Cannabis Retail for Now – Self-Checkout Solution, anna, Makes Landmark Launch at Colorado Dispensaries

Cannabis retail innovators at anna announced today the launch of their fast, efficient and highly-compliant self-checkout solution for Colorado dispensaries.

anna’s technology is created to uphold the expectations of consumers and retailers while modernizing the cannabis purchasing experience. Designed to meet specific industry needs, the hardware is akin to the self-checkout section at a local grocer, but with several high-tech benefits, including anna’s integration with existing retailer technologies, contactless payment and dispensing, and streamlined transactions through the anna.app.

Customers can browse in-store using anna’s touchscreen interface or utilize online ordering by scanning their QR code upon arrival, keeping the checkout process to under a minute. This allows dispensaries and CBD retailers to service customers while adhering to today’s social distancing guidelines.

“The retail technology available to dispensaries has inhibited the cannabis industry's path to normalization. In many traditional retail industries, self-checkout transactions are standard,” said Matt Frost, Founder and CEO of anna. “With anna, our stakeholders will see very quickly that prioritizing retail efficiency improves store traffic, and allows associates to spend additional time with more inexperienced customers. anna epitomizes ‘Cannabis Retail for Now’.”

A typical anna setup involves three to four units placed on the dispensary or retail sales floor, creating a subnetwork within anna's larger cloud architecture. The interior can be configured to accommodate products of all sizes, and its capacity exceeds 2,000 products in a footprint just under 8 square feet.

With each device serving as its own point-of-sale register, an assigned cashier or associate—the anna.agent—is responsible for authorizing sales and live monitoring transactions through a secure tablet connected to anna’s network, all while prioritizing compliance.

anna’s proprietary rules engine, modeled after advanced health and life science analytics engines, is able to distribute THC and CBD products in a compliant manner, in licensed retail environments across the globe. anna incorporates fulfillment rules, regulations and compliance standards down to the most granular level of local jurisdictions and municipalities.

anna will launch at two Colorado dispensaries beginning the week of August 10, 2020; Strawberry Fields in Pueblo (4116 Nature Center Road), and Starbuds in Southeast Aurora (14655 E. Arapahoe Road). Each store will feature units that are custom branded, another service offered to partners.

Planned rollouts with anna’s dispensary partners extend through the year and into 2021—including a September 2020 launch in Massachusetts, as well as an expanded Colorado presence. By 2021, anna is focused on bringing the company's self-checkout solution to cannabis markets in Nevada, California and Canada.

About anna

anna elevates the cannabis retail experience with modern self-checkout solutions engineered to boost sales volume and take the headache out of compliance. Designed by a team of analytics experts and software engineers out of Boston, anna’s advanced technology facilitates seamless, fully compliant order fulfillment with point-of-sale (POS) integration and real-time analytics that help retailers maximize revenue and reduce operational costs. With anna’s AI-powered fast order fulfillment and retail automation, customers can easily order online or in-store, discover new products, and make their purchases in under a minute for a next-level shopping experience that is personalized to their needs, and consistent across all locations. Visit tryanna.com to learn more about the future of cannabis retail.

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