Cannabis retail didn’t suddenly become digital.
It became menu-first.
For many shoppers, the menu is no longer a step in the journey. It is the journey. It’s where discovery happens, where comparisons are made, and where confidence is either built or lost. The role the sales floor once played has quietly shifted into a screen.
That shift changes what “good ecommerce” actually means in cannabis.
Most cannabis retailers have invested heavily in driving awareness. Ads, promotions, brand campaigns, loyalty offers. The problem isn’t a lack of interest. It’s what happens after that interest shows up.
Shoppers land on menus full of options, pricing tiers, formats, and unfamiliar product names. Without context or guidance, many stall out. They browse, scroll, and leave. Not because they didn’t want to buy, but because they weren’t confident in what to buy.
This is the gap Terpli, AIQ’s AI Sales Agent, was built to address.
Instead of assuming shoppers arrive with perfect clarity, Terpli supports them at the moment questions surface, inside the menu, helping guide discovery and comparison in real time.
Traditional ecommerce assumes shoppers know what they want. Cannabis doesn’t work that way.
In-store, guidance fills the gap. Budtenders ask questions, explain differences, and help customers narrow choices. Online, that layer has largely been missing.
As more shopping shifts to pre-order and pickup, the menu has absorbed the responsibilities of the sales floor. It’s no longer just a catalog. It’s the moment where intent turns into action or doesn’t.
That means the menu has to do more than list products. It has to support decision-making.
Terpli works inside the menu, not around it.
Once shoppers are browsing, Terpli, AIQ’s AI Sales Agent guides them to faster, more confident options based on preferences and intent. It supports the experience rather than interrupting it, much like a knowledgeable budtender would at your favorite dispensary.
Instead of leaving shoppers to sort through hundreds of SKUs on their own, Terpli helps make the decision process clearer and easier to navigate, in a way that fits how people actually shop online at scale.
Importantly, it doesn’t replace retail expertise. It extends it. The goal isn’t automation for its own sake. It’s consistency, understanding, and confidence at the moment of choice.
When shoppers feel more confident in their choices, the impact goes beyond a single transaction. Clear guidance helps reduce hesitation, encourages exploration, and leads to decisions that feel considered rather than rushed.
In one case study, Source+ Holding saw a 35% higher average order value from shoppers who engaged with Terpli compared to traditional browsing. It’s a good reminder that helpful guidance doesn’t just boost conversion, it helps customers feel better about what they’re buying.
When menus function like sales floors, a few things change:
None of this requires louder marketing or heavier promotions. It requires better guidance at the right moment.
Cannabis ecommerce will keep evolving, but one thing is clear. Shoppers want experiences that feel genuinely helpful, not purely transactional, and retailers need systems that support that without adding more operational work.
That’s why the menu has become such a critical place to get it right. With Terpli, AIQ’s AI Sales Agent working directly inside the menu, retailers can help customers make confident decisions in real time and turn moments of uncertainty into moments of clarity.
Treat the menu like a sales floor, and with the right support in place, it starts to work like one.
