The Costco Free Sample That's Left Shoppers Baffled — 'That Is The Strangest Sample'

It's a Saturday afternoon, and you're trawling for samples like any good Costco cardholder would. You're dreaming of mini quiches and frozen dumplings, smoothie mixes and chicken skewers. But as you round the corner of the second to last aisle, you're suddenly met by an unfamiliar sight. It's a tray full of Pepto-Bismol tablets, and it's probably not a particularly appetizing surprise. 

Across the internet, Costco fans have been trying to wrap their heads around the store replacing a traditional food sample with an over-the-counter medication known for a jingle that mentions "nausea, heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea." In an r/Costco Reddit thread, one Redditor wrote, "Wow that is the strangest sample," before wondering what you'd even say to promote chewable Pepto-Bismol tablets. This disbelief was also echoed on other platforms like Instagram, where one user said that "medication sampling" was "weird," and another person wrote, "Seriously?!?! Pepto-Bismol 'samples' being handed out at Costco??? Am I being punked?!?"

Given the intended use of Pepto-Bismol, it's unsurprising that the overwhelming majority of commenters couldn't help but crack a few jokes. A Redditor suggested that the station should've been set up "next to the food court," while a second said they "needed this after having a regrettable breakfast" before walking into Costco. So you may be wondering what exactly would possess the store to offer up Pepto-Bismol, especially when the perennially popular option of pretzels and hummus exists.

Well, Costco is likely aware of the fact that free samples can help turn a profit regardless of the advertised product, fueling impulse buys of things we wouldn't have originally thought of. That said, not much is known about the actual decision making that determines what's dangled in front of us on the warehouse floor. The most logical theory, though, probably has something to do with the product manufacturers themselves, as a Redditor claiming to be a Costco area manager said companies will pay to have their products sampled. And while that may explain those notorious water samples a little bit better, you can still count Pepto-Bismol among the most unusual free samples ever given out at Costco. If history is any indication, though, it won't be the last.