Do Free Samples Make You Buy?

[Craig1981]

I noticed on my recent holiday to York that a lot of the shops were giving out free samples. Mostly edible stuff. Chocolates. Cheeses. Bread and olive oils. Even booze! And more often than not I found myself buying some of the product in question, whereas I might not have otherwise.

Do free samples have a similar effect on any of you?

 

[Craig1981]

Not really, unless it's exceptionally good and I'm unlikely to come across it again. I'm not very easily persuaded by that kind of thing.

Unlike my wife or MIL who are a salesman's dream, it's almost like they feel some sort of obligation to buy something because they've had a free sample or spent a few minutes talking about something. I've heard my MIL say "well it felt bad not buying anything" on more than one occasion, which I find hard to comprehend.

Thats almost the way I was in York. Dont get me wrong. If I didnt like the product then I didnt buy it. But if I did enjoy it then I almost felt like I needed to buy something to save face.