Circle K expands Canadian cannabis agreement with 4 new locations

Dive Brief:

• Circle K and Fire & Flower announced the expansion of their cannabis partnership with four new co-located stores in Ontario, Canada, according to a press release.
• The agreement sets aside space next to the Circle K c-stores for Fire & Flower to sell its flower, oils, vapes and more.
• The companies had said when a previous location opened in September that they planned to reach “a total of 10 Circle K co-located stores … within the next twelve months.” The four new locations will bring them to seven total stores so far.

Dive Insight:

Circle K and Fire & Flower are continuing to expand their partnership that began with a CA$26 million investment in the cannabis retailer back in 2019. The four new Ontario locations are expected to open their doors “within the coming weeks,” according to the release, and are located in Brampton, Guelph, Oshawa and Hamilton.

This will mark the second co-located cannabis outlet in Brampton. The final two locations, which opened in 2020, are located in Alberta, in Calgary and Grand Prarie.

“Having access to Circle K’s valued real estate through these co-located stores demonstrates the differentiating value of the strategic relationship with our partner, Alimentation Couche–Tard” said Stéphane Trudel, Chief Executive Officer of Fire & Flower, in the release. 

The move comes less than a month after Circle K announced a similar co-location plan with Green Thumb in Florida. In that case, the companies plan to open 10 Rise Express branded dispensaries alongside select stores in Florida beginning next year, pending regulatory approval.

Circle K has also carried CBD products in stores, including a limited-time exclusive of vaping products, in combination with Canopy Growth. 

The Fire & Flower locations use the cannabis company’s Hifyre technology platform and accept its Spark Perks rewards program, which gives members special pricing on certain products, personalized recommendations and early access to events, new products and restocks. 

In addition to the four co-located stores, Fire & Flower is also purchasing two cannabis retail locations from a subsidiary of Laval, Quebec-based Alimentation Couche–Tard, the parent company of Circle K, the Tuesday announcement stated.