Page 156 - AMC January 2020

This means that Twine hemp is perfectly safe to use for government workers, teachers, and others who might be subjected to random drug tests. The company carries flavored and unflavored CBD oil in various concentrations, as well as a topical CBD cream and pet products. “We designed our products with tiered pricing,” explained Rosenkampff. “If people get started at our $25 introductory product and have success with it, they’ll come back and buy the 30-day supply, and it’ll become a repeat purchase. We have a display that takes up less than 2 feet of retail property, and it’s around a $2,200 to $2,500 return on investment.” Retailers can choose to focus on the offerings from one trusted company, or they can offer a selection of CBD products to give customers a range of packaging types, flavors, concentrations, and price points. Another consideration when seeking a vendor is the types of sales and educational material they can provide to help educate your staff as well as your customers. Some vendors offer FAQ sheets, signage, information-rich websites, and other documentation. With all the misinformation swirling around this emerging product category, having educational materials at hand is invaluable in making sure you explain the products in a way that consumers will understand what it is, and what their expectations should be in terms of how it might affect them. Because of prevalent misinformation, carrying CBD is not without its challenges. “It’s still kind of taboo to certain people,” said Rosenkampff. “The first clarification we like to make is that CBD is NOT marijuana. The farm bill that passed in December 2018 made the industrial hemp plant legal in all 50 states. The second thing is, CBD is not psychoactive. People often ask, am I going to fail a drug test? The answer is no.” THE GIFT CONNECTION But why have gift stores become such an ideal avenue for CBD products? “What I love about independent gift stores is that people already trust them,” said Van Zandt. “They have an established reputation of bringing in new and high-quality products. With CBD being an emerging market where there are still a lot of questions, people trust gift shops as a place to purchase this product. It’s a safe place for customers to take a chance on something new and different.” 140 | “WITH CBD BEING AN EMERGING MARKET WHERE THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF QUESTIONS, PEOPLE TRUST GIFT SHOPS AS A PLACE TO PURCHASE THIS PRODUCT.” GINNA VAN ZANDT