Powered By the 2025 Cannabis Shopper Experience Report by Sweed

The Wednesday before Thanksgiving, or Green Wednesday as it’s been branded, is historically the second highest day of cannabis sales every year, following 4/20. This is typically the result of a mixture of factors, including an influx of holiday PTO and celebrations for consumers, as well as extended amounts of time with family and friends. Successful dispensaries view Green Wednesday as more than just a single day of increased sales, and rather use this cannabis holiday as an opportunity to interact with new potential customers, showcase their brand and retail experience, and drive loyalty.

According to the 2025 Sweed Cannabis Consumer Survey, nearly half (45%) of U.S. cannabis consumers – about 50 million adults – plan to shop or stock up during Green Wednesday. Which means that while deals and promotions get customers in the door, the businesses that are going to be the most successful are the ones who are able to capitalize on these interactions to create long lasting loyalty and drive repeat purchases throughout the rest of the year. 

The Sweed Cannabis Retail Survey was conducted by Wired Research in partnership with Oak PR. The online study surveyed 955 nationally representative Americans aged 21+ between October 6-10, 2025, with a margin of error ±3.2%. Results were weighted to reflect the U.S. adult population. The data represents more than 128 million U.S. cannabis users, spanning all age groups, family types, and usage patterns

It’s clear that this Green Wednesday isn’t just about discounts, it’s about differentiation. Let’s dive in on how retailers can capitalize on increased  sales by connecting data, marketing, and experience. 

‍

The Big Picture: What’s Changed About Cannabis Shoppers

The only way to nail the customer buying experience is to understand your customers and their shopping preferences, and the data is clear: What was once a niche market has become an integral part of everyday life for more than half of U.S. adults, spanning generations, lifestyles, and family types. Cannabis consumers today are more diverse and informed than ever, and they expect the same ease, personalization, and digital convenience they experience everywhere else, from online retail to restaurants and beauty. 

Gen Z (75%) and Millennials (69%) lead adoption, while parents are 43% more likely to use cannabis than non parents.

While 88% of cannabis purchases happen through dispensaries, which highlights the continued importance of well-trained and informed budtenders, expertise alone isn’t enough. Personalization and digital ease now define loyalty, and drive repeat purchases. Here are some key insights to keep in mind: 

• 86% of cannabis shoppers report that they would return to a dispensary offering tailored recommendations, meanwhile only 29% report receiving relevant promotions today.
• 75% of cannabis shoppers want one-click reordering, 72% want pre-ordering, and 67% expect delivery options.
• 77% of cannabis shoppers say promotions influence where they shop, while 79% say promos and timing shape when they shop
• 74% of cannabis shoppers choose dispensaries based on location, and 68% say clear online menus matter.

The bottom line is that consumers now expect dispensaries to blend authenticity with convenience, just like any modern retailer. 

‍

The Four Keys to Winning Green Wednesday

While cannabis consumers continue to be diverse in their demographics, their needs, and their preferences, four key imperatives stand out from the 2025 Sweed Cannabis Consumer Survey that create a clear path forward for dispensaries looking to succeed on Green Wednesday. 

‍

Be Easy to Find

Cannabis shoppers can’t visit what they can’t find, and local loyalty starts with visibility, especially with an influx of out-of-town shoppers. For retailers, that means reach isn’t just about advertising, it’s about showing up at the exact moment of intent, whether that’s on Google, in a text, or through a friend’s referral.

Here are some actionable tips: 

• Showcase local partnerships and community ties through signage, events, or local brand collaborations. 
• Encourage customers to “bring a friend” with in-store QR codes or printed referral cards. 
• Create a “Local Favorites” shelf or highlight products from regional growers. 
• Use digital signage signage and counter displays to highlight limited-time Green Wednesday deals.

Sweed Tip: Leverage in-platform intelligent messaging, RFM segmentation, geo-targeted automations, and integrated loyalty to connect local shoppers to in-store promotions automatically. 

‍

Make Shopping Simple, Relevant, and Fast 

It’s important to note that shoppers don’t just want great deals, they want a smooth, modern experience that mirrors the best of mainstream retail. With features such as 2-day shipping, and other ease-of-use features, shoppers have come to expect a certain level of speed and convenience, and their expectations for cannabis retail is no different. Shoppers reward speed, clarity, and relevance, and ultimately when shopping feels effortless, loyalty follows. 

Here are some actionable tips: 

• Use designated express lanes for pre-orders and repeat customers. 
• Place touchscreen menus or digital displays near waiting areas to reduce decision friction. 
• Prep budtenders with product availability and promos info before doors open. 
• Walk your store from entry to exit to spot and eliminate any friction in the customer journey.

Sweed Tip: Leverage Loyalty QR Codes on Receipts so that customers can earn points on their purchases after the sale, refer a friend and more, without requiring additional steps at checkout. 

‍

Connect Loyalty and Personalization 

Green Wednesday is an incredible time to connect with first-time shoppers, but the real opportunity is what happens next. Operators can learn a lot about a customer in just one purchase, from their demographics, to their personal preferences, and it’s clear from the survey results that personal relevance is the foundation of loyalty; turning one-time buyers into repeat customers. 

Here are some actionable tips: 

• Train budtenders to leverage POS insights like favorite products and complimentary items for upsell opportunities. 
• Make loyalty enrollment part of checkout. Consider offering bonus points for joining during Green Wednesday. 
• Find small ways to personalize the experience by catering to your customer demographic, like fun, relevant music, thank-you messages on digital screens, or receipts, candy at reception, and more.

Sweed Tip: Enable AI Product Recommendations and Dynamic Loyalty Integration in Sweed so budtenders automatically see personalized suggestions in the register, helping them upsell confidently and reward loyalty instantly.

‍

Learn from Behavior, Then Act On It 

While Green Wednesday is a kind of day that all dispensaries work towards, the ones that use the data and findings from the day to optimize and improve their workflows and processes after the day are the most successful. Work with your team to understand what worked and what needs to be adjusted in order to transform customer insights into growth. 

Here are some actionable tips: 

• Review top-selling SKUs and bundle them for post-holiday promotions. 
• Ask shoppers about their experience via checkout prompts or loyalty texts. 
• Give Green Wednesday shoppers a “come back next week” coupon or loyalty bonus. 
• Reward budtenders and create incentives that drive your goals and sales.

Sweed Tip: Use Sweed’s AI-Driven Segmentation to identify first-time Green Wednesday shoppers and automatically trigger follow-up messages or rewards, keeping the relationship alive after the rush.

‍

Activate the Cannabis Revenue Flywheel

Ultimately, Green Wednesday is one part of an ongoing growth cycle, and it’s important to leverage the sales, success, and learning from the day to continue to improve and optimize your dispensary operations. The opportunity for operators isn’t just in the spike in traffic, it’s in how you turn that traffic into momentum.

The Cannabis Revenue Optimization Flywheel combines all parts of the dispensary ecosystem to provide a cohesive, automated, and data-driven approach to retail operations:

• Grow Your Reach with smarter marketing that attracts high-value customers. 
• Elevate the Shopping Experience with seamless online and in-store experiences. 
• Speed Up Sales with fast, compliant check-ins and checkouts. 
• Fulfill with Confidence with accurate orders every time, across all channels. 
• Maximize Customer Value with personalized upsells that grow basket size. 
• Drive Repeat Business with loyalty programs and automations that bring customers back.

Green Wednesday is the ultimate test of operational readiness and customer understanding. Dispensaries that activate the Flywheel – connecting reach, experience, speed fulfillment, and loyalty – won;t just win one big day, they’ll be poised for continued success. 

‍

Green Wednesday Isn’t a Moment, It’s Momentum

When dispensaries show up where shoppers are looking, making shopping seamless, personalize every offer, and act fast on behavioral data, they don’t just win the holiday, they build the kind of customer relationships that last all year long. 

Don’t take a passive approach to Green Wednesday, or let the momentum of the second biggest cannabis holiday slip by without acting on it. Leverage technology that partners with you to optimize your operations, support your team, and drive success. 

Schedule a demo to learn how Sweed can be your technology partner on Green Wednesday and beyond.

‍

Download your copy of The 2025 Green Wednesday Report.