Consumer marketing involves the personal acquaintance of a potential customer with a product and is aimed at stimulating sales of a product in a specific place and at a particular time. The main goal of consumer marketing is to increase the volume of sales of a product or service, the advantage of which is the direct communication of the consumer with the proposed product. It has always been this way, but the pandemic has made its own adjustments to the everyday life of people. The article examines how free samples are returning to various trade areas, and the attitude of consumers, the main objects of sale, to this situation is observed.
After the pandemic was declared in March 2020, retailers worried about the potential spread of coronavirus and, therefore, ruled out free sampling of everything from food or makeup to toys. For consumers, sampling is engaging, funny, and makes an opportunity to discover something new. What is more, it is a critical tool to keep shoppers coming back and battle against the line retailers such as Amazon. For now, with universal vaccinations and the weakening of the COVID-19 threat in the United States, various stores feel confident enough to revive a long tradition and introduce a selection of free sample products.
Analysts point out that the ability to taste food dramatically affects consumer behavior. It makes consumer behavior more loyal, thereby increasing the percentage of a potential purchase. Sampling converts browsers into buyers at a 20% higher rate than if customers were not allowed to test (D’Innocenzio, 2021). The conversion rate is 30% higher when sampling cosmetics. Impulse drives 25% of the retail business, so promoting new products would be much more difficult without testing.
However, it is not clear whether buyers are ready to try, come into contact with the product, as this could be a threat due to the pandemic. Taking into account this information, some retailers are introducing various security protocols that could alleviate these problems. For example, Walmart and Sam’s Club sell pre-sealed product samples on weekends. Companies are even more cautious about product testing in the beauty industry. Some major cosmetics chains are still figuring out how to return product testers to stores. Target is offering a sampling of beauty products when customers can take home individually packaged items. Toy retailers are also replacing traditional sampling with the safer one. Camp Toy Store has individually wrapped craft kits in the store instead of letting kids dig around for art supplies. There are also items for testing toys that can be easily cleaned, such as remote control toy cars instead of dolls with faux hair. Some firms give up sampling, switch to online sales, and offer various services at home. It helps ensure the buyer’s comfort and safety since the consumer controls the environment and hygiene in their own home.
To conclude, the current situation makes all spheres of human existence change and adapt. Consumers come out of COVID-19 with very different habits, and the main challenge for businesses, both small and large, is to find an approach in the new environment. Consumer marketing has been and remains one of the most effective areas since it directly affects customer behavior and decisions. All factors must be taken into account, and a safer environment for consumers must be created to bring benefits to the customer and profit to the seller.
Reference
D’Innocenzio, A. (2021). Free samples are back, but with safety in mind. New York Daily News.