August 2018

in the lobby before entering the room where products are sold. Simply Pure also plans to remodel the store to make the layout more customer friendly.The remodel will include an express lane for loyalty members. Providing the Personal Touch But it’s the dispensary’s knowledge- able salespeople who keep customers coming back. “Our training program is pretty robust,” said Brian Nowak, general man- ager at Simply Pure. “We make you take three quizzes and a 50-question test.” The test and quizzes cover every- thing from compliance and sales limits to knowledge of the store’s products. “They have to pass that with flying colors before they’re ever allowed on the floor,” Nowak said. “We’ll also take the time to educate our custom- ers. We’ll take 20 to 30 minutes if that’s what it takes to make sure they know what they’re purchasing and that they’re aware of how to use it.” Special Events a Draw Like other dispensaries, Seattle- based Ocean Greens operates a points-based loyalty system (one point per visit and 10% off when a customer accumulates 10 points).The company also has events in its stores — concerts, glass blowing and artist demonstrations — as well as vendor days, during which growers or edibles manufacturers are invited to discuss their products with Ocean Greens customers. “Vendor days are very cool and a must for the industry,” said the store’s owner, Ocean Greens (yes, he legally changed his name). “It’s nice for them to explain directly to patients how their products work. “We also sponsor concerts and ping- pong tournaments outside of our store,” Greens said. “We have pre-roll tourna- ments, but instead of using marijuana – because it’s illegal – we use parsley.” Ocean Greens, which is open from 8 a.m. until midnight, also offers specials at certain times of the day: early bird, happy hour and late-night munchies. Luring Customers into the Store Denver has more than 300 dispen- saries, so competition is steep, par- ticularly if the cannabis retailer is off the beaten path like L’Eagle Services, which has a points-based loyalty program and sends text messages and emails that alert its customers to spe- cials the store is running. “Someone has to drive by a mini- mum of seven dispensaries to get to our store, so they really have to want to come here,” L’Eagle owner Amy Andrle said. “Feet in the door is tough, and it’s something we really have to focus on. We reward them with quality.” And by quality she means that L’Eagle offers the only Clean Green Certified products in the city – the cannabis industry’s equivalent of the USDA Organic seal. “That speaks to a certain type of consumer, and there’s value in that,” Andrle said, adding that loyal custom- ers may write reviews on platforms like Yelp, Leafly and Weedmaps. “If some- one only shops with us, they’re likely talking about our products and why our products are different.” ◆ Ocean Greens in Seattle sponsors in-store artist demonstrations as a way to draw new customers. Photo courtesy of Ocean Greens 44 • Marijuana Business Magazine • August 2018