VANCOUVER, British Columbia – Hobo Recreational Cannabis Store (“Hobo”) — the cannabis venture of Canadian hospitality company, Donnelly Group — today announces it has entered into an agreement with an Ontario license lottery winner to open a new Ottawa retail location. Located in the historic Byward Market (121 Clarence Street) the 5000 square foot, multi-level location will be the second Hobo store in the city, following the inaugural Centretown store opening on April 1, 2019. As one of only ten stores to open on time in Ontario following the rollout of the province’s new cannabis retail model, Hobo Centretown (391 Bank Street), has since surpassed 197,000 transactions earning a record-breaking $8.3 million in net sales.
“We were in a unique and extremely fortunate position to launch one of Ottawa’s first retail cannabis stores back in April. We’re thrilled to be returning to the nation’s capital once again to bring another store to market,” says Harrison Stoker, VP Brand at Donnelly Group. “The Ottawa community has been nothing shy of incredible and, thanks to their support, Hobo’s Centretown location is now Ontario’s top performing store. Our focus has been and continues to be on developing a brand built on a disarming and compassionate cannabis buying experience for Canadians everywhere. We really couldn’t be more excited for Hobo’s Byward Market location and what it represents for the community.”
On Hobo Centretown being one of the industry’s top-performing and most consistently frequented stores, Gary Cohen, CEO of Cova Software, the leading retail point of sale system in the cannabis industry, noted, “Since opening in April, we have seen the most transactions flow through our Cova POS system of any retailer in all of North America. To do these volumes, they have put systems and procedures in place that allow for both internal accountability and a smooth flow through the store for customers.”
Two additional Hobo locations are currently under construction in British Columbia, slated to open in Vancouver’s popular Kitsilano neighbourhood and on Robson Street. Alberta will see its first Hobo store in late 2019, with a go-to-market plan stemming from its recent acquisition of four locations with development permits.
About Hobo Recreational Cannabis Store
Hobo Recreational Cannabis Store, a Donnelly Group venture, is a Canadian collection of privately-owned retail cannabis stores with locations in B.C. and Ontario. As a testament to Hobo’s commitment to the consumer experience and making the cannabis buying experience disarming, compassionate and human, Hobo will employ a contemporary aesthetic rooted in simple, functional design and feature a well-considered product range and frictionless technology.
Hobo Recreational Cannabis Store’s four locations now include Centretown (391 Bank Street, Ottawa), Airport (8425 Granville Street, Vancouver), Main (4296 Main Street, Vancouver), and Kelowna (2121 Springfield Road), offering consumers a selection of five cannabis intents: Move (THC dominant), Lift (THC leaning), Balance (equal parts THC to CBD), Calm (CBD dominant), and Rest (THC dominant).
