Boosting Cannabis Retail Sales and Profits by 400%+ | Matt Borish, Union Chill

On this episode, we’re joined by Matt Borish, VP of Marketing at Union Chill Cannabis Co. - a multi-state cannabis retailer operating in New Jersey and New York.We get into the realities of driving foot traffic and new customer visits when paid media options are limited and competition ramps quickly. Matt breaks down how Union Chill approaches the Super Bowl of cannabis, how they think about platform spend, and how to balance acquisition versus retention in a category where margins are constantly under pressure.We also dive deep into promo mechanics, product mix decisions, and how category trends like beverages and infused prerolls are reshaping the retail experience. Matt shares how Union Chill thinks about tech stack, consumer demographics, and what he’s watching as the cannabis retail landscape continues to evolve.---------------Episode Highlights:🌿 Driving foot traffic with limited paid media🔥 Green Wednesday strategy and promo planning💸 Marketing budget allocation and platform spend🔁 Balancing acquisition vs retention in cannabis retail📊 Building repeatable promo frameworks🧠 Retail tech stack and tooling decisions🚀 Launching dispensaries in new adult-use markets📦 Product mix strategy and category performance🥤 Beverages and infused preroll trends👥 Understanding shifting consumer demographics📉 Marketing under 280E constraints📈 Trends shaping the future of cannabis retail---------------Table of Contents:00:00 – Intro00:42 – Matt’s journey in cannabis03:16 – Green Wednesday04:00 – Driving traffic and new customers to retail06:55 – Marketing budget allocation09:12 – Platform spend10:15 – Retention strategies11:25 – Recurring promo strategy14:37 – Tech stack15:54 – Dispensary launch strategy17:58 – Building out a retailer promo framework in a new cannabis market19:29 – Product mix20:51 – Beverages22:22 – Infused prerolls22:54 – Consumer demographics25:43 – Optimizing for 280E26:24 – Trends---------------Links:Union Chill Cannabis Company – https://unionchillco.com/Follow Matt on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-borish-09933b27/Follow me on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-martin-steinberg/For help with CPG production design - packaging and label design, product renders, POS assets, retail media assets, quick-turn sales and marketing assets and all the other work that bogs down creative teams - check out KitPrint.Shout out to my friends over at Glimpse, the go-to partner for automating retail-related back-office operations and unlocking margin trapped in invalid fees and manual processes.Are you in the market for a new flexible packaging partner? Check out HD Packaging. Third-generation, family-owned and built for the needs of category leaders like Newman’s Own and A Dozen Cousins. Faster launches, lower costs, and no artwork fees.