The Liquor Control Board of Ontario (LCBO), accountable to the Finance Ministry, Ontario, has apparently signed an agreement with Shopify Inc. LCBO aims to use the Canadian eCommerce firm’s business platform to sell medicinal marijuana through online stores, cite sources.
According to The Star, the Ontario Cannabis Retail Corporation (OCRC), a division of LCBO, will make use of Shopify’s online store software for selling medicinal marijuana via its mobile sales portal as well as its web portal. The Vice President of Shopify Plus has stated that the firm is indeed proud to be a part of this historic agreement, which, according to Shopify’s VP, is a classic instance of a made-in-Canada initiative.
LCBO’s CEO joins in, stating that the Board’s topmost priority was to abide by the province’s legislations over sensible retailing & selling activities pertaining to cannabis, the usage of which is legalized by the Canadian authorities. He further stated that the deal will help the firm integrate its expertise with Shopify’s eCommerce services for offering a safe, seamless, and reliable shopping experience to its consumers.
Shopify’s technology, for the record, is also expected to find applications across the brick & mortar stores for transaction processing on iPads. The technology may also be able to support the display of product & health information on digital screens.
Reliable reports state that OCRC aims to have online operations set up in time for the proposed marijuana legalization, which is expected in July this year. The LCBO has also stated that OCRC will launch forty stores in the beginning, though the number is most likely to cross 150 by 2020. Shopify’s eCommerce platform, in all probability, will be used to carry out inventory handling, accounting, and human resource activities throughout.
Online sales transactions of marijuana can only be carried out via government-regulated digital stores and standalone stores, claim state officials.