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The last year has been a brutal one for cannabis nationally, and we are feeling it right here in Massachusetts as well.
Storefronts have closed, small businesses have disappeared due to lack of being paid for their products, and retailers across the state have had to tighten belts and rethink strategies just to keep the lights on. The market is saturated, consumer spending is shifting, and the days of easy wins are long gone.
In this landscape, smart operators recognize that it is more than a party — it’s a lifeline. Savvy retailers and brands will take full advantage of all the camp and circumstance that comes with it, using the days leading up to the cultural holiday as a great time to start celebrating early, garner more customers (especially those that may think the actual day will be too busy to shop) all in an effort to reinforce their presence, drive sales and strengthen customer loyalty.
So April 20 — culturally known as 4/20 — is just a date on the calendar, but for the cannabis industry it can serve as an annual cultural celebration of cannabis, born decades ago from underground movements and countercultural roots.
Also valid is embracing the date as an economic cornerstone for the legal market in the Berkshires. When the days are marked by continued survival in a fiercely competitive and ever-challenging industry, 4/20 is an opportunity to elevate our connection with the community.
Not sure how? Don’t just put out a few discounts and call it a day. Build curated deal bundles and special packages designed to give customers real value while introducing them to new products they might not otherwise try.
We always bolster our staffing, ensuring that every customer gets the kind of service and attention that makes them want to return long after 4/20 is over. And we double down on education, making sure that everyone who walks through our doors — whether they’re longtime cannabis enthusiasts or first-time buyers — leaves with a better understanding of the products, their effects, and how to find the right fit for their needs.
Don’t see customers as transactions; see them as a community. That means taking the time to talk with them, answer their questions, and create an experience that feels more personal than commercial. It means working with local businesses, collaborating with brands that share your values, and ensuring that the people who choose to shop with legal cannabis retailers know they’re supporting a company that is deeply invested in the well-being of the Berkshires.
And at a retail business level, a well-executed 4/20 isn’t about deep discounts; it’s an opportunity across the board. An opportunity to celebrate tradition and culture, and a way to educate customers about the day in general.
Along the way, retailers can focus on increasing basket size, moving key products, and converting first-time customers into repeat visitors. Some might say that with cannabis now legal and accessible year-round, the industry shouldn’t need a “holiday” to thrive. But that argument misses the point. Every successful industry has its peak moments — retail has Black Friday, spirits have New Year’s Eve, restaurants have Valentine’s Day.
These events give businesses a chance to capture attention, introduce new offerings, and remind consumers why they choose certain brands over others. Cannabis is still a business. And this still applies. After all the cannabis business, in spite of all the normal challenges facing businesses today (not to mention the host of cannabis specific hurdles, walls, and related issues associated with a state legal industry being held back by a federal hand unwilling to budge) cannabis in the Berkshires is still just that — a business.
4/20 can feel as important as ever for retailers, as it is a chance to reinforce relationships, strengthen brand identity, and maximize potential for a strong future in a tough climate. But it’s also a moment to celebrate — to acknowledge how far we’ve come as an industry and as a community.
In this industry, and any retail endeavor really but very much so here in the Berkshires, the smartest move you can make is showing up, standing out, and giving people a reason to keep coming back.
This first appeared in Berkshire Business Journal.
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