New York (CBSDFW.COM/AP) – Many people in Texas may have felt these days – When Pat Curry found bite-sized wood-fired chicken and portabella mushrooms at a local Costco in early June, she felt “gorgeous”. I did. After a 14-month break, the free sample is back.
“It was one of the markers that told me we were around the corner,” said a 60-year-old man who lives in Georgia. “It’s a little thing you do, it was taken away and now they’re back.”
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When the pandemic was declared in March 2020, retailers were concerned about the possible spread of the coronavirus and blocked all free samples of food, cosmetics and toys. But now that vaccinations have started and the threat of COVID-19 has been mitigated in the United States, businesses like Costco are confident enough to revive their longstanding tradition.
For customers, sampling is fun when shopping and discovering new items, not to mention the many giveaways. For retailers, these are important tools for shoppers to come back and fight online sellers like Amazon.
According to market research firm NPD Group Inc., food samples turn visitors into buyers at a 20% higher rate than if customers were not allowed to take tests. Choosing beauty products increases the conversion rate by 30%.
“Sampling is very important,” said Marshall Cohen, senior industry analyst at NPD. “The impulse alone drives 25% of the retail business.”
But while sampling is back, it’s not clear if everyone is ready to chew. With this in mind, some retailers have implemented various security protocols to address security concerns.
At Costco, masked workers prepare hot and cold samples behind a plexiglass counter and distribute them individually to members. Stew Leonard’s has taken similar safety precautions and brought the hot samples with them.
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Now, Wal-Mart and its wholesale club division, Sam’s Club, only offer pre-sealed food samples. And Sam’s Club is limited to weekend rehearsals. Target said that staff sampling of food and beverages has been on hold since March 2020, but allows self-service sampling of individually packaged items.
When it comes to beauty tests, retailers seem to be even more cautious. Beauty chain Ulta Beauty said they are still looking for ways to bring makeup testers back. Target announced in May that it would resume tasting beauty products in stores where customers could return individually packaged items. Coles just says he didn’t revive makeup and fragrance samples.
Lawrence Gostyn, a public health expert at Georgetown University, said food management and diet are not the main avenue for the COVID-19 epidemic. However, food sampling can cause people to congregate, increasing the risk of contagion. He also highlighted concerns about sampling food outside of the coronavirus. “Gripping the sample with multiple hands can spread bacteria, and contaminated gloves can also spread unwanted bacteria.”
When it comes to makeup testing, Gostyn said it was “a lot safer and smarter” to use a fully packaged sample. In order to allow children to play with toys, unlike COVID-19, items are often disinfected to contain viruses such as influenza, which can easily spread by touching contaminated surfaces. It is recommended.
A Dallas-based toy retailer warehouse that revolves around a kid-centric shopping experience that plays with toys now packs craft kits individually in-store rather than letting kids hunt for art supplies. That’s what Tiffany Markovsky, the company’s marketing director, says. To test the toy, it sticks to items that are easy to clean, like a remote-controlled toy car, instead of a throat doll.
Toy Tips Inc, a toy guide. Company President Marianne Szymanski believes that all toy testing is being “restricted” due to ongoing bacterial concerns due to pandemics.
Some retailers have eliminated sampling entirely. California beauty company Blushington, for example, is switching to virtual makeup sessions and serving shoppers’ homes rather than reopening six stores, CEO Natasha Cornstein said. She believes buyers can better manage the environment and hygiene of their home.
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(© Copyright 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All rights reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
Buyers discovered free sample returns, but more security measures – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth
Source Link Buyers Discovered Free Sample Returns, But More Security Measures – CBS Dallas / Fort Worth
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