April 2021 Welcome

It’s a brave new B2B world.

Our goal at HQ has always been about introducing retailers to the best of the best products and brands in the smoke shop and cannabis industries. Sure, you can check out the ads in our monthly magazine, read up on the latest industry news and meet the leading store owners, vendors and glass artists — and we hope you do — but to keep up with our fast-moving, ever-demanding audience, we’ve gone digital with the HQMarketZone shopping platform (hqmarketzone.com) which gives buyers flexibility, vendors increased exposure, and ultimately, the ability to deliver on the promise of a great customer experience.

Wholesalers can register and begin selling their products to verified retailers almost immediately. Retailers can conveniently search for top, trusted products through vetted wholesaler storefronts and place orders via an easy-to-use shopping cart feature. Those orders will be instantly submitted and quickly on their way to your store — and your customers.

HQ is excited to offer this new state-of-the-art solution and continue to deliver on the promise of an exceptional end-to-end selling and buying experience.

Recent Articles

With Halloweentime upon us, ghosts and goblins all around the world are gearing up for the annual celebration of the macabre. Between dressing up in fun costumes and making caramel apples to taking our kids trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, there’s no shortage of things to do at the end of October; but did you know that some of the earliest traditions revolved around the use of incense and other herbal blends?
When I was in college, my sophomore year roommate, who went by Bear, had a two-foot-tall bong with a name. Green Lucy was a gorgeous emerald-colored masterpiece with thick, bulbous glass at the top, comfortable for ripping huge hits. It was a celebrity on our floor of the creative arts co-op where we lived. People would come from all over the house, and sometimes from other parts of campus, just to hang with Bear and get baked from Green Lucy.
Charlea came into the cannabis space as a journalist, covering Missouri’s fascinating cannabis landscape as it rapidly evolved. While reporting on the state’s medical marijuana vote, Charlea got to know a local physician who was equally passionate about legalizing medical use in the state.
Common business advice tends to view the 80:20 rule simplistically. Focus on the 80% of your store that drives profit, it says. Ignore the rest. That’s fine for the average folks. But what about those who want to boost the other 20%?
Before you've said a word, your shop is selling. The customer hasn’t touched a single product, and your staff hasn't even said hello. Your decor and layout have already done the talking, either pulling people in or pushing them away.
As VP of Operations at ATM Wholesaler and Elite Merchant Services, he’s picked up the baton from his father and CEO, Norman Koza, who passed it to him after founding this successful company over 25 years ago.