What does disciplined cannabis buying actually look like inside a five-store retail operation?

In this episode of The Buyer’s Blueprint, we sit down with Brad Roddy, Retail Manager at The Dispensary in Colorado. Brad oversees purchasing, payroll, staffing, inventory strategy, and store performance across multiple mountain and metro locations. This conversation goes deep into cannabis retail operations, inventory management, SKU rationalization, margin control, and cash flow strategy.

Brad shares how he consolidated buying into a single weekly process, how he evaluates sell-through by units per day, and how he uses inventory age and expiration risk to eliminate underperforming SKUs. He also explains why blanket discounting hurts realized margins, how brand credits can mask profitability issues, and why protecting cash flow is the foundation of long-term retail survival.

You will also hear a candid discussion on:

• Managing seasonal demand swings in mountain towns
• Avoiding overordering during holiday surges• Using product lines to simplify purchasing decisions
• Competing with multi-state operators without racing to the bottom on price
• Leveraging budtender training and incentive platforms like SparkPlug
• Loyalty programs, customer lifetime value, and retention strategy
• Data-driven conversations with brands about SKU counts and pricing tiers

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This episode is built for cannabis retail buyers, dispensary owners, inventory managers, and operators looking to reduce aging inventory, improve cash flow, and protect margins in a highly competitive market.If you care about inventory turnover, sell-through rate, gross margin, days of supply, and building a resilient dispensary operation, this conversation delivers practical insight from someone doing the work every week.