$75M
Annual Sales in 2024
65%
Increase in AOV Over Average NY Store with Pay By Bank
9x
More Monthly Active Pay By Bank Consumers per store than the average NY dispensary
Strain Stars Lifted AOV 35% with Dutchie Pay by Bank
When New York legalized recreational cannabis in 2021, the race was on to open dispensaries. Seemingly everyone wanted a piece of what had previously been an untapped market - among those leading the way was Strain Stars, a family-run business deeply rooted in the community.
As one of New York’s Social and Economic Equity applicants, Strain Stars opened their doors the same year cannabis was legalized in the state. But their preparation started long before they were awarded their license by attending events, getting their name out there, and learning how they wanted to approach their own, unique store.
“Before opening, we visited a lot of dispensaries in other states, and the number one thing we saw was that they looked very medical and uninviting. We wanted to be different,” said Yuvraj Singh, President and CEO of Strain Stars in New York State.
From day one, community and connection were at the heart of their vision. Strain Stars set out to build a dispensary that was warm, inviting and where customers weren’t just shoppers, but part of a growing community.
THE PROBLEM
Creating a Scalable Business
With legalization comes new challenges for first time cannabis retailers, including:
• Navigating compliance and regulations in an evolving market
• Managing a fast-growing customer base and inventory
• Ensuring frictionless payments and e-commerce
• Delivering a personalized experience that keeps customers coming back
To meet these demands, Strain Stars needed a single, reliable cannabis operating system that would streamline their operations and let them focus on what mattered most: their customers.
THE SOLUTION
A Unified Tech Stack with Dutchie
Strain Stars explored multiple technology partners before landing on Dutchie, a one-stop solution that combined POS, payments, ecommerce, and analytics in a single platform.
“Dutchie was an all-in-one system where payments, ecommerce, menus, everything, was integrated. I didn’t have to look for five different vendors to cover what I needed. And after the demo, the ease of use was obvious. It’s very user-friendly.”
The STRATEGY
How Strain Stars Uses Dutchie to Scale & Engage Customers
Pay-by-Bank: Driving Seamless E-Commerce & Delivery
Strain Stars customers don’t just shop in-store, 12%4 of their orders come through ecommerce, with all delivery orders paid through Pay-by-Bank. Dutchie Pay-by-Bank powers the online and in-store checkout experience, and provides shoppers with an easy to use and compliant cashless payment. Pay-by-Bank is powered by Plaid, which is trusted by over 12,000 financial institutions.
By reducing cash handling, streamlining transactions, and providing a seamless digital checkout experience, Pay-by-Bank has helped Strain Stars increase order sizes. With thousands of monthly active PBB users per store (9x the NY average) and a 35% increase in order value per transaction compared to cash, Pay-by-Bank helped Strain Stars double AOV at their second store within just two months of opening.
Customer Insights: More Personalization, More Sales
Strain Stars uses Dutchie’s customer insights to deliver personalized recommendations, upsell effectively, and create a more engaging shopping experience.
“The customer insights are really good. It makes a difference when a customer asks, ‘Hey, what did I buy last time?’ and [our Budtenders] can immediately show them and make recommendations. That’s definitely contributed to our growth over the past three months.”
In conclusion
With Dutchie’s integrated platform, Strain Stars has scaled successfully while maintaining a customer-first experience.
“If you want peace of mind, having everything in one ecosystem is the way to go. The cannabis industry is so new, and having Dutchie as our all-in-one system has made a huge difference.”
The RESULT
A Thriving, Scalable Dispensary
Since opening as Long Island’s first dispensary, Strain Stars has built a high-performing business and loyal customer base, using Dutchie’s platform to streamline operations, drive higher sales, and create standout customer experiences.
With Dutchie as their technology partner, Strain Stars has:
Grown to $75M2 in annual sales in 2024
Expanded to a second location and opened in 7 weeks after signing with Dutchie for that store
Increased AOV by 65%3 above the New York market average, reaching $121 per order compared to the $73 market average
Leveraged Pay-by-Bank, customer insights, bundling, and discounting tools to increase AOV and operational efficiency
Increased AOV by 35%1 in Pay by Bank transactions vs. cash transactions across locations
Established Pay-by-Bank as a preferred payment method among consumers, with nearly 1,000 customers using it on a weekly basis per location
9x more monthly active Pay-by-Bank customers than the average New York dispensary, with 2,246 Monthly Active Users (MAUs) per location per month
And as Strain Stars continues to grow, they know Dutchie will scale with them.
“If you want peace of mind, having everything in one ecosystem is the way to go. The cannabis industry is so new, and having Dutchie as our all-in-one system has made a huge difference. And if anything goes wrong, the support has been nothing short of amazing.
By focusing on efficiency, customer personalization, and payment innovation, Strain Stars is positioned for long-term success—with Dutchie as their trusted partner.
By leveraging purchase history, customized recommendations, and average cart value data, Strain Stars has:
Enabled budtenders to make smarter recommendations
Improved customer retention and repeat business
Increased basket sizes through data-driven upselling
Smart Promotions: Easier Bundling & Higher Conversions
Strain Stars leverages Dutchie’s discounting and bundling tools to create high-converting promotions that drive repeat purchases without over-discounting.
“Creating deals and bundles has been a game-changer for us. Dutchie makes it super easy—it takes seconds to create and add discounts across in-store and online.”
By simplifying promotions and pricing strategies, Strain Stars has:
Increased customer retention
Boosted basket sizes without over-discounting
Created a smoother experience for both customers and staff
