More pot shops cropping up in airports, malls across Canada as retail competition grows

The push for cannabis stores to get into more spaces comes over three years after legalization. Since then, pot shops have speckled many cities

When travellers cut through British Columbia‘s Prince George Airport this summer, Owen Ritz and Reed Horton envision them browsing and buying more than duty-free treats and baubles.

The American roommates-turned-business partners hope passengers will stop by Copilot, a cannabis store they’re seeking approvals to open and believe will be the world’s first airport pot shop.

“Our goal from day one has been to create a differentiated retail experience that stands out from any store you might see downtown,” said Ritz.

Airport stores are nothing new for most retailers, but cannabis shops are seldom, if ever, seen at aviation hubs, so Copilot is a sign of the new territory pot stores are eager to break into.

In recent months, they’ve cropped up at malls, gas station plazas and beside breweries. Some like B.C. pot retailer Seed and Stone are even planning to open virtual dispensaries in the metaverse – an immersive and emerging digital world.

The push to get into these spaces comes more than three years after Canada legalized recreational cannabis. Since then, pot shops have speckled many cities – Ontario alone had 1,115 stores last September – and clustered so heavily in areas like Toronto‘s Queen Street that some are calling for legislation to dictate how close to each other stores can be.

The proximity is amping up competition among stores and has some observers predicting closures are on their way as entrepreneurs realize owning a pot shop isn’t a guaranteed money-maker, when you’re in a crowded market.

“The whole industry completely misunderstood what would happen because they thought the only barrier is legalization and once we’re legal, people will just buy,” said Joanne McNeish, a Ryerson University professor specializing in marketing.