Dispensaries Break Online Sales Records on Cyber Monday, After a Very Green Friday

Dispensaries experienced record-breaking online sales on Cyber Monday.  "We saw our highest number of orders ever," says Joel Milton, CEO of Baker.

Baker is a software platform that helps dispensaries connect with its customers by offering online ordering, rewards programs, messaging services and other things to help put a business in front of its clients. Baker currently operates in 175 dispensaries in Colorado, Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Washington and Ontario; about half of its business is in this state.

Milton reports that online sales skyrocketed yesterday and that cannabis sales increased 70 percent over an average day. The total monetary amount of online orders was at least 230 percent over the daily average.

Milton attributes this to dispensaries promoting online orders for Cyber Mondays, just as traditional retail establishments did for November 28.

"I don't think anyone saw Cyber Monday coming, but we've been blown away with the online orders we've seen," Milton says. "It's easily been one of our busiest days of all time."

And that's after the cannabis industry saw unprecedented sales the day before Thanksgiving, a day that's known as Weed Wednesday, as well as the day after Thanksgiving, called Black Friday in the retail industry and now Green Friday in the world of weed.

According to Baker's data, online orders went up 77 percent last week, when customers were using Baker's loyalty program 65 percent more than they had in the previous two months.

People generally didn't shop for weed on Thanksgiving, but came out the day before and the day after.

On Black Friday, dispensaries across the state experienced almost twice the volume of a normal day. Weed Wednesday saw 55 percent more orders than on a typical day and a 25 percent increase in the size of purchases, Milton notes. Baker also spotted a spike in concentrate sales.

"We think it's because it's more discreet and easier to bring to family events, so Grandma isn't going to get upset," says Milton. "Edibles are more discreet, so they are much easier to consume and enjoy at social events. When you think about Thanksgiving and how it's a family-centric event, the last thing you want to do is have a product that a family member will be able to identify and get offended about."

Edibles and concentrates have risen in popularity across the industry this year, but during Thanksgiving week, concentrate orders tripled from the same time last year.

"Compared with other products on the shelf, edible sales increased 15.7 percent and concentrates increased by 10 percent," Baker reports.

In contrast, pre-roll sales went up on Friday. After Thanksgiving, people are tired and full and want something easy, Milton says. But pre-rolls are also easy for dispensaries to mark down.