The future of cannabis retail is increasingly digital. Today’s consumers have grown up in a world where any purchase is at their fingertips, just a click or a swipe away. They are starting to expect the same from the cannabis retail experience. Dispensaries looking to best serve those consumers — and retain their loyalty and business — need to evolve. Much like their counterparts in other industries, such as groceries, restaurants, and clothing, cannabis retailers need to offer a shopping experience as seamless and reliable as ordering a bag of oranges. One way to do this is by offering dispensary online ordering.
While getting started with online ordering may seem overwhelming, it is easier than you may think. Here are three questions to consider to set your dispensary up for success.
What do I do if I have no product images to start with?
Don’t feel bad if you have no product images. This is a common problem among many businesses, not just those in cannabis. However, we are visual creatures. We can’t touch, taste or smell a product from your online store, making images all the more important.
Here are a few tips if you’re short on images:
- Ask the manufacturer for images. Odds are they have an existing image, and they made the marketing collateral themselves so that folks would disseminate it. They’ll be more than happy to share it with you.
- Google is your friend. You’ll find something matching what you need, and it will give you a good idea of how other folks have displayed this product or displayed that product.
- You can always take the pictures yourself. Run to your local craft store. Pick up a small piece of fabric or a small backdrop – maybe something that matches your brand. Make sure you have decent lighting. You might surprise yourself.
Is it better to use industry-standard categories product filtering on the menu or set up more unique categories i.e., by brand, specials, etc.?
When you first set up your online menu, it is probably best to keep it simple. After all, the goal is to make the online shopping experience seamless and easy for your customers. The last thing you would want is to drive potential customers away because your categories were too confusing. That is why we recommend starting with industry-standard categories, such as beverages, edibles, concentrates, flowers, etc.
However, as you get to know your customers better, you can create categories based on your customer demographics. For instance, maybe you have a segment of customers looking for something that’s gonna help them focus, not necessarily concentrate versus flower. You may decide to define certain categories that way to make it easier for those customers.
What would you recommend as the best setup in-store with personnel to make sure no orders get missed?
For online orders, in general, the best in-store setup is through a separate fulfillment station. It can be a separate room, or behind a window, and on each given shift, one or two of your employees are responsible for managing order fulfillment.
As online orders come in and are printed out, one member of your fulfillment team takes an empty paper bag, puts the order receipt on it, and lines it up for the other team member to start packaging. It’s probably not too different from the setup you have for in-store order fulfillment.
