It’s No Whole Foods

A c-store customer finds out the hard way that convenience stores don’t encourage sampling.

A recent article in the Washington Post tells the story of a woman in an Annapolis, Md., 7-Eleven who had possibly thought herself in a Whole Foods store, as she was allegedly sampling the store’s offerings for free.

A daily crime report filed by Officer Hal Dalton of the Annapolis Police Department stated a 29-year old clerk observed the woman enter the store, fill a fountain drink cup with a beverage and drink it. When the clerk told the customer she would have to pay for her drink, the customer said she was just sampling the beverage, and she did not like it.

After further requests by the clerk to pay, the woman threw some change on the counter, and started for the door. More arguing followed, more change was thrown, and the woman exited the store, but not before spitting on the clerk.

Police caught up with the woman nearby, according to the report.

Besides wondering what the woman was thinking when she thought she could “sample” a beverage for free, I wonder why the woman drank the whole thing if she did not like the beverage?

However, criticizing a customer about their thought patterns was not my intention when I saw this story. My first thought was – why don’t c-stores take up free sampling? While the idea has some pros and cons, wouldn’t it be a good way to differentiate the store from the competition, and gain some in-store traffic at the same time?

Want to promote a new roller grill item? Cut some up, stick toothpicks in them, and put some signs up in the store and at the pumps. Tell cashiers to encourage customers to try the item when they walk into the store. Run a promotion on the item at the same time, to encourage a purchase.

The idea of giving away an item for free that would otherwise make money, might be too much for some. However, it seems more feasible when a foodservice item is approaching its hold time limits, and will be eventually thrown away. One industry expert suggested offering free samples on items that are approaching its time limits. It could draw customers to that item in the future, or generate sales for what otherwise might have been thrown away.

And remember, everyone likes the word “free.” Go to the local club store on a Sunday around noon, and you’ll see the crowds of people around toaster ovens being manned by elderly women in hair nets. It doesn’t matter that its heat and eat pizza, chicken, or some weird kind of meat-substitute sausage, people can’t get enough free stuff.

While I think it is a good idea to drive traffic into the store, it does have some possible problems. One is loitering, another is gluttons who think “free sample” means “free meal.”

But for every loitering Lloyd and greedy Greta, there could be many more worthwhile customers who have their perceptions changed about your store. At the least, you bring a gas only customer in to sample an item, and they walk out with a purchase. At best, you gain a customer who will continually come inside the store to buy the samples they enjoyed.

Now it’s your turn -- have you tried this approach? How did it work? If you wouldn’t try it – why not?

Comments

[emile scheuermann]

Great idea, I will let you know how it turns out.