Uptok, a premier video commerce startup based in Chicago, partners with a highly innovative cannabis operator, Mission Dispensaries, to pilot the ultimate online human-to-human shopping experience for cannabis customers. The results are game-changing for the future of Cannabis shopping.
According to a report by Grand View Research, the global legal marijuana market size was valued at USD 9.1 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 26.7% by 2028. As consumers begin to explore dispensary offerings, they are met with an average of seven different “categories” of cannabis all with between 50-75 SKUs. This is where consultations with a knowledgeable budtender becomes critical for a quintessential customer experience.
A video commerce tool would allow budtenders to have face-to-face consultations with shoppers before they even step foot into the dispensary.
Mission is a multi-state medical and recreational marijuana dispensary operator with locations in Illinois, Massachusetts and Michigan. At its core, Mission is a pioneer; a brand willing to take risks in order to find their edge in the market. They do this by consistently investing in budtender education and enhancing their customer experience.
Together Uptok and Mission designed a controlled pilot based in Mission's South Chicago location to prove the hypothesis that one-on-one live video sessions results in an overall enhanced customer experience.
Mobile or desktop users on the dispensary website that are defined as “serious shoppers” through Uptok’s intent algorithm are either invited to join a video call by a budtender or have the option to request a video chat or audio call. Users are able to text chat, screen share and place orders with budtenders.
The goal for budtenders was to leverage technology and offer personalized pre-order consultations and aid with post-purchase questions.
One of the things we were most looking forward to in this promotion was really getting to know our customers on a closer level providing more consultation opportunities with them.
This really gave them (budtenders) a personal approach that they hadn't been able to provide before. We were really excited to provide that to them!
I see massive potential in businesses that offer consultations and experts. The success of Mission’s pilot proves that medical and recreational cannabis is a niche where customers value consultation.
The opportunity to build a relationship with a new or early customer can bridge the gap between a dispensary visit and the digital exploration that precedes.
Mission is excited about the potential of video commerce within their industry. The Mission team is planning to expand the service to other locations across states.
The team at Uptok is excited by the validation of one-on-one video commerce presented during this case study. We are now gearing up to work with use-cases acrosss the board with cannabis and industries beyond it.
