It's hard to miss the smattering of cannabis store signs aiming to lure in customers with deep discounts and flashy membership programs along the stretch of Front Street East leading to Toronto's St. Lawrence Market.
Outside Civilian House of Cannabis, one sign promises 15 per cent off and encourages membership to the Club Civilian loyalty program, which offers even more savings on marijuana and access to special events at owner Ink Entertainment's Rebel nightclub.
A few doors down at Canna Cabana, discounts are even steeper, hitting 70 per cent on accessories. The store promises "unbeatable" prices and Canna Club members routinely pay anywhere from a few dollars to $50 less than market prices on some items.
While welcomed by customers, the promotions playing out along that strip -- and in many neighbourhoods across Canada -- signal an intensifying war on prices in the cannabis market.
The push to slash prices is so significant industry members worry how independent retailers and even some franchisees can stay in business.
"There's a lot of independent retailers who have mortgaged their house, they put all their savings into their store, and it's such an oversaturated competitive market," said Lisa Campbell, cannabis marketing company Mercari Agency's CEO.
"Price is the key to success in these areas, and we're seeing quite a few stores close as a result of lowering margins for the retailers."
In some regions, like Ontario, stores must order cannabis from provincial pot distributors like the Ontario Cannabis Store, but have flexibility over how much to charge consumers.
The average price for cannabis was $11.78 per gram at the start of 2019, shortly after legalization, but fell to $7.50 per gram in 2021, a November report from Deloitte Canada and cannabis research firms Hifyre and BDSA said.
The average price for vape cartridges has similarly fallen by 41 per cent from $32.02 per gram around legalization to $19 per gram a year later.
The report showed price is the leading factor contributing to Canadian cannabis sales, with 34 per cent of consumers naming it their top consideration.
Though much of the push for lower prices is led by an industry desperate to squeeze out illicit dealers and dispensaries, the explosion of pot shops is also a trigger.
Ontario alone has 1,333 stores and with all hawking the same items, standing out has never been tougher and loyalty programs, which are mostly free to sign up, have never made more of a difference.
Canna Cabana, for example, found same-store sales rose by 48 per cent since its loyalty program's October launch.
"Everybody has a loyalty program and it's so competitive that it's kind of required or I felt that it was," said Sean Kady, co-founder of Cosmic Charlies, a Toronto cannabis shop.
"We're all selling the same products... so it's hard to differentiate. Price is the main thing for consumers."
Cosmic Charlies' loyalty program is a stamp card called Cosmo Pass that gives members 10 per cent off their first purchase for signing up. Then, every 11 purchases, they get 20 per cent off.
In the six months since its launch, customers have responded well and Kady said he sees an uptick in visits when members are notified of new promotions.
But it's "daunting" to keep up with competitors, he said.
Many give discounts for seniors and veterans, some like Tokyo Smoke offer $2 deals every Wednesday and price matching is common too.
Campbell saw many stores resisting such incentives since cave because inflation climbed to a near 40-year high and customers increasingly sought the lowest prices.
They're most often found at Canna Cabana. The High Tide Inc.-owned chain with 128 stores across five provinces is staying ultracompetitive with its Cabana Club, a lowest price guarantee and lottery style scratch cards promising up to $850 in prizes.
Campbell feels the chain is "crushing the game," while Kady calls it "a beast."
A recent visit to one of its Toronto locations showed 14 grams of MTL Cannabis' Sage n' Sour dried flower selling for $85.47 for members, 32 per cent less than the $125.99 market price and 26 per cent less than the $114.97 it was listed for at the Ontario Cannabis Store.
The company is able to offer such steep cuts because it got out of the wholesale business, so it could pass on discounts to customers, said High Tide CEO Raj Grover.
Those discounts will expand, when he launches Cabana Elite, a paid version of the Cabana Club loyalty program later this year.
Is he worried about copy cats? No, said Grover.
"We've always been innovative ... and I don't really pay too much attention to what the next guy is doing," he said. "We just put our head down."
Jaclynn Pehota, executive director of the Association of Canadian Cannabis Retailers, sums up what's happening in the industry as a "race to the bottom" that will have many victims.
"It is impossible for a privately-held small business to compete with a national, publicly-traded company that is backed by international funding," she said.
"It is a ludicrous proposition."
She suspects many of the big cannabis chains are adopting a Starbucks-like model, where they flood the market with stores, eventually cutting out the competition and becoming the dominant player.
She foresees many businesses closing, as a result, and consumers feeling the brunt.
"We're going to see a much less vibrant and colourful market and much narrower spectrum of brands that are functioning," Pehota said.
"I personally don't believe in the long term that's going to be a positive thing for the Canadian cannabis consumer."
This report by The Canadian Press was first published August 3, 2022.
Republicans on Sunday sought to distance themselves from Donald Trump's latest insults of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during a rambling weekend rally in Wisconsin in which he called her 'mentally disabled.'
Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.
The government has just weeks to decide if it will meet the $16-billion demand from the Bloc Québécois to stave off an election for a few more months, but the stipulation may be at odds with the political and fiscal plans of the Liberals.
An Ottawa driver has been charged with stunt driving after being caught going 154 km/h on Highway 417, according to the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP).
While libraries might be stereotyped by some as boring or outdated, they’ve become popular digital destinations for young viewers on TikTok.
Migrant groups are pushing the federal government to reverse its cap on international study permits and tightening post-graduate work permit qualifications, claiming it will leave many students 'in limbo.'
WeightWatchers CEO Sima Sistani, who pushed the company into embracing weight-loss drugs, is leaving the position after a two-and-a-half year stint.
The Tax-Free Savings Account can be a powerful savings tool and investment vehicle. Financial contributor Christopher Liew explains how they work and how to take full advantage of them so you can reach your financial goals faster.
This Monday, Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), a federal statutory holiday and day of remembrance for the Indigenous children who never came home from Canadian residential schools, as well as those who survived them.
A commemorative rally marking the fourth anniversary of Joyce Echaquan’s death will take place in Ville-Marie on Saturday afternoon.
Alberta's premier spoke to calls for an outside, independent investigation into the death of Jon Wells during an incident involving Calgary police last week.
The union representing longshore workers at the Port of Montreal says work at two terminals could come to a standstill next week as the union served a 72-hour strike notice today.
A child was sent to hospital after being attacked by a coyote in northwest Calgary.
Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.
Toronto police are urging anyone with information, including video footage, to contact them after a man was fatally stabbed in north Scarborough on Saturday evening.
Tim Walz and JD Vance might have the chance to reshape the political landscape Tuesday in their first and only debate.
Riding in a black SUV with tinted windows, lawyer Mariel Colon rolls up to the gates of a remote mansion, strolling past a security guard side-by-side with Emma Coronel, the wife of notorious drug lord JoaquÃn 'El Chapo' Guzman.
Newly emerged film footage of U.S. President John F. Kennedy's motorcade speeding down a Dallas freeway toward a hospital after he was fatally wounded sold at auction Saturday for US$137,500.
Republicans on Sunday sought to distance themselves from Donald Trump's latest insults of Democratic nominee Kamala Harris during a rambling weekend rally in Wisconsin in which he called her 'mentally disabled.'
Russia's top diplomat warned Saturday against 'trying to fight to victory with a nuclear power,' delivering a UN General Assembly speech packed with condemnations of what Russia sees as Western machinations in Ukraine and elsewhere — including inside the United Nations itself.
The Freedom Party was headed for the first far-right win in a national parliamentary election in post-World War II Austria on Sunday, finishing ahead of the governing conservatives after tapping into voters' anxieties about immigration, inflation, Ukraine and other issues, a projection showed. But its chances of governing were unclear.
Migrant groups are pushing the federal government to reverse its cap on international study permits and tightening post-graduate work permit qualifications, claiming it will leave many students 'in limbo.'
The government has just weeks to decide if it will meet the $16-billion demand from the Bloc Québécois to stave off an election for a few more months, but the stipulation may be at odds with the political and fiscal plans of the Liberals.
Gov. Gen. Mary Simon insists her lack of French language proficiency does not hinder her ability to represent Canadians, after several Quebec politicians this week criticized her for not yet being fluent in the language, three years after her appointment.
A man from Alberta has been at the Medipal International Hospital in Kampala, Uganda for over two months with a hefty medical bill. He says he can’t leave until it’s been paid for.
More than 550 symptomatic people responded to an online questionnaire about a gastrointestinal illness at a Prince Edward Island shellfish festival last weekend.
A partial masking mandate has returned to Nova Scotia hospitals and provincially run healthcare facilities for visitors and healthcare workers.
Canadian innovators and technical leaders gathered in Ottawa Thursday to demonstrate the latest cutting-edge technology.
SpaceX launched a rescue mission for the two stuck astronauts at the International Space Station on Saturday, sending up a downsized crew to bring them home but not until next year.
Trees haven't grown on the Falkland Islands for thousands of years. But tree trunks and branches preserved in peat suggest the islands were once home to a forest.
Given the sudden popularity of Moo Deng, the Thai national treasure whose name roughly translates as 'bouncy pork,' it was only a matter of time before someone turned her into a digital asset.
As Sarah McLachlan, Tom Cochrane and members of Blue Rodeo were ushered into the Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame on Saturday, each took a moment to recognize that writing great music usually comes with incredible struggle.
'Saturday Night Live' began its 50th season with a parade of former co-stars, including Maya Rudolph as U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris, Andy Samberg as her husband Doug Emhoff and Dana Carvey as U.S. President Joe Biden.
A strike by grain terminal workers at the Port of Metro Vancouver has ended, their employer announced Friday night.
When Annie Korver sits down with a new corporate or small business client, she encourages them to focus first on the 'truth' part of Truth and Reconciliation.
The U.S. Department of Transportation said Friday it had fined Air Canada US$250,000 for operating flights in 2022 and 2023 in prohibited Iraqi airspace.
While libraries might be stereotyped by some as boring or outdated, they’ve become popular digital destinations for young viewers on TikTok.
The Tax-Free Savings Account can be a powerful savings tool and investment vehicle. Financial contributor Christopher Liew explains how they work and how to take full advantage of them so you can reach your financial goals faster.
Matt Perrault has shipped animals in and out of Canada on behalf of owners for more than two decades, handling creatures ranging from birds to bearded dragons, rabbits and ferrets.
When the key to a win is work ethic, it is not surprising to see Mattias Ekholm rise to the occasion. Ekholm had a goal and two assists as the Edmonton Oilers snapped a three-game skid with a 5-4 victory over the Seattle Kraken on Saturday.
On an eventful Saturday at the Presidents Cup, the U.S. took an 11-7 lead over an International team that saw big performances from the world's No. 1 ranked golfer, Scottie Scheffler.
The Toronto Raptors have confirmed that Vince Carter's No. 15 will be the first number to be retired by the NBA franchise.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
A U.S. driver somehow squeezed her vehicle through a parkade hallway at a Metro Vancouver casino Thursday, before getting stuck at an elevator bank.
More than 12,000 vehicles in Canada are included in two separate recalls by Toyota Motor Corp. and Mazda.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
When a group of B.C. filmmakers set out on a small fishing boat near Powell River last week, they hoped to capture some video for a documentary on humpback whales. What happened next blew their minds.
A pizza chain in Edmonton claims to have the world's largest deliverable pizza.
Sarah McLachlan is returning to her hometown of Halifax in November.
Wayne MacKay is still playing basketball twice at Mount Allison University at 87 years old.
A man from a small rural Alberta town is making music that makes people laugh.
An Indigenous artist has a buyer-beware warning ahead of Sept. 30, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.
Police are looking to the public for help after thieves broke into a Lethbridge ice creamery, stealing from the store.
An ordinary day on the job delivering mail in East Elmwood quickly turned dramatic for Canada Post letter carrier Jared Plourde. A woman on his route was calling out in distress.
British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.
Vancouver's Bloedel Conservatory will be closing for more than two months for repairs, the park board announced last week.
Matt Perrault has shipped animals in and out of Canada on behalf of owners for more than two decades, handling creatures ranging from birds to bearded dragons, rabbits and ferrets.
A large crowd of people hoping to collect a piece of Toronto history gathered outside the ;Leslieville dollhouse' Sunday, as the new owners of the beloved east-end home gave away the dolls, toys, knick-knacks, and teddy bears that covered the property.
A grassroots organization is calling on the provincial government to reopen the Ontario Science Centre after it was abruptly closed in June following the discovery of structural issues in the building.
One person was injured in a stabbing at Moss Park early Sunday morning, Toronto police say.
A child was sent to hospital after being attacked by a coyote in northwest Calgary.
Alberta's premier spoke to calls for an outside, independent investigation into the death of Jon Wells during an incident involving Calgary police last week.
Migrant groups are pushing the federal government to reverse its cap on international study permits and tightening post-graduate work permit qualifications, claiming it will leave many students 'in limbo.'
A 23-year-old man sustained serious, but non-life-threatening injuries following a dispute with another man Saturday night at a bar in Gatineau, Que., police say.
A near perfect replica of Lighting McQueen came to Hardy Park in Brockville, Ont. for a meet and greet.
The 47th annual Canadian Police and Peace Officers' Memorial Service is taking place Sunday in the capital.
Provincial police (SQ) say a head-on crash on Highway 30 in Candiac has left two people dead.
A new Crave original series inspired by Leonard Cohen's iconic song "So Long, Marianne" delves into the complex love story between the renowned songwriter and his muse, Marianne Ihlen.
Some small Quebec municipalities are considering reducing the size of their city councils due to the challenges of recruiting candidates to run for office.
Thousands of kilometres of rural roads and highways in Alberta are nearing the end of their useful lives, and new research says the province is quickly running out of time to make the repairs needed to preserve them.
This Monday, Sept. 30 is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation (NDTR), a federal statutory holiday and day of remembrance for the Indigenous children who never came home from Canadian residential schools, as well as those who survived them.
Kim Ruether lifted her son's eyelid and saw his still, dilated pupil staring at the ceiling as he lay on a stretcher in a northwestern Alberta hospital hallway a decade ago. She says she didn't need a doctor to tell her the boy was dead.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
The East Coast Ukrainian Festival kicked off at Pier 21 in Halifax on Saturday, celebrating Ukrainian culture and traditions.
Team U.S.A. is the winner of the Pan American Black Bass Championship, which attracted some of the world’s best anglers to Nackawic and Fredericton this past week.
As the temperatures begin to drop and the leaves change colour, the time for fall suppers has returned in Manitoba.
Hundreds gathered in Winnipeg’s Memorial Park Saturday afternoon in a solemn ceremony honouring the lives of fallen firefighters.
Vintage collectors from all corners of Canada gathered at Assiniboia Downs Saturday to shop and show off a variety of trinkets and treasures.
The Town of Lumsden held their ninth annual Scarecrow festival Saturday.
The Saskatchewan Roughriders moved into second place in the CFL's West Division with a 29-16 victory over the Ottawa Redblacks on Saturday.
Minister of Health Everett Hindley wrote to healthcare provider unions on Friday inviting them to join a nursing task force, something the government previously said no to.
People in Guelph may notice a new addition at the entrance to Franchetto Park in Guelph.
A young motorcyclist has been taken to an out-of-region hospital after a single vehicle crash in Woolwich Township.
On Saturday evening just before 8:00 p.m., emergency responders were on the scene of a two-vehicle collision at the intersection of 17th Line and 19th Line.
Fire crews responded to a structure fire on the 300 block of Ave N South Saturday evening.
Saskatoon Police Service has arrested a suspect in connection with two separate stabbing incidents that occurred earlier this month.
Minister of Health Everett Hindley wrote to healthcare provider unions on Friday inviting them to join a nursing task force, something the government previously said no to.
A tale about a taxicab hauling gold and sinking through the ice on Larder Lake, Ont., in December 1937 has captivated a man from that town for decades.
The CEO of the Ottawa Mission is responding to controversial comments made this week by Premier Doug Ford about those living in homeless encampments that received swift blowback from advocates.
The government has just weeks to decide if it will meet the $16-billion demand from the Bloc Québécois to stave off an election for a few more months, but the stipulation may be at odds with the political and fiscal plans of the Liberals.
On Friday, police in Sarnia say that they were sent to a hydro compound on Confederation Street following security alarms being triggered.
On Saturday, just before 10:00 p.m., police were called to the intersection of Richmond and Huron Streets for a welfare check.
The fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is on Monday, Sept. 30.
A pedestrian has died after reportedly getting struck by an OPP cruiser in Bala early Sunday morning.
South Simcoe Police are investigating a fatal collision in Innisfil that occurred early Saturday morning involving a car and a motorcycle.
Members of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP and the Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre (CAFC) are sounding the alarm on a rising number of online and phone scams targeting residents.
Two and a half years after losing her best friend and first love to suicide, Brooke Ford shared her story of grief and resilience at the CMHA Windsor-Essex Suicide Awareness Walk.
The BSI aims to elevate Black academic excellence, promoting scholarship, mentorship, and cultural knowledge.
The fourth annual National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada is on Monday, Sept. 30.
British Columbia saw a rare unanimous vote in its legislature in October 2019, when members passed a law adopting the United Nations Declarations on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, setting out standards including free, prior and informed consent for actions affecting them.
A man was found dead in a home in the Ditidaht First Nation on Vancouver Island Saturday morning, prompting local council to ask residents to shelter in place.
For decades, Melven Jones couldn’t talk about what happened to him as a child. He didn’t even remember it.
Fire crews in Vernon, B.C., responded to a large house fire early Saturday morning.
A pair of runaway pigs are in the custody of an animal sanctuary in the Okanagan after evading police and volunteers for hours earlier this week.
The Red Bridge, a historic landmark in Kamloops, B.C., was completely destroyed by fire early Thursday morning.
The sentencing for three men convicted of helping lead and coordinate the COVID-19 protest blockade at Coutts, Alta., in 2022 has been delayed.
A 10-year-old boy from Lethbridge is being praised as a hero after a routine summer outing at the pool nearly turned tragic for his friend.
A man and woman have been charged after a Lethbridge ice creamery was broken into earlier this week. Staff arrived at Cookie Crimes, in the 300 block of Sixth Street South, just before 5:30 a.m. on Monday to discover the front window broken.
Sault residents may notice some commotion on the Algoma University campus over the next two weeks as a team conducts an archaeological search.
The Pride crosswalk in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., has been hit by vandalism for the second time in less than three months.
Despite a lead at mid-game in front of a near-capacity home crowd, the Sudbury Wolves dropped their first game of their OHL regular season to Barrie, 3-1.
A mother in a community where the cost of living is one of the highest in the country says grocery prices are 'inhumane' and retailers are putting profits ahead of people’s basic human right to food.
A soccer game in England on Tuesday night drove a spike in online traffic across the Atlantic to a website launched by the Newfoundland and Labrador government.
Newfoundland and Labrador sponsored a minor football team in England, now they’re about to play one of the biggest clubs in European soccer.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at Â鶹´«Ã½. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
