Who’s Buying What? Retailers

A Simple Guide for Smoke Shop

If you’ve been scratching your head about who’s coming into your shop and what they’re into, you’re not alone. Thanks to the team at New Frontier Data, we’ve got a clearer snapshot of today’s cannabis consumer.

The Lowdown from the Report New Frontier Data’s recent report, titled “Cannabis Consumers in America, Part 2: Exploring the Archetypes,” groups cannabis users by their consumption frequency.

 

The "Every Day’s a Good Day for Cannabis" folks

  • Savvy Connoisseurs, making up 13%.

 

The "Almost Every Day" gang

  • Contemporary Lifestylers (16%)
  • Medical Lifestylers (12%)
  • Legacy Lifestylers (13%)

 

The "Once in a While" group

  • Modern Medicinals (12%)
  • Engaged Explorers (9%)

 

The "Only Now and Then" crew

  • Social Nibblers (8%)
  • Holistic Healers (6%)
  • Infrequent Partakers (11%)

Gary Allen from New Frontier Data stresses the importance of retailers understanding their audience in this evolving market.

 

Smoke Shop Insights:

Gear Evolution: With many folks still preferring traditional smoking but showing a growing interest in different consumption methods, consider diversifying your paraphernalia. While bongs, hand pipes, and rolling papers should still grace your shelves, it might be worth exploring vaporizers or dabbing rigs due to the trend toward non-combustibles.

Educate on New Trends: Some of the newer cannabis consumers might pop into your shop curious about newer consumption methods or products. Consider having a “Trend Corner” or info sections to educate them, leading to potential sales.

Stay Adaptable: As cannabis becomes more mainstream, groups like Modern Medicinals and Holistic Healers are likely to grow.  Keeping an eye on these changes ensures you stock what’s in demand.

Loyalty Matters: There was a drop in the number of these daily users from 2022 to 2023. It looks like after trying out a bunch of stuff, they’ve found their favorites and are sticking to them. Building loyalty programs or offers for them ensures they keep choosing your shop for their needs.

In essence, this isn’t just about numbers. It’s about giving our customers what they’re after and ensuring our smoke shop remains the go-to spot. Adjust your stocks, tweak your marketing, and you’re good to go!

Recent Articles

Dr. Macias first fell in love with science while studying at Howard University, where she completed her undergraduate studies and later earned her PhD in cellular and molecular biology. While at Howard, she became especially interested in cancer research due to personal ties. Growing up in a Creole family and predominantly Black community in Louisiana, Dr. Macias watched many women around her battle breast cancer, so at Howard, she decided to focus her research on the BRCA1 gene.
It’s almost amazing that the same institutions that brought us the 2008 financial crisis have a problem with selling glass pipes. Almost. The truth is that an industry's past sins are only held against it when the money isn’t right. Big banks were willing to risk cratering the U.S. housing market because the profits were too good to ignore. But the cannabis industry rolls a different kind of paper, so instead of a slap on the wrist, it gets a surcharge.
Smokeshop and counterculture enthusiasts enjoy discovery as part of the experience. Customers enjoy browsing. When they walk into a shop, they don't simply grab a product and leave. They look for something new. This is the main reason flyers and posters still work. Smokeshops and dispensaries are highly visual environments. You want to see bold artwork, psychedelic graphics, and street-style posters that naturally capture attention.
The use of cannabis in professional sports has always been a controversial subject. While some are firm believers that all substances should be banned from professional sports altogether, most people aren’t thinking about cannabis when they’re discussing performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs). In fact, there have been countless cannabis users in the world of professional sports throughout the years; some of whom are more open about their love for the plant than others.
North Carolina might save us all. A new state bill may be the industry’s best option to save itself from demise when new federal cannabinoid bans take effect in November. And it could use your support.
Hemp is often considered for the things that it is not. It is not intoxicating, it is not illegal, and it is not marijuana. However, now we are seeing a focus back to what it can be. The plant is moving into the level of wine and chocolate and becoming a movement and a culture.
It’s been several months since President Donald Trump signed an executive order to reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule III within the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). On paper, the recent executive order, entitled “Increasing Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research,” is a huge step in the right direction for cannabis smokers across the country.
For years, we’ve been told that this industry is the Wild West: a place where the only law amounts to whatever the guy with the gun says. But over the last 12 months, state governments have passed a spate of new regulations that promise to swap the relative lawlessness of poor enforcement of vague rules with real law and order.