The holidays are among us, which means it’s time to make your list and check it twice. As we start making our way through our gift list, we all come across a handful of people for whom we just can’t quite figure out what to get.
Instead of going with the boring fuzzy socks or holiday mug this year, why not encourage your customers to opt for gifting something everyone on their list is sure to love. This year is the year to give the gift of cannabis.
So, while customers are hitting the shops, find out 10 tips to boost holiday sales at your dispensary.
1. Have a holiday special.
Holiday shoppers have one thing in mind when it comes to this time of year — discounts, promotions, and sales. This holiday season don’t be the dispensary that is forgotten in the seasonal flurry. Figure out a fun and exciting holiday special to spark some joy in your seasonal shoppers.
Get creative and ask for feedback from your staff. After all, they know your customers best. Figure out what other promotions are out there from some competitors and see how you can make yours even more enticing.
If you’re feeling stuck, don’t worry. Here are a few holiday promotional ideas to consider this season.
Daily deals
Nothing builds urgency in shoppers quite like flash sales. The marketing concept behind these limited timeframe sales is that it forces your customers to act quickly, since the deal will disappear just as quickly as it appeared.
Take the time to plan out a list of daily deals. Maybe, you can promote something like the 12 days of Christmas with a different daily deal every 24 hours.
Create gift bags
If you don’t already have them, it’s time to start creating some thoughtfully curated gift bags just in time for the holiday season. Make shopping for everyone on your customer’s list easier than ever by just picking the best gift bag for each individual.
You can create gift bags for all types of customer, starting from the novices to the well-seasoned cannabis users. Make sure to mark down the pricing a bit on these gift options so that customers are incentivized to purchase them over hand-selecting the items on their own.
2. Offer gift wrapping.
Speaking of wrapping, to help encourage your customers to give the gift of your cannabis products this holiday season, you might want to consider offering gift-wrapping services. For the ultimate one-stop-shop experience, your customers can leave your dispensary with gifts ready to be placed right under the tree. Does it get any easier than that?
3. Add some holiday-themed products to your inventory.
The holiday season is a great time to consider adding some new products to your inventory. You can get festive by adding holiday-themed items. Your customers are sure to take notice and get excited at some of the new stock hitting your shelves.
If you’re not sure how to add holiday-themed products, here are a few ideas to get you started.
Holiday survival kits
We’d be lying if we didn’t mention that the holiday season also brings with it its fair share of stresses. Thankfully, in the cannabis industry, you’re well equipped to combat these stresses and provide your customers with the ultimate holiday survival kits of their own.
So, whether your customers are stressed about social anxiety, travel, finances, or whatever else it may be, help offer them something to survive it all. Pair up your relaxing products and create a holiday survival kit wrapped up in discreet packaging, perfect for bringing to the in-laws’ house unnoticed.
Holiday-themed rolling papers
Speaking of wrapping, why not add some holiday-themed rolling papers for your customers to wrap up their cannabis goods this season in style. Throw some in for free as your way of saying thank you for their purchases through the holiday season.
4. Use technology to optimize holiday schedules.
Technology is your friend, especially in the cannabis industry. You can use smart technology to help you set up schedules based on labor forecasts and optimize your holiday scheduling.
Check out software solutions like KayaPush for an all-in-one solution to your holiday season needs in your dispensary. KayaPush helps you not only to schedule faster but also smarter for your dispensary with an easy-to-use schedule.
Streamline your cannabis retail operations with the help of KayaPush’s scheduling. Using this technology helps you to better forecast and track labor budgets against actual costs in real time.
Additional benefits to optimizing holiday schedules using KayaPush include:
- Saving time with automation like KayaPush’s clock system
- Customizing your solution to integrate with your POS system
- Saving 0.75% on labor costs
Best of all, you can enjoy these benefits with an easy-to-use platform. The KayaPush interfacing is beautiful and straightforward to navigate. You can see different views and schedules, add shifts, and create shift templates with one simple click.
5. Use technology to streamline payroll.
Similar to optimizing your holiday schedules, utilize technology to help streamline your payroll this holiday season.
KayaPush helps to simplify and streamline payroll processing for your dispensary by assisting in critical functions such as:
- Automated holiday pay
- Overtime calculations
- Shift swaps
- Data transfers
- Compliance
The cloud-based payroll software makes it easier than ever for you to stay on top of your dispensary’s payroll. Save up to 40 hours per week with the help of KayaPush’s one-click payroll processing.
Don’t forget about the payroll errors. By switching to an automated service like KayaPush, you can maximize your payroll accuracy, ultimately saving you and your business thousands of dollars over time.
Pay your employees correctly and on time with the help of payroll software.
6. ‘Tis the season to treat your customers.
Remember that your dispensary wouldn’t be what it is without the help of your devoted customers. Show your appreciation this holiday season for everything they have done to help build you up to be the dispensary you are today.
Offer your customers something special, like free merchandise or a surprise stocking stuffer with each purchase. Don’t be afraid to treat your customers this time of year, and don’t forget that even small gestures can go a long way.
7. Participate in the season of giving back.
The season of giving back runs through the month of December, making it an excellent opportunity for your dispensary to say thank you to the community it serves. Since the holidays are the best time to give back, it makes for an excellent opportunity for your dispensary to get involved by initiating a charity drive of your own.
Not only will you get to be a part of a greater good, but you’ll find that customers prefer to support companies who participate in social good as well. Since your customers are also looking for opportunities to give back this holiday season, team up with them to form a partnership for a good cause.
You could consider donating a monetary amount for every purchase. For example, you could offer $1 for every sale in the month of December towards the charity of your choosing.
But remember that money is not the only way to give back. Here are a few other ideas to get your dispensary involved this holiday season:
- Partner with a local food bank
- Participate in a clothes drive
- Plan an annual charity event
- Volunteer at a soup kitchen
To help encourage your customers to get involved, you can consider offering a reward for their donation efforts. Provide your customers with free merchandise if they bring an item to donate to your drive.
Not only will you create a snowball effect in terms of giving, but you will also help to break down some of the negative stigmas that still surround the cannabis industry. Help show the community that your dispensary is here to create a positive impact.
8. Add a sweet treat to your shop.
The holidays are a cozy time filled with sweet treats galore. Get into the spirit of the season and bring your customers along for the ride by setting up a hot chocolate and s’mores station inside or outside of your dispensary.
Adding free hot chocolate and DIY s’mores bars will give your customers something to talk about and hopefully post about on social media, bringing even more customers to your shop.
You might be wondering how you can set up a DIY s’mores station without burning down your dispensary. Thankfully, with the help of portable Sterno heat cans, having an open fire is easier than you might think.
Grab your skewers, graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallow, and you’ll be ready to go in no time.
9. Go ahead and get festive.
Don’t be afraid to throw on the Christmas music, put a tree in the window, and call it a holiday season in your dispensary. The real way to get into the festive holiday spirit and fast is to spruce things up around your dispensary.
There is no denying the power of festivity, especially during the holiday season. So, if you’re on the fence about setting up decorations this year, just know that it’s always worth taking the time to set the mood.
Being festive comes down to more than adding a few simple decorations around the shop when it comes to being festive. It might be time to change out the music in your dispensary to give the ultimate holiday feel. If you’re not sure how to pick your music, stick with these pointers.
Check your vibe
Be mindful of the overall vibe of your dispensary when picking your holiday music. These days you can easily find holiday music selections that span across varying genres. Thankfully, you shouldn’t have any issues finding something in line with the everyday shopping experience for your dispensary.
Steer clear of religious music
The last thing you want is for your holiday cheer to make any of your customers feel uncomfortable. In order to help avoid any strange feelings, do your best to avoid any overtly religious-based holiday music.
Try to blend your sounds
Combine seasonal music into your existing soundtrack for your dispensary for an easy way to blend in some holiday cheer without being too over-the-top. That way, you can be sure to appeal to the masses.
10. Give gifts to your customers.
If your customers are taking the time out of their busy schedules this holiday season to shop with you, shower them with gifts in appreciation.
Try giving out holiday gift cards or coupons for your holiday shoppers for a fun and exciting take on the holidays. Here are a few ideas you might want to consider to help maximize your efforts this holiday season:
- When customers purchase gift cards, return the gesture in a small gift back to them
- Spread the word about your holiday promotions via email or social media posts
- Have a unique festive branded holiday design for your gift cards that excites customers
It’s essential to take this time of year to remind your customers that you understand that they have plenty of dispensary options, and you value the fact that they have chosen yours over the others.
Take a look at what some other dispensaries in your area are doing this holiday season and use that as a compass. Rather than copying their ideas flat out, think of unique ways to spin them and make them your own.
Final Thoughts on Boosting Holiday Sales
Encourage your customers to make the most of the busy holiday season by checking off everyone on their gift list in a one-stop shop. With the help of these 10 tips to boost holiday sales at your dispensary, now you’ll be able to have a seasonally merry and gainful end to your year.
