Author: Will Smith

Key Takeaways

• The best cannabis shops create marketing opportunities all year, not just around 4/20.
• Seasonal campaigns are more effective when paired with strong in-store merchandising.
• Standalone product showcases make it easy to highlight featured products without redesigning the entire store.
• Interactive experiences encourage product discovery and help customers make informed purchasing decisions.
• Every promotion ultimately drives customers to the sales floor, where presentation influences conversion.

Many discussions about marketing ideas for cannabis shops focus on a handful of major retail holidays. While events like 4/20 and Green Wednesday can generate significant revenue, successful cannabis retailers know that every month holds a promotable moment.

The most effective campaigns don't begin with discounts. They start with the customer experience. The stores seeing consistent month-over-month revenue combine seasonal promotions with thoughtful merchandising that gives customers something new to discover each time they visit.

Understanding how to market a cannabis store means building a promotional calendar that spans all four quarters, not waiting for 4/20 to carry the year. This guide explores seasonal opportunities and in-store strategies that help cannabis retailers maintain momentum all year long.

Make Every Display a Seasonal Statement

Seasonal campaigns are more effective when the store environment supports them. One of the most underused dispensary merchandising ideas is updating featured product presentations throughout the year. A holiday promotion, limited release, or new product launch carries more impact when it is supported by a dedicated display.

Bud Bar Displays, a patented cannabis retail fixture manufacturer with over 25 years in the industry, builds standalone showcase solutions designed for exactly this. The Wedge™ positions a single Pod at the optimal viewing angle and anchors it to the counter with a tethered security system, making it easy to rotate featured products. The Starlight™ adds dual LED illumination and transforms a single Pod into a premium showcase.

The advantage is flexibility. One month, the showcase Display can highlight an award-winning flower strain. The next, it can spotlight a limited release, seasonal edible collection, or a staff favorite. The footprint stays the same, but the story changes.

Among today's most practical cannabis product display ideas, standalone Displays offer one of the highest returns by giving featured products greater visibility.

Upgrade the In-Store Experience with Smart Technology

Retail technology continues to reshape how to market a cannabis dispensary. Customers increasingly expect access to product information before making a purchase, especially when exploring unfamiliar strains, concentrates, or edibles.

The Cann-O-Vision™ from Bud Bar Displays addresses this with a lift-and-learn experience. When a customer picks up a compatible Canna-Pod®, product information automatically appears on the touchscreen. Details such as terpene profiles, flavor notes, effects, and strain information are presented instantly. Add a prompt for customers to "touch here" and have a prerecorded video message from you, your grower, or a high-profile figure deliver a message about the product. Create unique and unforgettable experiences for your customers with this innovative, high-tech digital display.

This technology supports some of the most effective cannabis customer engagement ideas available today. Better-informed shoppers make more confident choices and are more likely to return. Beyond product education, Cann-O-Vision™ gives retailers another channel to promote featured products, advertise events, highlight partner brands, or generate revenue through sponsored content. Optional monthly content support helps keep messaging current throughout the year.

Run the Clock: The In-Store Strain Quiz Challenge

Not every successful promotion requires a large budget. Some of the best marketing ideas for cannabis shops are built around participation and friendly competition.

Consider hosting a monthly Strain Quiz Challenge. Customers receive a short quiz covering strain categories, terpene profiles, product effects, and general cannabis knowledge. Using product Displays, strain cards, and educational materials throughout the store, participants race against the clock to answer as many questions as possible.

The top score each month could receive store merchandise, branded accessories, or a gift card, depending on local regulations.

This type of event encourages customers to spend more time interacting with products and learning about inventory. It also gives regular shoppers a reason to return and compete again.

Many Bud Bar Displays products, such as the Security Tether Bar, include integrated strain card holders specifically designed to support customer-led product discovery. As marketing ideas for cannabis shops go, a monthly quiz format drives repeat visits and builds product knowledge without a single paid ad behind it.

Q1: New Year, New Leaf (January to March)

January is ideal for "Resolution Reset" campaigns. Reach out to previous customers, gift card recipients, and loyalty members through email and SMS. Many shoppers are looking to establish new routines and are open to trying products they received during the holidays.

February offers opportunities to focus on wellness-oriented products. CBD topicals, recovery products, sleep-focused formulations, and self-care bundles can align well with seasonal purchasing habits. A cross-promotion with a local yoga studio or wellness space can extend reach without paid media.

March brings St. Patrick's Day and a chance to have some fun with green-themed promotions. Featured strains, edible specials, and "Luck of the Irish" bundles can create excitement during a traditionally slower retail period.

Q2: Peak Season Hits Different (April to June)

No discussion of marketing ideas for cannabis shops would be complete without 4/20.

Many retailers wait too long to start promoting their biggest day. Successful campaigns launch in the first week of April. Dedicated landing pages, early-bird specials, and countdown promotions build anticipation, and community events (food trucks, pop-ups, local vendor partnerships) can turn the occasion into a neighborhood destination.

Memorial Day Weekend provides another opportunity to capitalize on seasonal purchasing behavior. Portable and travel-friendly products such as vape pens, infused beverages, and pre-roll multipacks often perform well as consumers prepare for summer activities.

Q3: Summertime and the Selling Is Easy (July to September)

July 10, or 710 Day, is the concentrates industry's unofficial holiday. Feature wax shatter and dab rigs, and use SMS to alert loyal concentrate buyers directly. It's one of the highest-return dispensary merchandising ideas in the second half of the year.

August is strong for local SEO. Visitors searching for a cannabis shop nearby are high-intent shoppers. A current Google Business Profile and "dispensary near me" optimization captures that traffic without paid media.

Labor Day weekend rounds out the quarter as one of the year's top sales days. Social gathering bundles and BBQ-friendly product pairings sell naturally here.

Q4: The Golden Quarter (October to December)

The final quarter delivers the highest concentration of marketing ideas for cannabis shops in any twelve-week stretch. October's "Halloweed" moment rewards themed promotions — terpene-forward strains, limited-edition gummies, and seasonal bundles all perform well on social.

November is anchored by Green Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving — a date that regularly outperforms 4/20 in many markets. Friendsgiving bundles and indica-heavy strains for holiday stress speak directly to traveling customers stocking up before family gatherings.

December closes the year with gifting at the center. Mood-curated bundles like "Holiday Stress Relief" and "Winter Wind-Down" move well at the counter. A strong cannabis product display idea applied here sells product without additional promotion.

Tactics That Work in Any Season

The infrastructure behind strong marketing ideas for cannabis shops comes down to a few consistent fundamentals. Email and SMS lists are the most reliable direct channels available given advertising restrictions on major platforms — build them from in-store sign-ups. Maintain a consistent organic presence on Instagram and TikTok with education-focused content, not sales pitches.

A claimed Google Business Profile captures high-intent local searches at no ongoing cost. Community involvement, charity drives, food donations, and local partnerships strengthen brand awareness and help build lasting relationships beyond the sales floor.

Conclusion

The most successful cannabis retailers don't rely on a single holiday or promotion. They create a year-round strategy that combines seasonal campaigns, thoughtful merchandising, and engaging in-store experiences.

Seasonal promotions bring customers through the door. Dedicated Displays help featured products stand out. Interactive technology gives shoppers the information they need to make confident purchasing decisions.

Whether it's a Starlight™ highlighting a limited release, a Wedge™ showcasing a featured strain, or a Cann-O-Vision™ delivering product information on demand, the goal is the same: create a retail experience that keeps customers coming back.

Explore Bud Bar Displays' full range of patented Pods, Displays, and custom solutions to support your next campaign.

The CBD market is predicted to grow from $9.86 billion in 2021 to $136.64 billion in 2029, according to a 2022 report by MicroSmallCap. As this growth continues, cannabis dispensary merchandising plays a critical role in how these products are presented, discovered, and purchased in retail environments.

Market segments that are driving this growth are pain relief, skincare, and other medicinal uses.

Unlike other cannabis products that produce a high, CBD products can be sold in regular retail stores in some states and regions.

Because the competition for CBD retail sales is wider than for other cannabis products, these merchandising displays must be top-notch, and help establish customer buying patterns for store operators.

Merchandising Cannabis and CBD in Retail Environments and Dispensaries

CBD displays and merchandising are critical for raising awareness of these products in a retail setting and increasing sales to targeted customers, but the same applies to cannabis products as well. 

Effective cannabis dispensary merchandising helps increase visibility, guide customer decisions, and drive sales across both CBD and THC product categories.

Well-executed CBD merchandising displays can play a key role in introducing new products and building familiarity with different product types.

Below, we go over some best practices and things to consider when marketing CBD on your sales floor.

Educating Customers

With cannabis and CBD products legalized for medicinal use in many states and territories, new customers will require education about which products can benefit them most. Strong cannabis dispensary store displays make it easier to present information in a clear, accessible way.

Using multimedia displays that leverage interactive content can help impart information to customers. Product information can also be embedded in cannabis dispensary merchandising displays to show CBD levels and additional data on cannabidiol products.

Lead Customers to Selected Products

Designing a dispensary layout to lead customers down a specific path to highlighted products is another strategy used in retail store design. Place your best-selling products in this customer path to increase sales on high-margin or popular items.

Most customers in the U.S. and Europe turn right when they enter a store entrance. Selected products can be displayed along this path using table displays, product display cases, wall displays, and countertop displays. This approach works well when supported by thoughtful cannabis and CBD merchandising displays that draw attention to key items without overwhelming the space.

Use Graphics Tastefully

Eye-catching graphics and product displays can be used to draw attention to specific CBD and cannabis products. Be sure to consider what effect you are aiming for. Loud colors and gaudy graphics can send the wrong message. 

Most dispensaries use cannabis and CBD merchandising displays that utilize subtle graphics and professional designs to guide customer attention in a specific direction. Creating an environment that feels safe, professional, and luxurious is always a strong strategy in cannabis and CBD retail.

Establish Trust & Credibility

Cannabis-derived products had a negative stigma in popular opinion for many decades. Although medicinal marijuana and, more recently, CBD products have extensive clinical research to back up the prescribed benefits, some newer customers may still be skeptical. It is crucial to establish empirical proof of credibility with these fledgling CBD customers.

One method of establishing trust is having transparency about the source, ingredients, testing methodology, production, and quality control of each product. Our cannabis dispensary merchandising products can make this information clear to shoppers right away. Budtenders should be well-educated so they can answer customer questions confidently. A clear, well-organized cannabis dispensary store display can also support this strategy by presenting product information in a trustworthy and accessible way.

Information may also be displayed on the packaging or incorporated into the display itself. Printed brochures or digital presentations can also help explain product details, alleviate concerns, and answer questions about cannabis products.

Countertop Displays Can Be Useful

As customers approach the checkout station, they may see cannabis dispensary store displays at eye level, displaying selected products. This is a chance to promote both cannabis and CBD products to customers, encouraging POS impulse buys. 

Having properly placed cannabis dispensary merchandising displays at checkout can highlight smaller, high-margin items without disrupting your store’s flow.

Professional Display Cases

Dispensaries that display products at a fixed budtender station, or point-of-sale register, should have high-quality display cases for CBD and cannabis products.

Customers can see a variety of products in a well-lit case and have the ability to choose from clearly presented options. Strong cannabis dispensary store displays play an important role in presenting products clearly and supporting customer decision-making.

This is an opportunity for budtenders to answer any questions and help customers choose the best products for their needs.

Bringing Your Merchandising Strategy Together

A strong cannabis dispensary merchandising strategy isn’t just about where products sit on a shelf. It’s about how everything works together once a customer walks in. The flow of your store, your cannabis dispensary store displays, and even small details like placement and spacing all shape how people browse and what catches their attention.

When your setup feels natural, customers spend less time figuring things out and more time exploring. That’s where the right mix of retail cannabis store displays and fixtures makes a difference. It helps highlight key products, guide movement through the space, and create a smoother overall experience without forcing it.

Need Personalized Help with Your Cannabis Dispensary Merchandising?

Designing a customer experience for your dispensary is an important task. If you need help finding the perfect cannabis, CBD, and extract display cases and fixtures, Bud Bar Displays is here to help. For 35+ years, our leadership team has been designing and building retail displays for some of the most memorable stores and retail events.

If you want to improve your cannabis dispensary merchandising, Bud Bar Displays has a complete product line to help you market your products more effectively. Our online store features a line of Bud Cabinets, CBD Displays, Cannabis Sniff Jars, and Product Displays.

Don’t see what you need? Our design team can help you create custom retail displays for your dispensary. Contact us if you have any questions, or give us a call at 916.858.2000.

Finding the right dispensary display ideas for cannabis concentrates can be a challenge, but getting it right is essential for driving sales and customer engagement. Cannabis products are evolving rapidly, with extracts being a huge part of that evolution.

The days of people being limited to cannabis flower are long gone. New products continue to expand alongside consumers’ changing tastes. Extracts have taken the recreational and medical market by storm because of their potency and versatility. However, displaying and storing concentrates and extracts in your dispensary isn’t straightforward.

State and local regulations usually require that products containing THC or CBD be displayed with tamper-evident seals that visibly reveal whether the products have been compromised after sealing. While enforcing security regulations for cannabis concentrates, dispensaries must also consider concentrate display design and broader cannabis dispensary design ideas, finding engaging ways to showcase the products.

Bud Bar Displays offers dispensary display ideas that strike a balance between effective retail merchandising and regulatory compliance. Choosing the right dispensary ideas and designs starts with understanding your products and your customers.

What are Cannabis Concentrates?

Cannabis concentrates are marijuana-derived products with significantly higher THC levels compared to top-shelf cannabis flower. Concentrates typically range from 50% to 90% THC, while premium cannabis flower generally falls between 20% and 30% THC.

Customers can use concentrates to get a higher dose of cannabinoids, which are chemical compounds found in cannabis. This includes THC and CBD. With such a wide range of products and potency, thoughtful concentrate display design is essential for helping customers make informed purchasing decisions.

Why Dispensary Display Ideas Matter for Concentrate Sales

The Cannabis concentrate market will grow from $1.6 billion in 2025 to a projected $6.8 billion by 2035, according to outlook projections by Future Market Insights (FMI). This is fueled by expanding legalization across the US.

Now’s the time to embrace dispensary ideas that help you showcase these popular concentrates and increase sales. That’s where dispensary display ideas and store layout come into play.

Displays should help differentiate between product types, potencies, and flavors. They should draw in the customer with signage, lighting, and the promise of access and inspection. Your store layout should be open and welcoming, pulling in the consumer and motivating them to explore. Good cannabis retail design and an experienced partner make all the difference.

Challenges of Concentrate Display Design

Regarding dispensary display ideas, some cannabis concentrates are distributed as bottled oils or capsules, which can be displayed on a standard shelf. This approach won’t work for most concentrates, however, and it does little to entice the consumer. Part of the sales and merchandising process is displaying concentrates so customers not only see the product, but also feel compelled to interact with it and experience the terpene aromas.

In most cases, the best dispensary ideas come from product knowledge. After all, it’s this knowledge that dictates the customer experience. Standard concentrates include:

• Kief: Loose cannabis trichomes (crystals), which are collected from flowers run through a sieve or mesh. Kief has a higher THC count and has more of the psychoactive components than the flower from which it is derived.
• Hash: Created from trichomes or kief collected through dry sifting of the flower. The trichomes are pressed using heat to create solid chunks of hash.
• Rosin: A cannabis concentrate made without solvents or chemicals. Cannabis is pressed between heated pads, causing oils to be extracted. This process is considered full-spectrum, meaning the cannabinoid and terpene profiles are preserved.
• Wax: Also known as honey oil or Butane Hash Oil (BHO), wax has different categories based on its consistency. Most cannabis wax is created by extracting THC from the plant using butane. Budder has a creamy consistency, crumble has a consistency like blue cheese, and shatter is a high-potency concentrate that resembles glass.
• Terp sauce, aka High Terpene Full Spectrum Extracts (HTFSEs): Similar to other types, but lower in THC, terp sauce is a cannabis extract with a high concentration of terpenes. Terp sauce is often combined with other, more solid chunks of cannabis extracts or put into a vape cartridge.

Some of these delicate, often sticky extracts aren’t really for pre-sale public handling, so displaying them correctly is key to allowing potential customers a chance to analyze and smell the products prior to purchase.

The right concentrate display design makes all the difference, and that starts with the right dispensary display ideas for your space and product lineup.

Bud Bar Displays: Where Top Dispensary Ideas Come to Life

Bud Bar Displays is a Veteran-owned company with over 25 years in the dispensary displays industry. We manufacture everything in the USA, which allows us to guarantee fast shipping and quality control. All of our displays use high-quality acrylic, ensuring a premium retail experience.

We offer something for any size operation, including portable displays for off-site events. Whatever your dispensary display ideas look like, we have a solution. Some of our smallest and most portable options include our Silicone Lined Display Jars. These are excellent options for smaller operations, especially those with a tighter budget.

If customer engagement is high on your priority list, then consider the aroma delivery Pod, the Puff-X Pod™. A quick press of the “puff button” will send a scent of the product through the micro-aroma holes as your customer views the extract intimately through the built-in magnifier.

For a straightforward approach to selling extracts, the Xtract Elite™ offers a clean, professional display option. The unit was created from customer suggestions, and the result is a fantastic sales tool and cannabis display. The covered info pockets make your concentrate display design look spotless and professional, so no need to wrap stickers around your jars. With your choice of eighteen 30g or 50g Sili’Pods, and two lighting options to highlight each concentrate, this display cabinet is an excellent investment for growing operations.

Then there are our premium items for larger, more ambitious dispensaries. If you really want to impress your customers, there’s nothing quite like the Dab Bar Cabinet™. At 47” wide and 16” deep, the cabinet allows you to show off an impressive 48 concentrate selections in style, each with their own description card. Offering six inclined trays at the perfect viewing angle, the Dab Bar Cabinet™ allows customers to better inspect the product in its individually removable pods.

Don’t see an extract display you like? No problem: just ask us, and we will custom-design one to suit your needs. Bud Bar Displays is your one-stop shop for extract and concentrate dispensary display ideas.

The Shift in Cannabis Retail

Cannabis retail is evolving. Buyers are no longer satisfied with choosing products based on labels alone. They want to experience what they are buying, understand quality, and interact with the product before making a decision.

This shift is exactly why the Pods for the People initiative exists. It reflects a broader movement toward more transparent, interactive retail environments powered by smarter display solutions.

Bud Bar Displays developed its Pod Systems to support this shift, giving cannabis stores a more effective way to present products and guide purchasing decisions.

What Is the Pods for the People Sale?

The Pods for the People Sale is a targeted promotion designed to help cannabis retailers upgrade their display systems while managing costs.

During the sale, select Pods are available at 20% off, making it easier to implement a display solution that improves both presentation and performance on the sales floor.

More than a promotion, this initiative represents a practical opportunity to invest in tools that support customer education and drive more confident purchasing behavior.

Why Affordable Display Solutions Matter for Retailers

Affordable display solutions play a direct role in how cannabis products are presented, understood, and ultimately purchased. With our discounted Pods, this sale makes it easier for retailers to implement a high-quality display system while managing upfront costs.

Bud Bar Displays’ Pods bring products out from behind the counter and into a more interactive environment where customers can explore quality firsthand.

Each Pod is designed to support:

• Aroma delivery, allowing customers to explore terpene profiles
• Magnified viewing, making trichome detail visible at a glance
• Secure, compliant construction, suitable for high-traffic retail environments

These features work together to create a more informed and engaging shopping experience. As part of the Pods for the People philosophy, this leads to increased product interaction, enhanced customer experience, and stronger overall sales performance.

A Smart Time to Upgrade with Pod Displays

Display systems influence how customers perceive product quality and how confidently they make purchasing decisions.

With 20% off select Pods, the Pods for the People Sale offers a cost-effective way to enhance your retail environment without compromising on quality.

For new stores, this means starting with a strong foundation. For established retailers, it provides an opportunity to refine presentation and improve consistency across locations.

The Story Behind Bud Bar Displays

The Pods for the People concept is rooted in decades of craftsmanship and innovation.

The company’s founder, Will Smith, began his journey more than 50 years ago. His early passion for scuba diving led him to serve in the United States Navy, where he worked as a Boatswain Mate aboard a 600-foot helicopter carrier in the South China Sea and participated in the evacuation of the U.S. Embassy in Vietnam.

After his service, Will returned to acrylic fabrication, a skill he had explored as a teenager while attempting to build a waterproof camera housing for underwater photography. While that early project did not succeed, it laid the foundation for a career defined by precision and problem-solving.

He went on to build a company known for producing high-quality retail displays for major brands such as Nordstrom, Macy’s, and J.C. Penney. His expertise later extended into museum-grade display cases for iconic cultural artifacts, including pieces from The Wizard of Oz, Gone With the Wind, and memorabilia from figures such as Humphrey Bogart and Buddy Holly.

From Craftsmanship to the Pods for the People Movement

The transition into cannabis retail came from a deeply personal turning point.

After a serious accident that left his leg paralyzed, Will began visiting cannabis stores and noticed a gap in how products were presented. Many lacked a clean, engaging, and effective way to display flower, edibles, and concentrates.

Drawing on decades of experience, he developed a new category of display systems that aligned with the principles behind Pods for the People. These systems allowed customers to smell terpene profiles and visually inspect products in a structured, professional environment.

As demand grew, Bud Bar Displays quickly became a leader in cannabis retail display innovation.

Built for the Modern Retail Environment

Today, the Pods for the People approach continues to guide how Bud Bar Displays designs its products.

Pod Systems are engineered to:

• Improve product presentation
• Support customer education
• Increase product interaction
• Create a more consistent and professional retail environment

Each system is built with the realities of cannabis retail in mind, balancing durability, compliance, and ease of use.

Take Advantage of the Pods for the People Sale

Our discounted Pods offer a clear opportunity to upgrade your display strategy while reducing upfront investment.

With 20% off select Pods, cannabis shops can elevate product presentation, create a more engaging in-store experience, and drive stronger sales outcomes.

For retailers focused on growth, consistency, and customer education, this is a practical step forward. Shop Pods for the People now and start transforming your retail display.

For most dispensaries, there is no bigger sales day than April 20th.

In 2024, 4/20 set sales records for retail dispensaries, with a 7% increase over 2023.

Having plenty of cannabis products on hand, and merchandising those products effectively can help maximize your sales and increase customer loyalty.

Here are some of the top products you should have on display for 4/20.

Flower: Still the Top Cannabis Product

A 2024 report by Flowhub shows that flower was still the #1 product category in 2024, making up 40.7% of total sales.

One of the biggest challenges with displaying premium flower is showcasing selected strains, allowing customers to sniff the terpene aromas, all while maintaining security protocols according to state regulations.

Fortunately, this problem has been solved with the Security Tether Bar™ which satisfies security regulations, and comes with different cannabis display Pods which each feature aroma holes for customers to smell the unique aromas of each strain.

The Canna-Pod_® is our most popular Pod, and each of these feature a magnifying viewer for close inspection, and secure aroma holes, so customers can sniff the complex terpene combinations. The patented Spring Hatch makes managing the aroma holes worry-free, while preserving the freshness of each sample. Note: this is also available on most of our Pods.

Our Puffer Pods_® are another specialized display unit for each stain of flower. Press the air button to send a aromatic whiff of the flower aroma to the customer. Microholes allow the aroma to escape while keeping samples completely secure.

For countertop flower displays, The Wedge™ offers a angled display for highlighted flower strains, all while securely tethered to the counter.

Edibles: Another Major Product Category

With 4/20 falling on Easter in 2025, edibles will see a huge amount of sales. Many customers use edibles for the convenience, but these can be displayed at various places in the dispensary. One way to highlight them is in a display cabinet near the checkout station. The Bud Bar Cabinet™ is a professional display cabinet designed specifically for presenting cannabis products.

Concentrates and Extracts: A Top Customer Choice

Concentrates and extracts are a huge seller for dispensaries on 4/20. There are plenty of ways to merchandise your different concentrates, but these are a couple that dispensary owners find the most useful.

For a way to display multiple extracts at once, the Xtract Elite™ is a professional choice. With optional LED lighted base and security cover, the display is a perfect way to show the extracts you have for sale. A hinged locking door opens from the budtenders side of the case allowing budtenders full control of the "show and smell" experience your customers enjoy before a purchase decision.

If you want to display extracts individually, the Incline XtractPod™ is an ideal solution. The angled display allows customers to see the samples at a glance, and there is a pocket for adding an information card, which makes your product look more professional.

Pre-Rolls: Convenient for the Customer

For displaying pre-rolls at the countertop or in another display area, the Bud Girl J-Tube Display is a fun way to draw customers attention. This comes in either a vintage or modern design for the bud girl.

Merchandise Your Cannabis Products For 4/20 and Beyond

The product line of cannabis Pods for dispensary merchandising from Bud Bar Displays feature many patented features that let customers securely see, smell, and examine your best flower samples. We also have an innovative line of display cabinets and bud displays to make your cannabis products stand out. For more information on any of our products or advice and displays for your dispensary, contact the team at Bud Bar Displays or call us at 916.858.2000.

Spring is an important season in the cannabis industry. If you are running a dispensary, these are some event dates, and considerations for merchandising cannabis products effectively.

Easter

Though Easter is a traditional US holiday, many dispensaries will run Easter specials for new or returning customers. Easter falls on different days each year, though it is always on a Sunday. Easter is based on the lunar calendar, not the Gregorian calendar. The Easter holiday is the Sunday after the first full moon following the vernal equinox each year. This day is not a major holiday for cannabis dispensaries, though it can see a slight bump in sales.

4/20, April 20th

This is the biggest sales day of the year for dispensaries, April 20th. The origins of 4/20 date back to 1971 and San Rafael High with a group of friends called “The Waldos” who would use the phrase “420 Louie” as code for a quest for marijuana. The friends would regularly meet at 4:20 pm to partake in cannabis. This code spread via word of mouth through Grateful Dead concert attendees, the Bay Area, and eventually, the world.

Plan accordingly for 4/20 sales and make sure you have plenty of stock and staff on hands that day.

Memorial Day, Last Monday of May

The last Monday each May is Memorial Day in the US, a day for commemorating fallen military soldiers. This is a federal holiday, making it the first three-day holiday of the spring, and the unofficial beginning of summer activities.

Many customers will visit your dispensary on Memorial Day, this is a fairly busy holiday. While not as big as Independence Day (July 4^th), Green Wednesday, or 4/20, you will still see very robust sales, so send out email and text message marketing in advance and on the day of the holiday. Plan on having plenty of your bestsellers and enough staff to check customers out quickly.

Different Types of Products to Merchandise

There are several types of products that your dispensary might choose to display and promote on the retail floor.

Premium Flower

Displaying cannabis flower in a way that is compliant with local regulations, that allows customers to closely inspect the flower and smell the terpen aromas is a must. We have a patented line of cannabis display Pods design specifically for dispensaries.

The Canna-Pod_® is our most popular Pod, and each of these feature a magnifying viewer for close inspection, and secure aroma holes, so customers can sniff the distinct aromas of each strain.

Our Puffer Pods_® are another specialized display unit for each stain of flower. Press the air button to send a aromatic whiff of the flower aroma to the customer. Microholes allow the aroma to escape while keeping samples completely secure.

The Security Tether Bar™ allows you to display five flower samples in your choice of Puffer Pods_®, Canna-Pods_®, or Puff-X Pods™. Security tethers keep each pod attached to the display bar to keep your dispensary compliant.

You can see our extensive line of cannabis display pods for retail on our website.

Concentrates and Extracts

Extracts and concentrates are a growing product category, and there are many ways you can highlight specific products.

For displaying individual extracts and letting customers smell the aroma, you can use the Incline Puff-X Pod™ to showcase different concentrates.

For showing a selection of concentrates, the Xtract Elite™ uses information pockets, with cover plates, to make your extract’s strain information look clean and professional. The optional LED base produces a beautiful cool white light with virtually no heat to further enhance the display; the base also incorporates a folding stand allowing the display to sit flat or inclined when on display.

If you need to display a wide variety of concentrates, our Dab Bar Cabinet™ holds a mind-blowing 48 different concentrates in 30g Sili'Pods™ with information cards which describe each concentrate to the customer with important details.

Pre-Rolls

As customers move towards the final checkout, they may add some last minute items such as pre-rolls. You can display pre-rolls in tubes in countertop displays like our Tiered Joint Roll Display or Bud Girl J-Tube Display.

Merchandise Your Cannabis Products Like a High-End Store

The product line of cannabis Pods for dispensary merchandising from Bud Bar Displays feature many patented features that let customers securely see, smell, and examine your best flower samples. We also have an innovative line of display cabinets and bud displays to make your cannabis products stand out. For more information on any of our products or advice and displays for your dispensary, contact the team at Bud Bar Displays or call us at 916.858.2000

For many years, cannabis merchandising focused primarily on the THC level in each strain. Strain potency was believed to be the defining characteristic driving buying decisions by consumers. Earlier studies showed that cannabis customers were willing to pay more for high-quality products, but the definition of “premium” cannabis was still nebulous and undefined at that point.

However, a 2022 study by Plumb, Demirel, Sackett, Russo, and Wilson-Poe brought a lot more clarity to what customers were looking for, and how they were making purchasing decisions.

As it turns out, a pleasant aroma was the highest correlating factor in a positive experience for the participants in the study. More than high THC content or amount of THC consumed, aroma and smell are the leading indicators of high-quality cannabis.

What does this mean for you as a dispensary owner? Merchandising displays that allow customers to smell the aroma of each strain flower will lead to a better customer experience, and potentially more sales of higher quality flower.

Shifting Merchandising Focus from THC to Terpenes

Today’s cannabis connoisseur is more sophisticated than they were ten years ago, and they are looking for a robust enjoyable strain when they shop for cannabis.

According to the 2022 study mentioned above, “Pleasant subject aroma (but not terpene expression, THC potency, or THC dose) was positively correlated with pleasant subjective effects… These results suggest that, unlike THC potency, pleasant aroma is predictive of pleasant subjective effects. Similar to other agricultural commodities such as coffee and tea, aroma appears to be a robust indicator of the quality of cannabis inflorescence.”

In other words, if the cannabis flower has an appealing aroma, the customer perceives this strain as a higher quality.

THC is not a factor in whether people perceive a cannabis flower as high quality.

The report states, “Contrary to widely held public opinions, the dose of THC consumed in a single session was not correlated with subjective appeal.” In the study of 276 participants, nearly 45% of all single sessions with 0.25 grams of cannabis.

Potency should not be the only factor in merchandising and promotion of cannabis strains.

Letting customers smell the terpene aromas by using secure cannabis “sniff pods” is one way to utilize aroma as a selling point for your popular strains.

What are Terpenes? And How do They Contribute to Flower Aroma?

Terpenes are naturally occurring compounds that appear in plants and some animals. Functionally, terpenes influence aroma and taste. There are over 200 terpenes in Cannabis sativa (Cannabis), which often appear on the female inflorescence and throughout the cannabis flower.

Terpenoids appear in aromatic plants like cannabis, and are thought to help with protection from predatators, attracting pollinators and other functions.

Although research is still being done on terpenes, they are thought to have synergistic effects on THC, CBD, and other cannabinoids that make up unique psychoactive effects for each cannabis strain.

The aroma of each terpene can run a spectrum from sweet (citrus, tropical, berry) to savory (think onion, garlic, or chemical) with prototypical (earthy, skunky, spicy) landing in the middle of the spectrum.

The terpenes are what give each strain their unique aroma. They also work together with the other compounds in the strain to produce unique psychoactive effects.

Potency Should Not be Only Factor in Sales and Merchandising

Cannabis shoppers want a full sensory experience when they go to purchase flower. Marketing and merchandising your cannabis strains can be a complete educational experience. The goal is to deliver better choices for customers, aligned with their desired outcomes.

For example, your premium cannabis flower displays can feature tethered display pods with a magnifying lens to see the trichomes up close, info card holders with details about each strain, and each pod can have aroma holes so customers can sniff the complex terpenes of each unique strain.

Like a wine connoisseur examines the smells and notes of a fine wine before drinking it, cannabis consumers want to smell the terpene aromas before purchasing.

The Entourage Effect in Cannabis

Terpenes are responsible for more than aromas, they also help with a phenomenon known as the entourage effect.  Psychoactive elements in cannabis like THC interact with terpenes and cannabinoids in that strain in a unique way. The combination of the different compounds produces an experience that can affect each person differently. If you are an experienced cannabis partaker, the aroma of the terpenes and trichomes can give you clues to the overall experience you will have consuming that strain.

Highlighting Aromas Can Help with Sales

Customers who appreciate the different terpene aromas will seek out different strains, including those with lower THC levels. Smaller independent cannabis lines can be featured, encouraging more robust product lines. Customers feel they are discovering small-batch craft cannabis. Your clientele will spread the word your dispensary is known for carrying strains with unique terpene combinations.

Carry a Spectrum of Aromas and Strains at Your Dispensary

Consumers are looking for strains with pleasing aromas, that are rich and full of complexity, intensity, sublimation, and balance. Provide a mechanism for customers to smell to the different strains of cannabis flower so they can have a more satisfying customer experience.

The customer journey is an important part of getting return business and winning a customer for life. Remember that aroma is the number factor in cannabis enthusiasts defining a cannabis strain as “high-quality”.

Find the Ideal Sniff Pods for Highlighting Cannabis Aromas

For over 30 years, the team at Bud Bar Displays has been designing and building retail displays, and we’ve been a leader in innovative design for cannabis retail and dispensaries. We’re always coming up with new ideas that help dispensary owners get the competitive edge and elevate the customer’s experience.

Our patented line of cannabis display pods help you showcase your cannabis strains and sell more product. If you have a question, need a custom-built display, or need help with dispensary product displays, contact our team of retail display professionals or give us a call at (916) 858-2000.

The biggest sales day of the year is April 20^th, or 4/20 but the second half of the year can also be extremely lucrative for dispensaries. The last six months of the calendar year contain several key days and weekends where sales are busy.  Demand for cannabis products will be high on these key holidays and weekends, and planning accordingly can help your marketing, staffing, and merchandising efforts.

Fourth of July Weekend

The 4^th lands on different days of the week each year, but since it’s a federal holiday many people have this day off. This is the height of the summer, and many people relax and enjoy premium flower, prerolls, or concentrates. Displaying flower in one of our securely tethered and sealed Pods allows customers to smell the aroma and inspect the appearance of the flower before purchasing.

July 10th: Oils and Concentrates Day

A popular day for purchasing concentrates and dab oils is July 10, or 7/10. The date 7/10 became known as “OIL” Day, because when you turn the numbers upside down, it looks like the word oil. This is a reference to butane hash oil, or dab oil, which is a cannabis-derived product which contains THC. Most cannabis enthusiasts recognize 7/10 as a day to enjoy oils, concentrates, resin, dabs, shatter and other non-flower cannabis products.

Displaying concentrate and extract samples in one of our professional extract trays is a great way to merchandise your products. The Puff-X Pod™ also allows customers to smell the terpene aromas of concentrates on display.

Labor Day Weekend: First Monday in September

At the very end of summer is the three-day Labor Day weekend. Another federal holiday, Labor Day is part of one of the biggest weekends of the year for dispensaries. Many cannabis shops offer special deals for this day, using promotional codes and coupons to gain new customers.

As you plan for the heavy customer traffic on this holiday weekend, consider what products you will highlight in your main display cases and dispensary displays.

October 5^th: Honoring Victims of Prohibition Day

Though this is not the biggest sales day of the autumn, the Victims of Prohibition Day is a bit of an internal holiday in the cannabis world. This day commemorates the first people arrested after the passage of the Marijuana Tax Stamp Act in October of 1937, which effectively outlawed cannabis. On October 5th, 1937, the FBI and the Denver police raided the Lexington Hotel and arrested Samuel R. Caldwell and Moses Baca. Caldwell and Bacca are recognized as the first citizens convicted of selling and possessing cannabis. Both men served the entirety of their sentences, with Caldwell dying shortly after his release from four years of hard labor.

On this day, you can run sales on select strains of cannabis flower and display premium cannabis nugs on your sales floor.

November 6^th: Legalization Day

This holiday is a bit of a big deal, as the entire legalized cannabis industry is built on the foundation of the landmark decisions passed on November 6^th, 2012. On that day, both Washington and Colorado passed recreational cannabis laws, Since then, 44 states have made cannabis or CBD oil legal for medicinal or recreational use. Only six states remain where cannabis is fully illegal and criminalized, and 24 states have legalized recreational cannabis use.

Many dispensaries have a busy sales day and run specials on Legalization Day, but the second biggest sales day of the year is also in November.

Green Wednesday: The Day Before Thanksgiving

Much like Black Friday is the biggest day of the year for retail sales, Green Wednesday is the second biggest day of the year for cannabis sales. The origins of Green Wednesday, which is the day before Thanksgiving, are thought to begin in 2017. The popular story is that a cannabis delivery driver came up with the concept of a sales day that parallels the retail shopping holiday that starts on the Friday after Thanksgiving (Black Friday) and runs through the following Monday (Cyber Monday).

This day typically is one of the busiest days of the year for cannabis sales, especially for deliveries. Be sure to run email marketing, text marketing, and social marketing campaigns leading into this major cannabis holiday. Make sure your dispensary is fully staffed, as many customers are sure to show up at your dispensary.

Professional Dispensary Displays to Help You Sell More Product

For more than 25 years, Bud Bar Displays has been designing award-winning retail displays and store fixtures. Our team of specialists was assembled with one goal in mind – to help cannabis dispensaries display products in a professional manner and increase their overall revenue. Dispensaries around the world have used our line of display cases, store fixtures, and product displays to highlight their product lines.

If you need fixtures and displays for your dispensary, we can help you find the perfect way to highlight and display your cannabis products.

If you have a question, need a custom-built display, or need help with dispensary product displays, contact our team of retail display professionals or give us a call at (916) 858-2000.

Most people are familiar with 4/20 as a cannabis holiday, but July 10, or 7/10, is also a popular cannabis holiday that celebrates concentrates and dab oil.

The date 7/10 became known as “OIL” Day, because when you turn the numbers upside down, it looks like the word oil. This is a reference to butane hash oil, or dab oil, which is a cannabis-derived product which contains THC.

Most cannabis enthusiasts recognize 7/10 as a day to enjoy oils, concentrates, resin, dabs, shatter and other non-flower cannabis products.

What is 7/10 National Dab Day?

National Oil Day, or National Dab Day, is a day devoted to dabbing. Most dabbers will enjoy some for of cannabis oil, resin, wax, or shatter on this day. Dabs are the concentrated cannabis product, which are vaporized on a heated “nail” of the dab rig and inhaled to feel the effects.

Cannabis concentrates are more potent than flower, with many concentrates reaching 80% THC, compared to 18 to 20% THC in cannabis flower.

Some concentrates are designed to be vaporized through a vape pen. However you choose to enjoy concentrates and oils, July 10th is the day to celebrate cannabis extracts and concentrates.

What is Dabbing?

Dabbing the term used to describe the consumption of vaporized cannabis concentrates. Dabs are usually vaporized using a heated nail on a dab rig or a vaporizer dab pen. The dab oil or concentrate is turned into a vapor which is inhaled. One of the earliest types of concentrates was butane hash oil (BHO) or “oil” which is what the 7/10 holiday is named after.

Dab oil is made by extracting compounds, terpenes, and cannabinoids from the cannabis flower to create a potent concentrate. Dabs are called by many names, like shatter, wax, crumble, rosin, and sauce. Each type is categorized by the method of extraction, and the consistency of the concentrate.

What is the History Behind National Dab Day?

The origins of 710 trace back to about 2011. The rapper Taskrok coined the term while talking with friends in Tiny Chat, while thinking of another cannabis holiday to add to 4/20. He was also heavily involved with an event called the Secret Cup at the time, which was a traveling road show centered around butane hash oil. Taskrok also had an influential album called The Movement around this time, where most of the songs were talking about dabbing hash oil. Today, Taskrok is the owner of a company that sells high-quality titanium dab nails.

Around 2013, the LA Weekly reported on 710, and the day began to grow in popularity each subsequent year. Today, cannabis enthusiasts around the world celebrate 710 by enjoying their favorite concentrates, dabs, and extracts.

Today, most dispensaries run specials for 710, and it is one of the biggest sales days of the year.

Merchandising Displays for Oils and Concentrates

The team behind Bud Bar Displays has been designing and building retail displays for over 30 years. For over a dozen years, we’ve been using that expertise to create store fixtures and displays for dispensaries across the country and around the world. We’re always looking for ways to help our customers like you, dispensary owners looking for a competitive edge.

We make an entire product line dedicated to displaying extracts and concentrates in a professional manner.

If you have a question, need a custom-built display, or need help with dispensary product displays, contact our team of retail display professionals or give us a call at (916) 858-2000.

Conditions have never been better for dispensaries offering recreational cannabis products. These include a range of products including flower, concentrates, edibles, topicals, and pre-rolls.

The first legalized recreational cannabis was sold in licensed dispensaries in Washington and Colorado beginning in 2014. Since then, an increasing number of states have legalized recreational cannabis through ballot initiatives and legislative bills for adults 21 and older.

Cannabis is fully legal for recreational use in the following US states and territories:

Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Maryland (July 1, 2023), Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, Montana, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington as well as the District of Columbia, Guam, Marianas Islands, and Virgin Islands.

With more states legalizing recreational cannabis each year, dispensaries should study how to effectively set up displays for recreational cannabis-based products. This guide will give you some ideas and best practices for merchandising your products and increasing sales per customer.

Recreational Cannabis Dispensaries are Retail Shops

Dispensaries in the US at first only sold medical marijuana, and as many states legalized cannabis, dispensaries in those states evolved. Recreational cannabis shops, at their root, follow the same principles of marketing and merchandising that traditional retail shops follow. Routines and practiced skillsets such as customer service, bookkeeping, and inventory management will help you succeed.

But merchandising is how you will increase the average customer checkout, and boost sales. Here are some best practices for displaying recreational cannabis products.

Identify Which Products are Popular with Your Target Market

Take note of what your customer base is interested in purchasing. If possible, take notes on why people buy certain products. Does your clientele prefer cannabis flower, concentrates, or edibles? Be sure to display these in prominent locations on your sales floor. Are pre-rolls or vaporizers popular? Smaller items can be displayed at the checkout counter, or at strategic locations throughout the dispensary. Are certain brands or product types in demand? By directing attention to these displays using display cases, lighting, and professional signage, you can help drive more impulse sales of these items.

Group Similar Products Together

Consumers who come to your dispensary my use different products for different needs. By arranging your products in logical clusters, it will help customers find the items they need quickly, making their customer experience pleasant.

A display area where customers can sniff the terpene aromas of different flower strains might be in one area. Tinctures may be in a different section. CBD products should probably have their own display area. Edibles and cannabis-based drinks can be in a separate merchandising area.

Match Your Displays to the Experience You Want to Create

Some products are higher-end, and merchandising them appropriately will help accentuate that fact. Displays made from metal, wood, glass, or high-quality acrylic give customers a different impression than displays made from more disposable materials.

For lower-priced products, you may choose to keep those behind the counter, where budtenders can suggest them to customers as needed.

Lighted signage, LED lighting, and accent lighting will help focus attention on selected product displays on the sales floor.

Keep Product Information Online Up to Date

Consumers still frequent physical stores. In some municipalities, online ordering and delivery may be an option. But many people will still show up in person to buy cannabis products from your dispensary. Keeping your website up to date will still be important, even if most of your revenue comes from in-store customers.

A 2016 study by Euclid Analytics showed 83 percent of customers use their smartphone as part of the in-store shopping experience. These are relevant actions that these customers completed on their smartphones while shopping in a retail store.

• Comparing prices
• Looking for email promotions and coupons
• Taking photos of products for future reference
• Read online reviews of products
• Go to website of the specific retailer

These are the things that these same customers wanted to do on their smartphones while shopping in a retail store:

• Find store’s best deals and promotions
• Quickly access the loyalty program information for that store
• Display inventory for products in that store
• Get a more personalized experience based on their shopping history and preferences
• Request customer service from a store employee

Dispensaries should also have an up-to-date menu on their website, as well as easy to find loyalty program information.

In the years since this study was first conducted, smartphones and digital access have become even more ingrained in our daily routines. By having all the available information on your website, and providing this info easily, customers will be happier with the shopping experience at your dispensary.

Do Not Overcrowd the Sales Floor

Have you ever gone into a discount store and the sales floor is jam-packed with displays? Now compare that with high-end luxury stores that you’ve shopped at. Ever notice that the luxury stores tend to have a lot of space between displays? This isn’t by accident.

Having adequate spacing in your dispensary sales floor, and avoiding overstuffing the retail floor with superfluous displays, creates a different feel and general impression.

Stores that thoughtfully design a customer experience that feels and looks more like a luxury retail experience leave customers with that impression. By contrast, dispensaries that emulate the overcrowded displays of some retail stores leave the customer feeling like they shopped at a cheap store with claustrophobic displays. Be intentional about how you display products in your recreational dispensary.

Focus on Customer Education

Most dispensaries have a waiting room that leads to the main dispensary sales floor. This waiting area can include digital screens containing product information, printed materials, or kiosks to educate customers on the different cannabis-based products. Remember, that many states are new to legalizing recreational cannabis, and some customers will not be familiar with the different products and how they are most useful.

Educational information can also be featured on your dispensary website and in your email newsletter. The budtenders should also be well-trained in the characteristics and benefits of each cannabis product. They can help answer any questions customers might have.

Digital displays can also be used on the sales floor as part of product displays to show detailed product information and help educate customers.

Use Customer Loyalty Programs

Some cities can be very competitive for recreational cannabis sales. It is crucial your dispensary uses loyalty programs to encourage repeat business. Even when sales are peaking, promotions that reward repeat customers will help ensure repeat sales from your most loyal customers.

Dispensary Displays and Fixture Experts

For more than 25 years, Bud Bar Displays has been helping dispensary owners with innovative product displays. Our product line of dispensary cabinets, cannabis display pods, concentrate displays, and other dispensary displays are used in dispensaries worldwide.

Our award-winning team is ready to help you find the perfect configuration of retail cannabis displays for your shop. You can order online directly from our e-commerce store, reach out via email, or call us directly at (916) 858-2000.