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Calgary,
AB – April 2025 / NewsmakerAlert: High
Tide Inc. (“High Tide” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: HITI) (TSXV: HITI)
(FSE: 2LYA), the high-impact, retail-forward enterprise built to deliver
real-world value across every component of cannabis, announces that its
Canna Cabana retail cannabis store located at 1270 Fischer Hallman Road
in Kitchener, Ontario will begin selling recreational cannabis products
and consumption accessories for adult use on April 16, 2025. This
opening brings High Tide’s total store count to 195 Canna Cabana (www.CannaCabana.com)
branded retail cannabis locations across Canada, and 80 in the province
of Ontario.
Positioned
in a high-visibility area, this store will serve a market with favourable
competitive demographics and strong potential for growth. The surrounding
neighbourhood boasts a young, growing population, and the plaza is home
to popular tenants such as a national grocery chain and well-known fast-food
options. New residential developments nearby also present an opportunity
for Canna Cabana to establish
itself as the go-to cannabis store in this sprawling neighbourhood. Our
existing locations in Kitchener continue to outperform the competition,
and this new opening comes on the heels of that success.
“This
latest store opening in Kitchener, Ontario reflects our continued commitment
to disciplined growth, even as we navigate an evolving macroeconomic environment.
In light of the recently announced tariff actions by the United States,
we want to reassure our investors that the vast majority of our revenue
is generated from products procured and sold within Canada. As such, we
do not anticipate any material impact on our business stemming from these
measures. That said, we are actively monitoring the situation and will
remain highly nimble in how we allocate capital,” said Raj
Grover, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of High Tide (www.HighTideInc.com).
“While
we continue to see long-term value in our measured bricks-and-mortar expansion,
we are also mindful of the importance of maximizing free cash flow in today’s
uncertain climate. If needed, we are prepared to temporarily moderate our
pace of organic store openings to protect our balance sheet and position
High Tide to capitalize on strategic opportunities as they arise. Our focus
remains on building a resilient business that can adapt to changing conditions
while continuing to deliver value to our shareholders,” added Mr. Grover.
Adoption
of Shareholder Rights Plan
Furthermore,
the Company announces that its board of directors (the “Board”) has approved
the adoption of a shareholder rights plan (the “Shareholder Rights Plan”)
pursuant to a shareholder rights plan agreement entered into with Olympia
Trust Company, as Rights Agent, dated April 10, 2025.
The
purpose of the Shareholder Rights Plan is to ensure the Company maintains
compliance with applicable cannabis laws and is able to maintain its cannabis
licenses, and to ensure that all shareholders are treated fairly in connection
with any offer to acquire the outstanding common shares of the Company
and that the Board has the opportunity to identify, solicit, develop and
negotiate value-enhancing alternatives to any unsolicited take-over bid.
The Shareholder Rights Plan has not been adopted in response to, or in
anticipation of, any known or anticipated take-over bid. If ratified by
shareholders of the Company, the Shareholder Rights Plan will be in effect
for a term of three years.
The
Shareholder Rights Plan has been accepted for filing by the TSX Venture
Exchange, subject to certain conditions, including ratification by the
Company’s shareholders within 6 months of its adoption. The Shareholder
Rights Plan is similar to rights plans adopted by other Canadian companies
and ratified by their shareholders, except for provisions that ensure the
Company maintains compliance with applicable cannabis laws and is able
to maintain its cannabis licenses.
A
summary of the principal terms and conditions of the Shareholder Rights
Plan will be set out in the Company’s Management Information Circular to
be mailed to shareholders prior to the shareholders meeting. A copy of
the complete Shareholder Rights Plan will be filed on the Company’s profile
pages on SEDAR+ and EDGAR.
About
High Tide
High
Tide, Inc. is the leading community-grown, retail-forward cannabis enterprise
engineered to unleash the full value of the world’s most powerful plant
and is the second-largest cannabis retailer globally by store count [1].
High Tide (HITI) is uniquely-built around the cannabis consumer, with wholly-diversified
and fully-integrated operations across all components of cannabis, including:
Bricks
& Mortar Retail: Canna Cabana™ is the largest cannabis retail chain
in Canada, with 195 current locations spanning British Columbia, Alberta,
Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and growing. In 2021, Canna Cabana became
the first cannabis discount club retailer in the world.
Retail
Innovation: Fastendr™ is a unique and fully automated technology that
employs retail kiosks to facilitate a better buying experience through
browsing, ordering and pickup.
Consumption
Accessories: High Tide operates a suite of leading accessory e-commerce
platforms across the world, including Grasscity.com, Smokecartel.com, Dailyhighclub.com,
and Dankstop.com.
Brands:
High Tide’s industry-leading and consumer-facing brand roster includes
Queen of Bud™, Cabana Cannabis Co™, Daily High Club™, Vodka Glass™, Puff
Puff Pass™, Dopezilla™, Atomik™, Hue™, Evolution™ and more.
CBD:
High Tide continues to cultivate the possibilities of consumer CBD through
Nuleafnaturals.com, FABCBD.com, blessedcbd.de and blessedcbd.co.uk.
Wholesale
Distribution: High Tide keeps that cannabis category stocked with wholesale
solutions via Valiant™.
Licensing:
High Tide continues to push cannabis culture forward through fresh partnerships
and license agreements under the Famous Brandz™ name.
High
Tide consistently moves ahead of the currents, having been named one of
Canada’s Top Growing Companies by the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business
in 2024 for the fourth consecutive year and was recognized as a top 50
company by the TSX Venture Exchange in 2022, 2024 and 2025. High Tide was
also ranked number one in the retail category on the Financial Times list
of Americas’ Fastest Growing Companies for 2023. To discover the full impact
of High Tide, visit www.hightideinc.com. For investment performance, don’t
miss the High Tide profile pages on SEDAR+ and EDGAR.
Neither
the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that
term is defined in the policies of the TSXV) accepts responsibility for
the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Media
Inquiries:
Carter
Brownlee
Communications
and Public Affairs Advisor
High
Tide Inc.
403-770-3080
LinkedIn
Investor
Inquiries:
Vahan
Ajamian
Capital
Markets Advisor
High
Tide Inc.
LinkedIn
Cautionary
Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This
press release may contain “forward-looking information” and “forward-looking
statements within the meaning of applicable securities legislation. The
use of any of the words “could”, “intend”, “expect”, “believe”, “will”,
“projected”, “estimated” and similar expressions and statements relating
to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking
information and are based on the Company’s current belief or assumptions
as to the outcome and timing of such future events.
The
forward-looking statements herein include, but are not limited to, statements
regarding: the timing of our new locations beginning to sell recreational
cannabis products and consumption accessories for adult use, the expected
benefits of the store locations, our commitment to opening the number of
future stores on the timelines previously indicated, the expected impact
of tariff action by the United States and the measures the Company may
take to mitigate impact to the balance sheet, our ability to maximize free
cash flow and provide shareholder value, the impact of implementing the
Shareholder Rights Plan, and the ratification of the Shareholder Rights
Plan by the Company’s shareholders and the timing thereof. Readers are
cautioned to not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Actual
results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated
by these statements. Although the Company believes that the expectations
reflected in these statements are reasonable, such statements are based
on expectations, factors, and assumptions concerning future events which
may prove to be inaccurate and are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties,
certain of which are beyond the Company’s control, including but not limited
to the risk factors discussed under the heading “Non-Exhaustive List of
Risk Factors” in Schedule A to our current annual information form, and
elsewhere in this press release, as such factors may be further updated
from time to time in our periodic filings, available at www.sedarplus.ca
and www.sec.gov, which factors are incorporated herein by reference. Forward-looking
statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this
cautionary statement and reflect the Company’s expectations as of the date
hereof and are subject to change thereafter. The Company undertakes no
obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether
as a result of new information, estimates or opinions, future events or
results, or otherwise, or to explain any material difference between subsequent
actual events and such forward-looking information, except as required
by applicable law.
[1]
As reported by ATB Capital Markets based on store counts as of February
6, 2025. |