Online dispensary customers are spending more than walk-in shoppers.
Flowhub reports that online orders average $68.01, compared to $50.56 for walk-in transactions. Online baskets also average 3.9 items, versus 2.7 items in-store.
What’s the online shopping experience doing better?
Consumer research points to a few answers.
Shoppers want time to browse on their own, but many also feel overwhelmed by too many product choices.
Online menus let customers compare products, sort by category or price, review promotions, and build baskets at their own pace.
There’s opportunities to take parts of the digital shopping experience that help customers discover more products and apply them in-store.
Here are three ways dispensaries can help walk-in customers build larger baskets.
Key Points
- Online dispensary customers spend more and buy more items. Flowhub reports an average online order value of $68.01, compared with $50.56 for walk-in orders. Online baskets also average 3.9 items, versus 2.7 items in-store.
- The online shopping experience gives customers more room to browse. Shoppers can compare products, review prices and promotions, move between categories, and build baskets at their own pace.
- Cannabis shoppers want more control over the buying process. 60% prefer to browse independently before speaking with staff, while 49% say too many product choices can feel overwhelming.
- Make in-store browsing easier. Give customers more chances to browse, use easy to understand categories and groupings, and make relevant add-ons easier to find.
- Increase basket size without forcing the sale. Use displays, bundles, “frequently bought together” recommendations, and clearer product groupings to help customers naturally move from one item to two or three.
- Track what changes. Watch items per order, AOV, single-item transactions, and category mix to see which changes help customers build larger baskets.
1. Give Customers Chances to Browse Before They Reach the Counter
60% of cannabis shoppers prefer to browse independently before speaking with staff.
That’s one area where online shopping has an advantage.
A customer shopping online can move through categories, compare prices, check promotions, read product details, and build a larger cart.
There’s no pressure to make a decision immediately.
In-store, a shopper may walk in and immediately hear, “What can I get you?”
If the customer only came in thinking about a pre-roll, they may never get much exposure to the rest of the menu.
The interaction moves quickly from entry to decision without much room for browsing.
A good online menu works more like a set of digital aisles.
Customers can decide what interests them before asking for help.
The in-store experience should give them some version of that.
Examples:
- menu screens away from the register
- tablets or kiosks
- QR codes that open the live menu
- displays customers can browse on their own
- menus in waiting areas
- more space to review products before speaking with a budtender
Consider giving customers more chances to browse before starting the sales conversation.
This brings more of the digital shopping experience in-store.
Then track changes to items per order, AOV, and single-item transactions.
2. Organize Products Around How Customers Shop
Giving customers more time to browse only helps if the menu is easy to understand.
49% of cannabis shoppers say they feel overwhelmed by too many product choices. Another study found nearly 1 in 3 consumers think choosing a strain is too complicated.
That creates a problem in-store. Too many similar options makes choosing harder.
Good online menus give shoppers ways to narrow options.
You can filter by category, price, potency, brand, popularity, and more.
The in-store experience should do the same.
Examples:
- best sellers
- under $30
- premium options
- frequently bought together
- low-dose products
- staff picks
- new arrivals
- evening products
- beginner-friendly options
Try making your in-store menu easier to shop and more accessible.
Customers are more likely to keep browsing instead of defaulting to the first familiar option.
Track whether clearer product organization changes items per order and order value.
3. Help In-Store Customers Add More Items
Flowhub found that online baskets average 3.9 items, compared to 2.7 items for walk-in orders – 44% more products per transaction.
We saw a similar pattern in a dispensary we reviewed.
Across 38,277 online orders, AOV was $51.67 — 26% higher than the $41.02 AOV across 118,000 total store orders during the same period.
Online customers were building higher-value orders.
They were seeing related products, promotions, bundles, and other categories before deciding.
In-store, you have to create that experience more intentionally.
Examples:
- pair complementary products
- feature “frequently bought together” items
- create curated bundles
- use multi-item offers
- merchandise related categories near each other
Make the next relevant product easier to discover.
How to Close the Gap
Online dispensary customers spend more and buy more items.
To close that gap in-store:
- give customers more time to browse
- make products easier to understand
- make related products easier to find
- create bundles and multi-item offers
- track AOV and items per order to see what works
A good place to start is with the products already driving your sales.
Identify your anchor products — the best sellers customers buy most often.
Then look at slower-moving products with higher-margins that make sense as add-ons.
Use your sales data to find:
- bundles
- “frequently bought together” offers
- budtender recommendations
- in-store displays
- multi-item promotions
Find ways to increase basket size and move more inventory.
Book a call with a dispensary growth strategist at NY Search Group to learn more about using sales data to find the best bundles and product opportunities.