A product sample is a sample of a consumer product that is given to the consumer so that he or she may try a product before committing to a purchase.
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A free sample or "freebie" is a portion of food or other product (for example, beauty products) given to consumers in shopping malls, supermarkets, retail stores, or other venues.[1] Sometimes samples of non-perishable items are included in direct marketing mailings. The purpose of a free sample is to acquaint the consumer with a new product, and is similar to the concept of a test drive, in that a customer is able to try out a product before purchasing it.
Many consumer product companies now offer free samples through their websites, to encourage consumers to regularly use the products,[1] and to gather data for mailing lists of potentially interested customers. Paint chips are samples of paint colors that are sometimes offered as free samples.
Companies such as Costco, Sams Club, and Grocery Stores give out free samples to customers in order to persuade a customer to buy the product.
The expansion of online marketing with regards to promotional give aways has facilitated the rise of "Freebie sites", such as costsolutions.org, that seek to aggregate all promotional free sample offers in one place. This has also led to a new kind of consumer that often seeks out free samples of any item irrespective of any need or desire for such items. Some freebies offers may require consumers to complete a survey or refer a friend in order to qualify for the freebies. When all requirements are fulfilled, the freebies will be shipped directly to the consumer at no extra cost.
Soap manufacturer Benjamin T. Babbitt in the 19th century was one of the first known, though almost certainly not the first ever, people to offer free samples of his products.[2]
It is also possible to purchase products in small "trial size" containers. This is common with toiletries such as shampoo, which are useful for vacations or other travel, where large bottles or other containers would be impractical (or more recently, not permitted for air travel). These are also often provided in hotel and motel rooms for the guests. Samples may also be loaned to the customer if they are too valuable to be given for free, such as samples of a countertop or of carpet to be used for remodeling, or tasting samples as in Scream Sorbet stand at a farmers market offering free samples of any flavor. These samples are also used in stores themselves.