Designing Your Cannabis Dispensary In The UK

Creating an experience that entices clients to return is a more important aspect of running a successful dispensary than simply selling goods. The design and style of your store can make a big difference in the competitive, quickly growing cannabis market of today.

The legal cannabis market is still growing, therefore it's critical to recognise how important customer flow and experience are to your store. Similar to traditional retail, where technology is changing how people purchase, the design of your dispensary is essential to drawing in and keeping clients.

The Rise of eCommerce

eCommerce has grown dramatically since the global pandemic, which emphasises how crucial it is to provide clients with a warm and functional physical place.

Although cannabis dispensaries are not like conventional retail establishments, many of the fundamental ideas are the same.

Consumers have options, therefore it's your responsibility to make sure your dispensary stands out by providing a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere.

It's critical to satisfy a wide range of customer preferences. If you're going for a sophisticated or casual look, the design of your store should represent your brand and appeal to your target market.

Key Factors that Impact Your Dispensary Layout

Your Brand

As a brand, who are you? How do you feel? When a consumer walks into your store, what do you want them to know and believe about you?

Creating an environment that people want to be a part of is the goal of branding. Your website, interior design, logo, colour scheme, and store name should all convey the kind of retail experience you want customers to enjoy.

Recreational versus Medical

Every medical marijuana dispensary needs to offer a safe place for customers to check in or wait. Retail cannabis stores typically offer greater customisation options when it comes to flow, merchandising, interior design, and layout.

Once more, it is your duty to know exactly what you are capable of doing given the kind of clinic you run. Even if you can't design around future ideas just yet, don't forget to take them into account.

Client Relationship

Customers' shopping experiences will vary depending on the dispensary's floor plan or layout. Make sure the flow you've picked reflects the vibe you want your dispensary to have with its patrons.

Plan with a slower, more instructive emphasis in mind. But keep in mind that different consumers will have different needs, so consider how you may meet those needs (for example, by providing an expedited lane for clients who are in and out).

Stock

Although it might not seem like a layout factor, how you handle inventories will be impacted differently by different layouts. Do you have inventory for each terminal, or do all budtenders sell from the same supply, for instance?

As an alternative, is every item in stock kept in a safe location, or are there actual goods on show? The way you decide to approach this will affect the way you manage your inventory and conduct audits.

Workers

What is the number of your inventory staff, cashiers, and so on? You'll need to think about who sells, who receives payments, who fills orders, and how much staff overhead that calls for depending on layout. 

To calculate the appropriate staffing levels, consider your overall traffic, state requirements for staff vs. patients/customers, and busy times of day. Be advised that more workers may be needed to properly handle certain store designs.

Place/Store

The physical area you have may have an impact on the design of your store. You might wish to construct an extra waiting room around a corner to provide seclusion if your location is similar to a strip mall and has windows and a lot of foot traffic. 

Think about how the absence of windows and natural light will affect your choice of lighting, colours, and artwork for your space. In the end, there will be limitations that may prevent you from implementing every proposal, whether they are related to your money or physical space.