Secrets About Costco's Free Samples You Wish You Knew

As a popular retailer that carries everything from car tires to baby diapers that you can buy in bulk, membership-based Costco is known for its free samples. The store offers them throughout its aisles on frozen foods, prepared dishes, pantry snacks, and even sweet treats. With signature Costco customer service alongside hair nets and gloves, the providers greet shoppers with smiles and samples on trays at conveniently-located stations. It's a great way to try new items, discover a favorite that you can add to your Costco run, or just make your shopping trip more enjoyable and tasty. Most of the samples are in the produce, prepared foods, frozen foods, and pantry sections, although you can also find samples on nutrition bars and even toddler snacks. With an ever-changing lineup, you never know what to expect when it comes to Costco samples.

To take full advantage of everything the store has to offer, though, you have to know how to find the best samples — there are tips and tricks to getting more bites. Knowing just when to visit can get you piping hot treats right out of the oven, too. Let's see what Costco insiders had to share in terms of the secrets of this warehouse giant.

You might think that the people behind the large sign and shiny counter work for Costco, but the folks who hand out Costco's free samples aren't actually part of the direct Costco team. Instead, most are employed by Club Demonstration Services (CDS), a product marketing company that works exclusively with Costco to get its goods out in front of potential customers. According to the company's website, CDS employees are there to "influence purchase decisions" made by Costco members as they go through the store. It does everything related to samples, from setting them up to handing out food and drinks to members. CDS also organizes events and demonstrations that highlight certain products and techniques.

CDS works directly with vendors and companies, providing marketing services through Costco, but its team is not employed by the warehouse store. All of those sample providers that you see smiling as they hand you a small cup of soup or a bite of chips get different benefits, pay, and training. They tend to be knowledgable about the particular sample item, but not much beyond that — their job is to provide an experience related to that specific product.

There aren't any actual limits on the number of samples you can try at Costco. If you need to have another taste or two to determine if the item will work for you, feel free to grab more. In fact, the sample providers want you to buy their item, so they are typically more than happy to let you try as many as you need to make a decision. For samples with more than one flavor option, the workers might even prompt you to take a few to compare.

If you do want multiple samples, remember to be polite both to the providers and other customers who might want to try one as well. Don't grab the entire tray, leaving little or no pieces for others. While sample providers understand that customers are willing to wait, especially for in-demand snacks, they generally don't appreciate customers gobbling up all of the samples as soon as they come out of the oven. It's also important to only take the items provided on the tray and not go after those in the bag or box. There are strict rules when it comes to food safety and if customers reach for or touch things they aren't supposed to, the entire sample box might have to end up in the trash. 

It's not surprising that Costco times its offerings to coincide with higher traffic in the store, so the best time to snag samples is when the store expects the most shoppers. Since many people do their shopping on the weekend, this tends to be the time when more samples hit the floor as well. Saturday and Sunday are also Costco's busiest shopping days, so if you want to avoid crowds, you'll have to settle for fewer options to try at the kiosks by going during the week. If you're okay fighting through crowds of members, as well as potentially waiting for fresh samples to be baked or prepared, you can score some great freebies by visiting during the weekend.

Food and beverages tend to be the most common samples. Within these categories, there are a ton of different offerings, including some pretty unusual samples. You can find everything from desserts to baby snacks at free sample stations. 

You may think that you're helping out the employees offering freebies by putting their wares in your cart, but your purchases don't impact their paycheck. The nice folks who hand out samples are paid by the hour, so they don't see any difference in compensation whether you buy it or not — they just want to give you a chance to see if it works for you. According to those who work for CDS, the life of a sample provider can get a bit monotonous, so even though they don't get a bonus for selling out, most enjoy talking to customers about their experience.

CDS employees are evaluated by their ability to sell products, however, so it's best to give them a chance to actually tell you about their item, even if you don't end up buying it. If their manager is nearby and watching, they might be a bit more formal with their sales pitch. Either way, salespeople want to be able to do their job, which includes educating and potentially selling their showcased product to Costco members. Keeping the area around their station neat is also important for evaluations and job performance, so make sure to throw your trash in the designated place when you're done.

You might think that only the best of the best items on Costco's shelves get showcased as free samples, but that is not always the case. Boosting sales is the primary reason why certain products are chosen for samples, since providing free tastes is a great way to get people interested in (and potentially) buying the item. Ones that aren't selling as well might end up doing better when given out as a sample first.

Costco also chooses to feature new items to drum up interest from customers. Brands work closely with CDS to develop a whole marketing plan, which includes free samples in store, as well as other ways to promote their goods. 

If you try a sample that you don't like, it's generally better to be upfront rather than taking a product only to ditch it later. This actually creates more work for the Costco employees, who have to track down where the items ended up and restock them on the shelves. It's also pretty likely that the sample givers know which items are flying off the shelves and which ones are duds, so there's no need to pretend that you love an item that you'd rather just skip.

Data from supermarkets suggests that samples can influence sales in more than 60% of customers, a strategy that stores and companies use to get products in front of customers. This directly leads to more sales for the retailer, which is one reason why brands work with CDS to include free samples as part of their marketing plan at Costco. If you're checking out a freebie table at the warehouse store, there's a better chance for you to end up walking away with a fuller cart than if you didn't give the sample a try.

Of course, it's not required that you buy everything that you sample. However, the store positions full products near the sample station to make those impulse purchases even easier. Embrace the samples at Costco as part of the shopping experience, but don't be surprised if your bill goes up with the more samples you try. 

Suggesting an item through a free sample is a tried-and-true psychological trick that retailers use to influence consumer decisions. Psychologists suggest that the urge to reciprocate is at play when people get something for free and this is evident at the sample stations. When handed that tiny cup of free chips and dip, it's hard not to feel some amount of social pressure to appreciate the gesture, especially when it's done often as it is at Costco. 

Some studies show that the more people there are, the more significant the pressure to buy, even if it's not coming from the salesperson. By accepting something for free, customers often feel subconsciously obligated to buy the full-size item, especially if others are doing the same. Enjoy the freebies at Costco but realize that if you try a sample, impulse purchases are more likely to follow.

Because they aren't Costco employees, most of the sample providers have limited knowledge of the actual store or what's sold. They likely won't know the answer to questions about where other items are or even offerings that go well with their sample. You can ask plenty of questions about the item at hand, but don't ask them where to find other items in the store. Some have more experience manning sample stations at that particular warehouse or may even frequent Costco as a customer. However, it's not part of their training with CDS, so don't get frustrated if they don't know the answers to Costco-related questions.

Costco is known for rearranging its stores to keep members moving through the aisles as they look for what they need. Like offering free samples, this strategy leads to increased sales because people are constantly finding new items, but it does make things a bit challenging for those trying to navigate the store. If you have questions about where things are or even what is currently carried, you should look for a Costco employee rather than a purveyor of samples.

There's no shortage of freebies offered throughout the store, but the people working at Costco — either providing samples or in another capacity — can't spend their time chowing down. The person handing out the samples can get in trouble for trying them unless they're on a break. Even if you're trying to make conversation and invite the person to join you in trying the latest chips or sampling of a burrito, they'll have to say no. Don't take it personally — when they're handing out samples, they are on the clock.

That doesn't mean that CDS employees don't have knowledge of what they're providing. They have to try the samples to know what it tastes like, what attributes might appeal to customers, and how to describe the sample. It's all part of the marketing strategy planned out in advance, however, and not a spur of the moment sampling like the customers get to enjoy.

Costco carries plenty of samples, including hot ones. Some sample providers shared that hot samples draw big crowds, in part because of the smell as they cook. Treats like cookies and brownies tend to go fast because the delicious aroma brings crowds (plus, who doesn't want a free bite of a sweet treat?). If you're walking around the store, don't be afraid to follow your nose to the nearest sample station. You might end up finding a new favorite to add to your cart, which is what Costco is counting on when they feature great-smelling items

Just be sure to only take from the tray of prepared samples, even if they've been sitting for a minute or two. If you reach to get a piping hot sample from the oven, grill, or other cooking surface, the sample provider will have to throw away the entire batch to follow food safety regulations.

Waiting in line is as much a part of the Costco experience as enjoying free samples, so don't be surprised when lines form around the best stations. There are psychological reasons why people tend to buy more when they see others doing the same. Samples that are in high demand benefit from this and have increased sales. This is great news for the retailer, but if you're a member waiting for a sample, it's best to follow a few tips and tricks to make sure you get one in record time.

Taking turns is a simple skill, but not always easy to do when you can smell a new batch of brownies baking or a delicious pizza coming out of the oven. CDS employees ask sample enthusiasts to stay aware of their surroundings and not to reach for things behind the counter. They have to keep things sanitary, including the trays, sample cups, utensils, and other things needed to enjoy their wares. If they have to take the time to resanitize or throw away contaminated items, that means a longer wait for your freebie. Larger crowds can also mean people pushing to get at the samples, which doesn't make the job any easier. While most samples don't sell out, the providers try their best to keep up with the demand for their items. 

In an effort to keep things even more sanitary when it comes to samples, some Costco stores have moved to contactless free sample kiosks. During the COVID-19 pandemic, samples were temporarily paused to reduce contact but now the retailer might be shifting to kiosks rather than stations staffed by people. Some people also speculated that the kiosks popped up in response to a shortage of retail workers. No matter the reason, the self-serve samples are limited and only provide pre-packaged items like small packs of gummy candies.

Not all Costco members are happy about the switch. Many prefer the interaction with the sample providers, who are known to greet customers with a friendly smile. The contactless sample kiosks are convenient and may save on cost, but they aren't part of the Costco shopping experience that people have come to know and love. The offerings are also very limited, specifically lacking in the piping hot treats and dishes that allow shoppers to get their fill as they go through the aisles.

As a membership-based retailer, you might think that only those with a special card can get samples in the store. However, even those without the perks of membership can enjoy freebies. While an associate does stand at the store and scan for membership cards, it's not actually required to come inside. You can get into Costco as a prospective customer or to check things out without a customer card, which means you have access to all of the free samples. What better way to see if membership is right for you than to actually get to taste what the store has to offer? But that's where the benefits end until you are a card-carrying Costco member.

If you plan to purchase anything at checkout, you will need to be a Costco member. Fortunately, there are plenty of other great reasons to get a Costco membership, as well as hacks to make the most of the one that you already have.