As the marijuana market grows more competitive, some retailers are shifting how they present their products to customers. These changes, going beyond aesthetics, are helping boost sales and creating a more comfortable and engaging customer experience.
Verano Holdings Corp., based in Chicago, recently introduced a new take on marijuana retail at its Zen Leaf store in Phoenix. Instead of the usual setup where shoppers wait at the counter to speak with a budtender, the store is using a more casual, self-service approach. Customers can browse shelves on their own, just like they would in a typical convenience store.
People are encouraged to pick up products, check labels, and read details such as CBD and THC levels or terpene content. This setup gives them more control over their shopping and may reduce the pressure that comes with asking questions at the counter.
According to Verano’s executive VP of retail, Robert Cohen, this makes the experience more relaxed and welcoming. Customers say they’ve found items they wouldn’t have discovered otherwise. Even customers who placed online orders often added more to their carts after seeing products in person.
Some states allow dispensaries to offer what’s known as “deli-style” service, where buyers can inspect and smell the cannabis flower before buying. Arizona, Oregon, Missouri, and Colorado permit this practice, often using “sniff jars” to let people experience the aroma of different strains. In contrast, states like New York and California require prepackaged products, limiting this kind of interaction.
Show-Me Organics CEO Boston Dickerson compares buying flower to picking produce—you want to see and smell it before deciding. His stores in Missouri follow deli-style practices where employees wear gloves and use tongs to handle products. Customers smell the flower, but never purchase from the jars directly. According to Dickerson, about 65% of their flower is sold using this approach.
However, this style isn’t without issues. Darwin Millard, a cannabis safety expert, points out that repeated opening of jars can affect product quality and spread germs. During the pandemic, many states restricted these practices for safety, similar to how cafes removed communal condiment bars.
Millard, who works with ASTM International on industry standards, encourages proper sanitation practices. Employees handling open products should wear gloves, masks, and hair coverings. He also suggests alternatives like sample visuals or scratch-and-sniff cards to let customers experience a product’s scent without opening actual inventory.
As leading cannabis firms like Tilray Brands Inc. (NASDAQ: TLRY) (TSX: TLRY) continue to find innovative ways to attract and retain customers, we are bound to see many new techniques being introduced to boost different brands.
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