Wholesale suppliers have adjusted to market demand.
Consistent supply is essential to avoid empty shelves and lost sales. This can cost you a sale today, but potentially a customer tomorrow.
After a strong market shift following federal cannabis legalization in 2018, wholesale partners had to acclimate to a tumultuous time during COVID-19 that saw customer demand rise and fall rapidly.
West Coast Gifts has worked to improve delivery times, expedite product release schedules, and ensure that our roster of products are always being restocked with best sellers to give retailers an advantage in a competitive cannabis retail market.
Bongs are a staple product in nearly every smoke shop.
Bongs are a foundational smoking accessory that supports both entry-level and premium retail strategies.
Every retailer needs a strong bong selection to compete, and a wide variety of designs allows retailers to carry a selection specifically tailored for their cannabis retail shop.
Website improvements streamline the wholesale bong purchasing process.
Bong wholesale platforms like the West Coast Gifts website make it easier than ever to browse, order, and manage your inventory of wholesale smoking accessories.
Access a variety of product filters and useful data including product features and replacement parts that make inventory management a piece of cake.
Cannabis legalization has normalized consumption across Canada.
Vaporizers offer a more discreet consumption experience than water pipes, but with the normalization of cannabis consumption in Canada, we're also seeing the normalization of the cannabis lifestyle.
Cannabis retail growth drives accessory category expansion.
Retail growth creates more competition in the cannabis retail market, but it also funds the innovation of classic smoking accessory categories such as bongs, hand pipes, and dab rigs.
Companies like West Coast Gifts are pushing the limits of R&D to deliver first-to-market designs like the GEAR Premium® Sidekick with patented features like the built-in lighter holster.
More options for retailers means more options for customers, and an even better chance for them to find their perfect bong.
Social media influences purchasing decisions.
Cannabis lifestyle influencers play a huge part in dictating consumer interests and buying trends.
This will only increase as the younger generation enters the target demographic for glass smoking accessories, so be sure to bookmark your favourite bongfluencers now!
Iconic bong designs reduce costs and increase ROI.
Buying wholesale bongs have always allowed retailers to maximize margins while staying price competitive in the market, but carrying flagship bong styles and reliable bong best sellers will save you money and improve your ROI over time.
You only have to set them up on your website once, you only have to add them once to your POS, and your staff will become more familiar with their features and benefits making them easier to sell to customers.
By shopping signature styles like the patented GEAR Premium® Sidekick or iridescent Red Eye Tek® Terminator glass, retailers will find themselves selling more and saving time in the process.
Greater selection allows retailers to showcase their brand vision.
With a large selection of wholesale bongs to choose from, retailers can afford to be selective and stock products that best showcase their brand so it aligns with their creative vision.
Bright and colourful with a splash of tie dye? Minimalistic aesthetics? Having products that align with brand values creates a cohesive shopping experience for retail customers who know exactly what they're getting when they arrive at their favourite shop.
Bongs act as anchor products that drive foot traffic.
Customers often visit stores specifically to browse glass, making it a key category for bringing people into a retail location.
High perceived value increases profit margins.
Glass products can be positioned as premium items, allowing retailers to price them with strong margins.
Cross-selling opportunities increase average order value.
Bongs pair naturally with accessories like bowls, downstems, grinders, and cleaning tools This increases average order value and gives staff the opportunity to upsell on every bong purchase.
Exclusive designs help retailers stand out.
Carrying unique or exclusive products helps differentiate stores from competitors and better represent their unique aesthetic or brand values.
Limited edition bong collaborations with Cheech & Chong, the Grateful Dead, Creature, Jerome Baker, and Jane West highlight a versatile roster of wholesale water pipes that can elevate a retailer and help them stand out from the rest.
There will always be a market for quality bongs.
Many consumers find themselves with less money to spend on smoking accessories than they've had in the past. While conventional knowledge suggests this will push customers towards more inexpensive options, many customers are now prioritizing quality in an effort to invest in a more durable bong.
With that being said...
Repeat purchase opportunities driven by breakage.
Glass is a repeat-purchase category due to accidental damage.
Vaporizers can be difficult to repair and high quality units rarely break down. It's a poor business to sell bad quality glass because a happy customer is always most important, but even the best handblown bongs and pipes will break if dropped or bumped on the wrong surface.
Wholesale bongs support both entry-level and premium segments.
As stated above, better market coverage for popular categories like bongs allow retailers to tailor their selection to the needs of their customers.
The distinction between entry-level bongs and premium bongs is subjective, but with more options to choose from it's never been easier to offer competitive choices for different segments of the retail demographic.
The developing science of the bong percolator
West Coast Gifts outlined the different types of percolators in our article To Perc or Not to Perc.
The truth is, there's no one-size-fits-all perc that works for everyone, but retailers nowadays are given the freedom to stock their selection exactly to their choosing.
Matrix percolator? How about a turbine perc? No perc at all?
How about one of each!
The growth of form and function.
Bongs used to be used to get you from Point A to Point B(aked).
Nowadays, many bong users consider the aesthetic of their water pipe as much as they do the function. This adds another layer of added value to every piece!
Glass pieces are popular as gifts
Glass is more fun to give as a gift than vaporizers. There, we said it!
Truth be told, there are a lot of technical decision points when it comes to buying a vaporizer. It's almost like buying someone a TV. Some people don't care, but a lot of people do!
Giving the gift of a glass bong is a great way to someone's heart. If they like your choice, you might even get an invite to their first sesh!
Many consumers upgrade from budget to premium pieces.
Not to say that once you go bong you never go back, but many consumers will buy a cheap bong or budget bong for their first purchase.
It's not long until that same person will be circling back for an upgrade, and that can include an accessory upsell as well!
Smoking rituals remain important in cannabis culture.
Enjoying a bong rotation with your favourite buddies is a pastime as old as bongs themselves, and this traditional use will continue to fuel the glass market for years to come.
The counterculture movement of younger consumers.
Remember when vaping became really cool near the end of the 2010s?
Those of us who were old enough to participate do, but a new wave of cannabis consumers are entering the market and it's not cool to be "old" cool.
Glass is transitioning from being supported by an older demographic to being driven by a younger generation who's making it "cool again".
Group consumption increases demand for larger bongs.
Your favourite bong may work for you, but it's hard to find a one-size-fits-all design that works for every situation.
One classic conundrum occurs when it's time for a group sesh with your 8" bubbler. Having to reload bowls between hits (unless you have a Red Eye Tek® Revolution) becomes time consuming, so the practical solution is hitting a larger piece and sharing the chamber with your homies.
This need creates an ongoing demand that can only be met with getting another bong!
Bongs are iconic within cannabis culture.
Cheech & Chong? Pineapple Express? Dazed and Confused?
Hollywood is steeped with cannabis culture which will always carry appeal for users looking to reenact their favourite stoner movie from home. Anyone else remember the group hitting the hookah bong in Half-Baked?
Bongs are as unique as the individual
While vaporizers can be customized with different silicone grips and colours, there is nothing quite as unique as your own handblown bong.
Each piece is unique and that carries weight in an industry of consumers that value individual identity. Never underestimate the emotional weight of a customer finding their perfect bong!
