CANORA - One of the most effective ways of gauging customer demand for products in a particular community or region is to interact with them in a retail setting, which eventually resulted in the opening of Canora Vape Shop at its Main Street location on October 15. Trish Mureseanu manages day-to-day operations at Canora Vape Shop, and also at Canora Cannabis, which was opened in May 2020.
“People would come in just to ask if we also carried nicotine vaping liquids (called ‘juice’), e-devices and/or replacement parts, and if not, did we know where those products could be found,” said Mureseanu. “It seemed logical that our next business venture would be to have a retail business offering those products and accessories.”
Vaping is the term used to describe the use of an electric device to heat up liquid product into a vapour, which the user then inhales.
“The popularity of vaping has been increasing for some time. Many people believe that vaping is less harmful than smoking,” explained Mureseanu. “The e-devices used in vaping are popular because of the wide range of sizes, styles, as well as functions.”
She emphasizes that, as with any product, consumers should be educated regarding any associated health risks to them when it comes to using vaping products.
In addition to the Canora location, they also have a new Vape Shop in Kamsack.
“The response so far has been very positive. We frequently hear how happy customers are to find out that they won’t have to drive long distances just to purchase their vaping products any more.”
The Canora Vape Shop is located inside one of the oldest historical buildings in Canora.
“We gave the store a full facelift, including electrical, walls and floors,” detailed Mureseanu. “Our space is warm with a cozy, rustic charm that we feel is very welcoming to our customers.”
Under the current provincial mandate, all customers must be wearing a mask when entering the store.
“We also can provide a free, disposable mask for anyone who doesn’t have one. Currently, we’re exempt from the vaccine/negative test mandate, so customers will not be required to provide that information to us, until we are informed otherwise or the mandate changes. When coming into the store, we ask that you have your mask on properly and that you sanitize your hands. Everyone entering must be 18 years of age or older. Customers will be required to provide valid, government issued photo identification.”
Mureseanu said launching Canora Vape Shop turned out to be much simpler than starting up a cannabis retail business.
“The approval process was easy and straightforward. We submitted a business plan, completed the application and we were issued a license. From there, it was a matter of shopping around for trusted suppliers with a great range of product and accessories. But in both businesses, the positive relationships we want to build with our customers and within our community remain the same.”
Similar to Canora Cannabis, the Canora Vape Shop is not allowed to advertise or even have pictures of its product published. Each business is completely separate from each other and must remain that way in accordance with SLGA (Saskatchewan Liqour and Gaming Authority) and Health Canada regulations. None can have any affiliation with each other.
“We have a state-of-the-art security system installed and it’s live 24/7. It operates with a backup system, so that in case of a power outage, it’s still recording.”
Canora Vape Shop is staffed with four team members; including Mureseanu, one full-time salesperson, and two part-time/casual salespeople. She said future plans are quite flexible at the moment.
“Currently, with the exception of the Canora and Kamsack Vape Shops, there are no plans to open another business. Of course, it’s not a permanent decision and if we find that there are opportunities that will be a benefit to the community by way of providing local employment, and a product and service that there currently isn’t access to, then that would be something that we might take into consideration.”
Community involvement plays a central role in their overall plan.
“As a retail business that doesn’t fall under as strict regulations as the cannabis industry does, we are looking forward to being able to support our community in any positive way that we can. It’s very important for us to not only be accepted as a part of Canora’s growing business community and have that community support, but for our community to be able to count on us to do our part in supporting them as well,” concluded Mureseanu.
