Whole Foods Westport, Ct: Oysters and Ribeye at the Sampling Station

Well, we're not really ones to enjoy the free stuff that they hand out at sampling stations. Whether it's Costco or Trader Joe's or even the better than most stuff they offer you at Wegman's. Fact is we've been lucky enough to get so many free samples over a life working in the grocery business that it never really appealed to us. Plus most of the stuff just isn't that good.

That said, we know that, to put it frankly, customers are so often used to be treating like dirt, that the wisdom of giving away free samples, not only encourages purchases but even more importantly makes people feel a bit better about being consumers in this age when they expect most businesses stick it to them good and hard and without getting much of anything in return.

Well our sampling station boredom was transformed when we visited the Whole Foods in Westport, Connecticut where they were offering oysters and rib-eye steak from two sampling stations on a Saturday afternoon. We wish we didn't know the manager so we could have really chowed down without worrying about anyone there knowing us.