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Inspired by our upcoming return to national cannabis events, including Lift&Co’s upcoming Toronto 2022 Expo in May, we thought we’d take our own spin on a few of the conference’s main cannabis retail trends.

What trends are the movers and shakers in the industry highlighting in the post-pandemic return to in-person canna-retail? For starters, we see a big focus this year on customer service balanced by operational efficiency. 

If you can’t make the expo, here is the TechPOS hot-take on the customer experience, intelligent business data, and how they work together.

Customer Experience: Keep Them Coming Back for More

Your goal is not just to find new customers but to build up a loyal base of returning customers. The secret to this goal ultimately boils down to building a strong user experience. 

User experience (UX design) is about designing a smooth, straightforward interface for your target audience. It should remove barriers within every interaction. 

From a potential customer’s first interaction with your advertisements or website, to their first thoughts as they step through the door, to their first transaction — it all comes into play for a comprehensive customer experience. It should be smooth, easy, and uncomplicated.

Let’s use the example of your website. How are you designing it with the larger experience in mind?

Ensure the creative design functions to funnel customers to your desired outcome. Whether that means  getting them to shop, sign up, or join a loyalty program. 

The more challenges the customer faces finding the “Shop” button or navigating the page, the more chance you have to lose them.

But UX design also applies to the in-person environment. The store layout, the aesthetic, and the overall shopping experience have to follow the same principles: smooth, straightforward, and low barrier. If customers can’t find the products they want, get the service they expect, or feel unwelcome, they will not return.

Data Goldmine: Cannabis Retail POS Systems Deliver

A second cannabis retail trend getting some attention at Lift&Co this year is innovative POS systems that facilitate the use of data for more intelligent business planning. 

While it may have been possible to operate by the seat of your pants in the pre-or early days of legalization, today’s highly competitive marketplace requires intentional and data-driven business strategy. 

The only way to make savvy decisions is through accurate and comprehensive data. But more than that, you need a means of parsing through it. 

TechPOS helps you dive into a universe of business insights through an easy to use dashboard that delivers real-time analytics. Our integrated systems constantly collect and process crucial data on staff, inventory, and sales. Use this intel for short term pivots and long term strategies. 

Cannabis Retail Trends: A Data-Driven Strategy for Customer Loyalty

Of course, this critical data ultimately feeds back into building a better customer experience. You’ll have the intel to stock more of what customers are buying, staff for peak times, and ensure your eCommerce and in-person sales inventories are in-sync.

The TechPOS ecosystem applies to both cannabis retail trends we see at the Lift&Co Expo 2022. First, it facilitates an improved customer experience (smooth and straightforward) while offering additional and more diverse shopping experiences, including e-Commerce options like Click & Collect.

Second, it ensures management and owners have real-time access to critical data from staffing, inventories, and sales. It’s easy to pull meaningful reports from the TechPOS dashboard, which feed into essential business decisions.

TechPOS offers a truly Omni Channel User Experience. Our mission is to continue to support cannabis retailers. Our solutions help you turn your mission into a vision, and a vision into reality.

David

Author David

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