Last week, I wrote about the essentials of cannabis dispensary design. Today, I want to dig a little deeper into how you can use design-based branding strategies to differentiate your business from the competition in this growing industry.

Design for the Clients You Want

In any retail business, it’s important to understand your client base and tailor your shop’s design to fit their needs. Because of its unique position in California’s retail market, the cannabis dispensary business requires some special attention to identifying your ideal customers and targeting your branding efforts to reach them.

Experienced Customers or Newly Cannabis-Curious?

Depending on your location and your business goals, your customers will either be primarily experienced cannabis customers, who largely know what they want, or newbies who have heard about the benefits of cannabis and are curious to try it out. Ideally, your dispensary will appeal to both types, but each has unique needs, so it makes sense to focus on your target market.

Experienced customers may be knowledgeable about their needs and are more likely to be open about their experiences with cannabis, whether they use it for recreational or medical purposes. A comfortable waiting room space with room to share information and interact with other customers may appeal to them. Displays with your most popular products up front and clearly marked can help those who know what they want to get in and out quickly and efficiently.

New customers, who may be unfamiliar with cannabis products and accessories, need more guidance. Clear signage that indicates what they should expect can help make them more comfortable with the process. For example:

• Signage at the door about age and identification requirements (21 or older with valid ID for recreational purchases; 18 or older with valid ID and physician recommendation for medical purchases);
• If applicable, a notice that purchases are cash-only and the location of your ATM, if you have one on site;
• A reminder that, for privacy reasons, photography is not permitted;
• Signage indicating that optional consultations are available.

Your display area should provide some basic information on each product, including its potency and what conditions/symptoms it can help with (a reminder on the display that consultations are available can be useful here, too.) New customers may not be aware of the options for consuming cannabis, so you may want to include sample accessories alongside products in displays, and, if necessary, signage directing them to your accessories displays.

Consider having a display area that suggests products and accessories that are good for customers who are new to cannabis. This is also a good place to provide a basic guide to cannabis products and their uses. This can be a simple branded handout or even an interactive display.

Those new to cannabis may be nervous about the buying experience and more concerned about privacy, so make sure your waiting area is shielded from the street outside.

Define Your Cannabis Dispensary Brand

Make sure your design decisions reflect your dispensary’s brand. Here again, let your customers be your guide.

Are you targeting the medical cannabis niche? If so, your dispensary should foster a more clinical, trustworthy feeling. Bright lighting, clean lines and modern materials work well for this type of brand. Your staff should wear professional-looking clothing, and signage and printed materials should use simple, modern design that reflects the healthcare aspects of your products and services.

If you hope to cater primarily to the recreational cannabis customer, you may want to use a more casual design aesthetic. Softer lighting and natural materials can help give your dispensary a relaxing feeling, while casual clothing for your staff can make your dispensary feel more relaxed and comfortable.

Signage and collateral materials can be more playful in design – while remaining appropriately professional – than they would for a medical cannabis clientele. You have a lot of color options for walls, floors and other design elements, from bright and modern to muted and natural.

Fit in with Your Neighborhood

Because legal cannabis dispensaries are new to many people, other businesses in your area may be apprehensive about having one open near them. You can help position your dispensary as an integral member of the local business community by respecting the character of your dispensary’s neighborhood in your dispensary design.

The location of your dispensary should, to some degree, dictate the design of your storefront. Is it on an upscale urban street? In a suburban commercial zone? Each location has a different general aesthetic for its businesses. An urban setting might, for example, need a more sophisticated look aimed at customers used to a faster-paced environment where cannabis is more widely accepted, while a suburban dispensary might do better with more a subdued design that blends in to make customers and passersby feel more at ease with this new type of business.

Wherever your dispensary is located, make sure your storefront complies with state regulations (no cannabis products visible from outside the store).

As always, advice from an architect or designer familiar with the business environment in your area can help you make sure your dispensary stands out while staying appropriate for your environment.