After winning thirteen trophies at the recent Best in Grass Illinois Awards, Revolution’s five dispensaries safely can be said to be among the best in the state. But there’s more to the dispensary chain than winning awards. The stores stand out as much for their design as their eponymous products. From sleek layouts to interactive product displays, Revolution is redefining what Illinois residents expect in-store and online.
“Our brand design came together through some awesome collaborations with our internal team, which is composed of cannabis lovers and cultivators with a real passion for cannabis culture,” said Director of Marketing and Creative Oscar Carrillo. “We wanted our retail spaces to not just be functional, but also exciting and fresh. By mixing modern aesthetics with our mission to ‘provide a superior experience from seed to smoke,’ we make sure every visit is smooth and memorable. It’s all about making people feel connected, like they’re part of something special.”
Each Illinois dispensary (and a sister store in Maryland) was crafted to ensure it functions as not only an inviting retail environment but also a hub for education and connection. One of the most striking — and consistent — features of Revolution’s dispensaries is their ability to engineer a balance between form and function.
“We’re all about finding that sweet spot between looking good and working well,” Carrillo said. “Our stores are designed to be super-easy to navigate, with digital and physical elements working together to make shopping a breeze. We want folks to enjoy their time with us, so everything’s set up to be both practical and pleasing to the eye.”
Although the stores all employ recognizable branding elements, each location is adapted to its local market. For example, the store in Schaumburg, Illinois—a well-to-do suburb populated by young professionals who commute to nearby Chicago—evokes the spartan, industrial edginess of high-end technology retailers. While the high-tech design trend has been critiqued for a perceived lack of warmth, Revolution balanced industrial elements with rainbow hues, lush plants, and woodsy accents that add depth and charm.
“We team up with our cannabis guides [budtenders] to make sure each store has its own unique vibe,” Carrillo said. “It’s about creating spaces that feel like they belong to the community, where people can feel comfortable and part of the neighborhood they live in, like the grocery store or the coffee shop next door.
“Our customers have been loving the seamless experience we offer,” he continued. “They dig how our digital and physical spaces connect, making it easy to find what they need. Plus, the design places our cannabis guides front and center, always there to chat and help out, which really enhances the whole experience.”
Indeed, Revolution’s thoughtful layouts feature expansive, open spaces and modern design elements that lead customers intuitively through the shopping experience. Displays are designed not just to highlight products but also to educate and engage customers. Whether through interactive digital screens or informative signage, Revolution ensures every visit results in more than just a transaction by providing opportunities for learning and discovery.
“Our Revolution Cannabis highlight wall is something we’re particularly proud of,” Carrillo said. “It’s a cool way for customers to explore and learn about our products. It’s interactive and informative, making the shopping experience both fun and educational.”
Dispensary visits can feel overwhelming, especially for midwesterners who may still be unfamiliar with cannabis retail environments and products. Revolution endeavors to ensure first-time visitors feel welcomed and comfortable from the moment they walk through the door.
“We want first-timers to feel right at home,” Carrillo said. “That’s why we’ve worked on having clear signs, friendly staff, and educational materials available. Whether it’s digital or print, we try to keep everyone informed and welcome. It’s all about creating a relaxed and inviting atmosphere.”
The Revolution team is particularly agile in the realm of digital integration, adapting store designs to make online ordering and subsequent in-store pickup as smooth an experience as possible. The team believes physical stores remain essential, but optimizing the digital-to-physical handoff is crucial to create the seamless experience consumers seek.
“We’ve really focused on designing our spaces to cater to everyone, with a mix of modern vibes and easy-to-understand information,” Carrillo said. “We want to make sure everyone feels relaxed and can find what they’re looking for.
“And while we love our physical stores, we’ve also noticed that the majority of orders are placed online,” he added. “This means we put a lot of work into making sure the digital-to-physical pickup transactions are always running as smoothly as possible.”
Revolution’s primary customer base spans generations, backgrounds, and abilities, so the company designed its spaces to be universally accessible and inclusive. The brand’s commitment to modern, clean design makes the dispensaries as appealing to younger, tech-savvy consumers as to older, more traditional shoppers.
“The toughest part was definitely making sure our design is scalable and can work across different locations while still keeping that unique and evolving Revolution vibe,” Carrillo said. “It’s a balancing act, but we’re proud of how it’s all come together.”
With plans for continued expansion in 2025, the company already is working on new designs Carillo hopes will push boundaries in terms of aesthetics, customer experience, and innovation.
“We’re excited for our new stores coming online in 2025,” he said. “But while we are proud of our current stores, they would just be walls without the energy our retail teams and cannabis guides add to the space.”
