Alberta's cannabis retail landscape has matured rapidly since legalization. The first wave of dispensaries prioritized compliance and speed to market. Interiors were functional, often generic: glass cases, stark lighting, minimal character. They served their purpose. But as the market has become saturated, the retailers that are thriving are the ones that have invested in the experience of being in the store, not just the transaction that happens there.
Bud Mart Cannabis is one of those retailers. With more than eleven locations across Alberta, from Calgary to Airdrie, Chestermere, and smaller communities beyond, Bud Mart engaged KINN Studios to develop a retail design language that would distinguish their stores from the hundreds of dispensaries competing for the same customer. What follows is an account of the design thinking behind that work.
Moving Beyond the Dispensary Template
The default aesthetic of cannabis retail in Alberta tends to fall into one of two categories: the clinical (white walls, glass cases, fluorescent lighting, vaguely medical) or the countercultural (dark walls, neon signage, exposed brick, vaguely underground). Both are recognizable. Neither is particularly inviting to the broad customer base that cannabis retail now serves.
The first conversation with Bud Mart was about who their customer actually is. Not the caricature of a cannabis consumer, but the reality: professionals stopping in after work, parents shopping while their kids are at practice, older adults exploring cannabis for the first time. These customers respond to warmth, clarity, and a sense of being welcome. They do not respond to environments that feel either sterile or exclusionary.
This understanding became the foundation of every design decision that followed. The stores would feel warm. They would feel curated. They would feel like a place you want to browse, not a place you want to get in and out of quickly.
Arch Display Cabinets and Warm Wood Tones
The most recognizable design element across Bud Mart locations is the arch display cabinet system. These custom millwork pieces frame the product displays with a softened, architectural profile that immediately distinguishes the stores from the rectilinear glass-case approach used by most competitors. The arches introduce a sense of craftsmanship and permanence. They communicate investment. They make the product feel curated rather than stocked.
The material palette centres on warm wood tones, natural where possible, with complementary neutral finishes that ground the space. We deliberately avoided the cool, industrial materials that dominate cannabis retail. No polished concrete, no exposed ductwork, no raw steel. Instead: wood, plaster-finish walls, soft-edge detailing, and a colour palette that reads as residential in its warmth while remaining clearly commercial in its execution.
The best retail design makes the product feel like a discovery, not a transaction.
Lighting for Browsing, Not Just Buying
Cannabis retail presents a specific lighting challenge. Products are typically packaged in opaque containers with printed labels, meaning there is no inherent visual appeal in the product itself. The environment must do all the work of making the experience feel premium and inviting.
We designed a layered lighting strategy that creates zones of intimacy within the retail floor. Accent lighting within the arch display cabinets highlights product groupings and draws the eye. Ambient overhead lighting is warm and diffused, avoiding the harsh overhead wash that makes many dispensaries feel like pharmacies. Task lighting at the point of sale is brighter and more focused, supporting the consultation and transaction without spilling into the browsing zones.
The goal was to create a lighting environment where customers feel comfortable lingering. In cannabis retail, longer dwell time correlates directly with higher basket size. A customer who feels relaxed enough to browse will discover products they did not come in for. A customer who feels rushed will buy what they already know and leave.
Consistency Across Eleven Locations
The challenge with any multi-location retail program is maintaining design integrity as the brand scales. Each Bud Mart location occupies a different shell: different square footage, different ceiling heights, different storefront conditions. The design system had to be robust enough to feel consistent across all of them while flexible enough to adapt to each specific space.
We developed detailed 3D models for each new location, testing how the core design elements would translate to each unique floor plate. The arch cabinets, the material palette, the lighting strategy, and the signage system were all defined as fixed elements. Layout configuration, feature wall treatments, and certain decorative details were defined as flexible, allowing each location to respond to its specific architectural context.
This systematic approach allowed Bud Mart to open new locations efficiently without sacrificing the design quality that distinguishes them. A customer who visits the Airdrie store and then the Calgary location experiences the same brand, even though the two spaces are physically different.
Designing for a Maturing Market
Alberta's cannabis retail market is still young, but it is maturing quickly. The retailers that will endure are the ones building genuine brand equity through every dimension of the customer experience, including the physical space. A well-designed store is not a luxury for cannabis retailers. It is a competitive necessity in a market where the product itself is largely commoditized and the experience is the differentiator.
The work with Bud Mart continues as new locations are developed. Each one refines the design system further, testing it against new contexts and new market conditions. It is an ongoing collaboration that illustrates one of the core principles we hold at KINN Studios: the best retail environments are not designed once and replicated. They are designed as living systems that evolve with the brand.
If you are developing a cannabis retail space in Alberta, or any retail environment that needs to compete on experience rather than price alone, we would welcome the conversation. You can explore more of our interior design work and our portfolio of completed projects.