dosist’s First-Ever Brick and Mortar Experience
Unveiling a sophisticated retail experience in Venice, CA
Cannabis company dosist is thinking far beyond how people can enjoy their highs. They’re also interested in redefining the experience of buying cannabis and related products. The Santa Monica-based brand just opened a concept store on Venice‘s Abbot Kinney that is a distillation of their guiding principles of design and wellness, effectively evolving them beyond their popular dosed pens and into an approachable lifestyle space.
The 800-square-foot space centers on visitors and the approachability of cannabis—aiming to adjust how many people interact and experience a “marijuana” store. Visitors walk in through a modern pergola with open West Coast sky above, echoing the idea of open-mindedness.
After speaking with (and getting ID checked by) an outdoor concierge, visitors are brought into the retail space (or “wellness experience”) to learn about available products. The sales associates are an approachable, knowledgable and diverse group—friendly and helpful from beginning to end.
The store itself features limestone floors, white maple walls and soft curves accented by bold colors, elevated by details like a small succulent garden and packaging that doubles as tiling, all to inform you about how to use their products.
Gunner Winston, CEO of dosist, walks us through the space and the philosophy behind it. “Think about having Chanel without the House of Chanel. Think about Apple only being sold in Best Buy,” he explains. “Every great brand needs the moment to bring the brand to life.” For dosist, this was creating a physical space that is ultimately welcoming. There are no guards, no intimidating salespeople, no pressure to buy.
For Winston, getting shoppers enthusiastic about the brand is paramount—whether they’re purchasing anything or not. “We’re led by the consumer,” he says. “Our consumer doesn’t want to be in an uncomfortable environment. They don’t even want to go to retail in general.”
The effect is a mirroring of product and habitat—one that offers what Winston calls “control and precision in a space that is very cloudy.” dosist seeks to instill trust and confidence in visitors instead of uncertainty and temporary buzzes.
The company is now looking to expand across North America, from New York to Miami to Toronto and beyond. This growth will reflect their expansions of product—many of which are born from a desire to offer a point of difference to customers. From tinctures to patches, topicals, tablets, pens and more, Winston says their thinking is based on one question: “What exists in the space and can we offer something that doesn’t exist today?”
“We didn’t create pens,” he adds, but “We created the first dose-controlled pens. Now we look at everything else like that: can we, dosist, add more?”
The dosist wellness experience is located at 1423 Abbot Kinney Blvd, LA.
Images by Kyle Raymond Fitzpatrick
