試吃是一種更成功的超市零食促銷策略

If you've spent any time hitting up the giant wholesalers or other markets this holiday season, you've probably figured out that you can make a full meal out of the tasty little samples they often dish out. Which seems like a good thing, for you…and for your wallet.

如果你在這個假期花時間去逛大型批發商市場或其他市場，那麼你可能已經發現，你能從他們經常出售的美味小樣本中吃一頓飽餐。這對你，還有你的錢包來說，似乎是一件好事。

But a new study shows that these tempting little treats really do entice you to buy what you try…and maybe some other stuff like it.

但是一項新研究表明，這些誘人的小吃真的會誘使你購買你所嘗試的...也許還有其他類似的東西。

Researchers tracked the sales in half a dozen stores that provided samples of snacks in four categories: healthy, salty, frozen, or branded by a large coffee-shop chain.

研究人員對六家店鋪的銷售情況進行了跟蹤調查，這些店鋪提供了四種零食樣品：健康的、鹹味的、冷凍額或大型咖啡連鎖店的品牌樣品。

They found that noshing while shopping convinces consumers to buy the featured product more often than does simply seeing the product displayed at the end of the aisle.

他們發現，相比起僅僅在通道末端看到產品，在購物時試吃，更有可能說服消費者去購買特色產品。

They also found that repeating the sample offering multiple times translates into sustained interest in the product…and that stores that have a SMALLER assortment of products for sale benefit more than the warehouse-sized emporia. The finding is served up in the Journal of Retailing.

他們還發現，多次重複提供樣品可以轉化爲對產品持續的興趣...而且那些有較小產品銷售的商店比倉庫大的商店更受益。這一研究結果發表在《零售雜誌》上。

The researchers also discovered that the effect extends beyond the product itself…such that, for example, nibbling on one brand of cookies makes you hungry for cookies in general -- including those from competing brands. Which suggests that a rising tide really does lift all boats.

研究人員還發現，這種影響超出了產品本身，例如，吃一個牌子的餅乾會讓你更渴望餅乾，包括來自競爭品牌的餅乾。也就是說，所有人都能從中受益。