The Voice of Retail Special RCC Retail Cannabis forum episode featuring High Tide CEO Raj Grover, Director of Retail for Superette Lauren Davie, and Michele Sexsmith, SVP Environics Analytics talking cannabis insights
Welcome to a very special Retail Cannabis Forum edition of the Voice of Retail, I’m your host Michael LeBlanc, and this podcast is brought to you in conjunction with Retail Council of Canada, and sponsored by Environics Analytics. Environics Analytics helps companies in Retail, CPG and the Cannabis industry turn data and analytics into insight, strategy and results. EA produces CannabisInsights – the market leading source of neighborhood level insights for the Cannabis industry. This podcast is intended for listeners 18+.
First up recorded live on the main stage in the Toronto Reference Library event space closing off RCC’s Retail Cannabis Forum, my one to one interview with High Tide CEO Raj Grover. An experienced cannabis industry veteran and retailer, we talk about the inspiration to move to Alberta to get his start in the industry, what it will take to retain momentum in Ontario, and the path ahead for Hightide in 2020 and beyond.
Next Lauren Davie, Director of Retail for Superette joins me in the Environics Analytics podcasting studio for a great conversation covering her rich retail background, the importance of training and a training culture, and how the innovations Superette has brought in format, approach all come together on the front lines with an award winning performance by Superettte’s brand and people.
Lastly Michele Sexsmith, Senior Vice President and Practice leader from Environics Analytics is back on The Voice of Retail telling us how their core set of tools and insights can inform cannabis retailers around consumption patterns, new trends and making smart decision on store location and assortment with data.
So let’s start now with my interview with Raj from HighTide
******
That’s a wrap on this special Retail Cannabis Forum edition of The Voice of Retail, Thanks to Raj, Lauren and Michele for being my guests and Environics Analytics for being my generous sponsor.
If you liked this podcast you can subscribe on Apple iTunes or your favourite podcast platform, please rate and review, and be sure and recommend to a friend or colleague in the retail industry.
I’m Michael LeBlanc, Founder and President of M.E. LeBlanc and Company Inc. and you can learn more about me on www.meleblanc.co or of course on LinkedIn
Until next time, have a great week!
Michael LeBlanc is the president and founder of M.E. LeBlanc & Company Inc, a senior retail advisor, keynote speaker and now, media entrepreneur. He has been on the front lines of retail industry change for his entire career.
Michael has delivered keynotes, hosted fire-side discussions and participated worldwide in thought leadership panels, most recently on the main stage in Toronto at Retail Council of Canada’s Retail Marketing conference with leaders from Walmart & Google. He brings 25+ years of brand/retail/marketing & eCommerce leadership experience with Levi's, Black & Decker, Hudson's Bay, CanWest Media, Pandora Jewellery, The Shopping Channel and Retail Council of Canada to his advisory, speaking and media practice.
Michael produces and hosts a network of leading retail trade podcasts, including the award-winning No.1 independent retail industry podcast in America, Remarkable Retail with his partner, Dallas-based best-selling author Steve Dennis; Canada's top retail industry podcast The Voice of Retail and Canada's top food industry and one of the top Canadian-produced management independent podcasts in the country, The Food Professor with Dr. Sylvain Charlebois from Dalhousie University in Halifax.
Rethink Retail has recognized Michael as one of the top global retail experts for the fifth year in a row, the National Retail Federation has designated Michael as on their Top Retail Voices for 2025, Thinkers 360 has named him on of the Top 50 global thought leaders in retail, RTIH has named him a top 100 global though leader in retail technology and Coresight Research has named Michael a Retail AI Influencer. If you are a BBQ fan, you can tune into Michael’s cooking show, Last Request BBQ, on YouTube, Instagram, X and yes, TikTok.
Michael is available for keynote presentations helping retailers, brands and retail industry insiders explaining the current state and future of the retail industry in North America and around the world.