Building Brand Loyalty – Cannabis Edition

The challenge many Canadian cannabis retailers face when building brand loyalty is that government regulations create a “sea of sameness” for stores. Here is our three-pronged approach for differentiating yourself from your competitors and connecting with consumers.

Retail Value Proposition

Nowadays, customers are buying into a store just as much as the product itself. If someone is looking to purchase a cannabis product, why should they buy from your store? Retail value proposition is the promise a retailer guarantees to deliver its customers.

Here are some factors to consider:

  • Quality: “This store sells great products”
  • Identity: “This store’s values align with mine”
  • Experience: “I can easily find the items I need”
  • Trust: “I will always find what I need”
  • Assortment: “This store has a good range of prices and products”
  • Return policy: “This store’s return policy is reasonable”

What sort of experience are you promising your customers? For example, Shopcori has a curated collection of women-focused wellness brands as well as an aesthetically pleasant store design for customers looking for an introduction to cannabis as part of a healthier lifestyle.

Omnichannel

Of course, during the pandemic, retailers are limited in how much they can leverage in-store experience. That’s why it’s important to optimize e-commerce and omnichannel options for customers.

Different provinces have different legislation with regards to online cannabis sales, so retailers will have to make the appropriate adjustments. That being said, establishing seamless BOPIS and contactless payment is a must.

Engage Customers

Once you have engaged customers through e-commerce, you can leverage these transactions with inputs such as email and contact numbers.

Unfortunately, loyalty programs in Canada are limited by the fact that earned points cannot legally be exchanged for products. However, retailers can reach out to customers about promotions and discounts. Email and text advertising is a great avenue for content marketing, detailing the features, benefits, and advantages of various products.

Stores can also offer merchandise such as clothing so long as it isn’t reliant on purchasing cannabis or cannabis accessories. Merchandise giveaways are a powerful way to engage social media. For example, offering free clothes through an Instagram post requiring participants to follow, like, share, and comment is a simple option.

Often, retailers can become too focused on customers who complain and make negative comments online. However, these customers are rarely the ones who bring in the most revenue. Instead, it’s the customers who share and recommend your store who generate the bulk of income. Leveraging social media will identify this latter group of customers, so stores can better engage these net-positive consumers and maximize brand loyalty.

In addition to strategies for building brand loyalty, Storesupport offers a range of solutions like retail audits, online inventory management, order fulfilment support, planogram implementation, and more. Call1-877-421-5081 or visit www.storesupport.ca to learn more.

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