Dive Brief:

• The McBride Company, a hospitality and leisure destination creative design firm, which counts The Walt Disney Company, Universal Studios and The Discovery Channel among its clients, has unveiled its design for "Pineapple Express," a national chain of cannabis retail stores, designboom reported.
• McBride's design has the look of a contemporary Hawaiian resort and features a "Mystic Pineapple," a prominent visual element and an overt nod to cannabis culture, equipped with motion sensors and the ability to suggest different strains of cannabis to customers, GlobeNewswire reported.
• The owners requested a welcoming and comfortable design, designboom reported, in which customers could shop with direct access to experts. McBride does away with the typical consultation counter in favor of seating areas with plush furniture, GlobeNewswire reported, along with other features intended to provide an easier shopping experience.

Dive Insight:

"Pineapple Express is on a mission to modernize the legal cannabis industry. Part of that mission is cultivating a world-class dispensary experience that patients, consumers and operators will not only love, but also trust," CEO, Chairman and Co-Founder of Pineapple Express, Inc., Matthew Feinstein said. "The McBride Company took our vision and delivered an ideal shop design that is unique, streamlined and incredibly memorable; we cannot wait to roll out Pineapple Express branded shops as our branding partnerships come to fruition in the future."

According to GlobeNewswire, other store features include:

• An edibles counter with a bakery-like display case (in recreational states only).
• Four touch screens to educate customers about the various strains available for purchase.
• A floor-to-ceiling installation of crates along the back wall to display both cannabis-based and non-cannabis-based products
• A View-Master station displaying content about Pineapple Express

"As the sale of medical and recreational marijuana becomes legal in more states across the country, the industry needs to provide a sales experience that reflects the evolving perception of marijuana," Pat McBride, CEO of The McBride Company said. "The store design and atmosphere we created offers consumers a space that incorporates all the elements of great retail design, but addresses the unique display and service challenges faced by the cannabis retail industry. Our goal was to make this a true retail experience, meaning customers should feel completely comfortable and entertained, while also safe and secure."