Recreational Marijuana Dispensaries - A Modern Lesson in Retail

A whole new type of retailer was created when recreational marijuana dispensaries were legalized in eight states. The days of darkened head shops, dim lighting, and shabby-looking shelves are long gone. Today's retail marijuana stores are clear and crisp. The displays are attractive and clean, appealing to buyers aged 21-71. They have gathered the best retail practices and given them their personal touch.

The smart retailers recognize that the attitudes towards marijuana have changed a lot over the years, and this is reflected in the products. The marijuana market is no longer about rolling papers, bongs, and roach clips. There are many options for edibles, lozenges and chewing gum. With a proliferation of products comes increased revenue. According to the New York Times in About That Joint, Marijuana Start Ups Pass, North American customers - which includes Canada and the U.S. - will spend more than $10 Billion on legal marijuana in 2018, and almost $23 Billion by 2021.

What can we learn about this new retailer category? It turns out, a lot.

"The story is that the average marijuana consumer is becoming an average American." Jim Patterson is the CEO of Eaze, which is a California-based start-up that has raised almost $52 million from investors

Pot goes professional

You will be pleasantly surprised when you walk into any dispensary. The Farm in Boulder Colorado was named the Best of Boulder by Boulder Weekly in 2015, 2016, and 2017. It describes itself as "a professional and open environment that is educational and encouraging." Our friendly, knowledgeable staff are eager to share their passion for the best cannabis.

Professional. This is not a word that you would associate with this category five years ago. Expect your salesperson not to be lazy, as Sean Penn did in Fast Time at Ridgemont High. Instead, expect friendly, knowledgeable, and well-trained staff to greet you. With signage advertising The Daily Menu and Weekly Specials, in-store displays remind me of Starbucks.

There may be lines. This boutique is a great retailer. It has a win-win approach. Customers are attracted to it , and revenue is generated .

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Yelp's most enthusiastic reviewer described the experience as "visiting cool wineries or craft breweries, but with a completely different product." Weedmaps fans wrote, "Dispensary for the future." It was amazing. A whole gift shop, complete with gifts and books. These dispensaries offer a unique way to maximize every square foot of retail space. They have boutiques inside a boutique and create what we call In Store Shopper Moments(tm).

Marijuana dispensaries have created their own brand identities, from their names to their interior design and display to the paper bags they use. While The Farm is a back-to-nature, organic brand, San Diego's Ubn Leaf is a professional cannabis shop with a high-end atmosphere that encourages discovery and inquiry. Urbn Leaf appeals more to metropolitan tastes. The all-glass front conveys transparency as well as cleanliness. Urbn Leaf is not a smoky stoner environment. Instead, it is changing people's perceptions and gaining new customers. These customers are often older and more sophisticated. They may have smoked in their youth for fun and relaxation. Today, it is more about relieving pains, aches and unwanted side effects of medications.

Professional approach encourages product experimentation and drives sales. Customers will buy more when they are empowered with knowledge, whether it's through a trained sales associate or an interactive kiosk.

A recent news article highlighting an entrepreneurial girl scout is a good example of the retailer's cross-over appeal. The girl scout placed herself in front Urbn Leaf's San Diego dispensary, and sold 300 boxes. Talk about product placement. Urbn Leaf posted an Instagram photo asking customers to purchase Girl Scout Cookies and GSC, a "sweet" and "earthy" strain of cannabis named after the scouts. This is how mainstream marijuana can get.

Follow the Money Inside

Some marijuana retailers are investing a lot of money in their shops. The $1 million cost to build The Clinic's new flagship store in Denver was for the construction. Scott Thorn, The Clinic's president, and COO, said that the clinic spent $1 million on high-end items. The goal was to create a retail environment that could be compared to other stores in any industry. At the store, the floors shine, the glass is glazed and the light shines in. Customers can also check out glass-topped, informative displays such as the Concentrates Bar. It has countertop signage and a video screen display.

Some stores have hired top-tier architects and designers. The displays are exceptional, no matter if they're ultracool or soothing blondwood. Many people are taking a page out of the Apple Store's book: minimalist displays with the focus on the product. Others displays look more like the Bloomingdales cosmetic counters. Countertop displays could hold Clinique lipsticks as easily as vaping devices. The beautiful backlit cases showcase canisters of exquisitely curated extracts, buds and concentrates. The relaxed atmosphere of an art gallery is reflected in open floor plans.

Merchandising is a great investment that pays huge dividends. The number of stores is increasing, with more product options and imaginative displays. Multi-media approach to shopping creates big buzz (the word of mouth type) about entertainment and education.

Don't let any opportunity pass you by

Retail best practices are essential for dispensary owners. Poorly designed stores can lead to frustration and confusion which could result in customers choosing to shop elsewhere. A floor display is a combination of traditional fixtures, rotating videos display boards, and kiosks that inform as well as entertain. Hanging fixtures and T-stands can hold sweatshirts, hats, and t-shirts. Tie-dyes are not recommended. The stores are reminiscent of the old-fashioned dayglo tapestries found in head shops and adopt a more modern aesthetic. Social media is a powerful tool for dispensaries. Display and design are as much about creating Instagrammable images as they are about functionality.

Brick and mortar is still preferred over home delivery in the recreational marijuana industry. These stores need to offer more than just weed-based products to keep customers coming back, and to attract new customers. This all happens in one swift sweep to create the In-Store Shopper Moment that I mentioned earlier.

New opportunities are available as the times change. Retailers and brands need to be attentive to their clients in all aspects. Even booming markets won't guarantee long-term revenue growth. These dispensaries, and the brands that they represent, are positioning themselves for long-term success and expanding into new markets as legalization expands across the continent. These stores are the starting point for perfecting retail mix.

Personalizing the Retail Fashion Experience

Some purchases can be generic, such as chewing gum, a charger for your phone, or paper towels. Some purchases are very personal. Retail fashion is even more personal.

Your clothes and accessories reflect who you are to the world. They reflect your character, your taste, and your respect for yourself. They are as personal and individual as your name.

It appears that the Internet is the dominant fashion force. However, this description is not accurate. Brick and mortar is still the best way to buy clothes, shoes and underwear. Click to Tweet

How can retailers serve the many people who pass their doors each day?

Talk to your customer with related consumer identifies

While you cannot customize displays to meet every buyer's needs, it is possible to encourage shoppers to imagine themselves as core customer personas. These fictionalized representations are based on real data and can be used to help them see themselves in their target customers.

With our Barnes & Noble Education displays at college campuses, we recently addressed the nexus between individual and mass interest. You've probably seen college bookstores lately and noticed that there are many other options than books. Technology and apparel are big sellers. Your laptop is more than just an educational and extracurricular tool in college. Your laptop is an accessory that reflects your personality and can be worn as a fashion accessory. A laptop that is compatible with Adobe design software, such as Adobe Illustrator, is essential for an art major. Future engineers will need a laptop that can handle large amounts of data and code.

We created displays for a variety of people based on their majors and interests using the laptop as our core component. This allowed us to point art students to graphic tees and sports fans to the latest game-day sweatshirt. These in-depth personas allow the shopper see themselves as a multi-dimensional being. It allows them to live a life beyond what they can do on a computer screen.

Take this step further and enter the world of pure fashion. Retail marketers need to identify the customer personas of their customers and create engaging, informative, and engaging signage to communicate this message. You must target the individual and show the missing pieces, from fashionistas to casual dressers to everyone in between.

Offer your consumer ways to expand their persona

You can also push the customer further in their shopping experience. This is possible with the "You Might Also Be Interested” option. It points shoppers to a trendy floral top that matches the high-waisted pants.

Ann Taylor Loft's " Most loved Looks" page is updated online to provide seasonal outfit inspiration. The persona of a rising professional displays different outfits from the same collections, inviting the shopper click on one and then "Shop The Look." She has a complete look tailored to her personality.

You can tap into the FOMO (fear-of-missing out) by using effective signage in your store and display that features highly desired looks, especially those that are trending at the moment. This will influence shoppers and get them to buy. It is important to feel confident, fashionable and chic in order to make a purchase. Don't forget that fashion is not about buying the right item, but also how you wear it. This extra guidance is crucial.

Your Product can help the shopper define themselves

You don't have to group ideas for outfits or products together. Instead, encourage shoppers to mix and match products. Place them in different combinations on your signage and show them how. This is something that some retailers have turned into an art form.

The popular jewelry brand Alex and Ani was founded on the idea that layered bracelets. The idea of stacking and grouping bracelets was promoted by the company to create a variety of stylish, individual looks.

Pandora works in the same way as charm bracelets. To make a statement about themselves, shoppers add charm bracelets to their collection. It's not only for primary shoppers. These fashion accessory brands tap into a growing gift market. They encourage layering, collecting and personalizing to make their brands the best gift option.

Retailers offer more to their customers than what they see on a screen by showing them creative ways to layer, mix, and collect. They encourage experimentation, inspire and provide a wider view. Customers may discover new ideas and products that they never would have thought of. This is especially true for large stores, where items can be spread over hundreds of feet. There are many options for personalization in-store. They create the moments shoppers return to again and again.