Why Canadians Love FREE Product Samples?
EVERYONE LOVES SOMETHING FOR FREE
Do you love Free Product Samples like I do? I’m sure all of us have bought a product and were disappointed by it at some point in our lives whether it was a beauty, cleaning, or food product.
Sometimes, I feel kind of “cheated” when I buy a full-size product for the first time, only to throw it away shortly afterwards.
That’s why it’s always a good idea to “try before you buy”.
If you are frugal like we are and use coupons you’re better off letting your coupons expire before you use them on full product especially if you haven’t had a chance to use the product before.
We like to try and find samples first and we don’t see samples we’ve been successful in the past asking the customer service associate if they have any samples of the product to test.
Not all products in-store will have free product samples you can test especially if it’s a taste test or something you need to add to your laundry but if it’s lotions, perfumes or food you might just get lucky.
How many of you run to the free sample booth at the grocery store to sample new food products? We do to plus it’s a great way to score some money saving coupons because the rep always seem to have a stash behind the counter.
Free Product Samples: A Consumers Point of View
The first best thing about getting a free sample is that…Well, it’s FREE!
One of the many reasons why Canadians love getting free samples and freebies is that they can be very useful for testing new products. Plus they help you make up your mind about a specific product.
Let’s say you request a free beauty sample, you try it, you like it. On your next shopping trip, will you get the full-size version of the one you tried, or the one you have yet to try? It’s doesn’t take a genius to figure out the answer.
Getting free samples in Canada is super easy, convenient, and hassle-free. You won’t lose anything, other than the few seconds it takes to fill out the request form. After that, all you have to do is wait for the mail.
One more reason why it’s good to get free stuff by mail or other means is to be able to save a few bucks.
How so you ask?
Let’s say, you recently received 2 free samples of a new laundry detergent; each sample will be able to wash one full load of laundry. Unfortunately, you ran out of detergent and you’re a little tight on money for the week.
Guess what? You can use one or both samples to take care of your laundry for that week (or for 2 weeks, if you have one load per week) until you have a bit more cash to get the full-size detergent
Free Product Samples: A Manufacturer’s Point Of View
Sending out free samples to Canadian households is a simple marketing tool that product manufacturers have increasingly been using the last few years. It’s a direction that is mainly used to introduce a new product to the market. It can also be used to present an existing product a new demographic.
Often we find coupons attached to our front door or baggies with free samples from the manufacturer that they want us to try. We think it’s a great way to spread the word to the customers.
Another “smart” reason why some companies would rather “advertise” their products through sampling is to give their potential customers a hands-on experience, rather than simply advertising products on a magazine or a billboard.
Top Free Product Sample Sites
Now that both sides have been covered I would like to talk a bit more about top free product sample sites in Canada. Other than the free product samples you can request products or even Canadian coupons for free samples directly from manufacturers.
There are a few Canadian free sample sites you should be aware of such as:
These are Canada’s most popular sources to receive lots of free samples. Keep in mind though that they’re not always available and that the demand is so high that when they go live their supplies don’t last very long. That means you have to be ready to spring into action to order your samples so if you belong to a coupon forum or coupon page you might start seeing your Facebook page light up with Go, Go, Go!
In the case of P&G’s BrandSampler for instance it comes out a few times a year (which is more often than the others) but in different “editions.” There’s the Costco Members Edition, Spring & Fall Editions, Holiday Edition, and even one that is dedicated to beauty products, the Beauty & Grooming edition.
Sample Source has been an awesome supplier of free product samples for us. They tend to load a box full of free samples and send it to your house with-in a reasonable amount of time. We’ve ordered them a few times and have been happy with the free service and the savings we get because we know whether we want to try a new product or not by testing out the free sample.
Why do you love getting samples and how do you get free product samples?
I would love to read about your experiences with different products.
This was a guest post edited by Mr.CBB
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I love, love, love samples! They are also great for when you travel or when you have guests that forget soemthing!
We use them for travelling all the time. It helps so we don’t have to carry full bottles of everything. Thanks for your comment Susan! Mr.CBB
This year I have received some really good samples… that I thouroughly enjoyed, used and was very appreciative to get and because of that respect the company a lot more for it. I am a brand and product loyalist… so when I find something good… I stick to it!!!!
So the best ones this year:
Free Dempsters Farmhouse Bread… that is good stuff! I’d buy it again!
Free Liberte Yogurt— oh man…. I couldn’t eat it fast enough. Will be brand switching from Activia!
The cottonelle bathroom tissue holder with a roll and coupons inside – used them to buy two big packs when they were on sale.
The free Gillette fusion proglide razor – currently hidden in my living room wall unit with some small things for my sons stocking for Christmas!!!
Nexcare foot crack… funny thing was.. I had a blister that week when it arrived! It works too! –and.. I’ve been using it on my excema— it works for me –>>>but do not claim it works for anyone else’s excema! (consult your own doctor first)
The Ultralift Garnier Face Cream Samples – I use them daily and will buy that product! I have used the very expensive Lancome products for 20 years it costs about $150.00 for it and tried this product… oh yes I will be buying this from now on and saving myself a hundred bucks!
The Febreze Car deodorizor–currently under the cupboard with my moms annual calendar I buy for her traditionally every year for Christmas!
and finally.. the free Cadbury Chocolate bar samples… that I only got half of… because my 17 year old son beat me to the mail!!!! LOL
I like getting samples because I can try them and if I like them, I’ll buy it. Some of these samples are travel size which is great if you go out of town for a few days. For hand lotions, small deodorants, and such, they are convenient because they are small and you can throw them in your purse. Plus they are free so why not?
Mrs.CBB likes the free samples to throw in her purse as well, smart. We also use them at Christmas as stocking stuffers. Thanks Nancy for popping in!!! Cheers Mr.CBB
Congratulations to our Quickie Contest Winner!!! Please Contact me… or PM me on FB your mailing address so I can send your prize!
Tasha McNally says:
October 25, 2012 at 11:19 am
I love getting free samples so I can try before I buy….especially with kids at home who are very picky and growing fast. I use P&G brand sampler as I am also a Costco member so I reap all the benefits.
Does it not bother you the waste of plastics and wrapper, mailing etc this way?
I love getting free samples, it helps me decide if I like a new product or not. often I run out of laundry soap or shampoo and conditioner and its nice to know I have a sample of these products in a drawer, ready to be used..
For me , like alot of people these days, too much money is spent on rent and bills , which leaves hardly any money for lifes other expenses. That is why in house we love samples and coupons.
I like to try new products without investing in the full size product.
Free samples are perfect for trying before buying, if I like it I also recomend it to my friends, I also take alot of them on vacation with me . If I am going to mexico I give them away to the local people , they love them 🙂
I love receiving free samples! In the past I have purchased many shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers and other beauty products only to discover that I didn’t like them and ended up either giving away or throwing away the product. Free samples allows me to try before I buy.
I have also used the free sample sized products for stocking stuffers as well especially if it is a product that I don’t normally use but know that it would be something my kiddos would like. (Shampoo/conditioner).
I have received free products from Facebook pages, P&G Brandsaver, and Diane Simon’s surveys.
I never used a coupon until I became ill in 2010 and was unable to work. I went from 70 hours a week at 2 jobs I loved down to about 25 percent of my income. It became survival for me. I get coupons in the mail, the stores, all over even receipts have coupons if you do a survey sometimes. I use the store discount cards with the coupons and am able to survive and still donate and work on a few little projects we do each year for shelters such as rounding up jackets and scarves etc and stockings at Xmas. I love getting the free samples, I use a few but most of the time any of the ones that can go in the stockings do such as the creams, perfume samples, gums, candy bars and ones like that I do not use. I use the laundry soaps, paper towels and household ones.
I love getting free samples of anything. Not only do they help in a pinch but the main reason I love them is that you get to try a new product before you spend a bunch of money to purchase a full size product, only to find out it does not work the way you thought, or it is something you do not like. Keep up the good work Canada!
I love getting free samples of new products so I can try them before I buy them. I hate buying something that is new, not liking it and then never using it again. I cannot stand to waste money. But if i have a sample and love it then i am willing to spend the money on the product. Also, having two children any little bit helps. I tend to do a load or two of laundry a day so getting a free laundry sample may not seem like much….but when you do as much laundry as i do….every little bit helps :O
I love free samples. I not only try to grab the 1’s on the above sites but also when surfing the web, checking out sites of products I tend to use already; requested samples often come with coupons too. I like to use samples to try before I buy, for travelling & in my purse (ie. Sample size deoderants, favourite perfum, pain meds, ect).
i love freebies because, like the blog says, first of all they are free, can’t beat that lol. second, i get to try before i spend my hard earned money to find out it aint waht i was expcting! thirdly, money is tight, so anything extra is good!! thank you for the opportunity!
I love getting samples, they come in handy if you run out of something and cant get to the store right away
I love when my mailbox has a free sample in it. It makes opening the bills that much easier when I know I have an amazing package to open at the end. Samples have saved me so much money. Thanks Facebook for the status reports I receive to let me know when there is another sample available.
I love getting free products to try before you buy and the companies are very nice for offering us free stuff.
I love free samples! When I was having babies, I got TONS- formula, sippy cups, etc. It was awesome!
Everyone says they get tonnes of formula… that must have helped alot.
I love getting the freebies as does anyone. I use them for overnight visits to my daughter’s when I’m babysitting the Little Mr in the mornings, they make great stocking stuffers at Christmas(already have some stashed for that!!),and just to try things I wouldn’t want to spend the money on unless I knew ahead of time I’d use it. My favourite samples are the lotion samples as I have dry skin and go through a lot of lotion. It’s nice to try something different to see how it goes on, I need moisturizing but I hate a greasy feel to the lotion or if the scent is pleasant or not.
Yes we use them for stocking stuffers at Christmas as well.. smart idea.
i love free samples for 2 reasons…..nice to try b4 u buy and they r great for travelling.
Free samples really help out, you can try out new products, sometimes just get you through to the next shopping trip, make recommendations to friends and family! I love them and appreciate them truly!
Having a baby is expensive!! we all know that. Thank god I got all the baby formula samples I did because I am a breastfeeding mother and my daughter refuses to take my pre-pumped milk. Along with most formula’s except for one company. If I didn’t get all of those sample,ytou could only imagine how much I would have spent on formula.
1) I like getting free stuff because it makes going to the mailbox an exciting time of day for me. Almost like Christmas, I never know whats in the mail today….other than bills 🙂
2) It’s a great way to try new products before buying
3) I love to share them with my family and friends
4) I make supper cute care packages for my guests that spend the night
5) It’s free!!
Hi Sarha, That’s lovely what you do for your overnight guests. I don’t know how much formula would cost but I know that most mums say it’s alot of money. When companies send formula samples how long would a sample last? One feeding?
I love free samples as it gives me a chance to try a product I might not have bought in a larger size without having tried a sample and knowing it works for us in our home
Things aren’t cheap and being able to try something prior to buying a full size version sets my mind at ease!! No wasting product or money!
I absaloutly love
Free samples and coupons too!! Opening my mailbox to savings everyday is awesome!! 🙂
I love free samples and coupons because if I like the product I will buy it and tell family and friends abot the product and web site I got it from
I have a small daycare in my home and sometimes parents don’t bring things so i use the samples for the children and i send them with the parents and in return they end up buying the products i give.. So I try to get as much of these as i can for them as well as myself But more for Them!! Thanks for these..
I LOVE free samples but never really thought to go seek them out! I definitely need to investigate more, because I love free stuff. Americans love free stuff too 😉
I’m betting there will be even more free American samples.. for sure.. get em while you can!
I do love free samples, and I used to be all over them (going onto forums to find them), but I just don’t have the time anymore.
Same here but if I see one in my face, I’ll grab it!
It’s always great to open the mailbox and find a box full of free goodies to start the day. Love free samples!
Yes yes yes :))))) Love free samples!!!! Who doesnt like free!!
What is your favourite sample ever?
Love the hunt…
LOVE the Hunt ….
Love free stuff and getting mail….
I just started getting free samples and coupons and I love them! Nothing makes you feel better then saving money on products. Testing the products with samples is always great, you do get the opportunity to see if you like the product before spending money on it. I like to get coupons through facebook and websaver.ca. With coupon collecting now I hardly pay full price for anything, and it is great when you find an item on sale and you have a coupon ontop of it. Another great way for samples or coupons is to write to company’s you love, review their products, and sometimes they send you coupons or samples. It is great to save money, we work so hard for it now and it flies out of your wallet faster then you can make it. Why not get samples and coupons and start saving money!?
What is your all time favourite sample so far?
Free samples gives me the opportunity to try something I never knew existed or that I knew existed, but haven’t given much thought of purchasing. I have the tendency to bring up the free samples that I’ve received through mail into conversations with my friends to ask about their opinion on the product or brand. I would also share my experience with them and see their point of view regarding the advantages and disadvantages of the product. I believe that the receiving free samples helps companies and consumers alike to build trust amongst each other so that consumers would purchase their product. All in all, trying on the product and having the opportunity to discuss about it with my friends by using real life experiences helps me decide whether or not to I have enough trust in the new product to buy it in store. This is why I love it.
To receive free samples, I check my facebook ”free samples in Canada” page to see if there are any free samples being offered. I also get notified by my friend and family members about free samples that certain companies are giving out. The last method I used to receive free samples is by coincidentally passing by people who are handing out free samples on the streets.
I like how you put a spin on it and say “Why Canadians..” as in everyone doesn’t like free stuff? 🙂 I’m a sucker for free trials of shampoo products 🙂
Love free samples!!!! Who doesnt like free!!
What’s your favourite sample to get Valerie?
everyone wants something free , even the little freebies bring smiles , and smiles are what makes the world go around 🙂
That’s true, nothing like getting something free just to test. it does bring a smile to most. Cheers Wendy. Mr.CBB What’s your fav sample ever?
I love getting my free samples! Even better when they include a coupon!
That’s true, who doesn’t like a coupon… what’s your fav sample?
I love getting free products in the mail, way more fun than the usual bills!!!
that my dear is true. Nothing better than putting your hand in the post box and pulling out a packet of free stuff… what’s your favourite sample?
well i am in love with free samples. I can’t wait until they come in my mail box. I also like the fact that you can try them before you buy them.
What’s your favourite sample ever?-Mr.CBB
I love trying out new products so free products are the best way to do that without spending any money at first 🙂
Free stuff is awesome! It’s like Christmas morning when I open the box! 🙂
What’s your favourite sample ever?-Mr.CBB
Just learned baby #3 is on the way so I definitely need to start saving money and freebies help so much!
Congratulations on baby #3… 🙂 Mr.CBB
I love getting free samples cause I like to try stuff out first to see if I like it or not.I get all my samples from different pages in my facebook.
I love getting free samples in the mail
I too like to try a product before I buy, and because of my hard water some detergents do not work well-the free samples help me decide what I buy without wasting money
We LOVE getting free samples in the mail. Not only does it help with the try before you buy, but it feels good when you go out to your mailbox and there are some pretty sweet freebies waiting for you! 🙂
I just love watching for the free samples to arrive in my mailbox!!!!
Aside from the benefit of getting to try a product before investing in it I think we all love getting a surprise in the mail other than bills 🙂 lol great article!
I like trying products before I purchase them to see if we like them or not. And they are convenient if you run out of something like laundry detergent and realize you have a free Tide pod so you can actually get that load done 😛
i love getting free samples to try before i buy them helps save money if they don’t work for ya
free samples lets me try new or existing products without the fear of wasting money, which is key for a new mommy!
I love getting freebies because I can try the product in smaller form so I am not wasting my money if I dont like it. I also like them because I travel a few weeks a year and use them for travel , leaves me more room for more product to bring home.
I love getting free samples so I can try before I buy….especially with kids at home who are very picky and growing fast. I use P&G brand sampler as I am also a Costco member so I reap all the benefits.
I get my free samples from facebook 🙂 i love getting them in to see how it works and if i like the items 🙂
So very true This is awesome for the consumers. But it is great for the companies that allow free products because they are getting their products out their free stuff is great!
I love getting freebies in the mail. As a single mom of 2 with extremely low income every sample that comes in the mail and every coupon too helps out greatly. i don’t know what i’d do without them…. Thank you so much for ever little bit that helps people who need it 🙂
Free samples = good for everyone! Good PR for the company, good chance to try before you buy & it makes us happy to get a “treat” once in a while! Thank You for all the Free stuff!!!! I go to save.ca & P&G brand sampler as well as Free Samples in Canada, eh!
Good post. Freebies are awesome, especially when you get ones of products that are handy to have around the house. Great point on the manufacturer’s point of view. It’s free, direct marketing to you the consumer. If the consumer likes the product then they get more sales in the long run.
samples are great especially when you have 5 kids.. try things out befor you buy stuff full price to find out you wont use it.
free is awesome, like tide pods verses purex pods, got a sample of both and im sticking with purex. Super glad I didnt spend like $18 to buy the tide ones in order to try them because I find they make my clothes smell like nail polish remover :S
I don’t go crazy over free product samples, but I guess it just depends on what the product is. I am a fan of testing out food at the grocery store if they’re giving it away for free. Overall, I guess it’s based on the person.
As a single mom, I find it helpful to try out a product before actually buying it…money is tight and I really can’t afford to waste it.
Love getting the samples, I have a limited budget, and some of the products could be very expensive, so by trying them before hand, gives a pretty good idear if they are good and worth buying…Thanks
I love to try things out, it would be great if we could try everything before we had to buy the full size model to find out it is not what we think.
I love samples! Another way to get them is to go to different markets and shows, such as the Woman’s Show. I always leave there with bags of free samples. There are a lot of contests before the shows to win tickets so you can get in for free. I’m going to the Calgary Woman’s Show on Saturday with free tickets. Can’t wait to see all the freebies and samples that I’m going to bring home.
Love getting free stuff in the mail. I get the opportunity to try products that I would never have likely purchased – but then love after trying it!
I get my samples from any place I can, websites, magazines, stores etc. I often buy the full size products after trying the samples. They come in handy for travel, especially as I don’t mind leaving the leftovers behind when I leave. It is amazing how much extra weight packing the full size products adds to your luggage. The sample packs from Tylenol , Advil etc are great to carry with you on trips too. Saves from trying to find them when you are away.
I love these samples!!
I love freebies! In today’s world, any little bit to help you get ahead, counts!
helps make my dollar stretch a little further each month.. keep the samples coming
I love samples to try to see if you like it and for travelling and somethings to keep in your car without taking up too much space!!
Love the freebie samples, gives me a chance to try new products and I love being able to use them when camping since they are all travel size!
Unless a freebie has an expiry date, I save all my free samples to use as stocking stuffers. Of course, I do use things that I may need such as laundry detergent, or toothpaste for example. My children and grandchildren love getting the samples.
Just wanted to say that free samples are awesome, I usually have something in “treasure box” for whatever ails me! And the mini sizes are so handy for overnight trips, too.
With prices going up and up its nice to get something free once in a while. Its like Christmas or my birthday when i go to the mailbox andfind my freebies. I like to take the sample size and hold it up and pretend i’m a giant. lol (yes I stole that joke from Friends show) Thanks for all the info on your site.
I get my freebies from brandsaver when they are available.
I love free samples, i get them from the same websites mentioned in this post. I find its great to get samples of new products, but also of products that I know and love, because they are great when travelling. Especially shampoo and conditioner because most are in little containers, and the ones in the packets can last me a few washes.
It’s a helpful tool when a company offers a freebie . It often saves us money while we can make a decision without spending any money. I love when an offer is out there for a freebie and I love finding places and sites to help me find them. Plus.. it’s more fun getting an item in the mail then a bill 😉
I LOVE getting samples. I am pretty much subscribed to all of them. I have always been the first one of all my friends to go out and buy new products and then tell them about them. Sometimes i’m disappointed and sometimes i’m pleasantly surprised. I get all my samples from combinations of email and facebook. It saves me money and i can try it and if i like it go buy the full size. I have done this a few times, plus you get coupons most of the time with your sample. win win.
I LOVE getting free stuff and coupons for food and cleaning products, I have found some great new products this way!
i love getting free samples because first and foremost it’s free and who doesn’t like free things and second I get to try new products that I otherwise probably would not have purchased
absolutely love the samples so you can try first and then know if you want to buy that product.
I have super sensitive skin, can’t count the amount of dollars I have spent only to have to throw a product away. Free samples give me the chance to try something without shelling out the money only to have a skin reaction!!
I love being able to save money and try new products. I love samples
I love it!!
I get my samples from facebook
I usually get my samples via facebook but I have also been known to use a coupon to get a sample size of something 🙂 Which typically makes it free!!
I adore getting my “freebies” in the mail! With the prices of everything going up, it’s nice to get something for nothing more than 30 seconds of your time to fill in an online form!
So far I have only tried the samples the show up at my door, unrequested. It’s a great idea though & I need to get on the ball with this. Thanks for the site suggestions!
I get my samples from the above mentioned places as well as Facebook. I’ve been able to get laundry detergent samples, tampax, Nutella and more from FB. I like getting free samples because like you I hate buying something new to try it and risk having to throw it away if I don’t like it. Samples often come in handy too. I was able to take my Nutella sample to the cottage rather than packing the whole jar. I was able to give my parents tide pods so they could do laundry on their vacation and not have to pack liquid or powder detergent. I found out that my skin reacts to downy unstoppables before spending money on them, I was able to see if I liked the new tampax radiant before spending money on them 🙂 Samples are awesome!
I get free samples from the p&g site and also from facebook promos. I like the fact that I can try it to see if I like it before I buy the full size. Many samples have become my “new” favourites….for example tide pods, cheecha puffs, schick hyro silk razors and olay cleaner and scrub. These items I would have never purchased but now I love them and have bought full sized products. There have been only a small amount of samples that I don t care for and would not purchase, but most have been great.
I like free samples cause I can try the products before buying them… and it’s a good way to save money!! I get my free samples via internet requests… I follow the suggestions of Facebook pages like Coupon Christine, Mrs January, etc… I can save a lot of money this way…
I love getting free samples too because it’s fun to try new things and I love the travel sizes,so much easier to bring with you!I use the Brandsampler and Samplesource but am getting tons of free stuff from liking products on Facebook too!
I love getting freebies. Why? because I am not paying for them. They tend to be very helpful on vacations because they are travel sized.
Never thought about that but yes they would be super handy for vacations especially when you don’t want to pack more than you need. Cheers Sean! Mr.CBB
So true! Not only great for consumers, but the companies as well! And really, who doesnt want free stuff?! 🙂
We enjoy getting the free products just to test them out. I hate having to throw items away because they don’t work as promised or we simply don’t like the taste. Thanks for passing by to comment SBLB!! 🙂