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Shop ‘Til You Drop Software Solutions for the Cannabis Delivery Market By Monica Stockbridge Cannabis consumerism has taken off in the past year. In fact, a Leafly analysis revealed that sales of medical and adult-use recreational marijuana grew by 71% over 2019, to a total of $18.3 billion. Online ordering, curbside pickup, and delivery represented growing trends in 2020, particularly as consumers were home-bound and needed safe ways to get their cannabis products. Yet, not all cannabis retailers are equipped to introduce delivery options to their list of customer services. Those that do often deal with challenges such as fragmented software and scattered data, resulting in inefficiencies and missing insights. Founded in 2020, Drop Delivery is on a mission to help cannabis retailers around the country optimize their day-to-day operations and deliveries. The all-in-one software platform — founded by a team of serial entrepreneurs and old high school classmates — offers inventory management, driver dispatch, SMS marketing tools, digital loyalty programs, and a customized eCommerce mobile app. Drop is also focused on providing best-in-class digital experiences for consumers and retailers alike. To make this kind of offering possible, Drop uses a software as a service (SaaS) model, which allows companies to take advantage of cuttingedge tech for a monthly subscription fee. One of the most important pieces for cannabis retailer clients is data consolidation. “Knowing your customers’ preferences and using that to market more efficiently is extremely powerful,” CEO Vanessa Gabriel says. From order data to driver data to inventory insights, such as knowing when to push certain products or offer deals, Drop gives cannabis retailers more visibility into their operations. “We’re making our clients’ data work for them,” says Drop Delivery CTO Marc Lopez,
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Cannabis & Tech Today // Summer 2021
referring to the back-end hub that manages all inventory and reporting, revealing important data insights. Drop is also placing more of an emphasis on e-commerce, explains Drop Delivery CPO Jade Gabriel. “Most clients in the cannabis industry are used to basic, static menu types. Our consumer-facing interface is designed to increase conversion and average order size. We offer features such as seamless repurchasing, built-in loyalty, complex deal redemption, quick-add, automatic promotions, and user engagement tools.” One of Drop’s offerings is a progressive web application, or PWA, which feels like a native app but is actually a website. Customers can save the PWA to their home screen for a native app experience or order within the web browser. The pandemic threw a wrench in the gears of many industries. Vanessa says it was amazing to see dispensaries and delivery companies granted permission to stay open as essential services throughout the past year. “We always knew delivery was the future of cannabis purchasing,” she says. It’s been validating for her team and she hopes it signals a catalyst for change in terms of wider legalization. Until then, the Drop Delivery team will continue their mission of enabling cannabis retailers to raise the bar on service. “We’re empowering our clients to offer delivery in a way that is safe, convenient, and a premium customer experience,” Vanessa says, “and this helps give them a leg up on the competition.” ❖
