Cannabis legalization has occurred at a moment when shopping trends are drastically changing, with the most obvious example being that more people have embraced online shopping. For this reason, dispensary retail services need to tailor their operations to suit these potential customers and persuade them to engage the brand.
Certain cannabis-specific advertising regulations restrict dispensary operators and owners in many states, and they cannot use most traditional advertising modes for marketing their products. However, they can use other means—such as customer loyalty programs, discounts, in-store promotions and helpful sales data to boost revenue. The following are six ways to increase sales at your dispensary.
1. Identify Your Customer
It is essential to know the buying habits and demographics of your clients. You need to understand why they keep returning to your store. Also, establish why other types of customers do not visit your store. You should collect information about:
● Your busiest hours
● Popular items
● Preferred method of consumption
● Lifestyle and occupation interests
● The average age of your customers
● Average purchase frequency
2. Excellent Customer Service
Excellent customer service is crucial to any retail business's success, with dispensaries being of no exception.
It is good to have a list of best practices that your staff can refer to when interacting with customers. Dispensaries should hire staff with ample knowledge on cannabis in addition to being customer-friendly. Budtenders need to have a solid understanding of cannabis products and strains. Budtenders should provide customers with information on cannabis products. They should also dispel any misconceptions or misinformation that consumers have about cannabis, which is essential when dealing with a cannabis newbie or a first-time user.
3. Cultivate Positive Customer Experience
Cultivating an attractive and upbeat atmosphere is vital in developing your brand as a dispensary and your reputation as a business. Dispensaries should endeavor to produce an appealing atmosphere for customers. Everything from the organization to decoration can affect the way customers perceive your products and dispensary.
Furthermore, to attain maximum branding impact, your business should have alignment and consistency between your social media presence, website, storefront, and other efforts to interact or engage with customers. When thinking about layout and design, consider the flow. Customers and members of staff should freely move around the store. You can establish a specific area for shopping lineups and order pickups to help de-cluttering your space. Technology can also play a part in streamlining the customer experience. Using a point-of-sale system through computers or tablets can provide more convenience for both the staff and customers.
4. Start a Loyalty Program
Starting a customer loyalty program has helped many businesses retain their customer base. It is expensive to acquire a customer; therefore, you should go the extra mile and reward customer loyalty.
You can do this by offering discounts or freebies to repeat customers. A loyalty program also boosts dispensary sales by motivating your customers to purchase more and come again.
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5. Exclusivity
Another way to increase your dispensary sales is to be the sole distributor of a specific product. The marketing power found in this strategy is the significance of a customer knowing that the product can only be obtained from Martinez Dispensary, for example. Approach a grower and ask for exclusive access to their products, especially when they have a new strain. You can also join forces with a local artisan to provide you with custom pipes. This can also be an opportunity to reward your customers participating in your loyalty program.
6. Promote and Advertise Your Products
Before initiating an advertising campaign, ensure that you comply with advertising restrictions in your municipal, state, or federal compliance offices. Other than mainstream advertising channels, you can use:
● Customer emails and SMS
● Cannabis specific advertising or marketing networks
● Social media competitions and postings
● In-store signage and advertising
An effective way to retain customer business is through daily SMS and email notifications on in-store promotions, deals, and new products.
Final Thoughts
A well planned and unique marketing strategy will help in driving new business. Your team of employees should be professionally trained to help in increasing your customer's average transaction. You must be very dedicated to whatever you do. It will also help retain customers where they will also refer others to your store.
