All Retail Should be Given More Freedom

I love retail and always have, but retail has disappointed me over the years. I am pretty sure it has disappointed us all. So, I have set out to create a place where people want to hang out, where there is always something new to discover, where there are activations that bring people together, and where cannabis is also sold.

If we want to change retail, let retailers create unique experiences. That is how we change retail in the store. People enjoy the venture; it is entertaining and it’s fun. E-commerce won’t change, but neither will people going to stores.

Why can’t a liquor store sell food? Why can’t we have a coffee bar and a small restaurant in a cannabis space? Why can’t there be an area to partake in wine, food, and cannabis? Why can’t there be stores like there are in Europe where you can buy cheese, wine, chocolate tarts, knives, cheeseboards, some savory condiments, and perhaps a book and a piece of art in one location but not in America?

We talk out of both sides of our mouths. If we were a true capitalist society, nothing would be keeping me or other retailers from selling an item that is also sold down the street as long as we pay taxes. Does it make sense that the deli only gets to sell potato chips? Does it make sense that restaurants that serve wine can’t sell the wine from the vintners they support?

On the one hand, the government controls women’s bodies and makes us wear seatbelts, but they aren’t allowed to take away our guns. Hmmm. It doesn’t seem to add up, nor does the controlled ownership of verticals that keep competition out of the market. Isn’t capitalism about making competitive markets with economic freedom?

I believe that we have created a unique space with Gotham, and the customer will be the one, as always, that decides if the experience we are providing is what they are looking for.