Cannabis Retailer’s End-of-Summer Checklist
Labor Day weekend is the unofficial end to summer, ending the season with one last hurrah. But there’s no rest for the budtender. Four years of LeafLink wholesale ordering data, from 2022 through 2025, show the same thing every time: the retailers who come out ahead of the holiday aren’t the ones placing orders that week — they’re the ones who did their ordering in the weeks before. The same rhythm shows up around Memorial Day and July 4th, which means this isn’t a fluke. It’s a predictable seasonal cycle, and predictable means you can plan for it.
This lead-up timeline will help you order, negotiate, and stock smarter in the weeks before the holiday hits, so the only thing “resting” this Labor Day is your inventory anxiety.
Two to Three Weeks Out
Review the History
Take stock of what you’ll need this upcoming Labor Day by looking at your order history from the last two to three years. See what products are turning a profit and which ones might need to stay off the shelves. This data makes sure you’re stocked with the right products for not only your customers, but for your business’s bottom line.
Two Weeks Out
Place Those Orders
Wholesale ordering spikes up to 10% the two weeks leading up to Labor Day. That means competition. Once you have a good sense of what products to stock up on, it’s time to click “add to cart” so you don’t lose out on your heavyweight products and brand favorites.
One to Two Weeks Out
Get the Secret Menu
You might be planning your own promotions for Labor Day, so this is a great time to talk to brand reps about deals on bulk orders or early-ordering incentives. Cannabis brands and distributors create custom menus for their different retail partners on LeafLink, so they can create a secret menu just for you.
One Week Out
Do a Full Inventory Sweep
Don’t guess on your inventory. Confirm exactly what orders have yet to be fulfilled, which ones are on their way, and what products you have in your current inventory. By auditing your inventory a week out, you can find potential gaps and place orders to fill them instead of going up in smoke during the holiday.
The Week of Labor Day
Don’t Dread the Dip
Wholesale ordering dips during this week almost every time (by as much as 11%), but that likely means you’re already sitting on the stock you need, not that something’s wrong. Resist placing a reactive order just because it feels “safe.” Instead, shift your attention to in-store sell-through, and if your shelves hold up through the weekend, you’ve done the hard part already.
How LeafLink Can Help
Labor Day is just one date on the calendar. Similar seasonal ordering rhythms play out around holidays throughout the year. The retailers who understand this ebb and flow and stay stocked are the ones treating their data as a tool, not an afterthought.
LeafLink was built for these exact moments. With years of your own ordering history in one place, it’s easy to spot these seasonal patterns with easy-to-follow reporting, place orders for holiday favorites, and have a clear idea of where your inventory stands and what to do next.
Create your free retailer account today and make this Labor Day as breezy as your next beach day.