How is a Smoke Shop Different From a Head Shop?

girl in a head shop looks at a bong

Head shops and smoke shops are everywhere. They pop up down the road from your house and in city centers, but what exactly are they?

A smoke shop or head shop, like this one in Peoria, Arizona, promotes the consumption of either cannabis and tobacco through related products. They don’t actually sell the drugs themselves.

Now, although the purpose of a smoke shop and head shop sound similar, they share certain dissimilarities. Curious? Read on to find out.

Table of Contents

Where Does A "Head Shop" Get Its Name?

This concept dates back somewhat to the 1960s. This term is associated with the hippy culture. Historically, people who consume marijuana are called "potheads". It is from here that "head shops" acquired their name. What exactly is a head shop?

A head shop is a store that sells all the goods and accessories required for smoking hash or weed. However, it has to be clearly noted that these stores do not sell weed in any form.

The Basic Difference Between Smoke Shops And Head Shops

Although they seem to have the similar purpose, they are different. How is a smoke shop different from a head shop? A smoke shop is a store that sells discounted cigarettes and cigars. One should not confuse a smoke shop with a head shop. While a head shop sells the accessories that needed to smoke cannabis, a smoke shop confines itself solely to selling tobacco.

Visit Smoke Shop Peoria Arizona

Products Sold By Head Shops

Head shops are some of the best retail shops that sell all the merchandise required to smoke cannabis. Some of the common products that can be spotted in a head shop are rolling papers, which are the papers needed for rolling a blunt, and water pipes, devices that cool the smoke by drawing it through water.

These stores also sell roach clips. Nobody likes wasting weed. These roach clips are the instruments which help you to hold a joint in such a manner that you can smoke it until the very end. These head shops sell everything you would require for a smoke sesh.

Factors That Make A Head Shop Or A Smoke Shop Successful

There are a large number of factors that influence the success of every business. Similarly, there are quite a number of factors that earn a smoke shop or a head shop its renown. Some of them are discussed below.

  1. The employees need to be efficient and knowledgeable: This leaves a great impact on the reputation of the business. If your employees are efficient and they are knowledgeable about the products and items that are sold by your store, they can provide accurate and effective guidance and recommendation to the customers. This will please the customers largely. They will not only visit your store again and again but also refer your brand to others.
  2. The business needs to be transparent: Long gone are the days when cannabis was sold in the dark. Marijuana has been legalized in many states, including Arizona. So, no more hiding! One of the greatest advantages of an authentic and rightly-certified head shop is that one can easily ask questions and receive detailed information regarding the origin of all the products.
  3. Exorbitant range of products: This is the best way to attract the customers. Always make sure that your store has everything that your customer can every ask for. Never turn your customers down. This can earn your business a bad name.

Smoke shops and head shops may be different, but they all support a popular pastime.

Contributed and written by Daniel Clark.