Cannabis Retail Audit Methodology

Each audit is conducted by a shopper trained in Above Board's evaluation framework, operating under a defined persona designed to reflect a real customer profile. The shopper enters the store or initiates contact exactly as an ordinary customer would, with no advance notice to staff and no deviation from the assigned persona.

The visit is documented immediately afterward, while the experience is fresh, using a structured format that captures both what happened and how it compares to the standard. Findings are then scored and compiled into a written report.

Every audit is scored on a 1–5 scale across a defined set of evaluation categories. The same categories and the same scale are applied on every visit, which means results are comparable across stores, across time, and across audit types. A score is not an impression. It reflects a consistent standard applied the same way every time.

The specific criteria behind each score are proprietary to Above Board and are shared directly with clients as part of their engagement. We do not publish the underlying rubric.

Audits are conducted under standardized shopper personas, each designed to reflect a distinct real-world customer type and use case. Using defined personas, rather than a generic visit, allows an audit to test something specific: how staff handle a first-time buyer differently from a returning connoisseur, or how a phone inquiry is handled differently from a walk-in. This is what makes findings actionable rather than anecdotal.

• In-store audits: the complete floor experience, entry to checkout
• Phone audits: the first touch many customers have before ever visiting
• Delivery audits: the experience delivered outside the store, for retailers who fulfill it

Audits can be conducted during rush or lull periods, or both, depending on what a client needs to understand. A store or brand that performs well on a quiet Tuesday afternoon may look very different during a Friday evening rush. Timing is chosen deliberately, not left to chance.

 Every audit is scored across the following areas:

• • First impressions and entry experience
  • Staff engagement and product knowledge
  • Compliance and risk indicators
  • Product presentation and merchandising
  • Promotions and upsell behavior
  • Checkout and close
  • Overall trust and return likelihood

Because Above Board conducts audits consistently over time rather than as a single visit, findings accumulate into patterns, not just isolated snapshots. Repeat visits reveal whether an issue is a one-off or a trend, and whether performance is improving, declining, or holding steady.

The specific criteria, weighting, and scoring language behind an Above Board audit are the product. Publishing them would let anyone replicate the evaluation without the training, discipline, or objectivity behind it. Clients receive the full framework as part of their engagement. Everyone else receives the results.