Collective Cannabis employs autonomous assembly/delivery system
Wings announced that Collective Cannabis will utilize its EXO Delivery System to streamline logistics, foster a happier workforce, and enhance the consumer experience. The EXO system is the first B2B product of the EXO family of systems designed to automate retail logistics and workflows with extensibility, versatility, and sustainability in mind, they claim. The new system will be installed and operational in Q2 of 2022 at Collective Cannabis’ Littleton, Massachusetts branch.
Collective Cannabis aims to offer unprecedented customer service in a fast-growing market by offering premium, high-value products timely and consistently, removing congestion and minimizing waiting times. A challenge for many retailers, especially in the cannabis space. At its first location in Littleton, the business plans to operate with eight budtenders and dedicated stations for mobile and online orders—a world-first, especially in a regulated market. The company will utilize the EXO system in other stores as they scale.
“We have been honored and delighted to work closely with the team at Collective Cannabis before opening their stores and listening closely to their current constraints and versatility needs,” says Haitham Al-Beik, CEO of Wings. “The EXO systems, and several patent-pending technologies, will help them reduce risk by increasing the security of high-value products while eliminating friction between their backroom logistics, budtenders, and customers. As a result, assemblers remain focused as budtenders spend more time with their customers, driving additional sales and offering an elevated experience for staff and customers alike.”
The EXO system was designed to intuitively automate the flow of products from the assembly to multiple delivery zones while taking no floor space from the vault, budtenders, and customers. In addition, Collective Cannabis opted for three distribution modules that can store and deliver up to 90 orders whenever needed, especially useful during peak hours. As a result, customers can place online / to-go orders early in the day and pick them up at any time without worrying about the security of high-value products left outside the vault.
"The EXO system revolutionizes the last ten feet of the retail journey," says Jim McDermet, Wings' advisor. "Satisfying the customer experience while simplifying and improving the employee experience is what the EXO Delivery system is all about. It's a template for all future retailers to adopt." Jim McDermet's experience in the retail space and global operations at Starbucks and Burger King helped guide the strategic development of a highly versatile EXO system.
“As cannabis retailers focus on quality and premium products, the differentiation stops there,” says David Giannetta, CEO and founder of Collective Cannabis. “The premium experience now shifts to operational efficiency within the retail space, beginning with the customer and carrying through to the back. We are delighted to lead the industry in adopting robotics that values products, floor space, time, and, most importantly, people."
