Plenty of stores offer samples, but few have such a devoted fanbase as Costco. After all, who doesn't love free stuff, especially when you're running on empty after navigating a maze of aisles for an hour or more?
Free samples — and interacting with the wonderful folks who prepare and serve them — is so much a core part of the Costco shopping experience that when the chain started utilizing automated, serve-yourself sample containers, cardholders were deeply upset. Given that free samples are pretty much synonymous with Costco, you may not give them much thought when making your rounds. But there's plenty that folks don't know about these fan-favorite samples — and plenty that the chain doesn't tell you. Here are five untold realities of Costco's free samples.