How Customers Choose a Favorite Dispensary: A Guide For An Exceptional Retail Experience

Dispensaries are much like bars because they gain a strong base of loyal customers who frequent their establishments. The familiarity between customers and employees creates a better experience that feels more personable and welcoming. However, this remains a task that some dispensaries still need to master. Running a cannabis shop doesn’t solely rely on serving cannabis products to your customers. That success builds from a relationship that benefits both the consumer and the store.

Customers not only want to feel at ease, but they want to know that they can get the best products available. Whether opening your own dispensary or trying to gain more traffic in your store, it’s critical to look at a few key areas: Price, Selection, Location, and Quality. Customers base their opinion of a shop on these four criteria. They want top-tier choices at better prices without traveling far and wide to find them. Not only will you witness a consistent stream of clients purchasing items regularly, but word of mouth remains one of the best methods to increase your base. On top of a solid marketing strategy, including the psychology of your packaging, customer recommendations remain a pillar of the retail world.

The four criteria of price, selection, location, and quality trickle into different factors that help smokers choose a favorite go-to dispensary, whether medical or recreational. And each marijuana shop wants to be that business. Below, we’ll break down a few ways to win over smokers in your local area to boost your revenue. 

Location 

Following the pandemic, it became clear that people didn’t want to travel far to grab cannabis. The surge in delivery services and mail-order cannabis led many to abandon their routine of heading to a dispensary. However, that sense of normalcy returned, and people still enjoyed visiting stores to find their favorite products. That said, people still want to travel only a short distance. Finding a convenient location accessible to the masses can drive general foot traffic. 

Price

Different factors play a role in cannabis prices, from the costs of things such as dispensary packaging to the location, as mentioned earlier. In some places, cannabis might be marked up a bit higher than in others. However, people want better prices, which can be difficult in an ever-competitive market, especially as wholesale prices might fluctuate. Similarly, you need to be able to not only cover your costs and make back your money but also create profits for your dispensary. 

Selection

Cannabis smokers aren’t monolithic by any means. Having a handful of strains on deck is good, but people want to know that they can find most of what they’re looking for. Boasting a variety of strains — indica, sativa, and hybrid — as well as other products, from edibles to tinctures, will undoubtedly help attract a broader clientele who know that they can trust your shop to have the products they want. If you could find rare, exclusive strains that customers can only find in your shop, you’re already ten steps ahead. It’s even better if it comes in creative cannabis packaging designs intended to grab attention. 

Quality

It’s one thing to have a variety of strains; it’s another to have quality strains. As important as having a selection is, people want to know that whatever they choose is also good. Smokers prefer high-grade weed that’s undergone rigid testing. So, it’s vital that, when you find wholesalers, they aren’t coming through on shrub. As important as the other three categories are for earning favoritism from your customers, people will undoubtedly travel if you have better products than your competitors, even if it’s marked up a bit more.

Customer Service 

Developing strong customer loyalty truly depends on the service one receives. Welcoming dispensary layouts will entice customers, but dependable customer service will make them return. The relationship isn’t just based solely on their interactions with knowledgeable budtenders who can also answer all of their questions but the assurance of dispensary security on standby to help create a safe environment. 

Payment Methods

Due to federal laws, cannabis companies generally have trouble with banking establishments, leading to cash-only sales. However, things have changed. There are dispensary POS systems that will help increase sales simply by providing new transaction options. 

Loyalty Programs 

Loyalty programs are one of the greatest ways to develop a strong clientele that returns for more. Though customers come to stores to purchase cannabis, a loyalty program creates an incentive to return. On top of that, it makes customers feel like the business they’re shopping with appreciates and acknowledges their hard-earned money. Sometimes, these incentives come in the form of free products. In other instances, there can be discounts. However, creating some means of rewarding your customers is a sure way to have them return.