Dispensaries have a lot of expectations, pre-conceived notions, and government regulations that need to be considered during their design. So, we’re laying out what a thoughtful, strategic approach to the design process should look like. By the end of this blog, you’ll have a winning recipe for growing your dispensary’s revenue with an appealing space that fosters both customer curiosity and loyalty.
Define Your Brand, Then Bring it to Life
The first key to a winning, cohesive cannabis retail design is getting your brand right, right from the start. That means developing your brand’s story well before the power tools come out. Once established, that brand story will make all future aesthetic and design decisions more intuitive.
To develop your brand story, start by defining who your brand is for. Get specific, with objective demographic details like age range, income brackets, and geographic distance from your location. Then, you can refine your target customer further with subjective specifics like personal values, interests, and cultural associations.
Take the Minneapolis dispensary Sweetleaves, for example. Their brand was conceptualized as being for veteran users and first-timers alike who live and work in the North Loop neighborhood. Their target audience was looking for a premium experience and a space that was welcoming and encouraged camaraderie. With that well-defined brand story in mind, we were able to build out their space to be a bright, high-end environment that beckons visitors in to learn, shop, and try for themselves.
Invite Exploration through Smart Store Design
Designing the optimal dispensary layout for sales hinges on a deceptively simple concept: design with customer experience in mind. Sounds easy enough, but what makes the process tricky in practice is determining how that concept applies to a specific location. Every property has its own particular architectural features and spatial quirks, so there’s no one-size-fits-all layout.
Ideally, your dispensary will have clear, easy paths punctuated by attractive product displays that naturally encourage customers to explore. But blind corners, poor lighting, and choke points will work against you. Fortunately, designing a dispensary within an existing space doesn’t mean you have to accept everything that’s already there. Adding or altering doors, windows, and walls is often a fairly straightforward remodeling process, as is replacing or redesigning systems like HVAC. But to get the greatest payoff from these kinds of changes, it’s critical to work with a commercial contractor with the right architectural and technical expertise.
Know the Laws and Regulations
Perhaps the most unique challenge of commercial interior design for dispensaries is the list of legal regulations that need to be followed. In Minnesota, the specific regulations that impact the interior design of a dispensary include:
- Must include restricted access area(s) for product storage (link to statute)
- Must provide adequate ventilation and filtration for odor control (link to statute)
- Must maintain a security plan to deter and prevent theft (link to statute)
- Must include a designated retail area where customers are permitted, and individual samples of products available for sale are displayed (link to statute)
- Must be compliant with state and local building, fire, and zoning regulations (Cannabis businesses and retailers statute) (Lower potency hemp edibles retailer statute)
- Must keep all lighting, both outside and inside the dispensary, in good working order and with sufficient wattage for security cameras (link to statute)
To see our complete breakdown of Minnesota’s dispensary regulations, check out our post covering the process from licensing to build out.
Many of these regulations are generalized, leaving their execution somewhat up to individual interpretation. Still, there’s a limit to their flexibility, and failure to comply may result in fines or even your dispensary license being revoked. Fortunately, with the help of an experienced cannabis dispensary contractor, you can be sure your design meets or exceeds every regulatory requirement.
Working with professionals who already understand the ins and outs of dispensary design will help you bring your vision to life faster and ensure an exceptional customer experience. And with Diversified Construction, you’ll have access to every kind of professional expertise you may need. From architects to lawyers, real estate agents and HVAC installers, our uniquely collaborative approach to commercial renovation ensures that you’re never left hanging, wondering who will get the job done.
Get your dispensary design started by reaching out to our Diversified team today!
