Reimagining Retail Hippie Hill Return to By Omar Sacirbey San Francisco retailer embraces opportunity to connect with cannabis customers through special events annabis and outdoor concerts have been part of San Francisco's identity since the Summer of Love in 1967 popularized artists such as the Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin and more. Martin Olive, owner-operator of the Vapor Room retailer in San Francisco, sees participating in events such as the Treasure Island Music Festival and summer street festivals as a way to get the store's name in front of potential customers. " Just being part of the event culture and promoting cannabis, it's been in our repertoire for quite some time, Olive said. But when COVID-19 forced the Vapor Room to sideline that part of its business and marketing strategy, it couldn't have come at a worse time. The coronavirus pandemic hit not long after the Vapor Room moved to a corporate corridor surrounded by tech companies including Twitter and Zendesk. While many cannabis retailers saw business increase during COVID-19, the Vapor Room " saw a really significant In 2021, Grass Lands marked a return to public events for the Vapor Room, a cannabis retailer in San Francisco. Photo by Alive Coverage 40 May-June 2023 | MJBizMagazine