The average cannabis retailer is sitting on 30 days of inventory. 

That's capital and square footage dedicated to stock that won't move for weeks. Yet, Nabis is already there weekly.

Nabis is a cannabis distribution and wholesale platform operating across California, New York, and Nevada. Nabis Connect is an inventory re-stocking tool built to semi-automate inventory replenishment for cannabis retailers and brands using real-time sales data.

What Is Vendor Managed Inventory?

Vendor-Managed Inventory (VMI) is a replenishment model in which inventory levels are managed by data rather than through manual back-and-forth between buyers and sellers. It's standard practice in traditional CPG. In cannabis, it's newer territory. Cannabis retailers hear "vendor-managed inventory" and assume it means vendors get to decide what's on their shelves. With Nabis Connect, the retailer stays in control of the ordering process – editing and approving every suggested order.

How Nabis Connect Works

Retailers who set up Nabis Connect share two data points with Nabis via a standard API integration: how fast each SKU is selling, and how many days of inventory they want on hand. That's it. Nabis operates under a standard NDA and doesn't use the data for any purpose other than its intended use. 

Nabis Connect is compatible with platforms retailers are already using, including Dutchie, Treez, Meadow, and Blaze via API integrations. Setup typically takes one week with Nabis support throughout the process.

From there, the logic is simple. If a retailer sells 10 units of a SKU per week and wants to keep 2 weeks of inventory on hand, the system knows it needs 20 units at any given time. When the stock drops to 10, a draft order appears in their Nabis Marketplace account, pre-populated to top them back off to 20. The retailer reviews it, edits it if needed, and approves it. The final call is always theirs.

Nabis Connect only replenishes what's already selling. If a SKU isn't moving, the system doesn't push it—no stagnant inventory or chargebacks.

What Nabis Connect Means for Retailers

Nabis Connect is free for retailers. It functions like a subscribe-and-save model for wholesale distribution. According to Nabis' internal data, retailers using it see an 20% average increase in same-store sales for the brands they've connected with because those products never go out of stock.‍

By semi-automating replenishment orders, retailers can build deeper relationships with brands and work together to create more opportunities to increase sales velocity.

It also protects merchandised shelf space. Rather than scrambling to source an unknown replacement product and risk customers leaking to competitors, retailers can prevent stockouts and keep customers coming back to their stores.

Where Things Stand Today

VMI is already standard practice in markets like Washington State. Nabis Connect is live today across California and New York, and retailers and brands using it are seeing the results. 

If you're a brand operator or retailer interested in setting up Nabis Connect, reach out to retail@nabis.com.