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Get Budtenders Ready for the Holidays

In recent years, cannabis retailers have become a go-to destination for holiday shopping, evident in a 54% increase in cannabis sales on Christmas day alone. Because of this, consumers at all stages of their cannabis journey look to budtenders to provide education and recommendations to make better purchasing decisions at the register.

Let’s look at some of the ways budtenders and retailers can transform the hectic holiday shopping experience and make it both memorable and easier for shoppers and businesses.

Bridging the Knowledge Gap

The holiday season is both exciting and challenging for retail workers, whether in an emerging or traditional industry, as shoppers are looking for a personalized experience.

We can’t educate the public about cannabis nearly as fast as new consumers will come into the market, meaning budtenders are left to develop consumer preferences. At the heart of the industry, budtenders are an integral component of the purchasing process—their depth and breadth of cannabis knowledge can make or break a sale. But who educates the budtender?

The onus falls on brand representatives as marketing restrictions limit the amount of valuable information that can be conveyed to differentiate products via packaging. Limited to basic details like brand name, THC percentage, and price, cannabis brands are amongst a sea of products flooding the market.

Educational Initiatives: A Winning Strategy for Cannabis Retail

The holidays see new customers venture into cannabis stores to purchase gifts and explore products for the first time, meaning it becomes even more critical to equip your budtenders for success. One of the best ways to understand cannabis products is through firsthand experience. Tether’s Holiday Showcase connected brands and budtenders for a night of education and sampling in Hamilton, Ontario. With over 200+ RSVPs, it serves as a case study on the importance of educational initiatives.

To best boost consumer satisfaction, and keep customers (and sales) coming in, retailers must invest in their budtenders. This includes sending sales staff to in-person and virtual events like product launch parties, pop-ups, educational webinars, expos, and community gatherings. It’s important to encourage your budtenders to engage with ancillary services and licensed producers to strengthen their understanding of the market and deepen connections as this leads to valuable partnerships, access to exclusive products, and a wealth of industry knowledge. This education works best when in tandem with reliable information from store management and industry resources.

The Key to Happy Holiday Shoppers

The holiday season often brings a unique set of customer needs and challenges. From gift-giving to product choices for holiday gatherings, budtenders must adapt to these seasonal demands for cannabis retailers to remain competitive. A well-informed budtender can help alleviate any concerns or uncertainties, effectively building trust and ensuring a positive experience for customers.

This holiday season, and all year round, make the effort to nurture the growth and expertise of your budtending team, and you’ll reap the rewards in customer satisfaction.

Budtender Survey

Every year Tether, a Canadian budtender community, surveys 300+ budtenders from across Canada to learn about what they want from cannabis brands and their retail environment. Each year the community sees a desire for education so they can possess an intricate understanding of various products, strains, terpene profiles, and cultivation and consumption methods. Sampling plays an extremely important factor in this as it allows budtenders to develop personal preferences and build product knowledge.

Participate in Tether’s 2023 survey.

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