Win Back Customers and Increase Dispensary Sales with Digital Retargeting

One study found that over a five-year period, only 16% of customers at certain dispensaries returned after their first visit. That means a huge number of potential repeat customers walk out your door and never come back. As a dispensary owner, you know how valuable loyal customers are – they’re the ones who drive consistent revenue and spread positive word-of-mouth. So how do we win back customers who haven’t returned and boost their lifetime value? The answer lies in smart digital retargeting campaigns as part of a robust dispensary marketing strategy. We’ll break down how retargeting (especially through email) can help bring customers back, increase dispensary sales, and improve your overall marketing.

The Customer Retention Challenge in Dispensary Marketing

Getting repeat customers is challenging in any retail business, but it’s especially true in dispensary marketing. Cannabis consumers have more choices than ever, and they can be quick to try a new shop down the road. If we don’t take action to re-engage them, those one-time buyers may forget about us. If only a small fraction of first-time visitors return, that’s a lot of lost revenue on the table.

Why does retention matter so much? For one, marketing to existing customers is far more effective (and cost-efficient) than courting new ones. When you reach out to a past customer, you’re speaking to someone who’s already familiar with your dispensary. They’ve purchased from you before, so there’s a higher chance they’ll do so again. Statistics back this up: selling to a previous customer comes with a 60–70% success rate, whereas the success rate for converting a completely new prospect is as low as 5–20%.

Repeat customers also tend to spend more over time and are easier to upsell. Improving retention can directly increase dispensary sales without the hefty price tag of constantly finding new customers.

Speaking of price tag, consider the cost side of the equation. Acquiring a new customer can be five to twenty times more expensive than retaining an existing one​. 

Every customer we win back is savings in your marketing budget. Even a modest improvement in retention can have a big payoff. Boosting customer retention by just 5% can increase profits by up to 95%​.

What Is Digital Retargeting (and Why Does It Work)?

Digital retargeting is a marketing strategy focused on re-engaging people who have already interacted with your business. In a dispensary context, this usually means reaching out to customers who have made a purchase or visited your shop (or website) but haven’t come back in a while. The goal is simple: remind them about your dispensary and give them reasons to return. We do this through digital channels like email, SMS text messages, and targeted ads – essentially meeting customers where they are online and nudging them to revisit your store.

You’ve probably seen retargeting in action yourself. Ever browsed products online and later received an email saying “Forgot something in your cart?” or noticed ads for that same store following you on other websites? That’s retargeting at work.

For dispensaries, retargeting might look like an automated “We miss you” email to a customer who hasn’t shopped in 90 days, or a text alert about a special discount for customers who haven’t been back since their first purchase. These friendly reminders can be incredibly powerful. Often, people aren’t avoiding your store on purpose – they may have just gotten busy or overlooked your latest deals. A well-timed message can grab their attention and prompt them to give your dispensary another visit.

Retargeting works because it’s highly targeted and relevant. Instead of broadcasting a generic marketing message to the masses, you’re specifically speaking to individuals who have already shown interest in your business. That relevance translates to higher engagement. For example, an email with a personalized offer or product recommendation based on a customer’s past purchase is more likely to get opened and clicked than a generic newsletter blast. By focusing on what matters to that customer, you increase the chances they’ll respond. In short, digital retargeting turns one-way communications into a two-way conversation, picking up where the customer left off and guiding them back to your dispensary.

Win Back Customers with Targeted Email Campaigns

When it comes to winning back customers, email retargeting is one of the most effective tools in our arsenal. Email allows us to reach customers directly in their inbox with tailored messages designed to pique their interest again. The best part? It’s permission-based – these are people who want to hear from your business (they likely signed up or gave their email during a purchase), so a retargeting email isn’t an intrusion but rather a helpful nudge.

At Dispojoy, we’ve seen how a smart email campaign can rekindle a customer’s relationship with a dispensary. For example, say a customer made a first purchase but hasn’t come back in a few months. We might send a “Hey, it’s been a while – here’s 10% off your next order, we’d love to see you again!” message. If another customer frequently bought edibles and suddenly went quiet, we can send a preview of new edible products or an educational piece like “5 new flavors you don’t want to miss.” By segmenting your audience and tailoring content to different customer behaviors, email campaigns can speak to each customer’s interests. This level of personalization shows customers that we remember them and care about their preferences, making them more likely to re-engage.

The beauty of email is not just its personal touch but also its cost-effectiveness and ROI. Email marketing consistently delivers one of the highest returns on investment among all marketing channels. In fact, businesses make an average of about $42 for every $1 spent on email marketing​– that’s a staggering 4,200% ROI. For dispensaries operating on tight marketing budgets, this is a big win. A well-crafted retargeting email campaign can drive a flurry of return visits and purchases at a fraction of the cost it would take to run ads or promotions to attract the same number of new customers. We’ve also found that email is a great channel for educating customers (e.g., about new strains or store events) while subtly prompting a visit, strengthening the customer’s connection to your brand even before they set foot back in the shop.

Most importantly, email gives us a direct line of communication to win back customers on their terms. Not everyone checks social media constantly or wants to receive texts, but people do tend to check their email regularly. And unlike social media algorithms or ad platforms, you don’t have to fight to get your message seen by the people on your email list – it lands right in their inbox. Of course, not every customer will open every email, but those who have shopped with you before are much more likely to open an email from you than someone who’s never heard of your dispensary. By leveraging email retargeting campaigns, we ensure your past customers are consistently reminded of what makes your dispensary great, whether it’s your latest deals, new product drops, or the friendly service they remember.

Increase Dispensary Sales through Repeat Business

Bringing customers back isn’t just about getting an extra transaction – it’s about building customer lifetime value. When we win back a one-time buyer and turn them into a repeat customer, we’re effectively multiplying the revenue we earn from that individual. Instead of a single purchase, they might shop with you monthly or take advantage of every new promotion. That cumulative effect can significantly increase your dispensary’s sales over the long run. In retail (cannabis included), there’s a well-known principle: a minority of your customers often accounts for the majority of your revenue. By nurturing more one-time visitors into loyal regulars, we grow that high-value customer base.

Let’s put it in perspective. Imagine two customers who each spend $50 on a first visit. Customer A never returns – so you get $50 total from them. Customer B comes back once a month and spends $50 each time; in a year that’s $600. Now multiply that difference across dozens or hundreds of customers, and you can see why retention is a revenue engine. Retargeting campaigns are what help convert more Customer As into Customer Bs. When a lapsed customer receives a compelling offer or a reminder of why they liked your shop, it increases the likelihood of a return visit. And once they return and have another good experience, they’re more likely to come back yet again. Consistent retargeting communications can thus create a virtuous cycle of repeat sales.

Moreover, repeat customers tend to spend more per visit over time. They trust your dispensary, so they might be open to trying that premium product or adding an extra item to their cart. They’re also more receptive to upselling and cross-selling efforts (“Since you like this strain, you might love our new extract from the same lineage”). This means each returning customer often generates higher average order values compared to first-timers. By increasing purchase frequency and basket size, retargeting directly boosts your revenue per customer. It’s not just theory – retention marketing has proven impacts on sales metrics. For instance, as mentioned earlier, even a small bump in retention rate can drive a major jump in profits.

Optimize Your Dispensary Marketing ROI with Retargeting

Another big benefit of a well-run retargeting campaign is the overall improvement it brings to your dispensary marketing efforts. Think of it this way: you’ve already invested time and money to get each customer through the door the first time (whether via advertising, events, or just running a great store). Retargeting ensures you maximize the return on those investments by extending the customer’s journey beyond a single visit. Every additional purchase you earn from a previous customer improves the ROI of your marketing spend. Instead of constantly pouring budget into reaching fresh faces – who might or might not convert – you’re leveraging an audience that’s statistically more likely to buy from you again. This makes your marketing strategy more efficient and effective.

Retargeting campaigns also provide valuable data and insights that can improve your overall marketing. By tracking which offers or messages resonate with different customer segments, you learn more about customer preferences. Maybe you discover that a free preroll gift for returning customers works better than a percentage discount, or that educational content gets more engagement than straight promotions. We share these insights with you, and they can inform other parts of your marketing strategy – from in-store promotions to social media content. In this way, retargeting isn’t a siloed tactic; it’s an integral part of a data-driven dispensary marketing approach. Over time, your marketing becomes sharper because you’re continuously learning from how your existing customers respond.

Importantly, digital retargeting (whether via email, SMS, or targeted ads) is highly measurable, which means you can see clear results and adjust quickly. At Dispojoy, we track metrics like email open rates, click-through rates, redemption of offers, and of course repeat purchase rates. This transparency lets you actually see the impact of winning back customers on your sales numbers. When you compare the revenue gained from retargeted customers against the cost of the campaign, the value is usually obvious. Traditional advertising can be harder to tie directly to sales or may require big spend to get in front of the right audience. Retargeting, on the other hand, zeroes in on known customers with a relevant message – a formula for strong ROI. In short, integrating retargeting into your dispensary marketing strategy means spending smarter, not harder. You get more mileage out of each marketing dollar and continually improve how you engage your customer base.

Why Partner with Dispojoy for Retargeting Success

You might be thinking, “This all sounds great – but where do I find the time or expertise to do it?” That’s where we, as Dispojoy, come in. Running effective retargeting campaigns requires the right mix of strategy, content, and technical know-how. It’s not just about blasting out an email or two; it involves analyzing customer data, segmenting your audience, crafting compelling messages, and scheduling outreach at just the right intervals. As busy dispensary owners, you already have your hands full managing daily operations, inventory, compliance, and in-store customer experience. Hiring Dispojoy to handle your digital retargeting means you get all the benefits without adding more to your plate.

So what do we do exactly? We act as an extension of your marketing team. Our retargeting specialists at Dispojoy have deep experience in cannabis marketing – in fact, our team comes from industry leaders in dispensary loyalty and communications. We understand the unique challenges (and opportunities) of reaching customers in this space. That means we know how to navigate things like compliance regulations and messaging restrictions, whether it’s avoiding carrier filtering on texts or staying in the good graces of email service providers. We’ve already done the trial and error to figure out what works best to engage dispensary customers. When you partner with us, you tap into that expertise immediately, rather than reinventing the wheel yourself.

Here are some of the ways Dispojoy takes your retargeting to the next level:

• Strategic Campaign Planning: We analyze your customer list and sales data to identify who to retarget (e.g. first-time customers, lapsed regulars, high spenders who slowed down). Then we plan campaigns tailored to each segment, determining the optimal timing and message to bring them back. No guesswork – our plans are backed by data and industry best practices.

• Compelling Content Creation: Our team crafts the emails, text messages, and offers that will speak to your customers. We maintain a professional yet friendly tone that fits the casual vibe of dispensary marketing while reinforcing your brand. Whether it’s a catchy subject line for an email or a short-and-sweet SMS, we focus on wording that drives action. We also ensure the design is clean and appealing, so your communications look as good as your in-store experience.

• Multi-Channel Outreach: While email is often the backbone of retargeting, we can integrate other digital channels as needed. If your customers have opted in to SMS updates, we’ll incorporate text message reminders or exclusive text-only deals. (Texts can create urgency with near-instant open rates, complementing the richness of email content.) We can also advise on leveraging other channels, like in-app notifications or even programmatic ad retargeting, to reinforce the message. Our goal is to surround your lapsed customers with gentle reminders in the places they’re most likely to notice.

• Deliverability and Compliance: One of the hidden challenges in cannabis retail marketing is ensuring your messages actually reach customers. We take care of the technical hurdles – from managing email sender reputations to using proper wording that won’t get flagged by spam filters or carrier restrictions. At Dispojoy, we pride ourselves on achieving high deliverability rates. In fact, our background in SMS marketing for dispensaries taught us how to get around carrier filters and land messages in inboxes (or phones) reliably. You shouldn’t have to worry about the nitty-gritty tech stuff. We handle it, so your focus can remain on running the store.

• Continuous Optimization: A campaign doesn’t end when the first batch of messages goes out. We monitor the performance of your retargeting campaigns in real-time. You’ll receive reports (in plain English, not just raw data) showing how many customers are engaging and, more importantly, coming back to purchase. If we see opportunities to improve – say, tweaking an email subject line for better open rates or adjusting an offer – we do it proactively. This ongoing optimization means your retargeting efforts only get stronger over time, delivering even better results month after month.

In essence, partnering with Dispojoy means you get a turn-key retargeting program powered by people who live and breathe dispensary marketing. We bring the experience, tools, and hands-on support needed to execute campaigns that truly move the needle. Meanwhile, you get to enjoy the outcomes: more customers walking back through your door, more sales in the register, and more peace of mind knowing that an important aspect of your marketing is handled by experts who care about your success.

Ready to Win Back Your Customers and Boost Sales?

Every dispensary owner loves seeing a familiar face return – it’s a sign that you’re doing something right. With digital retargeting, you can make those returns happen far more often. It’s one of the most efficient ways to increase dispensary sales and build a loyal customer base for the long haul. And you don’t have to do it alone. We’re here to help. At Dispojoy, we specialize in turning one-and-done shoppers into regular patrons through smart, data-driven retargeting campaigns. We’ve seen firsthand how a well-executed email or text outreach can spark that “Oh yeah, I should swing by the dispensary again” moment for a customer.

If you’re ready to win back customers and take your dispensary marketing to new heights, let’s talk. We’ll handle the strategy, the messaging, and the tech, while you watch the results roll in. Increased retention, higher sales, better ROI – it’s all within reach when you have the right team in your corner. Contact Dispojoy today to get started with a retargeting campaign tailored to your dispensary. We’re excited to partner with you and help fill your store with familiar faces again and again. Here’s to boosting your bottom line and delighting your customers – together, we can make it happen!