• by Steve Ellwanger , January 7, 2022

If there’s a CPG category that can surely benefit from in-store consumer education, it’s CBD.

Enter cannabinoid marketer NatuEra and its Smart CBD Kiosks, which just made their U.S. debut at one of supermarket chain Schnucks’ EatWell stores in Columbia, Missouri.

In addition to dispensing NatuEra’s CBD capsules, creams, gummies and tinctures, the interactive, 42-inch touch-screen units connect with a proprietary database that provides the retailer with updated and legally verified information.

Because the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has yet to issue guidelines for the inclusion of CBD in beverages, many large retailers have yet to venture into the category.

“Until now, CBD products have not been widely available in mass market retail,” NatuEra CEO Nicolas Nannetti tells CPG FYI. “There's also a lot of confusion about what CBD is, what it does, whether it’s safe and how much to take.”

The kiosks come in various sizes for placement on end-aisle displays, wall-mounted units and—in the case of EatWell—two freestanding units. One is located in the dietary supplement section and the other in the liquor section at the opposite end of the store.

It’s part of an A/B test to gauge interest, engagement and sales among two different target audiences and consumption occasions.

The kiosks from Florida-based NatuEra have an age verification system that prompts users to scan their driver’s license or state ID to adhere to state-by-state requirements.

Because EatWell customers prioritize health and wellness, the kiosks provide “another option to help support them with innovative, plant-based wellness solutions in a safe and controlled purchasing environment,” says Schnucks senior director of strategic planning and business development Justin Leazer.

EatWell chose to work with NatuEra in part because the latter's regulatory team provides “any necessary changes to product messaging, information and availability” in real time. “That was a significant factor, in addition to the kiosk format, in our decision process,” adds Leazer.