The rising quantity and quality of cannabis products available to enthusiasts today rival almost all retail categories in terms of variety. With so many dope choices on offer, customers are spoiled and oftentimes confused about which products are best suited to their unique lifestyles and tastes. Besides having knowledgeable and experienced staff, cannabis retailers are also better able to generate more repeat business with effective product displays promoting their products.
Friendly advice dispensed from behind the counter is a big part of the retail cannabis experience, and sales are driven by the guidance provided to customers about individual cannabis strain characteristics. But when your business is a hit, the store is buzzing and your staff are highly engaged—your retail displays must have the added versatility to show off your stash beautifully on their own, in order to take up the slack and not blunt your sales.
Cannabis retailers are in the business of selling ‘elevating experiences’, so it should all begin with a thoughtful in-store experience, and that means a well-orchestrated strategy for how products are displayed. To help raise visibility and drive sales, we have put together 8 tips for creating captivating, versatile, and effective cannabis displays.
1. Plan a visual merchandising strategy
Cannabis retailers are renowned for their anti-establishment attitude, and this can be seen in how they are creatively displaying products and moving away from relying completely on traditional glass counters. In many states, it’s illegal for shoppers to handle the merchandise, and bring their own items to the checkout counter—making it even more challenging to sell a product that is inherently experiential.
Your merchandising displays must fill in these gaps by compensating for the loss of a multi-sensory experience.
Clear acrylic makes a sleek and elegant alternative to glass to elevate the visual part of the customer experience Acrylic is shatter-resistant, lightweight, insulating, and optically clear—perfect for displaying and protecting your cannabis products. Plus, the material is far more versatile and stronger than glass.
Acrylic can also be crafted into almost any shape imaginable while still providing easy access for budtenders to handle and deliver whatever’s inside to your customers. Some products, such as Cannabis Display Pods make up for the lack of aromatic experience through the cylinders’ air holes. There is a great wealth of acrylic display options to personalize the cannabis customer experience in your dispensary and fill in those sensory gaps.
2. Segment your products
When customers walk into your cannabis shop, they will subconsciously drift over to the counter that interests them the most by relying on the guided visual cues that come from your merchandising displays
This is where segmenting your products by consumer types comes into play—specifically three consumer types:
- Seniors
- Health and fitness enthusiasts
- Cannabis newcomers
Visual merchandising that appeals to the lifestyles associated with these well-defined segments has begun to predominate in cannabis marketing campaigns across the US.
Try to set up your displays in a manner that directly advertises to these audiences and segment your displays by product type as well. s. For example, edible consumers are going to look for different visual cues in your merchandising than people who exclusively vape cannabis concentrates.
3. Place displays in areas that inspire impulse purchases
Acrylic can be used to make beautiful boxes, risers, pedestals, trays, sign holders, and a myriad of other objects that help elevate merchandise and catch the eye of the customer. Its transparency allows products to stand out, all while being showcased from many angles with seamless simplicity.
Freestanding displays on a countertop are especially useful to show off products that are below $20 in retail value. You should place the displays in a location that inspires impulse buying—next to the cash register.
Items like pipes, screens, rolling papers, and vape accessories are all great grab-and-go items to use that visitors usually forget about after leaving. While customers are at the register or waiting, remind them of these accessories and they just might add them to their purchase.
4. Utilize cannabis display pods for demonstrations
These small, acrylic cylinders are designed to showcase single choice buds and are perfectly sized to help budtenders hold up and demonstrate the beauty of the product and the differences between strains.
The bud can be viewed from all angles without touching it, as the cylinders are transparent. Air holes in the lid enable customers to experience each flower’s unique terpene aromas.
Cylinders can be grouped in a display case specifically made for them or placed just about anywhere in the dispensary. Some display cases are even customizable with underlighting and colorful inserts.
5. Invest in locking displays for security
Wall-mounted and countertop displays have secure doors that lock with keys that can open to the front, back, or sides. Because the shelves are clear acrylic, customers can view items in the display cases from many angles as they browse the dispensary.
Our wall-mounted displays are available in many sizes and shelving configurations and bring your products up to eye level. The countertop displays on the other hand carry a lower profile as they are made to rest atop a table or counter. Not only do these locked displays keep your products safe (both lift upward from hinges on the back), but also create visual interest among customers.
6. Diversify your layout design with a variety of displays
While it’s important to keep the layout cohesive, too many of the same displays in a horizontal line will just create a snooze-fest for customers. Utilize a variety of display types to break up the monotony and create visual interest. A few display examples include but aren’t limited to, wall-mounted displays, glass jar risers, cannabis pod spikes, and ShopPOP’s unique fluorescent green cannabis pods and acrylic block risers to create the ultimate 4/20 vibes.
7. Create an immersive customer experience
Cannabis retail dispensaries are in hot demand and it’s important to differentiate yourself in order to stand out from competitors. Ultimately, it’s about creating an immersive, customer-first shopping experience that allows for a seamless purchasing journey from start to finish. Consider the following:
- Put products that people usually buy together in the same display area.
- Educate customers on the differences between products through tailored signage and packaging.
- Find out what problems and/or needs customers are looking to fulfill through cannabis and guide them to the right purchase.
- If you can, offer product samples to customers.
- Don’t shy away from color. To make your dispensary stand out, use colors that are complementary to the usual green, such as purple, orange, blue, and brown.
At ShopPOP, we can customize your displays to be just about any color of the rainbow.
8. Purchase customizable speciality display cases
ShopPOPdisplays offers high quality display solutions to the burgeoning cannabis dispensary and retail business.
Display your select and finest vapes and e-cigarettes with acrylic 5-slot standing vape display stands that are machined to fit nearly every vape design or organize your pre-rolls with a joint tube holder.
Our high-quality lines of cannabis, CBD oil, tincture, edibles, vaping and paraphernalia acrylic displays are beautiful, sturdy and practical.
We offer hundreds of display items in our catalog for cannabis-specific products and can also create custom designs in any shape or size, in small or large quantities. Every shopPOPdisplay product is designed by craftsmen and produced in America to exacting standards to help your business thrive.