Yes, It's A Real Job: Rohan Marley Employs Secret Weed Shoppers For Quality Control Of His Cannabis Brand

Jan Verleur, co-founder of Verleur Group LLC (TVG), and Rohan Marley, the driving force behind Lion Order cannabis products, engaged in a comprehensive discussion with Benzinga on quality control, consumer experiences, and their unique secret shopping approach. They highlighted their commitment to maintaining product excellence, ethical principles and data-driven strategies for consistent quality.

"I promise you, this is my first encounter with a secret shopper system in the cannabis industry. It's a departure from the typical incubator mindset. While such retail practices are common in other industries, they're rare in cannabis due to perceived indifference,” Marley told Benzinga.

“Every work order is meticulously verified to meet quality standards, spanning various stages such as trimming, drying, and bulking. In addition, we take into account factors like transportation conditions that could impact product quality,” added Veleur.

Interested in learning more about retail cannabis and branding? Meet us at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, the place where deals get done, returning to Chicago this Sept 27-28 for its 17th edition. 

Secret Shopping In Cannabis? Yes, It Is A Thing

The practice of secret shopping, a well-established approach employed by retail chains spanning various industries such as consumer goods, plays a crucial role in data-driven quality control methodologies.

Secret shoppers can have various profiles with different levels of sophistication, and often, major companies deploy secret shoppers to ensure proper placement and visibility of their products in stores, ensuring compliance with brand strategies and agreements with retailers.

“While secret shopping might not be universally adopted in the cannabis sector, it's common in traditional retail. It serves as an additional data source, complementing metrics like sales data, to ensure consistent excellence,” Veleur said.

Precision In Retail Management

Lion Order’s merchandising team conducts on-site assessments to ensure that these components are implemented correctly. For example, if a Lion Order product should retail at $15, deviations of 20%, 30%, or 40% outside that range could raise concerns.

Moreover, the verification extends to confirming the proper utilization of in-store merchandising components, such as signage for new product releases.

Secret shopping is not only a means of assessing the accuracy of the manufacturer's suggested retail pricing (MSRP).

Secret shopping is instrumental in keeping tabs on various aspects of retail execution, including pricing accuracy, merchandising consistency, and effective consumer messaging.

By gauging if retailers adhere to established guidelines and pricing standards, brands can identify potential issues and deviations, both positive and negative.

A Secret Advantage

By using secret shopping as a data point, Marley’s cannabis brand gains firsthand information gathered through direct engagement with products. This proprietary data holds a distinct advantage over data purchased from external sources.

“When brands send out a secret shopper to purchase and evaluate products, they gain a tactile understanding. This hands-on verification enhances the quality of the data they collect,” Jan said.

Consistency, Legacy And Loyalty

Veleur noted their goal of providing a uniform product experience across different markets, exemplified by their flagship sativa, Island Sunshine, tasting the same in California as it does in Michigan, New Jersey, or New York.

Marley added that implementing these practices to achieve consistent growth and preserve legacy and consumer loyalty is essential.

“Understanding the dynamic between consumers and products and remaining aligned with one's vision is paramount. This mirrors Rastafari's principles," Marley said. "Our ethics and sustainable mindset shape everything, much like how my family creates music. It's all about the authentic product because we strive for a lasting taste. That's what forges a lasting connection with us – a memory that endures."

How Does It Work?

Secret shoppers purchase the items and use a data input system, to fill out questionnaires. These questionnaires capture details like the purchase price, date and retailer's license number.

The shopper even weighs the purchased products, with this data entered into the system.

However, the physical samples are returned to Lion Order for quality control personnel or management to review.

So yes, there is an actual job that pays for smoking weed.

But you have to be one of the eight technicians at the Quality Control Department of Lion Order on Michigan’s campus.

Marley confessed that his brothers also serve as private shoppers and provide honest feedback on taste and experience.

"Every time I go see them, I bring a gift, our herb, which they call the ‘musician herb,’ and my brother's already stamped proof of our herb. So every time I go see them, I need that same response. You understand? That consistency, it's so important for me," Marley said.

Interested in learning more about retail cannabis and branding? Meet us at the Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference, the place where deals get done, which is returning to Chicago this Sept 27-28 for its 17th edition. Get your tickets today before prices increase and secure a spot at the epicenter of cannabis investment and branding.

All Photos Courtesy Of Lion Order.