April 20th, also known as 4/20 or 420, is the most common day to consume and celebrate cannabis in North America. The holiday attracts lots of attention to the cannabis community, and many people try a cannabis product for the first time. Dispensaries bring in huge 420 sales numbers yearly, with the amounts only increasing.
The traditions behind the number 420 and cannabis are a little murky. However, it likely originated with a group of high schoolers in the 70s who got together after school at 4:20 to smoke. It didn’t take long for us to start saying “blaze it” every day at 4:20 and on April 20th.
Projected 420 Sales in 2024
In 2023, 420 was the largest cannabis sales day in legal history. Dispensaries made 63% more sales that day compared to the previous Thursday. Sales increased 8% per location over 2022’s 420 sales.
April 20th falls on a Saturday this year, meaning cannabis enthusiasts will be stocking up the week leading up to it and partying for two days back-to-back to celebrate. 420 sales will start on April 14 and flow through the holiday. That translates to even more earnings for dispensary owners.
Experts believe that this year’s 420 sales will be even better than last year’s. They estimate that Americans spend nearly $130 million on cannabis on 420 alone. That means you must ensure your dispensary is ready to handle the extra volume.
If you’re a dispensary owner, it’s essential to make the most out of 420 and score record sales. Here are seven ways to increase your 420 sales in 2024.
7 Tips to Boost Your Dispensary's 420 Sales
1. Offer 420 Discounts and Freebies
Cannabis users have options when it comes to where to shop on 420, so you need to convince them that your dispensary is the best choice. Offering amazing deals leading up to and on the actual holiday will incentivize people to stop in.
Since 420 sales are substantial, you should be able to offer larger discounts than normal. The better a deal is, the more people it will draw in. Instead of offering a 25% off coupon, you might get more sales overall with a BOGO or BOGO50 deal.
Free items are another great way to show how much you love your customers. We recommend handing out products that your customers won’t already be selecting. This could be trendy items like cannabis beverages or mints, or a bag of gummies from a new brand that you want to promote.
Don’t forget about swag! You can hand out promotional items with your dispensary’s logo to increase your brand’s recognition as an added bonus. T-shirts, lighters, rolling trays, and fun trinkets all act as great shop merch.
2. Promote Your Dispensary Online
420 isn’t just for cannabis regulars and enthusiasts. Some people who don’t smoke cannabis during the year will want to light up on 420. You need to promote your 420 specials to people who don’t buy cannabis regularly and those who want to try it for the first time.
A great way to do this is by optimizing your Google Business profile. This will help you to appear higher in Google Maps results when people search for dispensaries in their area. Ensure that you have your hours updated, a brief company description, some high-quality photos, and positive Google reviews — don’t be afraid to ask your regulars for help with that.
Some additional ways to promote your dispensary online include:
- Promoting your deals on social media
- Running social media contests to grow brand awareness
- Blasting out a coupon to your email list
- Creating a Facebook event for your 420 in-store celebration
3. Educate Your Budtenders on 420 Sales
In addition to getting more people in the door, you can increase the total size of each customer’s order to boost 420 sales. Your secret weapon to making more sales is educated and well-trained budtenders.
Your budtenders should be able to pinpoint your customers’ needs and match them with the products they’re looking for. They should know the differences between strains and products so they can work with everyone, from cannabis newbies to experts.
The best budtenders won’t be afraid to upsell or tell customers about the new products that they’re excited about. However, all of their advice should be genuine to protect the reputation of your business.
4. Host 420 Events
Your dispensary should be extremely active around the 420 holiday. The more people you can get in the door, the better. If you have space in your dispensary, holding some events could drive more 420 sales. Hosting an in-store party can be as easy as hiring a DJ for the day, offering free snacks and swag, and hosting games like cannabis trivia.
If space is an issue, partner with a local business or the city. An outdoor event is a great way to get the community involved and raise awareness for your dispensary.
You could host a dance party, rave, concert, festival, or street fair. You could hold educational workshops about how to use cannabis, cannabis strains and their effects, and how to make your own edibles — this would be a great opportunity to partner with a local chef or bakery.
5. Collaborate with Other Businesses for 420 Sales
420 is a popular holiday for many other sectors of the economy, too. Consider working with local restaurants, hotels, bars, or other businesses to promote each other and drive additional sales.
Exchange coupons for free or discounted items with local businesses and hand them out to your customers prior to the holiday. On April 20th, run contests for gift cards to local stores. You could also offer special joint promotions or package deals with an escape room, arcade, or nightclub. Be creative, and you could create enormous 420 sales all over town!
6. Be Well-Staffed
420 will almost certainly be your busiest day of the year, and the weeks surrounding the holiday will be swamped, too. During this time, it’s vital that your dispensary is staffed correctly.
There should be enough budtenders to keep the line of customers moving quickly, while still giving each person enough time to carefully select their products. Ensure you have enough security guards, cashiers, receptionists, managers, and delivery drivers on the clock.
Need help scheduling your budtenders and other staff? KayaPush makes creating your weekly schedule a breeze, which is a lifesaver during busy times like the 420 holiday.
7. Offer Free Delivery on 420
Many people know that a dispensary will be slammed with business on 420, so they may avoid stopping in during the rush. In addition, some customers will already be celebrating when they realize they need more cannabis.
Free delivery allows you to open your doors to a whole new market. Just make sure you have enough delivery drivers on staff to accommodate the increased demand.
Final Thoughts on Boosting Your 420 Sales
420 is quickly approaching, so it’s the perfect time to think about your sales strategy. Even one or two of the above strategies could improve your numbers substantially!
Need a little more help with your 420 sales and beyond? KayaPush makes it easier to manage your cannabis dispensary, from ensuring consistent onboarding to tracking sales figures to scheduling your employees efficiently. Book your free demo today!
