How One Multi-Store Retailer Streamlined Cannabis Sales With Budvue
From Paper Menus to Streamlined Sales: A Cannabis Retailer’s Digital Makeover
Five years ago, a Calgary-based cannabis retailer launched with a mission: deliver a seamless customer experience powered by smart systems, not paper. But like many independents navigating a fast-evolving industry, their early days were marked by a familiar pain: managing live inventory and customer expectations with static, outdated tools.
Paper menus were printed daily. Items sold out before menus could be updated. Staff juggled sticky notes, crossed-out SKUs, and constant questions about THC and terpene content. Customers were often disappointed with out of stock options and staff were overwhelmed.
That changed when the retailer discovered Budvue’s digital signage platform. What started as a simple menu upgrade evolved into a full-blown operational transformation.
Want More? Read about another dispensary Budvue helped upgrade with dynamic screens and better menus.
About the Retailer
This independent cannabis retailer operates five locations across the city. Known for its polished, professional feel, the brand stands out for blending small-business heart with enterprise-level execution.
What makes them different:
Multiple locations across a major Canadian city, each delivering a consistent yet localized experience
A culture of operational excellence, driven by data and design
A firm commitment to customer-centric layouts, real-time product transparency, and staff empowerment
“We’ve always believed tech should make things easier, not harder. Budvue let us do just that—at scale.” -Store owner.
With that vision in place, the missing piece was finding a signage partner that could support growth, elevate the customer experience, and remove unnecessary manual work.
Dynamic digital menus power a clean, informed shopping experience.
The Challenge
As the business grew, so did its operational friction. Static menus, once manageable, became a liability. Updating menus daily, across five stores, resulted in wasted hours and created inconsistency.
Key pain points included:
Menu Inaccuracy → Sold-out SKUs remained listed, frustrating shoppers
Outdated Design → Static menus couldn’t keep up with evolving product info or regulations
Staff Time Lost → Repetitive updates and customer questions about THC, pricing, and product formats slowed operations
Inflexible Tech → Early digital tools weren’t built for Canadian cannabis retailers and lacked features for terpene and cannabinoid display
These issues hurt efficiency and held back customer trust which impacted brand perception.
Why Budvue Made the Difference
Rather than piecing together disconnected tools, this retailer turned to Budvue for an all-in-one signage solution that synced across locations and worked in real-time.
Custom Menu Design
Budvue worked closely with the team to design fully branded menus that showcased the exact product details customers cared about most: potency, format, terpenes, and price. Menus were optimized by weight and THC level to help increase basket sizes.
Smart Tags
Products were tagged as “New,” “On Sale,” or “Local” directly from the Budvue Dashboard, automatically updating across menus without needing separate edits per store.
Multi-Screen Setup
Each location features five portrait TVs for product menus and up to three landscape TVs displaying Budvue’s promotional content, offering both live data and branded visuals for promotions and education.
Self-Serve Tablets
Budvue’s Budguide tablets allow customers to browse products, filter by format or THC level, and send orders straight to the register, giving control back to the shopper while reducing staff load.
Sync With POS
Budvue integrates with the store’s POS system so menus are always accurate. If an item is out of stock, it simply doesn’t show, eliminating disappointment.
“It’s the only solution we’ve used that truly talks to our POS in real time.” Store owner.
Rolling Out the Solution — A Quick Timeline
Implementing Budvue’s platform was a phased, strategic rollout:
Phase 1: TV Menus: Paper menus were replaced with portrait-oriented digital boards across all stores.
Phase 2: Tablets for Self-Service: Budguide iPads allowed customers to explore products in greater detail and order directly.
Phase 3: Promo Playlists: Branded slides were scheduled to run between menu loops, promoting product drops, bundle deals, and seasonal specials.
Phase 4: Menu Logic Upgrades: Pre-rolls and flower SKUs were reorganized by net weight and potency to prioritize higher-margin products.
This incremental rollout ensured the team could adjust workflows and gather insights at each step without disrupting daily operations.
Budvue horizontial menus showcase products for customers to browse at their own pace.
Results That Show on the Floor
After switching to Budvue, this multi-store operator saw tangible, day-to-day results:
Faster Line Flow: Multiple screens allow shoppers to browse at their own pace, reducing bottlenecks and improving checkout speed
Consistent Brand Image: Customers often mistake the stores for corporate chains due to the polished digital presence
Stronger Staff Productivity: Store managers spend less time on menu admin and more time improving service
Data-Driven Merchandising: Product visibility is optimized based on customer habits and real-time analytics
“The menus are doing the selling before our team even steps in. It’s seamless.” Store Owner.
What’s Next?
The team is currently working with Budvue on a visual refresh and beta-testing new features, including:
Smarter playlist tools that allow content to adapt by time of day or store location
More granular Smart Tag management across all five stores
As the retailer continues to grow, Budvue remains their partner for operational excellence, adaptable design, and forward-thinking tech.
Questions
What’s the biggest difference Budvue made?
The biggest shift was moving from reactive to proactive retail. Instead of chasing updates and patching problems, the team now builds systems that scale with them. Budvue turned digital signage into a competitive advantage.
How easy was the transition?
The dashboard is intuitive and centralized, meaning staff didn’t need to learn multiple platforms. With Budvue’s support team on call, troubleshooting and tweaks were handled quickly.
What innovations are coming?
Budvue is rolling out deeper Smart Tag controls both built directly from customer feedback. The roadmap is designed to grow with retailers, not ahead of them.
Ready to Upgrade Your Menus?
If you’re stuck with static menus or juggling tools that weren’t built for cannabis, Budvue can help. From real-time POS sync to beautifully branded screens, Budvue brings your retail strategy to life, faster and smarter.
Interview conducted April 2025. Quotes edited for clarity. Retailer name withheld to protect their business. To learn more, book a demo and ask about this case study, we’re happy to share more insights.