Costco shoppers baffled by free samples of water and toilet paper

Costco hands out free samples of its own water

On social media, a shopper shared a photo showing a Costco location in Nova Scotia handing out small cups of Kirkland Signature bottled water.

“Saw this the other day and thought it was quite funny yet weirdest sample I ever seen at Costco,” the shopper explained.

The image soon spread online, with users sharing their own wild Costco sample encounters.

“Our Costco once handed out individual rolls of their Kirkland toilet paper in their ziplock baggies,” one commented. “They made sure to remind you: ‘sample at home!’ But we now buy the toilet paper, so it worked!”

“One time they were sampling raw baby carrots at my Costco and a woman dove in front of me and a bunch of other people to get one,” another chimed in.

“I swear I saw them sampling the Kirkland brand sea salt the other day in little paper cups. I thought maybe they were just putting the salt on something but I didn’t see anything but the sea salt on the table,” someone else said.

While some felt that sampling water was a decent idea, others complained that it was a waste of plastic.

Water may not be at the top of customers’ sample wish lists, but given how hot the summer has been, the free drink could also serve as a timely reminder to stay hydrated.