They love a good deal.
Flower is the best bargain on the market, as it requires relatively little labor to produce (post-cultivation), is unprocessed and does not incorporate any additional ingredients, thus it is inexpensive to prepare and can be sold at lower price points. Not surprisingly, according to data collected this year by Brightfield Group from more than 1,200 medical marijuana patients throughout California, the most common users of flower are the low-budget demographic: consumers who appreciate low prices and will welcome any product discounts or promotions offered. Nearly twice as many flower purchasers (versus edible and concentrate purchasers) cited price as the main reason for purchasing products a second time.
They are frequent flyers.
Flower customers consume or medicate using cannabis much more frequently than their edible- and concentrate-preferring counterparts. When posed the question: “How often do you use cannabis?” nearly 60 percent of flowers customers indicated that they use daily, and over 80 percent use 3-plus days per week.
Despite bargain-hunting habits, flower users are willing to spend.
When cannabis users purchase flower, they actually tend to spend more than when they are purchasing edibles and concentrates, in spite of a tendency to seek out lower prices. The average flower order (on users’ most recent purchases) cost $92, versus only $81 for other products. Even though this demographic is seeking reasonable prices, they appear to be purchasing in greater quantities. Thus, despite thin margins, dispensaries and manufacturers looking to target this market should expect to make reliably good returns given that product will be sold in greater quantities to flower users.
Trust in brand is more important than trust in friends’ opinions.
Cannabis users are much less likely to value their friends’ recommendations when it comes to purchasing flower, than they are when purchasing edibles or concentrates. They are also significantly more interested in their own knowledge of the brand and its track record than in friends’ opinions, when purchasing for a second time. Providing a consistently positive experience to flower users is therefore of great importance in maintaining their business.
They seek high-quality product.
In a previous Brightfield Group survey of more than 500 medical patients and adult cannabis consumers, flower users indicated that their most important criterion when selecting a store or dispensary was the high quality of its products. This was the only factor considered more important than product prices. However, organic or lab-certified products do not constitute high quality as defined by flower customers. (In fact, both of these characteristics are considered to be more important among edibles and concentrates customers.) Flower users’ main concern in terms of quality was instead consistency of experience, in the form of reliable dosage and taste, from a trustworthy brand. Much in the same vein as point No. 4 above, quality and consistency are the two most important factors helping vendors maintain business among flower consumers and patients.
