A Cannabis Dispensary Case Study
They were doing what most dispensaries do—just enough to say they were doing email marketing.
No flows. No campaigns. No real strategy.
Just a newsletter now and then—when someone remembered.
They weren’t alone. Most dispensaries operate like this. They know email works, kind of. Maybe they’ve heard about abandoned cart messages or tossed a weekend promo out to the whole list once or twice. But automation? Segmentation? Anything past the basics? Not even on the radar.
And that’s why this story matters.
Because in just 7 months, this dispensary went from $0 to over $475,000 in email-driven revenue.
And none of it came from complicated tech or fancy copy. It came from reminders. Rhythms. Respecting timing and behavior.
Let’s walk through what actually worked.
The Ground Floor: Fixing the Obvious Gaps
There were no flows when we started. Not one.
So we put in the basics. The kind of emails that should already be running in the background of any e-commerce setup:
- Welcome Series
- Abandoned Checkout
- Post-Purchase Follow-up
- Browse Abandonment
- Win-back (after 60+ days of inactivity)
These didn’t just capture missed revenue—they gave the brand presence. People started to expect messages, to engage more. The flows brought in over $251K alone.
Turns out, good timing beats good writing most days.
Building Out the System: Habits, Not Just Sales
Once the base was live, we moved deeper.
- Replenishment flows for products that need a refill rhythm.
- Never Purchased Nurtures to help curious browsers convert.
- Site Abandonment triggers for folks who poked around but didn’t bite.
- Sunset Cleanup to quietly remove dead weight and keep deliverability strong.
The big one? Recognizing that not everyone buys the same way. Some love edibles. Some only shop flower. We started segmenting based on product preference and past behaviors. Email got more relevant. Opens and clicks climbed.
No one wants to feel like they’re getting the same message as everyone else.
The Personal Touch: Loyalty Without Loudness
This is where most dispensaries never go—but it’s where the magic happens.
- Birthday Rewards that feel like gifts, not gimmicks
- Anniversary Offers for customers who've stuck around
- VIP Recognition (based on spending or loyalty)
- FOMO-style flows for high-intent browsers who didn’t check out
- Referral nudges to bring in friends without sounding like a pitch
These weren’t loud promos. They were quiet moments of acknowledgment. And they worked.
Campaigns Still Mattered — But They Had to Be Smart
Flows drove most of the revenue. But campaigns kept the list alive.
We sent 6–10 per month. That sounds like a lot, until you realize:
- They were planned (2–3 months ahead)
- They were segmented (never one-size-fits-all)
- They were varied (education, urgency, reviews, product spotlights)
Some emails made $3K. Others topped $8K. On average, every send made money.
One key stat? A 0.4% bounce rate—way below industry norms, especially in cannabis. That meant strong deliverability. Which meant more eyes. Which meant more orders.
What Surprised Us
We expected email to help. But we didn’t expect it to become their #2 revenue channel—behind only in-store sales.
We didn’t expect flows to account for more than half of total attributed revenue.
And we didn’t expect such a fast turnaround.
But that’s the thing with this industry. Customers already want the product. They already have the habit. They just need the right message, at the right time.
The Final Numbers
$475K+ in email revenue in under 7 months
32% of total revenue now comes from email
0 to full system of flows, segmentation, and campaigns
No one really talks about the money being left on the table. Or how a stale list doesn’t mean a dead list.
We’ve seen customers come back after 60 days of silence—just from one thoughtful nudge.
If you’ve got a list, you’ve got potential.
Let us show you where it’s leaking.
(No pressure. Just insights.)