The Power of 7/10 Cannabis Sales: Fact or Fiction?

When we conducted our analysis for the Surfside Cannabis Summer Ad Planner 2022, we took a look at summer cannabis sales trends from May to September from last year to see if we could predict what would happen this year. We found that July was overall the strongest sales month. Originally, we assumed that the biggest day would be 7/10, which is often compared to 4/20 as a cannabis-specific holiday that drives consumers to dispensaries to celebrate.

As Surfside co-founder Jon Lowen told Ad Week last week, it isn't 7/10 that drives the highest sales this month, it's the weekend of July Fourth showed the biggest sales numbers. That’s been the trend in our summer data overall: ahead of long weekends, cannabis consumers buy more.

So is 7/10 all hype?

Here’s what we found:

1. 7/10 is a Holiday to the Right People.

July 10 is spelled “OIL” backwards.

Wikipedia tells us that this “Dab Day” has only been around since the early 2010s. It’s dedicated to concentrates and dabbing. While our data showed that 7/10 doesn’t have the scale, reach, or awareness of 4/20, we definitely saw an uplift: cannabis sales on July 10 last year were 22% higher than the daily average in July.

A lot of cannabis consumers buy ahead of time, especially on the day before 7/10. Last year, sales on Friday, July 9, were 41% higher than the daily July average.

2. There’s No Comparison to 4/20.

The truth is that “Dab Day” has a long way to go.

In our 4/20 Grow Book, we highlighted the incredible impact of the biggest day of the year for cannabis, when consumers drive sales up by 150% or more even when April 20 falls on a weekday. This a holiday with international status. Around the world, cannabis consumers make it a point to buy and consume on 4/20 to celebrate the day itself.

3. Sales Almost Double in the “Extracts” Category for the 7/10 Weekend.

When we first compared the data of all cannabis purchases for the weekend of 7/10 last year, there was nothing too eye-popping. However, when we reexamined the data at a category-specific level, we discovered that sales across the “Extracts” category almost doubled over the weekend of July 9 and July 10, rising 95% for concentrates, dabs, and other types of oils.

So, while the power of 7/10 might not apply to all categories, it definitely applies to the world of extracts and the cannabis consumers who are loyal to the oil. April 20 is for all cannabis consumers and products. July 10 shows an interesting trend in product-specific holidays.

Will we see the same thing this year? Well, July 10, 2022, falls on a Monday this year. That could have a dampening effect on sales, or this coming weekend might be the time where cannabis consumers start stocking up on extracts instead.

Audience-Driven Advertising

Every cannabis business knows that different consumers prefer different products. Our deep dive into the data around 7/10 shows that there are actually opportunities to create momentum for product specials, especially if you can brand a holiday and target the right audience with the messaging.

In our past data analysis, we’ve found that seasonality has an important impact on cannabis sales, whether that's Green Wednesday during Thanksgiving Week or New Year's Eve, Valentine's Day or 4/20. Long weekends tend to see higher sales as well. Now, it may be time for businesses to think through creative ways to build cannabis advertising strategies around a specific audience that is loyal to a particular product. The data from 7/10 shows us that this can work.

The high sales of extracts on 7/10, “OIL” spelled backwards, makes sense. But where’s the holiday for edibles? A holiday for sativa lovers or cannabis beverage tastings? And, for dispensaries and brands, how do you make sure you can advertise to the cannabis consumers most likely to show up for those offers specifically?

These are the types of promotions that start with what your audience wants first and can be much more personalized than just discounts. Once you know how to reach the audience, there’s no limit to the ways you can engage different consumers with their favorite products.

Want to learn how the Surfside Platform can better connect you with your best audience? Register for a demo today.