With major holidays, vacations pulling customers away from routines, and plenty of sunshine shifting attention outdoors, dispensaries may assume the summer season is slower. But the data tells us otherwise.
Across Rank Ecommerce sites, we’ve seen:
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Specials page views increase by 20%
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Cart activity jump 13%
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Edible purchases rise by 16%
Cannabis customers aren’t slowing down, they’re shopping differently. And dispensaries who show up with the right online experience are seeing the results.
Dispensary Summer Marketing isn’t just about having a few sales in July or dusting off old promotions from last year. It’s about recognizing seasonal behaviors, anticipating customer needs, and building a digital storefront that works just as hard as your in-store team.
In this blog, we’ll break down why summer is so critical, the retail opportunities dispensaries often overlook, and how to set the stage for a standout sales season before your competitors do.
Understanding the Summer Shopper
As temperatures rise, so do the chances for dispensaries to engage shoppers with timely, relevant offers. People aren’t just shopping for cannabis, they’re shopping for experiences: backyard barbecues, beach trips, concerts, and Pride events. That means your merchandising and marketing should reflect the moments they’re already planning.
Dispensary Summer Marketing strategies must go beyond just sending out an email blast about 7/10. Instead, think of your cannabis menu as a seasonal toolkit: energetic sativas for music festivals, calming edibles for travel anxiety, or even bundles that make packing for a camping trip a no-brainer.
There’s also a major opportunity in tying promotions to outdoor activity. Think hiking, kayaking, or summer sports leagues. Your customers are moving more, and many are seeking recovery and relaxation after their adventures. Create “post-pickleball packs” or “trail-ready tincture bundles” that meet their need. The key is making it easy for customers to find products that match their lifestyle.
Seasonality Is a Search Engine’s Best Friend
Search data shows spikes in cannabis-related queries around summer holidays. Yet many dispensaries miss out on this traffic because they’re not optimizing their online presence. If someone’s Googling “4th of July cannabis deals near me” and your dispensary’s specials page isn’t up-to-date or SEO-optimized, they’re likely going to your competitor.
Dispensary Summer Marketing means aligning your homepage and special offers with what people are already searching for. That includes updating meta descriptions, adding seasonal keywords, and ensuring your site is structured for visibility.
If you’re a Rank Really High customer, this gets even easier. Every time you create a special, your site automatically generates a unique, search-optimized landing page that Google can crawl. That means your 7/10 bundles, Pride picks, or weekend promos can show up directly in local search results. Use that to your advantage by naming specials with the phrases your customers are typing into Google.
The Summer Calendar is Full of Opportunities
You don’t need to wait for 4/20 to run a high-performing campaign. Pride Month, Father’s Day, 7/10 Oil Day, and Labor Day Weekend all present moments worth marketing around. Add in local events like street festivals or outdoor concerts, and suddenly your calendar is packed with reasons to engage customers.
An effective dispensary summer marketing plan should map out these dates ahead of time and design promotions that tie into them. That could mean launching “Pride Picks” in June, promoting “Dad’s Day Deals” for Father’s Day, or bundling concentrates for Oil Day.
Your Website Is Your Digital Budtender
During summer, foot traffic may shift, but online browsing never stops. That’s why it’s essential to keep your ecommerce experience polished. A rotating homepage banner, clearly labeled specials, and fresh merchandising show customers that your store is active, current, and worth buying from.
Dispensary summer marketing also includes leaning into loyalty programs, using SMS to promote weekend promos, and retargeting warm leads before they cool off.
Summer Success Sets the Stage for Fall
Strong Dispensary Summer Marketing doesn’t just boost immediate sales, it lays the foundation for year-round growth. The data, engagement, and loyalty you build now can inform your fall campaigns, shape your product strategy, and help you better understand what resonates with your customers before the busy end-of-year stretch.
Want the Full Playbook?
If you’re ready to make the most of this season, we’ve got you covered. Our free Dispensary Summer Marketing Guide breaks down all the trends, tips, and strategies you need to turn browsers into buyers and sales into repeat business.
