Like many operators pioneering the early years of recreational cannabis, Robert McKinley, the owner of the top-selling Washington brand Phat Panda, had little choice but to write his own guidebook to maximize his company’s efficiency. Along the way he developed a rudimentary system for sales that caught the attention of numerous buyers for its ease of use. After years of making small iterations to the system, McKinley knew the software could become something much larger and passed the idea to long-time friend Jefferson Law to transform the stop-gap solution into a full-scale enterprise platform capable of helping any operator streamline their business.
Bamboo is a software platform designed for retailers, producers, and processors of any size — ranging from the small, mom-and-pop single-store retailers to the multi-state operators overseeing a wide range of license types across states with varying regulations. It operates on three pillars: Bamboo Trace, which handles traceability and inventory; Bamboo Sales, which helps brands sell more efficiently and strategically; and Bamboo Cashier, which provides point-of-sale software, marketing, and consumer analytics for retailers.
“We’re the first cannabis technology to have full seed-to-consumer support, so everything from the plant in the soil to consumer analytics,” Law says. “We’re tackling the whole supply chain.”
While tying all the major software components into a single package should be enough to get the attention of some industry operators, the most compelling part of using the Bamboo platform is arguably the price.
“We currently provide best-in-class technology for our sales and traceability platforms at an incredibly affordable price. Regarding Cashier, we are finalizing the numbers, but I can confidently assure you that we will be the most cost-effective choice in the canna-tech industry, all while maintaining our commitment to high standards,” Law says. “I will make damn sure of that.”
Marijuana Venture spoke with Law, the company’s chief operating officer, as well as chief technology officer Loren Saxby, and Bamboo partner Max Tetrault, about how the platform works and explore how they help businesses, from seed to consumer.
Marijuana Venture: Was this developed for operators in every state?
Jefferson Law: The initial version of Bamboo was designed for in-house use. Its first iteration, V1, served as a simple sales platform. With valuable industry insights from the leading producer and processor (Phat Panda) in Washington, Bamboo Sales was born. Many operators were already using Bamboo Sales as a standalone product to enhance their sales team’s efficiency, and our vision for the seed-to-consumer ecosystem led us to further integrate with our traceability product, Bamboo Trace.
Loren Saxby: Bamboo Trace was launched shortly after Bamboo Sales. Bamboo Trace serves as our traceability platform, ensuring that cannabis companies in Washington and Metrc states maintain compliance. To summarize, Bamboo Sales can be utilized in any state or country for buying and selling various products, including but not limited to cannabis, CBD, and hemp. Bamboo Trace integrates seamlessly with Bamboo Sales, simplifying compliance efforts and streamlining inventory management.
MV: How does Bamboo Sales improve on the existing sales tech available now?
Law: We acknowledge that the canna-tech industry is already saturated with marketplace-like platforms. Despite this, we firmly believe that Bamboo offers something truly unique. We are moving away from the outdated practice of selling products through marketplaces, PDFs, and Excel files containing non-updatable inventory and prices. This is not another product marketplace; instead, we have combined the effectiveness of email marketing with fully customizable online menus in one cohesive platform.
Sellers or sales representatives can send marketing emails along with a unique URL tailored to each buyer. Buyers can place orders directly through their computers, tablets, or mobile devices by accessing the live sales menu. We’re not attempting to replace the interpersonal connection between sellers and buyers; rather, we are simplifying and streamlining the process. Sellers can fulfill orders upon their buyers’ requests, or buyers can effortlessly access the live sales menu themselves. Additionally, thanks to Bamboo’s robustness and customizability, unlike most marketplaces that restrict sellers to one menu, Bamboo allows sellers to manage multiple sales menus simultaneously.
Moreover, if Bamboo Trace is utilized, manifesting orders becomes incredibly efficient, and one can manifest all the necessary information in a matter of minutes.
MV: How does Bamboo Trace optimize standard procedures for producers or manufacturers?
Max Tetrault: We pride ourselves on being attentive listeners. We value the feedback from our clients, and we’ve used this to continually add features to Bamboo. We considered everything, from multi-lot harvesting to the process of creating lots and packages. We wanted to make traceability and compliance more manageable. We understand that traceability isn’t the most exciting part of the business; it’s not glamorous. That’s why we strive to minimize the time one spends in Bamboo Trace and maximize your time in Bamboo Sales. Placing orders or launching email marketing campaigns with live menus is far more productive for the bottom line than dealing with plant tags or affixing labels on products.
Saxby: The orders in Bamboo also provide valuable data intelligence. We collaborate closely with our clients to ensure that the performance reports offer a comprehensive overview of their business operations and sales reps’ efficiency and can delve into very granular details. With this data, you can identify your clients’ best-selling products or even products they should consider purchasing. This actionable information allows for more predictability and better forecasting of sales and is all available via Bamboo Sales and Cashier performance reporting.
MV: What exactly is Bamboo Cashier and what does it provide for operators?
Saxby: Bamboo Cashier serves as our point-of-sale system. It is designed to function as a standalone product, catering to dispensaries and businesses in need of a reliable point-of-sale solution. Similar to our other applications, Trace and Sales, Cashier benefits from feedback received from our partners. We believe Cashier is the final piece in completing the Bamboo ecosystem, providing a non-siloed seed-to-consumer experience. With it, retailers and brands will have the option to monitor inventory levels, store quantities, par levels, and sell-through rates and enable automatic restocking. We aim to assist brands, sales representatives, and stores in ensuring that the best-selling products are consistently available on the shelves.
MV: Obviously, this tech has worked well for Phat Panda in Washington. Do you have any other test cases from operators in other states?
Tetrault: Phat Panda has been a steadfast supporter of Bamboo since 2020. Their expertise and guidance have played a pivotal role in molding Bamboo into a unique and exceptional canna-tech product. As our expansion efforts continue, we are actively scaling our Metrc business across several states. We are seeing substantial progress, with companies in California, Massachusetts, and other states modernizing their sales process with Bamboo Sales and integrating with Metrc through Bamboo Trace.
MV: What is the learning curve like on this platform? How quickly can an operator download the software and get to work?
Saxby: Bamboo operates on a secure cloud platform and is accessible on any browser. When getting started, we recommend that our clients dedicate a minimum of 8-12 hours to thoroughly understand all the customizations and intricacies offered by Bamboo Trace and Sales. While it’s possible to use Bamboo in a basic way, to truly maximize the benefits of Sales, Trace, and/or Cashier, explore every feature, as there are numerous ways to accomplish the same task based on individual preferences.
Tetrault: During the onboarding process, our team starts with the basics. We believe in our customers’ success, and we prioritize their needs above all else, even if it means working around the clock. Our success is intertwined with the success of our customers. When they win, we win.
Account creation is instant, and assisting clients in importing data into Bamboo can take one to five business days, depending on company size.
MV: You said you’re not giving hard numbers on the price, but can you give any idea on what operators will be paying for this software?
Tetrault: Our pricing model, known as Pay As You Grow, is designed to be straightforward and business-friendly. We understand the multitude of expenses businesses face, and our goal is to support growth, not hinder it. With Pay As You Grow, we scale with your business. You can find the pricing calculator online on our website. There is no charge for additional users, licenses, or anything else. If you’re not generating sales through Bamboo, you’re not getting billed.
Here’s the exciting part: if you’re already using another service provider for sales or traceability, share your past invoices with us, and we’ll ensure you don’t pay a cent more than what you’re currently paying. Should you wish to use Bamboo, we’re more than willing to work it out with you. Pricing should never be a hindrance to choosing Bamboo. Feel free to come and go as you wish; we don’t believe in contracts.
MV: When is Bamboo going to be available?
Law: We are prepared to assist cannabis brands, CBD, and hemp businesses in selling and buying more effectively starting today. If you’re tired of the hassles of traceability, we’ll ensure you never have to worry about inventory reconciliation again when you use Bamboo Sales and Trace. You have the option to use Bamboo Sales independently or integrate it into your existing sales processes to potentially boost your sales.
If you’re a retailer tired of switching point-of-sale systems every year, your search ends here. Bamboo Cashier has been developed with extensive input from retailers handling millions of dollars in monthly transactions. When integrated with Bamboo Trace and Sales, Bamboo Cashier becomes the obvious choice for those seeking a high-quality, dependable point-of-sale solution.
There’s no harm in giving Bamboo Sales a try to see if it can boost your sales in addition to your current strategies. Whether you decide to utilize Bamboo Sales exclusively or integrate it with your existing service providers, who wouldn’t want to boost their sales or make their teams more efficient? We aim to streamline workflows, providing you with more time to focus on your customers, and growing your business.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.