William Sumner
Aurora Cannabis Inc. (ACBFF) has joined a growing number of cannabis companies working with the Canadian e-commerce platform Shopify. Today, Aurora announced that it had reached an agreement with Shopify to leverage the e-commerce site’s platform to assist in distributing Aurora’s medical and recreational cannabis globally.
Under the agreement, Shopify will work closely with Aurora’s software engineering team to help transition Aurora’s current e-commerce site to a new platform developed by Shopify; a move which both companies believe will help improve customer experience.
“Selecting Shopify allows Aurora to bring a world-class e-commerce solution to our patients and future adult consumer use customers,” said Darryl Vleeming, CIO of Aurora Cannabis Inc. “Shopify’s unique, industry-leading platform provides a safe, secure and flexible e-commerce site that we can build on as we execute our global growth initiatives and enter new markets.”
This recent agreement is not Shopify’s first foray into legal cannabis. At the beginning of the year, Shopify announced that it would partner with the provincial government of Ontario to manage recreational sales of cannabis through both its online platform and point-of-sale technology.
The company also secured an agreement with The Hydropothecary Corporation (THCX) to build its to build its e-commerce platform. Shopify’s CEO Tobi Lutke and COO Harley Finkelstein were also named among a handful of investors in the Toronto-based cannabis media and tech company, Herb back in October 2017.
“While both companies originate in Canada, this is a true global success story, combining our industry-leading technology, helping to power the international expansion of one of the global leaders in the exciting and rapidly growing cannabis industry,” added Shopify VP Loren Padelford. “The Shopify platform will allow Aurora to provide a tailored customer experience that embraces and adapts to the unique demands of both consumers and regulators, adapted to the specific needs of the various jurisdictions in which Aurora operates.”
