What's one universal truth about all shoppers in the digital age? They value convenience above all else. How can your retail business stand out? By incorporating advanced technology that modernizes the customer experience.
We’ve put together a list of easy-to-use ideas and resources that could benefit your business. Some of these tools can even help better manage your in-store shopping methods, including:
Much like in the restaurant industry, tactile menus are going out of style. QR codes are a quick and straightforward solution that allows customers to view a menu on their personal devices. They eliminate the spreading of germs and also help prevent physical waste.
QR codes can be made by any admin at a retail business using a simple generator. Even for those without a budget to spend, tools like QR Creator or QR Code Monkey are available at no cost. Some of these resources contain user-friendly instructions on creating and printing out your menu-specific QR code. Some generators, such as QR Code Monkey, even offer additional stylistic choices so your code can match your branding.
Print the code in a clear, scannable fashion, and feature it on a shop poster. Placing a QR code inside the shop is ideal for when the lines are busy; putting it outside the shop allows for minimal contact during curbside pickup. Either way, this can enable customers to search a menu on their own devices without a wait time.
With marketing strategies evolving constantly, advertisements must be alluring and (if your business allows it) even interactive. Simply projecting a menu may not be advanced enough if you want your content to adjust in real-time. It comes down to choosing the right software.
Whatever software you use should keep your menus accurate with easy inventory adjustments. Incorporate e-commerce tactics within your brick-and-mortar location to streamline the physical practices just as you would online. Smart menu technology makes this possible.
If you'd rather not deal with multiple apps, tools like Screencloud offer both the hardware knowledge and the software to quickly transform your menu into a digital medium. Another popular digital signage software is Raydiant. This tool is specifically tailored towards smaller businesses because they offer easy-to-use templates and pre-formatted designs.
GreenScreens or Divvy specializes in digital menus for cannabis retail by integrating with popular POS systems. Cannabis retail is a space where products change and sell out quickly, so these tools can minimize the staffing necessary to keep your menus updated manually.
At Dutchie, we offer Kiosk Mode, but many retail stores are restructuring to the Apple store model. This shopping model creates simplicity within the store's design so that the focus is on the product. The Apple store model also takes the pressure off typical sales tactics. Shoppers are welcome to peruse the store at their own pace and get a visual sample of the product.
Best Buy is an excellent example of a store that utilizes the Apple model well. Salespeople are available, but not immediately in your customer's space, which we all know can be very off-putting. Kiosks are available at many stores for self-checkout, but your business may want to consider implementing ordering terminals as well.
Digital promotions via email, text, or in-app pop-ups can incentivize both foot traffic and web traffic to your store. You want to make customers feel like they are getting a limited-time exclusive deal that drives them to buy now. Coupon codes can be for first-time buyers or an annual birthday reward that signifies human connection in an increasingly robotic world. Let the customer know your brand values them with a digital coupon.
A UTM campaign is a small section of code added to a URL for tracking data. UTM is an acronym for “Urchin Tracker Monitor,” which Google Analytics uses. Linking your UTM campaign to your digital menu can track sales. Whether you choose to outsource some orders to a call center or simply have your retail staff take the orders, UTM campaigns can help break down the profitability of your business.
Dutchie’s menu software streamlined the ordering process, offering medicine to those in need, especially during the height of the COVID-19 outbreak. Online ordering is simple, clean, and a result of the individual dispensary’s hard-working staff. So we're passing along some tips and tricks on how to utilize our e-commerce software best.
These features include:
Like the Apple store model, Kiosk Mode offers access to your menu with an abbreviated checkout experience for in-store customers. They require minimal assistance from your staff because customers can use any web-enabled device for pickup. All kiosk orders appear on the admin orders page & terminal screen with a yellow "kiosk" icon in the current orders queue. The Dutchie team can enable Kiosk Mode, is included in your existing subscription, and can be used on any browser to access the Kiosk Menu.
At some stores, the staff uses the kiosks to funnel orders by telephone. Shops with a high volume of calls may outsource to a call center. This brings us to another feature that works hand-in-hand with your Dutchie Analytics.
Dutchie Analytics can also utilize UTM campaigns to summarize sales by city, store, or employee. Internal POS analytics are not available on all platforms, and that information can be essential for dispensary chains that wish to compare statistics between locations. To ensure your dispensary is performing to its fullest potential, consider using a UTM campaign.
You can feature staff picks anywhere on your menu. Staff picks are products that the budtenders sampled and enjoyed enough to refer to the public. You can position these products (from any brand or category) as a spotlight on your homepage. This feature offers the communication level that in-person shopping entails.
With compliance restrictions regulating operating hours in many areas, it is essential to cater to the customers’ schedules so they can order the cannabis products they need and pick them up as soon as your store opens and staff is available. Our analytics prove that there are fewer canceled orders placed after business hours.
Jolie Perkins, Customer Success Manager at Dutchie, says this is a no-brainer: “After-Hours Ordering increases order volume and revenue while honoring your customer’s chosen shopping time.”
Another perk of this feature is that unless you are an exceptionally high volume store, receiving and filling these orders do not alter regular business hours. The staff would simply follow the same process for normal-hour orders by confirming the order upon opening, fulfilling it as soon as possible, and marking it ready for pickup. There is no reason to cause your staff a spike of orders in the first hour of their day or restrict orders to the shop’s open hours as long as the inventory is correct and the menu reflects that.
Cannabis customers love feeling like they are getting an exclusive deal or grabbing a new product as soon as it drops. Why not leave that product appeal accessible online through the night?
Whether you are looking for a way to streamline your menu processes, make your staff more efficient, or improve customer access to your offerings, Dutchie has a solution for seamless ordering. Tools like QR codes, overhead digital menus, self-serve stations, digital coupon codes, and tracking from Google Analytics can modernize your store and give your customers a sense of ease. Apply these tactics to your retail business both physically and online with easy-to-sync e-commerce tools that streamline in-store sales and drive web traffic.
Dutchie-specific features like Kiosk Mode, Dutchie Analytics with UTM campaigns, staff picks, and after-hours ordering can all boost sales, performance, and the overall experience a guest has in your store.If you have additional Dutchie admin questions, please reach out to our Customer Support team for guidance.
