5 Tips for Successfully Selling THCa in Retail

• Know Your Supplier
• Train Your Team on THCa
• Highlight Compliance with Customers
• Maximize Customer Experience with Terpene Profiles
• Leverage Pricing and Value

Selling THCa flower can open up new opportunities for cannabis retailers, but it also comes with its own challenges. From sourcing compliant products to training your team, ensuring the highest quality is key. In this blog, we’ll cover five actionable tips to help you succeed in the rapidly growing THCa market, as discussed by Sean and Dylan Steeves, co-owners of Unicorn Brand, on High Profit.

Whether you’re new to THCa or looking to boost your current offerings, these tips will help you maximize sales and provide an exceptional customer experience.

1. Know Your Supplier

When it comes to THCa flower, quality and compliance are everything. If you don’t know where your product comes from, you’re putting your business at risk—legally and reputationally. That’s why it’s essential to partner with trusted suppliers who can guarantee their products are tested and compliant.

As Sean Steeves emphasized on High Profit, “We’ve always played by the rules. Our customers and vendors trust us because they know we’re delivering a legal product.” Unicorn Brand, for example, is fully vertically integrated and controls every step of the process, from cultivation to packaging, ensuring that every batch is thoroughly tested.

Tips:

• Ask for Certificates of Analysis (COAs) for every batch of THCa products you stock. These reports should come from a third-party lab and verify that the product meets the legal requirement of less than 0.3% Delta-9 THC. Make sure these COAs are easily accessible for your customers to review, whether in-store or online.
• Prioritize transparency when working with suppliers. Know your product’s full journey—from seed to shelf. Suppliers like Unicorn Brand are great examples because they provide full traceability and ensure consistent quality.

2. Train Your Team on THCa

Educating your team about THCa is crucial to driving sales. Although THCa flower might look and feel similar to traditional cannabis, it has distinct differences that your staff needs to be aware of. Properly trained employees will be able to communicate the unique benefits of THCa, reassure customers about its legality, and confidently answer any questions that arise.

Sean noted the importance of product knowledge: “Customers trust you to know your product. By educating your staff, you’re equipping them to sell with confidence and integrity.”

Tips:

• Create a training program specifically for THCa products. This can be as simple as hosting regular team meetings to review THCa’s properties, its legality under the 2018 Farm Bill, and the difference between THCa and Delta-9 THC.
• Role-play customer interactions to prepare your staff for real-world scenarios. Make sure they can explain how THCa is non-psychoactive in its raw form but becomes psychoactive when heated (e.g., through smoking or vaping).
• Offer your team cheat sheets or quick-reference guides so they can confidently explain the product’s benefits, compliance status, and proper use.

3. Highlight Compliance with Customers

For many consumers, especially those new to cannabis or THCa products, compliance is a significant concern. Customers want to know that what they’re buying is legal and safe. That’s why marketing compliance is not just a regulatory necessity—it’s a key selling point. You can build trust and encourage repeat business by reassuring customers that your THCa products meet all federal and state guidelines.

Dylan said, “Playing by the rules is part of our success. It builds trust with both customers and vendors.”

Tips:

• Prominently display compliance information both in-store and online. Include COAs on product pages or near product displays, and make sure your staff highlights this during the sales process.
• Use compliance as a trust-building tool. Incorporate phrases like “fully tested,” “federally compliant,” or “backed by third-party lab results” in your marketing materials to reassure customers of product safety and legality.
• Educate customers on the importance of compliance. Host workshops, webinars, or informational sessions explaining why compliance matters and how it ensures they get a safe, reliable product.

4. Maximize Customer Experience with Terpene Profiles

When selling THCa flower, potency isn’t the only factor that influences the customer experience—terpenes play a huge role, too. Terpenes are the compounds responsible for the unique flavors and aromas of cannabis and also contribute to the overall effect. Understanding and communicating terpene profiles can help you match customers with the product that best suits their needs.

“We do terpene extraction here at the farm,” Dylan explained, “so we want people to be wowed by the smell first. That’s what sets the experience apart.”

Tips:

• Train your staff to speak about terpenes as part of the sales process. Help them understand how specific terpenes, like limonene or myrcene, can enhance the effects of THCa flower. This way, they can guide customers to the product that best fits their desired experience.
• Display terpene profiles on product packaging or near product displays. For customers who are new to cannabis, offer “Terpene 101” materials that explain the basic profiles and their effects.
• Upsell with terpenes. If a customer is particularly interested in the flavor or effect of a specific terpene, suggest other products with similar terpene profiles to complement their purchase.

5. Leverage Pricing and Value

THCa products offer retailers a unique opportunity to balance quality with competitive pricing. Unicorn Brand’s vertically integrated model allows them to control costs at every stage, from cultivation to production, which means they can offer high-quality THCa flower at a more affordable price than many competitors. This allows retailers to pass on those savings to customers while still maintaining strong profit margins.

“Our customers get high-quality THCa flower at prices that are significantly under the market,” Sean said. “That’s because we’re fully integrated and control every step.”

Tips:

• Offer competitive pricing packages on THCa products. Consider creating bundles or discounts for bulk purchases to encourage larger sales. For example, offer discounts on multi-packs of THCa flower or bundled deals with other products with complementary terpene profiles.
• Use pricing as a selling point by highlighting the value. Let customers know they’re getting premium, compliant flower at a competitive price, which offers them both quality and savings.
• Create loyalty programs for customers who frequently purchase THCa products. These programs can reward repeat buyers with discounts or exclusive access to new strains, building long-term customer relationships.

Key Takeaways to Stay Ahead with THCa

THCa flower presents an exciting opportunity for cannabis retailers to expand their product lineup and tap into growing consumer demand. By following these five tips—knowing your supplier, training your team, emphasizing compliance, leveraging terpenes, and using competitive pricing—you can successfully introduce THCa into your store and offer your customers a product they’ll love.

This is Part 3 of our THCa series. If you missed them, check out Part 1 on the basics of THCa and Part 2 on how to market these products effectively. For even more insights, listen to the full episode of High Profit featuring Sean and Dylan Steeves of Unicorn Brand.

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