Cannabis retailers face stiff competition, and regulations aren’t getting any more relaxed. In crowded markets with strict marketing restrictions, boosting profit is challenging, so many retailers are looking for ways to cut costs and improve efficiency.
Good dispensary tech helps, but the dispensary software space is also highly competitive. Some providers prioritize winning new business over solving problems for retailers, making big promises of lower prices and better features that they don’t keep.
Cova Software is a well-known and trusted software provider in the cannabis industry. Its commitment to compliance and reputation for reliability and integrity have made it the POS of choice for many cannabis retailers across North America. Cova powers thousands of retail locations from coast to coast in Canada and the U.S. The company has seen dispensary clients come and go... and come back again.
When retailers leave Cova, it's often because they've closed or sold their business. When they switch to another POS, it’s usually due to a lower price or a bundle of products and features they believe will better suit their needs. Sometimes this works out, as different solutions fit different needs. However, in 2024, more retailers are returning to Cova—sometimes quickly—because they didn't find the solution they were looking for... Or, more bluntly, didn’t get what they were promised.
There are common and concerning reasons why dispensary clients return to the software they trust:
A poorly built POS system can cost retailers more than the monthly fee and setup costs. If the features you’re sold on, or the core functionality of the system, let you down, it costs you sales.
Pacificanna's owner, Darren Saunders, switched from Cova to another POS system, but quickly returned. "We faced numerous challenges, from poor e-commerce functionality to slow in-store processing. We recognized the importance of a seamless POS system for operational efficiency and switched back to Cova in just 2 days."
Some software companies lure retailers with features they know their competitors don’t have. However, sometimes these features are barely developed.
"We felt we were sold an unfinished product," said Mike Burd from Harvest Moon Cannabis. "Many features we were told were a part of the system in 2023 were in beta and only released in 2024. We don't think there was honesty or transparency."
When focusing on new features, critical ones can be overlooked. Retailers have switched back to Cova after discovering they traded essential features for something less important.
Michelle, the general manager of Smokal Dispensary, explained, “With the alternate POS, the integration with Biotrack was ridiculous and had several glitches that messed up our inventory. It made us realize that Cova POS handled inventory and compliance flawlessly and saved us crucial time.”
Sometimes, the issues are so obvious that retailers don’t complete the transition to another system. This can be due to the provider's inexperience.
Recently, one retailer pulled the plug just hours before the switch to another POS provider was to begin, because their questions were going unanswered, while their important sales data was in limbo.
"We were concerned about their ability to transfer our analytics and sales data. For us, and our investors, visibility to that historical data is critical. They couldn’t give us a straight answer, and that was enough for us to turn back to a company that always does ."
The worst offenders raise red flags from the moment retailers give them the green light. Deficiencies become obvious quickly to experienced retail operators.
Jan from the Canadian Cannabis Store, sums up the frustration experienced by many...
"After multiple calls from another provider offering a cheaper POS, I thought I would switch to save money, but it was a mistake! The staff were completely incompetent and lacked the knowledge and experience necessary to ensure a smooth transition, or even get the transition completed at all! Luckily, Cova got me back up and running within an hour. Thanks to the Cova team, I didn't lose a single sale."