With the growth of the cannabis industry comes increased access to suppliers, many of whom constantly seek to distinguish themselves from one another. However, not all cannabis suppliers are created equal, and some are unbelievably reliable while others fail to elicit a transaction-worthy experience.
Quality Cannabis That Matters
The easiest way to differentiate suppliers is through product quality. However, it’s not always what people perceive. While THC matters, it doesn’t matter to a certain extent. Instead, quality suppliers focus on curing, which allows products not to be too harsh in taste or burn. When you don’t have to cough through the first hits, you recognize someone put time into their product.
Furthermore, cannabis supply requires storage across the entire supply chain. Quality wholesalers and suppliers boast climate-controlled facilities and the proper packaging to maintain product quality and avoid mold. Too many customers are unaware of how effective storage can change their experiences until they have each product from one supplier and another and can compare. This isn’t to say that quality wholesalers are known by geographical area, but it suggests that they’ll focus on the same growers and processors for decent products instead of venturing between too many unknowns to save a penny.
Testing Within Supply At Different Levels
Quality suppliers test their products multiple times and give access to those results. There’ll be a complete cannabinoid report; there will be a pesticide screening; there will be everything a customer needs to know before purchasing. This costs money for budget suppliers to forego comprehensive testing, especially if they know the results won’t be shared.
Additionally, the best suppliers know their suppliers. If someone offers bulk weed, the wholesaler should be able to say where it came from and how it came about. This is difficult for those who turn their backs on quality but simple for those who actually know their products.
Customer Service That Assists Beyond Orders
Anyone can take an order and fulfill a package; that’s easy. What’s more complicated is when a user attempts to purchase something but has questions about it. New consumers need to know how much THC they should intake and what consumption method works best; seasoned users need to know volumes of information about terpenes or growing conditions.
The best cannabis suppliers train their employees to truly help the consumer beyond processing an order. They can tell you why one strain works better than another; they can let you know when that pre-rolled blunt will be on sale again if you’re looking for something new to hold off. This payroll adds up but it’s worth an investment for consumers who remain loyal for years.
Inventory Management Skills That Stock Appropriately
The best cannabis supplies stock appropriate quantities of popular strains while introducing customers to new selections and respecting their concern for running out of stock or having something new every week. There’s a balance that works better for some than others who believe that they know what’s best for customers. This balance aligns a wholesaler with regional preferences.
Those who work directly with supplyers know what’s going on with limited releases, seasonal changes and more consistent access with staples that differ from other retailers. They know that a region may use cannabis edibles more than others or certain strains that hit more appropriate than others, which keeps inventory fresher and customer loyalty higher.
Pricing Strategies That Make Sense
The premium price will not necessarily be the lowest price offered but it will make sense once other factors are concluded—including quality over time. Pricing transparency makes sense because quality wholesalers offer loyalty discount programs or bonuses for bulk purchases that actually reflect good judgment.
Budget price wholesalers may offer loss-leaders as a hook then make up for margin elsewhere—and while there’s nothing wrong with that—these other stocks often aren’t as good as their original goal. The best wholesalers have good quality items priced appropriately across the board.
Packaging and Delivery Standards To Hold Accountability
It’s interesting to evaluate the shipment standards that professional wholesaler see as necessary but ultimately they’re not. Professional wholesalers believe in proper packing to ensure product does not perish during shipment or arrival and this poses a big difference between buyers and sellers along with climate supplies and proper humidity/nutshell packets.
Tracking information separates good wholesalers from great ones. If they can provide details about when something will arrive, there shouldn’t be any question about shipping delays or lack of secondary positioning for anything from A to B.
Relationship-Building For Future Transactions
Great wholesalers think beyond the next great transaction and with systems in place, they recognize who often buys what and when they should follow up on those transactions from time to time down the line, even offering additional discounts strictly based on interest purchase history.
This is an investment into customer management systems that the average wholesaler does not possess nor does it possess the time to train employees into interacting with customers beyond making sales—but this goes a long way with established customers.
What This Means For Consumers
These differences explain why certain wholesalers may charge more while others seem too good to be true. For example, those wholesaling whom invest their time into product life and into proper business management generally charge more because they have higher overhead costs. Those who adjust cut corners because they can make the same off volume sales elsewhere but in lesser quality mills without consistent results fall flat on any promise.
Those with experience can look beyond price considerations based on supply for products rendered—but if questions cannot be met or there is no price break for specific reasons like packaging effort or flimsy tracking attempts, these save one time but they won’t return again when consumers could have justified spending an extra dollar here or there.
These distinctions will continue to differentiate certain wholesalers from others—even as the industry adapts over time, comprehensive wholesaling and retailing efforts cut above the rest more than those who blindly choose what’s cheap instead of putting extra effort into what’s accessible through valuable resources over time. Those who learn these distinctions save themselves from losses and experience growth as future effective consumers.
