresher longer and contribute to a more sustainable world. This smart packaging system saves you money and prevents perfectly good seafood from ending up in the trash. FreshTrack doesn’t just protect your food; it protects the planet!   For all the health-conscious Canadians out there, FreshTrack keeps your seafood game on point. Shrimp is a nutritional powerhouse, but when it spoils, it can become a serious health risk. With FreshTrack, you’ll never have to second-guess if what’s on your plate is safe. One glance at the packaging tells you if it’s fresh, giving you peace of mind (and keeping foodborne illness at bay).   And the cherry on top? FreshTrack’s films are biodegradable! You get cutting-edge food tech without compromising on your eco-friendly values. Smart, green, and practical—it’s like FreshTrack was designed specifically for Canadian households.   So, why gamble with your groceries? Add some FreshTrack magic to your kitchen and let this high-tech hero keep your seafood fresher, safer, and smarter. Say goodbye to waste and spoilage, and hello to hassle-free freshness. FreshTrack: changing the way Canadians do seafood, one shrimp at a time! To know more: https://lnkd.in/d_uxS5HU

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Variables to consider when it comes to packaging and POS are relatively consistent across cannabis* and non-cannabis CPG. Some are pretty unique to cannabis. 📌 Standardization Across Markets Each state is a different planet in terms of packaging and label regs (resealable vs not resealable, terpenes vs no terpenes, what’s defined as “appealing to children”, etc.). To optimize COGs, packaging that conforms to your most conservative market is best as it’ll work across all markets. Bigger order quantities usually means lower pricing. To stand out on the shelf, boundaries need to be pushed. If the goal is to maximize market share, using overly conservative packaging in less conservative markets is not going to help. State-specific packaging leads to lower order quantities which generally means higher pricing. 📌 Static vs Variable Data, Printing, Touchpoints  Cannabis label info requires static data and variable data. Using external printers for static labels and in-house printers for variable labels is often best from a brand standpoint as external printers almost always have more capabilities than what cannabis operators have in-house. However, if printed separately this means two touch-points. Using in-house printers for static data and variable data means all data can be combined into one label (less touch-points) and the risk of relying on external vendors is eliminated. Unique branding elements may be more limited though. External printers can create labels that come with static info applied and a blank section where variable data can be printed in-house. To make this work, operators need to be able to feed the partially printed labels into an in-house printer that can add the variable data. This route can offer the best of worlds as branding elements can be maximized and touch-points minimized (one label). Mylar bag exception: All the static info can be printed directly on the bags (this looks the best) and simple black and white variable data labels can be printed in-house. This typically requires market specific bags though. 📌 Storage Space Cannabis producers and retailers almost always have less storage and transport space in comparison to the non-cannabis CPG world. Jars take up more space than mylar bags. Prerolls with external packaging take up more space than prerolls without. And so on. On the producer side, packaging that takes up more space means vaults fill up faster, transport vans can’t fit as many units, etc. On the retail side, the larger the packaging the smaller an order may be. Retailers only have so much storage space for each brand. They can fit way more mylar bags vs jars in the same space. 📌 POS displays There are no “big box” cannabis retailers. They’re mostly the size of C-stores. There’s no space for big end caps, etc. The more compact a display is, the better chance a retailer will find space for it. *the regulated THC dispensary market What’d I miss?

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Did you know Pre-Rolls just surpassed Flower as the #1 category in Canada? This was a prediction our team at Custom Cones USA made last year in our 2023 Pre-Roll Industry White Paper 🔮 Margaret Jackson covered our 2024 White Paper on MJBizDaily with insightful quotes from the biggest pre-roll companies in the US and Canada. Some highlights include: Pre Rolls amassed more than $4.1 billion in sales revenue and sold over 394 million units from January 2023 to June 2024 Pre Rolls increased in market share, going from a 13.2% in January 2023 to a record-high 15.9% market share in June 2024 In 2019 Infused Pre Rolls made up 34.4% share of the pre roll category across the 12 tracked markets according to Headset. In 2023 Infused Pre Rolls made up 41.5% of all pre roll sales And they continued climbing further to 44.4% in the first half of 2024! One of the most interesting findings was comparing what brands thought consumers valued when shopping for pre rolls vs what consumers actually reported caring about... Brands thought 'brand loyalty' was dead last as the 6th most important factor to consumers, but according to the over 1,000 random consumers we polled, brand loyalty was the 3rd most important factor when shopping! Adam Coates of Decibel Cannabis Company Sebastian Solano of Jeeter - a DreamFields Brand Ching Ho of Dragonfly Brands Read the article here: https://lnkd.in/gtBCSTEt

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PepsiCo, a CPG giant, reformulated the famous brand Doritos to make them non-HFSS (high-fat salt and sugar). They are also in the talks to acquire Siete Family Foods for $1.2 billion. There are many other companies working towards getting in the non-HFSS zone for the changing consumer demand and meet the regulatory requirements. Is your portfolio high on #HFSS? Speak with one of our specialists at ChemBizR, to learn more about the ideal ingredient makeover for your portfolio. Pranay Jajodia Cargill, dsm-firmenich, ADM, IFF, Ingredion Incorporated, Kerry, Tate & Lyle, Tate & Lyle Sugars, FrieslandCampina, FrieslandCampina Ingredients #sugarreduction #salreduction #highfat #nonhfss #fda #foodindustry #foodnutritionandbeverages

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It is not about #Cannabis or even low-to-no alcohol It is not about chasing fads, especially the ones with uncertain regulatory framework like #Cannabis or some others that have low penetration potential and no taste advantage for (sometimes) both beer & non-beer drinkers It is about understanding finely consumers, their barriers/ drivers & build relevancy vs. other beverage options & win share of occasions/ throat within each occasion Unless beer companies shift their approach from brand saliency within beer/ incremental innovations within beer to breakthrough innovation to win total share of throat, #beer will continue to lose share of throat Last decades battle for beer players was about: - Building brand saliency within beer - Having razor sharp country/ channel where-to-play choices & excellent GTM execution In the next decade, the above will not be enough anymore. It will be about saliency on the holistic consumer job to be done and it requires a drastically different approach to innovation strategy starting deeply with the consumers (cf. our Zero-Based-Growth approach - ) In this context, we predict the gap between Winners & Losers in the beer vertical to widen drastically Exciting challenges ahead for the #beer players Constellation Brands The HEINEKEN Company Carlsberg Group AB InBev Diageo Pernod Ricard The Coca-Cola Company PepsiCo

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From fields to pints: Witness the innovative journey of B.C. family farms, generations deep, as they embrace a modern pivot towards brewing beer. Explore their evolution, blending tradition with contemporary tastes. ~ #FamilyFarms #BeerBrewing #Innovation

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Why is there an illicit cannabis market in Canada? Because, it's worth it to be in the illicit cannabis market in Canada. Don't give me some "flowery" explanation that they are in it because they believe in the plant and providing access to it for all...please. They are in it because, they can make money being in it, and the risk of penalties are sufficiently low. You want to reduce the size of the illicit cannabis market in Canada - you increase the penalties associated with being in the illicit cannabis market in Canada - you actually police it and charge and try and convict and sentence. You make it not worth it - it's just a business - nothing more - they will move on to something else. There is no illicit alcohol market of any relevance - of course, it took time to make it go away, but, it has gone away - and the last time I looked, spirits have a very high excise tax applied. You may never take the illicit cannabis market to zero - but you can reduce it if you focus on reducing it. And it won't come from reducing legal cannabis excise taxes - that will help the legal companies to get closer to profitability, but, in the case of many, you could cut the excise tax in half and they would still lose money - in some cases, you could cut it to zero and they'd still lose money.

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✨Are you looking to elevate your beverage brand to the next level? Partner with Liquid Opportunities Inc., the industry experts with over 30 years of experience in beverage consulting, product development, sales, and marketing. From RTDs and Spirits to Non-Alcoholic Drinks, we specialize in transforming ideas into successful brands. Join the ranks of industry leaders who trust us to drive their growth and innovation. Work with us today and create for tomorrow! 💡 Create Your Own Opportunities Today: Liquid Opportunities Inc. #BeverageIndustry #BrandDevelopment #Innovation #FoodandBeverage #LiquidOpportunitiesInc #BeverageConsulting #ProductDevelopment #SalesStrategy #MarketGrowth #BrandInnovation #BeverageExperts #RTDs #SpiritsIndustry #NonAlcoholicBeverages #BusinessGrowth #IndustryLeaders #BrandSuccess #LiquidOpportunitiesInc

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Marijuana Myopia:  How Cannabis Retail is Being Disrupted I have seen firsthand the business challenges faced by Canadian cannabis retailers.  Sadly, many evaporated in 2024 while others are stuck in a death spiral with little hope outside of making big changes. Well known fixes such as increasing budtender education, cost reduction schemes or increasing your social presence can help.  But for many retailers this low hanging fruit has already been picked. More worryingly are the unstoppable forces of technological disruption and innovative business models.  Cannabis consumption lounges, on-demand cannabis delivery and the inevitable entry of large grocery chains will magnify the risk to unprepared or inflexible operators. Don’t believe me? Ask small town retailers what happened when Walmart came to town or physical booksellers when Amazon took off.  Unsurprisingly, many retailers have chosen to keep their head in the sand hoping that destructive market forces or regulations will suddenly become favourable.  However, some sober-minded, forward-thinking Canadian retailers have embraced these challenges and recast their customer strategy and operations.  Consider what Inspired Cannabis Co has done in their new 2400 sq ft Vancouver BC store, located at 1032 Robson St. Inspired Cannabis reimagined the typical vanilla cannabis store, turning it into a consumer friendly, immersive, and brand welcoming environment (attached photo). This is experiential-based selling and service. Ten LP brands are the highlight of the store, where they communicate their brand stories directly to consumers. According to Jesse Dhami, CEO… “Our store is all about delivering a unique and powerful customer experience. We are passionate about sharing our knowledge, but wise enough to know the right time to offer it. We can talk you through choosing just the right type of product for any occasion or hook you up with your usual order really quickly, with no fuss.” So far, customer satisfaction and foot traffic have exceeded expectations plus LPs are lining up to get their brands featured.   For many retailers, the only path to better performance will be a strategic pivot just like what Inspired did.  This pivot will define a new way of differentiating from your competition, serving customers, and running your operations. The recipe will differ for each company. Leaders should look to traditional retailers (e.g., micro-retailing), online sellers (e.g., Amazon Go) and brands (e.g., DTC commerce) for disruptive ideas and best practices.  Naturally, proven tactics like improving consumer targeting, optimizing the product mix and better cash management (not to mention merging with your peers) will still have an important role to play. Don’t be a Luddite.  As a retailer, you are either getting better, treading water, or slowly dying. 🔔 Hit that follow bell to always get my unique, impactful content #cannabis #cannabisindustry #retail #inspiredcannabis

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The Heritage Food stock has consistently touched the upper circuit for the past six trading sessions. Heritage Foods is a company run by a TDP leader family. The share price has gone up by an incredible 100% in just one month, rising from ₹343 to ₹727. This is the best calendar year performance for the stock since 2012, during which the stock had surged over 230%. The surge in Heritage Foods' stock price has substantially increased the wealth of Naidu's wife Bhuvaneswari Nara and son Nara Lokesh. As of the end of the March quarter, Bhuvaneswari Nara held a 24.37% stake, while Nara Lokesh owned a 10.82% stake in Heritage Foods. The situation has sparked a broader discussion about the role of political connections in influencing investment decisions. #moneyvesta #heritagefoods #stockmarketnews

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Is Tilray, one of the first Canadian cannabis companies to go public, becoming more of a beer company? That's the question I ask in today's Cultivated Media Let’s take a look at the company’s latest results: This past quarter, Tilray’s beverage/alcohol business accounted for 33% of the company’s revenue. That’s up from 18% the same quarter the year prior. And, the company’s cannabis business accounted for 31% of revenue this past quarter — down from 35% the year prior. So, the trajectory is clear. Tilray wants to be a house of craft beer and liquor brands as much as it wants to be a house of cannabis brands. It's sort of like the LVMH model, but for intoxicating substances. Subscribe to get Cultivated in your inbox daily: https://lnkd.in/geRbYRHz

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Budtenders are the frontline in cannabis retail. No doubt about that. Today, Jaime from High Buds Club joined Cultivated Media to talk about what she's learned from her community of budtenders in Canada, and the importance of a brand-budtender-brand feedback loop. Watch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/gmBz8xmM #cannabisnews #cannabisindustry

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