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Sherri Blount, Co-Founder, Anthony Walker, Senior General Manager, Andrea “Dre” Trobradovic, Director of RetailTucked away in a downtown Chicago neighborhood is a cannabis dispensary that exudes quaint charm. Unlike the sterile, clinical feel that defines much of cannabis retail, a warmly lit interior with live plants, colorful décor and textured wood finishes greets visitors. Friendly advisors, a.k.a. budtenders, welcome guests in a manner like that of a neighborhood store, where the staff knows each customer by name.
Locally sourced reclaimed wood shelves are lined beautifully with cannabis product packaging, locally crafted goods, and small-batch snacks. Customers can take their time browsing their favorite cannabis products, while picking up artisanal candles or potato chips on their way out. A short drive west, the dispensary’s original counterpart in Oswego, Illinois mirrors the same cozy ambience and vibe.
This is the signature feel at Market 96 Neighborhood Dispensary, a woman- and Black-owned social equity enterprise under Blounts&Moore Holdings. True to its philosophy of “differentiation through normalization,” its dispensaries bring the familiar comfort, charm and convenience of a traditional neighborhood shop to the world of cannabis. The enterprise embodies the vision of its nine founders, who are reinventing the cannabis retail experience.
“Our dispensaries are thoughtfully designed to reflect the character of their communities while creating a space where customers feel welcomed, comfortable and valued,” says Sherri Blount, co-founder.
The elevated in-store experience and the curated collection make shoppers walk through its doors again and again.
The One-Stop Shop for Premium Cannabis Experience
The state of Illinois has one of the most regulated cannabis markets in the country. Despite the limited variety available in-state and restrictions on sourcing cannabis from outside state lines, Market 96 has built a highly tailored, diverse, and consistent assortment of products.
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We balance well-known favorites with rare finds, so that customers can discover and try products without feeling overwhelmed by endless choices.
Flower, pre-rolls, vapes, edibles, concentrates, tinctures, topicals, pills, and infused drinks complete the spectrum of cannabis offerings. Each product is sourced from its network of top-quality producers across the state.
Market 96 partners with established operators and emerging craft growers in Illinois to provide customers with top quality products with competitive prices and deals. Its team constantly looks out for new products, tracks in-demand items, market trends and attends industry events to keep its menu fresh and relevant.
Actionable data, in-store insights and real-time feedback from customers and employees inform every decision on what stays or goes off the shelf. Customers can trust that what is showcased on the shelves is exactly what they get. If a product is unavailable in the store, its packaging will not be on open display.
Quality-Focused Menu Curation That Stands Out
Market 96 brings a high level of precision to its product lineup, prioritizing quality over quantity. Rather than maintaining thousands of stock-keeping units (SKUs), it deliberately limits its products to fewer than 500 SKUs. The carefully curated menu delivers a more personalized shopping experience. The smaller inventory also helps staff pay greater attention and ensure consistent product availability.
An advanced ordering system tracks performance trends and inventory levels to ensure that popular products are always in stock. Poorly performing items are scrutinized, and the bottom 20 percent of the SKUs may be replaced with rigorously vetted and reviewed products from different brands.
Market 96 supports emerging and social equity cannabis brands, offering shelf space to lesser-known but promising producers. Emerging brands often gain stronger market presence and customer loyalty. The constant brand and product churn ensure customers get variety and quality at the same time.
“We balance well-known favorites with rare finds, so that customers can discover and try products without feeling overwhelmed by endless choices,” says Andrea “Dre” Trobradovic, director of retail.
Reflecting the Community Vibes In-Store
Each visit to the dispensary presents an opportunity for customers to immerse themselves in the community’s creativity and culture. An impressive collection of non-cannabis goods, including handmade candles, kitchenware, locally crafted jewelry, artisanal snacks, and even dog toys cater to the tastes and lifestyle of the neighborhood.
Many items come from local artisans and vendors, including from employees, whose crafts and creations also find space on the shelves.
Market 96’s endeavor to mirror the neighborhood’s personality in its dispensaries is part of its intention to adopt a “support local” approach. It also partners with local vendors, artisans, and businesses for any event it organizes—a collaboration that enriches the local communities.
“We are genuinely committed to going beyond a neighborhood dispensary to becoming an active, integral part of the community,” says Anthony Walker, senior general manager.
The result of this commitment is clear. Market 96’s dispensaries in Oswego and the Chicago South Loop have become popular community hubs.
The welcoming atmosphere is brought to life by its staff, who are dedicated to providing excellent customer service. Anchored in the belief that a great customer experience begins with a great employee experience, Market 96 takes pride in the strong workplace culture it has built, including competitive pay and benefits. Extensive training and devoted leadership ensure that every associate can confidently guide visitors from the moment they enter the store. The knowledgeable advisors support customers at every step in their shopping journey, exemplifying the store’s motto, “Where everybody knows your strain.”
Transforming Cannabis Shopping Across Neighborhoods
The combination of thoughtful store design, data-driven menu curation and community integration positions Market 96 as a defining voice in Illinois’ evolving cannabis industry.
In line with this evolution, the cannabis dispensary chain is methodically building its footprint across Illinois, where its parent company Blounts&Moore has secured six dispensary licenses and two craft grow licenses. Two dispensaries are already operational, and a third is underway in Belleville, slated to open in December 2025.
The enterprise aims to have all six licensed dispensaries operational by 2027, with two additional locations planned in the Greater Chicago area and another in Cairo. It has also set its sights on expansion outside of Illinois, including being a first mover in Southern states. To complement its retail growth are plans for vertical integration with the buildout of an Illinois craft grow facility.
In its journey to transform cannabis retail across neighborhoods, Market 96 Neighborhood Dispensary remains unwavering in its focus on elevating the in-store experience. Even if cannabis can be ordered online in the near future, Market 96’s approach guarantees a deeply human, neighborhood-driven experience no app can replicate.
The Retail Problem Emerging Inside Illinois Cannabis Dispensaries
Illinois cannabis retail is now tougher for dispensary operators who relied on large menus and frequent discounts to grow. While price still matters to customers, getting them to come back depends just as much on having steady inventory and a good in-store experience. When customers expect certain products but can't find them, they usually don't see it as a small issue. Over time, those moments weaken loyalty.
Many dispensaries still rely on retail systems built for throughput rather than retention. Long digital menus, crowded assortments and rushed customer interactions often leave shoppers less confident about purchases than when they entered the store. Large catalogs may suggest depth, though they frequently expose weak forecasting behind the scenes. Some operators continue expanding menus while struggling to maintain stock on core products consumers buy regularly.
Menu restraint has quietly become a more practical retail strategy in mature cannabis markets. Smaller assortments give dispensaries tighter control over replenishment while reducing the confusion oversized menus often create. Most consumers are not looking for endless variations within the same product type. They want reliability. They want confidence that products will remain available from one visit to the next. Consistency now carries more weight than assortment volume.
The physical environment also shapes customer retention more than many operators expected. Illinois consumers spent years navigating dispensaries that felt procedural and detached from normal retail behavior. That model increasingly feels dated. Cannabis shopping has become more normalized, particularly in neighborhoods where consumers already expect comfort and familiarity from specialty retail. Sterile counters and tightly controlled browsing experiences no longer align with those expectations.
Staffing has become another dividing line. High turnover continues to undermine customer trust across cannabis retail, especially when product education changes from one visit to another. Consumers often return because they trust specific associates to guide purchasing decisions without rushing the interaction. Training quality and employee stability now shape customer perception as much as inventory itself. Stores that fail to maintain continuity at staff level usually struggle to build repeat purchasing habits.
Neighborhood integration has started separating dispensaries that feel locally grounded from those that feel interchangeable. Standardized retail concepts imported across multiple markets often flatten local identity. Consumers notice when a dispensary reflects the surrounding community through merchandising choices and retail atmosphere. Local partnerships and neighborhood familiarity increasingly influence whether customers view a dispensary as part of the area or simply another licensed storefront competing for transactions.
Market 96 Neighborhood Dispensary reflects several of the retail adjustments reshaping cannabis retail in Illinois. Its stores use a market-style layout where displayed inventory reflects products currently available for purchase, reducing frustration tied to out-of-stock items. The company also maintains a narrower menu structure supported by inventory planning intended to preserve product continuity rather than overwhelm shoppers with excessive selection.
Its approach to staffing follows the same philosophy. Training, customer education and hospitality are treated as central retail functions rather than secondary support tasks. Local merchandise and neighborhood-oriented product selection reinforce the company’s emphasis on familiarity inside the store environment. For dispensary buyers evaluating retail operators in Illinois, particularly within neighborhood-centered trade areas, Market 96 presents a retail model shaped around consistency, customer trust and repeat visitation.
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Company : Market 96 Neighborhood Dispensary
ManagementSherri Blount, Co-Founder, Anthony Walker, Senior General Manager, Andrea “Dre” Trobradovic, Director of Retail
