The pre-opening growth playbook for modern cannabis retail

Don’t open your doors to strangers. Open to a community that’s already opted in.

The strongest retailers do not wait until opening day to start building revenue. They build demand early. They reward engagement before purchase. They launch with momentum.

If your grand opening is the first time you begin collecting customer data, you are already behind.

Modern retail growth starts before the first transaction ever happens.

AIQ helps retailers turn email and SMS opt-ins into a fully automated loyalty engine powered by Flows before their doors even open.

Reward opt-ins, not just spend

Loyalty should not begin at the register. It should begin at signup.

With AIQ, customers can earn rewards for:

  • Joining email and SMS
  • Creating a loyalty account
  • Completing promotional signup actions
  • Participating in early access campaigns

Every opt-in carries value. Every signup becomes a future transaction.

Instead of asking customers to buy before they are rewarded, you are giving them a reason to engage immediately. That early engagement builds familiarity, trust, and anticipation before opening day.

Explore AIQ’s one-of-one loyalty ecosystem: configurable points, FIFO logic, and automated Flows

Build your list before opening day

Using AIQ signup forms and branded landing pages, retailers can:

  • Collect email and SMS opt-ins weeks before launch
  • Share QR codes across social media, events, and local outreach
  • Promote grand opening incentives
  • Automatically reward early supporters

When your doors open, you are not starting from zero. You are launching to an audience that is already engaged, already enrolled, and already expecting to walk in.

Pre-opening list building transforms your launch from an announcement into an activation.

Download: Engage, track, grow - the ultimate guide to AIQ signup forms 

One signup. Fully connected.

Disconnected systems slow growth. AIQ connects marketing, loyalty, and automation into one unified platform.

The moment a customer signs up:

  • They are automatically enrolled in loyalty
  • Welcome rewards are delivered
  • Flows triggers personalized journeys
  • Email, SMS, push, voice drop, and wallet messages activate
  • Revenue is tracked back to engagement

There are no manual exports. No patchwork integrations. No lost leads sitting in disconnected tools.

One action powers the entire lifecycle.

Flows turns interest into revenue

AIQ Flows transforms real-time behavior into automated growth:

  • Signups
  • Purchases.
  • Points activity
  • Menu engagement

The moment it happens, Flows responds.

Retailers can:

  • Trigger automated welcome journeys
  • Send reward confirmations instantly
  • Nurture pre-opening signups until launch day
  • Activate win-back and referral campaigns
  • Connect loyalty actions directly to marketing automation

This is not scheduled batch messaging.

It is a real-time customer lifecycle engine that connects behavior to revenue automatically.

For new stores, this means pre-launch signups are nurtured all the way to opening day. For existing stores, it means every interaction becomes a measurable opportunity to drive the next purchase.

Turn customers into your best acquisition channel

Paid acquisition is expensive. Community-driven growth is durable.

AIQ refer-a-friend is fully automated and rewardable, allowing retailers to transform engaged customers into growth partners.

  • Shareable referral links
  • Automatic rewards for both customers
  • Built-in performance tracking

Your early supporters do not just shop. They recruit.

The result is organic growth powered by customers who have already opted in.

Checkout: The ultimate guide to referral program strategy for AIQ customers 

Built for real cannabis retail growth

AIQ is more than a loyalty program.

It is a complete customer engagement platform designed specifically for modern cannabis retail, helping you:

  • Capture more opt-ins
  • Reward the right behaviors
  • Automate engagement with Flows
  • Build demand before opening day
  • Turn signups into repeat revenue

Retailers that win do not wait for foot traffic.

They build community first. They automate intelligently. They launch with momentum.

Start rewarding customers before they ever walk through your door.

Book a demo and see how AIQ turns opt-ins into revenue.

Katie Howe

Katie Howe is the voice behind AIQ’s marketing content, blending strategic insight with a knack for storytelling. With a background in brand development and customer engagement, she’s passionate about helping retailers and brands unlock the full potential of their data and campaigns. When she’s not writing, Katie’s likely exploring new cities, testing recipes, or browsing bookshops.

Posts by this author >

Related Articles