Once you have completed the messy business of starting up and have found a successful business model for your cannabis dispensary, your next goal should be to grow and expand your brand to compete with the other giants on the national stage.
One of the benefits of launching a cannabis retail store is that you have a storefront to use to attract your customer base. At this stage in the game, you have likely already done the hard work of creating a strong dispensary brand, setting up shop, and creating a great dispensary team - so it’s now time to open your store!
Here are our 6 tips to kickstart growth with a dispensary grand opening!
Kick start growth with a dispensary grand opening.
One of the main ways many dispensaries kick start their growth ambitions is with a flashy grand opening that attracts a lot of buzz for the brand and gets it noticed by new customers. While most customers will be there for the deals and offers on different products, your goal is to make sure they stay even after buying their bud and that they have a memorable experience they can associate with your brand.
To that end, we have prepared a few things you could do to make your grand opening more engaging and fun for your customers. They include:
1 - Use the dispensary location.
If you are thinking of having a launch party for your cannabis dispensary, it should be at your dispensary's location. This is because the dispensary will be convenient for existing customers who are used to making a trip to that location to attend the launch party.
Furthermore, new customers will leave the event knowing exactly where your business premises are and have a good sense of the atmosphere and vibe of your dispensary. It would be a massive missed opportunity to hold your grand opening anywhere else unless the regulations in your state prohibit it.
2 - Offer amazing deals.
Among the main attractions that bring customers to dispensary launch parties are the massive discounts on many of the dispensary's products. Some dispensaries offer up to 50% off all their products to attract customers to the launch party. Of course, you don't have to go that far, but giving offers on your products during your launch party is an excellent way to attract customers and move slow inventory.
3 - Include fun activities.
There is a common stereotype that cannabis makes people sluggish and lazy. You don't want 'sluggish' as the theme of your dispensary's grand opening. 'Sluggish' will make all your customers crave their cozy couches, and your event will be done in no time.
The best solution is to include some fun activities in your agenda to get your customers on their feet. One of the easiest ways to do that is to have music performances by DJs and artists at your event. You could also have activities like bouncing castles, stoned yoga, a painting corner, among others. The activities will make your launch party more memorable.
4 - Feed your customers.
Everyone knows you can’t throw a party and invite cannabis consumers and not feed them. The munchies will inevitably kick in at some point during the party for most of your guests. If you don't have a food plan on-site, many customers won't stay as long as you want them to.
The food should not be complicated, however. Snacks and fast food like hot dogs, burgers, and pizza slices will do the trick for most of your customers. So you can simply rent a food truck for the day.
5 - Give away free merchandise.
Cannabis businesses are not legally allowed to give out cannabis for free to customers—but there is no law against giving out free merchandise. As a result, many dispensaries take the opportunity to give away merchandise to grow brand recognition and loyalty among their customers.
Simple things like T-shirts, caps, sunglasses, lighters and rolling paper could go a long way in growing your brand recognition among your customers and their friends.
6 - Leverage social media platforms and influencers.
It is crucial that you leverage social media platforms and influencers to market your event. Many customers at cannabis dispensaries are young Millennials and Gen Zs. Most young people use social media to find out what's happening and what their friends are planning to attend. Therefore, you have to market your event on social media.
It would help if you got a social media influencer to plug your event, say they will be there, and post about it during and after the event. This will get their thousands of followers to know about your event and also plan to attend.
Big congratulations for getting this far in the game, and we hope that you have a fantastic grand opening! If you are ready to take the next step and start setting up your dispensary operating systems and technology, be sure to connect with us today for a free demo. KayaPush created a software that helps you make people management easy.
From scheduling to time tracking and payroll, we have you covered all from one easy to use platform.
