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No More Free Samples at Ghirardelli

Walt d

Walt d

Well-Known Member
DisneyCane said:
Was at DS yesterday and stopped by the Ghirardelli store. They no longer give out free samples. I overheard somebody actually asking about it. I figured it out when there was nobody handing out samples. I don't know how somebody isn't embarrassed to ask for them.
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Noooooo” i love that place just say no to the stop of free samples. Come on guys stop the maddnes”
 
tirian

tirian

Well-Known Member
Kman101 said:
As @lazyboy97o said, giving out a free sample isn't unique to the Disney Springs location. Have they stopped giving out free samples at the other Ghiardelli's? What about DCA?
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Other locations have been inconsistent for about a year. I was disappointed to stop by the San Francisco flagship and not get a free chocolate; I still spent money, but it seemed odd to have no samples at the main store. Same story in LA and Chicago last year.

Tbh, Disney Springs was probably the last fountain that regularly staffed the position.
 
O

Obobru

Well-Known Member
I had never tasted this chocolate then I was given a sample at the F&W festival and bought a tin in Nov then in December we were in DCA and againna sample of the peppermint one so we ended up buying 2 large bags. The sampling works as I am not easily sold to but this is lovely chocolate.
 
ABQ

ABQ

Well-Known Member
Cracks me up that this thread got so much traction over something so silly. Even worse that some people made this out to be a Disney policy change vs Ghirardelli themselves.
 
MrPromey

MrPromey

Well-Known Member
Obobru said:
I had never tasted this chocolate then I was given a sample at the F&W festival and bought a tin in Nov then in December we were in DCA and againna sample of the peppermint one so we ended up buying 2 large bags. The sampling works as I am not easily sold to but this is lovely chocolate.
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I have to agree.

I had no idea what Ghirardelli was when that shop first opened in Downtown Disney. The sample sold us on buying some that day. We didn't buy a lot but we did leave paying customers.

I'll admit I've gone back more than once over the years just for that free sample but I've also bought stuff plenty of times, too.

I don't know how long Target and Walmart (or Michael's crafts?) have carried their brand but exposure to them at Disney is what made me notice them in local stores and start buying stuff there, too, so overall, for the brand, it's been a win far beyond what they sell in that location when it comes to me, at least.

That said, maybe they felt their brand had grown enough to be recognized without the need to offer free samples to get people interested?

I don't know. I'd have been sorry to see the free samples go but at this point, it probably wouldn't have changed my buying patterns. I would never have complained about it and it's kind of funny to me that consumer outrage seems to have sparked the return of the practice.

... One of these days, I'll be there when the ice cream side isn't a madhouse and will actually try something over there...
 
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