Sampling at Sams/Costco

[luv2crash]

I wish I COULD sample. I have this phobia about food sitting out where other people have walked by and maybe something flew into it!

I also have trouble with buffet meals because of this and I never know if the people before me washed their hands when they left the bathroom .

That being said, my kids LOVE Chef Mickey, so I have to grin and bear it but you won't find me at a Ryan's Steak House Buffet.

 

[MomofKatie]

I don't sample, but DD is the sample queen! She is small for her age, and eats very little, so she can fill up on samples at Costco (usually only takes her about 2 or 3 booths til she's full). I don't go to feed her on them, though- it just usually works out that she is too full for lunch after we go!!

 

[meandtheguys2]

It seems evry time we've sampled there, someone has gotten sick. Probably a coincidence...but we don't sample anywhere, anymore!

I hate puke more than I like free samples...

 

[disykat]

Did I read the OP wrong. I thought she said they also had pizza (bought and paid for) in the food court.

We go to Costco all the time for a cheap lunch of pizza. Sometimes we even wander around the store (windowshopping) and if there are samples, might even try some. Yes, even if we aren't buying that day!

As a regular Costco shopper (and former employee), I often buy the products I have sampled at some point. I don't feel the least bit guilty.

My Costco doesn't have enough samples for anyone to make a meal of. However, if they are ordering pizza, it doesn't sound like that's an accurate representation of what they are doing.

 

[Robinrs]

I worked in marketing for Sam's for 6 months and ate my lunch at the demo stands daily. The ladies even knew I was coming! Some of the food was great, others not, but sometimes after sampling it I couldn't wait to buy it. Others I was glad I didn't waste my money on!

The truth is the demo ladies are there to serve, just like at at restaurant. It's like an ad, if you like it you may buy, which is the ultimate reason these people are working. If you think it's tacky then don't do it.

 

[Laura]

I try things and I've discovered some tasty food items I buy now because of sampling. I guess that I'm the type of shopper they're after!

So do we. Except I had a brownie last time but had no intention of buying the huge slab for sale. It was only $7.39. It was really good!

But we have definitely bought stuff we've sampled in the past.

 

[BelleBoo&AmisMum]

We don't go with the intention of sampling, it just happens that way. We went yesterday, store was quiet but the samples were plentiful. The girls were thrilled! We almost always do a cheap lunch/dinner while we're there, can't beat feeding the whole family for under $10!

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

I didn't think the sample sizes were enough to be considered a meal. One would have to repeatedly hit up that sample stand to get enough to fill them up, no?

It would be the cumulative--and when you add up all the calories of those snacks..they do add up and I can't imagine anyone being hungry after trying just a few of the sample stations.


I don't personally know anyone who hangs around for seconds.

 

[disney junky]

Did I read the OP wrong. I thought she said they also had pizza (bought and paid for) in the food court.

We go to Costco all the time for a cheap lunch of pizza. Sometimes we even wander around the store (windowshopping) and if there are samples, might even try some. Yes, even if we aren't buying that day!

As a regular Costco shopper (and former employee), I often buy the products I have sampled at some point. I don't feel the least bit guilty.

My Costco doesn't have enough samples for anyone to make a meal of. However, if they are ordering pizza, it doesn't sound like that's an accurate representation of what they are doing.

The show was about the Jeub family. The mom is a SAHM. They discussed in great detail how they manage financially....a lot of it is charity-help from friends, especially with the clothes. Mom talked about how she'd come home and find garbage bags of clothes left on the porch. The dad talked about a few different businesses, one being homeschool software. I couldn't really follow what all he did, but he did go to "the office" with the one daughter, aged 12 or 14, who answered the phones for them. They are all homeschooled.

The dad spoke about how they go to Sam's Club with all the kids, get a large pizza for $7.95 and split it among all the kids. He said it's just enough to fill them a little, but then they fill up by eating the samples. They showed this, and all you could see was this family of 14 hovering around the sample people waiting for food. They even mentioned how the people working will often cut the samples smaller for them so they don't run out.

Their food budget is $150 for the week. I don't remember exactly how many kids are still living at home but it's at least 10 and there are at least 12 in the house. At the end they explained that they intend to keep having children.

 

[meandtheguys2]

13 in the house including the two babies. And several are really young.

If you didn't count non-groceries, I could feed that crowd for that amt. It would take a bit of running. We do that anyway, because we like organic or local when possible.

 

[sorcerormickey]

My boyfriend LOVES the sample ladies!! LOL! He usually goes back for seconds - and asks if he can get one for (fictional) "Grandma, Mom, and Girlfriend" in another aisle!!

I have NEVER eaten a sample item. I am a really picky eater, so I probably would not like them anyway.

My BF has bought lots of stuff that he has sampled and liked tho.

 

[Mkaz]

It seems evry time we've sampled there, someone has gotten sick. Probably a coincidence...but we don't sample anywhere, anymore!

I hate puke more than I like free samples...

Same here. We just say "no thank you" and keep going. Water fountains are another no-no for us.

 

[hydster]

I refuse to go to Costco on the weekends anymore! I get so tired of all the people hovering around waiting for that 1 little tiny morsel and they won't move so I can get the milk I came for. It drives me insane!

If there is a sample and it's available sure but to stand and wait for it just drives me crazy.

I actually had one lady tell me to just chill out and wait for the pizza bite or whatever it was to get done cooking and THEN she'd move so I could get my eggs. She would not move until those puppies were done and then she grabbed a handful of them and popped them in her mouth one at a time. I was so tweaked off I haven't been back on a weekend since.

In general I don't have a problem with the samples *though I'd never eat them because I've seen people sneeze near them etc* but I do hate the hoover hoverer's!

 

[Tinker-Bee]

This is a huge joke in our family. Every Saturday after Soccer we go to Sam's
to shop. We always say "We're going to Sam's for lunch". People probably think we are cheapskates. I didn't know people actually made a meal out of it.

We enjoy trying the samples. This way the kids tell us if they like something before we buy a huge box of it.

 

[cardaway]

I refuse to go to Costco on the weekends anymore! I get so tired of all the people hovering around waiting for that 1 little tiny morsel and they won't move so I can get the milk I came for. It drives me insane!

If there is a sample and it's available sure but to stand and wait for it just drives me crazy.

I actually had one lady tell me to just chill out and wait for the pizza bite or whatever it was to get done cooking and THEN she'd move so I could get my eggs. She would not move until those puppies were done and then she grabbed a handful of them and popped them in her mouth one at a time. I was so tweaked off I haven't been back on a weekend since.

When we have been at Costco during their lunchtime it gets so bad that you can't even enter the inidiviual food aisles. Too many people hovering at the ends to get the next part of their meal.

This is why no matter when we go I stick to the back end of the store away from the food stands. Whenever possible we simply get there at opening or go late. It's great to be able to get out while those people are still only prepping to handle the lunch crowd.

 

[gradtchr]

If it weren't for those samples we wouldn't have discovered ciabatta bakes. MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM! Or the sausage that we found last time. Even more Mmmmmmmmmm! We tend to eat before we go to Sam's so that we are not as tempted as we would be otherwise. I have filled up on items in the past though.

 

[Tantor]

*Flame suit on*

Is it just me......if you can't afford to feed your children properly why are you having MORE children!! I just don't understand that.

 

[GraysMom]

*Flame suit on*

Is it just me......if you can't afford to feed your children properly why are you having MORE children!! I just don't understand that.

I totally agree with you.

 

[cryssi]

I did the samples for lunch thing once...when I was in school...just because I had heard of people doing it and wanted to see if I could in fact eat a lunch of samples. I thought it was kind of funny, actually.

Nowadays, I still do like samples, but I will often buy what is being sampled...like those chicken and artichoke sausages are pretty darn good...lol

If I want lunch, I'll get a hot dog or pizza...

 

[sweetspicy]

My mom has done that. It never bothered me. If it's free, why not?