Rooted in Community and Craft
The Highlands, located on a picturesque vineyard parcel in Livermore, California, is more than a dispensary. It is a community hub built by the Kent family, who also own the adjoining winery. The Highlands and the winery share the same land and a deep local connection.
As the only brick-and-mortar dispensary in Livermore, The Highlands has become the go-to destination for local cannabis shoppers. Their team includes about 14 budtenders and 5 management staff who juggle purchasing, marketing, accounting, and store operations. While their largest customer base is young adults aged 21 to 30, The Highlands also attracts a surprising number of 65+ consumers, which has shifted the team’s perspective on who shops for cannabis.
The Challenge
Before SparkPlug, The Highlands faced several time-consuming hurdles:
- Promotions and events were shared through an Outlook calendar, but staff rarely checked it.
- Running internal sales incentives was hard to track and pay out accurately.
- Training on new products was difficult. Long hours made it tough to pull staff for brand-led sessions, and flyers often went unread.
The management team needed a way to streamline communication, motivate staff, and bring brand partners into the incentive process without adding extra administrative work.
The SparkPlug Solution
SparkPlug quickly became the operational backbone The Highlands needed:
- Events Calendar with Text Alerts. Staff now receive real-time notifications about deals and events, replacing the ignored Outlook calendar.
- Sparks. Both internal and brand-sponsored incentives motivate staff with tangible rewards and friendly competition.
“What I love about internal Sparks is that it’s not just about individual prizes. The team really rallies together around shared sales goals, they earn rewards along the way, and it helps us consistently hit our business targets.”
- Courses. New on-demand training lets budtenders learn about products without pulling them off the floor.
“We used to use a shared Outlook calendar, but staff rarely looked at it. With SparkPlug’s new events calendar, they get text alerts instead - now everyone knows what’s happening without me having to constantly send reminders.”
Results and Impact
Since implementing SparkPlug, The Highlands has seen measurable operational and sales improvements:
- Month-over-month sales growth through internal Sparks.
- 10 percent or more uplift when brands run their own Sparks.
- Stronger team engagement:
- Budtenders check their standings, motivate one another, and use Slack to rally the team toward hitting tiered sales goals.
- Even part-time staff, like one weekend football coach, dive into the competition and track their progress.
- Budtenders check their standings, motivate one another, and use Slack to rally the team toward hitting tiered sales goals.
“Budtending can be kind of an entry-level role, and tips in California are unpredictable. SparkPlug has given our team a real way to earn more, and it’s boosted morale across the board.”
The addition of Courses has been a game changer for product education. Brands like Puffco and Emerald Bay launched their own interactive training modules rewarding completions. This allows The Highlands to train its staff without disrupting the busy store schedule.
The Highlands and SparkPlug: Growing Together
The Highlands proves that boutique, community-rooted dispensaries can thrive by empowering their teams. With SparkPlug driving sales, morale, and product knowledge, this vineyard-adjacent retailer is carving out a unique and highly successful space in Livermore’s cannabis market.
