How the legal marijuana industry is embracing eCommerce in 2020
The legal marijuana industry is expected to be worth nearly $104 billion globally by 2024. It’s a known fact that every growing industry is adopting eCommerce, and the legal Cannabis industry is no different.
The recreational and medicinal Cannabis industry has both B2B and B2C networks making it an able player for eCommerce adoption. Despite legal hurdles and restrictions that drastically vary across geographies, brands in this space have started launching their digital storefronts.
Our latest eBooks summarizes the eCommerce adoption journey of Legal Cannabis then, now, and a glimpse of the future forecast as well.
Included :
- Introduction
- The Rise of B2B
- Brands and “Indirect to Consumer”
- Free Delivery (Where Available)
- Dispensaries Go Virtual
- The Power of Data
Preview the first 3 chapters of the book
The Rise of B2B
B2B eCommerce is a critical component of any modern industry, and legal marijuana is no different. Business owners of every type are dealing with all manner of issues, from regulatory hurdles to quality-control problems to Covid-19. eCommerce Platforms providing efficiency and convenience by connecting distributors, brands, and retail dispensaries are proving their worth in this rapidly expanding space.
Features of these platforms vary, but some key elements include:
For Retailers
- Order management tools allowing them to restock inventory and track order status from multiple brands and distributors.
- Product discovery lets retailers browse products/shop across both multiple product types and different brands.
- Messaging tools facilitate communication between retailers and a variety of brands directly on the platform.
Brands and “Indirect to Consumer”
A critical hurdle faced by legal marijuana brands is that, unlike Nike, they cannot legally sell directly to their customers. Many marijuana brands have beautiful websites full of rich content and detailed product information, which would seem a perfect way to engage with and ultimately sell to customers. But, alas, they are restricted in this area, at least for now. The old route for brands was selling to distributors and retailers.
Now, some innovative eCommerce solutions allow customers to engage with a brand via a third-party platform, visit the brand’s website, and then purchase products from a local dispensary who carries that brand, all without ever leaving the brand’s site.
This indirect to consumer model allows the brand to have significantly more control over the customer’s online engagement with their products while still resulting in a local business getting the sale.
Free Delivery (Where Available)
We now live in a world where anyone can get anything delivered, right? Well, almost anything. Delivery is yet another regulatory issue faced by the marijuana industry, but areas that have legalized it have seen explosive growth in those services. As it is both the largest U.S. state and has had legalized delivery since 2018, California provides the best example of how eCommerce is thriving in this space.
Not only middleman services between dispensaries and customers, California’s “non-storefront retailers” have fully-functioning eCommerce websites with a vast array of items. Product types, images, specs, and prices are all provided and allow for easy shopping, checkout, and, in many cases, payment by credit card, Apple Pay, and even Bitcoin.
Check out our eBook
The medicinal / legal Cannabis industry is at a steady growth rate. The industry has started adopting eCommerce like never before in 2020. This eBook highlights how B2B and B2C brands in the Marijuana industry have approached eCommerce adoption so far and how will that trajectory be in the near future.
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