Dispo Review: PCF Ceres

Sep 14, 2024

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by

Jack Kilgore

in Cannabis Wisdom, Dispensaries, Education, Reviews

As the Cannabusiness starts to grow and expand, it will invariably become much more complex and receptive to trends. Consumers tastes will shift, brands will rise and fall, and the law will transform. Ethical, transparent, and integral cannabis business consultancy will skyrocket in demand.

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• An enlightened presentation of critical information;
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• A cannabis industry life-hack to gain dynamic understanding of your target demographic.

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PCF is part of an ownership group that runs 9 different dispos across the region. From Flavors Santa Cruz, X1 Tracy, pHenos Modesto, to Firehouse Turlock, they are all members of an exclusive group called The Premier Society of Cannabis Clubs & Dispensaries.

Lets take a closer look at Patient Care First (PCF)

Dispensary Review

   – Name: Patient Care First (PCF)
   – Location: 1449 Angie Ave., Ceres
   – Hours: 9am to 9pm

DEALS
   – Promotions: Depending on the time of year, they can have various promos running. Examples include 30% OFF the entire store, BOGOs, and B2G1s.
   – Loyalty Programs: At TPG clubs like PCF, loyalty and rewards programs and incentives manifest more readily as discounts and other incentives. The club offers 10% off for Veterans
   – Special Events: Holidays, within and without the Cannabis Industry. Holidays like 420, 710, and others garner much attention and make up a substantial portion of annual sales.

SELECTION
   – Product Variety: PCF is well-stacked with items across the spectrum. Each segment–edible, flower, vape, etc–has multiple options available to the consumer, facilitating a good market exposure to consumers.
   – Brand Availability: As with the cornucopia of products, and keeping with the principle attractors that constitute the Premier Group of Dispensaries a
   – Product Quality: Given that the products sold there are high-end brand names, quality is usually a given.

4. BUDTENDING
   – Staff Knowledge: Generally speaking, BTs exhibit topical knowlege on mainstream product lineups like Stiiizy, Cake, and Raw Garden. This is counterbalanced, though, by a lack of depth across some newer product lineups, but nothing we saw as detrimental or unenlightened.
   – Customer Service: the Premier Society Clubs are known locally for their efficiency. In smaller dispos, customers will sometimes need to wait anywhere from 5-10 minutes because of restrictions on the number of people on the budfloor.

PCF’s designers were well-endowed because their focus on the sheer volume and anticipating it properly lets the dispo operate very smoothly for one this size.

An interesting tidbit here: the Premier Society has sort of taken a female-first approach to budtending. This is a smart choice. According to the Budtenders Ethos, Female BTs tend to de-escalate and assuage more successfully than their male counterparts, while males tend to bring increased revenue that females do not. (Kilgore, 2023), and speaking from experience we can vouch for this claim.
   – Consultation Experience: We sent three buyers to the club once per week for three weeks, where they purchased a wide array of products. We found the information to be reliable and helpful.

5. EFFICIENCY
   – Wait Times: In our experience, wait times here will vary between immediate service up to around 15 minutes, when there are dozens of customers.
   – Order Process: The ordering process itself is very straightforward, just the consumer and the budtender with no pressure.
   – Payment Options: Because we are in a shifting industry in a lackadaisical State these clubs are only permitted to utilize cash transactions, however there are some local clubs that are accepting cards now. Crypto will be the next big wave of transactionary security and interoperability.

6. COMPETITIVENESS

We at BTE really do not prefer the term “monopoly” because the term tends to carry a negative connotation, and because we are in a growing industry, still very young; things will begin to balance. However, these clubs do so well here that in this regard, PCFs affiliation as a Premier Club means its part of the biggest chain we have in the local area, and as such its really competing against itself, just across various geographical regions and demographics.
   – Pricing Structure: Product pricing is budget-friendly, while there are options for more expensive items. This is appreciated by locals and non locals alike because the average annual income around this part of the country is not higher than $150,000.
   – Comparison: compared to other dispos outside the Premier Society, PCF has good pricing. For example, a 1-gram pod of premium vape oil from turn® will set you back about $25.
   – Value for Money: excellent! The quality of some of these products, like the one mentioned above, is undeniable, so it can be a pleasant surprise at the register.

7.ACCESSIBILITY
   – Location Accessibility: PCF is within compliance for all ADA requirements.
   – Website/Online Presence: they dont have the biggest online presence outside of social media, where they do very well. Therefore we recommend allocating resources to enhance their private website or an app that informs, rewards, and incentivizes customers.
   – Physical Accessibility: the store is easy to find, there are ADA-compliant ramps up to the door, and wide open space inside to make it easier. There is also a separate line for veterans who have their VA cards or ID! This helps the line move more efficiently and helps vets feel the speciality they deserve. We witnessed many customers allow the veterans to go before them even if they were there earlier than them. This is nice to see. We appreciate this!

8. SAFETY & SECURITY
   – Security Measures: the premises are guarded during business hours by armed security stationed at the door and scaning IDs. Security is friendly but we knew not to mess around. We watched as security spotted a minor issue without saying a word, the situation was rectified quickly and professionally.

This is important because sexurity is one of the biggest angles of attack the opposition likes to use to keep cannabis illegal.
   – Product Safety: Insofar as we are aware, this dispensary hasnt had any major issues regarding product safety. All their products go through the METRC system and are catalogued accordingly, with blind audits raking place periodically.
   – Consumer Safety: Bert Sarkis, founder of PCF, takes this extremely seriously. The majority of our team

9. SOCIAL MEDIA
   – Engagement: PCF can be found on social media, specifically IG!
   – Content Quality: The quality of their content is high-production and innovative.
   – Customer Interaction: the owner, @bertsarkis has ensured that his dispos respond to inquiries expeditiously. In a rare point, he himself is great at replying, and he truly is a nice guy.

10. CONSUMER FEEDBACK
    – Online Reviews: long form reviews such as this one for PCF are almost non-existent, but there are plenty of product reviews and google reviews to use for a gauge. Those reviews tend to hover around 4/5 stars.
    – Customer Testimonials:
    – Reputation: Among locals, PCF is highly respected and venerated. Thats due to the fact that Ceres and Modesto had zero dispos for most of our lives, and we all dreamt about the day we’d be able to freely consume. Bert and PCF have made that a reality.

What’s it like having PCF in Ceres?

Man it’s fantastic to have a dispensary in Ceres, it’s almost the only place I go. I mean, selection, quality, pretty girls, and dope vibes! Love you guys!

As mentioned above, a cannabis dispo in ceres is the fulfillment of a dream that almost the entire city demanded. Bert and his team pressed very hard, becoming the area’s first licensed medical dispensary. This has blossomed into a critical pillar for our community.

Summary and Recommendation

Overall Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars!

Final Recommendation: Given the information we’ve discussed here today, we believe PCF and the entire group of nine Premier Society Clubs will continue to act as the defacto leaders across California. They’ve built a strong and healthy model for how the industry can be moving forward.

BTE’s RECOMMENDATION:

We recommend PCF engage a bit more with its social media accounts and focus on leveling up the dispo utilizing crucial information like demographics and preferences.

BTE can provide research and development on these and many other concerns. If you need consultation services, reach out to us today amd we’ll set you straight! Discounts available!