The Worst Thing You Can Do With Free Samples At Costco

There are lots of reasons to love Costco. The outstanding prices, the legendary food court, $5 rotisserie chickens, and the ability to brag about all the great deals you got to your friends. But one of the absolute best reasons for shopping at Costco has to be the free samples.

What could be better than doing a little grazing while you shop? Fans on TikTok have been known to turn Costco's free samples into an entire lunch. The world just feels at peace when browsing through flat-screen TVs and refrigerators with a tiny cup of pizza rolls in hand. Fans were shocked when Costco's free samples were removed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, though they were one of the first store features to return later that summer.

While there is no limit to the number of free samples you can enjoy while you shop, there are some unspoken rules of etiquette you should keep in mind.

One of the worst things you can do after you've enjoyed your free sample at Costco is to not properly dispose of your dish, napkin, or eating utensil. According to a Reddit post in r/Costco, it's common for employees to find the leftover aftermath of free samples around the store. (This apparently includes spent cherry pits once they're in season.) 

First of all, littering in general is bad. Secondly — as many users on this post pointed out — there are plenty of trash cans around the store for exactly this reason. No shopper should have to move someone else's trash to get their favorite box of snacks off of the shelf. Employees might also be paid to keep things tidy, but there's no need to make their jobs harder than they need to be.

It's also important to remember that just because the people giving out the samples are happy to chat with you about the product, you still need to be aware of those around you. Another Reddit thread illustrates that some shoppers find Costco's samples to be a huge problem. This is because the sample stations are set up at the head of certain aisles, and some shoppers tend to block the path while they enjoy their treat. This doesn't mean you can't linger while you try out some new product; just be aware of those around you while you do. 

These complaints and obvious challenges of beg the question: why does Costco have so many free samples? This idea may seem like a creation of modern capitalism, but it's actually been around for centuries. It also serves multiple functions for business owners. 

Getting a free sample gives you a better idea of what this product is like. In the case of Costco, it lets you know that those pizza bagels you usually walk past are as delicious as you suspected. It also creates a sense of obligation in most people. Now that they've received something for free, they feel obligated to "return the favor," in a sense, and purchase the product being sampled. Product demonstration (a.k.a. the people giving out the free samples) experts told The Atlantic that free samples have been shown to provide some of the highest sales boosts in the short-term. 

Whether you find the trash and crowding created by those free samples a nuisance or not, they aren't going anywhere anytime soon. They help Costco keep selling and building customer loyalty.