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WDS in the News
Free food samples whet appetites
Sacramento Bee
September 06, 2005
Lois Gutierrez has handed out bite-size samples of virtually every kind of meat during her 11 years as a [WDS Demonstrator]. On a recent Saturday, for instance, she was cooking Ling Ling chicken potstickers…
For retailers and vendors, it’s a high-return investment. The Promotional Marketing Association found in a 2002 survey that being able to sample foods is the most influential factor when customers decide to buy a new product. And 7 out of 10 shoppers said they would occasionally or usually buy a product they sampled.
“It’s a win on all sides: for consumers, retails and manufacturers,” says Meg Majors, a writer for the trade publication Progressive Grocer. “A lot of people do choose to visit stores more frequently when they have an opportunity to try new things.”
For retailers and vendors, it’s a high-return investment. The Promotional Marketing Association found in a 2002 survey that being able to sample foods is the most influential factor when customers decide to buy a new product. And 7 out of 10 shoppers said they would occasionally or usually buy a product they sampled.
“It’s a win on all sides: for consumers, retails and manufacturers,” says Meg Majors, a writer for the trade publication Progressive Grocer. “A lot of people do choose to visit stores more frequently when they have an opportunity to try new things.”
“We do a full P&L on every demo we run. WDS people are very helpful and practiced in working with us and seeing we get the best results. It’s not simply sampling, it’s a selling event. We have been increasing our support for WDS demos nearly every year.”