CHANGING THE LENSE ON CANNABIS RETAILS: THIS IS STIIIZY DTLA

2019 was a big year for California cannabis brands experimenting with their retail stores, especially in Los Angeles and for the STIIIZY brand.

After working on this store for a year, we launched our first flagship store in our hometown of Los Angeles on August 24, 2019. We celebrated by giving away bongs to some of our very first customers, hosting a private launch party with Blueface and more.

“I wanted to create a true immersive experience unlike any other for our customers,” said James Kim, STIIIZY Co-founder and managing director of Shryne Group. “The STIIIZY brand is deeply embedded in cannabis culture and this store is a true reflection of our ‘Influence, Inspire, Innovate’ message. This is what experiential retail is all about. This is not just a store, it is a destination” (interview conducted by John McCartney).

We created a space mirroring the LA culture and art scene using San Francisco-based architect Gi Paoletti to help bring this concept to life. We also enlisted renowned L.A. artists RETNA, Mister Cartoon and Kelly “Risk” Graval to create pieces to be part of the rotating art and installations on display -- creating pieces that represent the location chosen for our first retail: the Los Angeles Art District. By merging cannabis and fine art, we ultimately changed the retail experience within the cannabis community in California.

Hubble Studios in Downtown Los Angeles helped us host our exclusive, invite-only launch party by recreating their space to embody our DTLA store: recreating our tunnel, hosting a variety of art installations such as live art by Muckrock and more. The venue was packed with cannabis industry people, brand owners, shops, and local influencers who enjoyed a live DJ and a special performance by known rapper Blueface.

Catch both recaps of our grand opening and launch party below:

DTLA Grand Opening