Green Wednesday Cannabis Sales Already Taking Off With Tyson 2.0, Jay-Z-Backed The Parent Co. & Others

With Green Wednesday a thing for the past several years, cannabis retailers are ramping up their in-store experience and stocking their shelves.

No surprise there, given that the Wednesday before Thanksgiving is expected to generate $90 million in sales, a 78% spike from daily averages, according to business intelligence from Akerna Corp KERN.

That makes Green Wednesday the second-highest cannabis sales day of the year after 4/20.  Indeed, marijuana consumers are expected to spend $251 million over the four-day Thanksgiving weekend, representing a 60% increase over daily average sales.

Other predictions are that this year's number of customers shopping in brick and mortar cannabis dispensaries will hold steady when compared to other days in November and basket sizes will substantially increase – a phenomenon that was evidenced last year when Green Wednesday sales surpassed Black Friday sales.

Kelly Nielsen, BDSA's VP of insights and analytics, told Adweek that the data suggest the retailers have a chance "to facilitate that stocking-up behavior" by cross-promoting and upselling.

"And they can suggest gift-giving ideas because people are also buying for their friends and family," Nielsen added.

Airfield Supply Co, a San Francisco Bay-area designer cannabis dispensary, for example, posted QR codes outside the store, enabling a sneak peek into the menus before even crossing the threshold.

Customers can also get much-needed info from iPad-wielding concierges. The airport-themed location also features interactive media displays and a shop-within-a-shop dubbed The Hangar.

Chris Lane, Airfield's CMO, told Adweek that the company wants to "make sure people don't just buy products, but that they feel like the time they spent here was valuable."

As part of its Green Wednesday event, the company is also launching its own premium small-batch brand: Aviation Cannabis.

Michigan Does 'Green Friday'

Cannabis cultivator Fluresh recently launched a new brand – Carbon by Fluresh - just in time for "Green Friday," which of course is the day after Thanksgiving.

Available in pre-packed 1/8 oz jars of flower and three textures of live resin concentrates, Carbon by Fluresh brings high potency and original flavor while relying on high-touch propagation techniques to grow cultivars with heavy terpene profiles.

"We've learned that swag is a currency in cannabis, with budtenders and consumers, especially at the holidays," said Christine Shollenberger, Fluresh's VP of marketing.

With sales having soared 55% last Green Wednesday at her Grand Rapids-based store, Shollenberger anticipates even bigger numbers this year.

"We're focusing on vapes and edibles, things that are travel-friendly, portable and discreet," she added.

Star Power

The numerous celebrities in the weed business, not to be outdone, are following suit.

Some 20 stores in The Green Solution chain are gearing up to debut the Tyson 2.0 line of flower, concentrates, edibles, beverages and pre-rolls.

The Green Solution in Colorado will be the first dispensary in the nation to offer the much-anticipated Tyson 2.0 cannabis line on Black Friday, Nov. 26. Columbia Care Inc. CCHW CCHWF, through its exclusive partnership with Tyson 2.0, launched the brand with the legendary boxer Mike Tyson.

To celebrate the launch, The Green Solution (TGS) and Tyson 2.0 are hosting a chance to win a grand prize that includes a cultivation tour with Mike Tyson, along with a swag bag containing Tyson 2.0 memorabilia and a $200 TGS gift card.

Jay-Z Joins In

Hip-hop mogul and cannapreneur Jay-Z will have his Monogram line on display at Calma in LA's West Hollywood neighborhood.

With the brand having premiered in 2020, "we see Green Wednesday as an opportunity to showcase who we are and leverage the traffic," said Troy Datcher, CEO of TPCO Holding Corp. GRAMF GRAM, which is doing business as The Parent Company and includes Monogram among its brands.

Photo: Courtesy of Heidi Fin on Unsplash