Trader Joe's Is Following Costco's Lead, and Shoppers Should Be Very Happy About It

One major perk is coming back to grocery stores all over the country.

Although I don't live particularly close to a Trader Joe's supermarket, I make a point to visit one roughly once a month. There are certain products that I can only find at Trader Joe's. And I can admit that while I should be minding my spending, it's tempting to hit up Trader Joe's and treat myself and my family to the seasonal items it tends to rotate. Case in point: I recently racked up a pretty decent credit card tab when a host of pumpkin-inspired products hit the shelves.

But if there's one thing I've missed during my visits to Trader Joe's recently, it's getting to enjoy some free samples. It used to be the case that I could walk into the store and grab not only a small cup of coffee as an afternoon pick-me-up, but also a bite of a newly introduced product. But once the pandemic broke out, Trader Joe's halted that practice in an effort to promote social distancing and keep consumers safe.

Recently, however, Trader Joe's announced that free samples would be making their way back to stores. And that's something many shoppers are apt to be thrilled about.

A limited rollout -- for now

Trader Joe's has already brought back samples in its California and New York supermarkets, and the hope is that it will continue to reintroduce them in other markets in time. Now, here's the bummer -- while food samples may be coming back, Trader Joe's does not intend to bring back free coffee samples.

That's understandable, though. Giving customers free cups of hot coffee for them to carry around in a crowded store could easily pave the way to some sort of injury. It may be that Trader Joe's just doesn't want that liability.

Of course, free samples often work to the supermarket chain's benefit. If consumers try a product they've never heard of and enjoy it, they may be more apt to buy it.

It's a strategy that Costco has long employed. I can't tell you how many times I've bought something at Costco on a whim because I sampled it in the course of my shopping and decided I had to have it. So from a money-saving perspective, it's easy to argue that free samples at Trader Joe's -- and Costco -- are a mixed bag, as they might lead to overspending.

On my end, though, I like the idea of free samples -- especially if I'm shopping with my children. Like many kids, my children tend to be picky eaters. So if I can get them on board with a product by having them try it before I buy it, it reduces the chances of me having to throw out food once we bring it home. In that regard, I can argue that free samples save me money.

Another way to sample products at Trader Joe's

Although Trader Joe's has only rolled out free samples in a few markets, don't stress if they haven't returned to your local store yet. One lesser-known perk of shopping at Trader Joe's is that you can actually ask a store employee to let you try an item if you're not sure it's a good buy for you.

This is something I've done before. When Trader Joe's discontinued my kids' favorite type of granola bar, we had a hard time finding a replacement. A store associate overheard me trying to point out the various remaining choices to my kids and immediately started busting boxes open for my children to try. So if you're ever hesitant to purchase a Trader Joe's product and it's not available in sample form, a simple request at the customer service booth can solve that problem.