Showdrop
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Turn in-store trial into velocity that lasts.

Always-on sampling kiosks, texts that guide shoppers to your shelf, and honest feedback from the people who try your product.

Book a demoSee case studies
Now sampling at
KrogerMariano’sRoundy’s
A Showdrop sampling kiosk at the front of a Mariano’s store, with shoppers trying samples
New shopper review
“Really liked it. Ended up buying 10 on my way out.”
24/M · Mariano’s New City
Aisle 8 · bottom shelfTexted minutes after sampling
Trusted by brands across every category
Tropicana
OLIPOP
Nestlé Coffee Partners
Swoon
La Colombe
Polar
Goodles
Chicken of the Sea
Tate’s Bake Shop
Simple Mills
LesserEvil
Harvest Snaps
Ritter Sport
Blue Diamond
GoMacro
Cure
Lenny & Larry’s
Lakanto
think!
Dietz & Watson
Bare Bones
Nature’s Way
IZZE
Nature’s Truth
Killer Brownie
Fly By Jing
Michele’s Granola
Rishi Tea & Botanicals
Meet Showdrop

Product sampling, reimagined.

Always-on sampling kiosks in grocery stores, plus texts that guide shoppers to your shelf and ask what they thought.

Sample every day in 100+ Kroger stores, until your samples run out
Play your video on the kiosk’s large HD screen
Guide shoppers to your shelf with a text
Hear what shoppers thought, in their own words
See results by product and store in one portal
See how it works
A Showdrop kiosk offering free samples beside the cold beverage doors
Always-on sampling kiosk
01 · In the store

Always-on passive sampling + in-store media.

Shoppers pick a sample on the screen and verify with their phone. A large HD display plays your video to everyone walking by.

Near the store entrance
Temperature controlled
Large HD display plays your video
4–6 brands on screen at a time
One sample per shopper per week
Runs until all samples run out
A Showdrop kiosk at the front of the store, next to the snack racks, with shoppers
Next to the snack racks
A shopper holding the sample he picked at the kiosk
Shoppers pick what they want to try
A Showdrop kiosk beside the cold beverage doors
Beside the cold beverage doors
Four shoppers holding the samples they chose
Four shoppers, four different picks
Shoppers walking past a Showdrop kiosk
In the main flow of the store
A shopper holding her sample at the kiosk
Phone-verified, one sample a week
A Showdrop kiosk near the front of the store by the checkouts
Near the entrance and checkouts
Launch day at a new Showdrop kiosk
Free samples, every day
Kiosks and shoppers in our stores
02 · On their phone

Guide shoppers straight to your shelf.

Minutes after sampling, shoppers get a text with the aisle, the shelf and a photo of your product.

Mapped store by store, so it matches the store they’re in.
A photo of your shelf, with your pack marked.
Your story and promotions, with a link to your site.
Rishi Tea & Botanicals
“We love that they even get instructions for where to find the product in the store. We can see a noticeable uptick in sales for items that were sampled through Showdrop.”
Matthew WoodDirector of Retail, Rishi Tea & Botanicals
Text message locating Michele’s Granola at Aisle 8 with a photo of the shelf
Text message locating Barilla pesto at Aisle 8 with a photo of the shelf
Aisle 8 · bottom shelfsent minutes after sampling
Mapped store by store, with a photo of your shelf
The Showdrop brand portal: campaign overview showing samples claimed, stores sampling, ratings and shopper comment highlights
“Awesome taste! I love that it is lower in sugar than many others… I would buy in the future.”
50/F · Metro Market Silvernail
Live, by product and by store
03 · In your portal

Learn from every sample you distribute.

See who tried your product and what they thought, by product and store, as it happens.

Track the whole funnelImpressions, samples, web clicks and more.
Every rating and reviewFrom a follow-up text a few days after sampling.
Your buyer sees it tooThe retailer’s category team gets a weekly recap of top reviews.
Insights by shopper typeCompare ratings by age, gender and dietary needs.
Read shopper reviews
Chicken of the Sea
“We saw healthy sales performance during and after the program, for both the product line sampled and the brand overall, and their team is a joy to work with.”
Lea CasasSenior Brand Manager & NA Innovation Lead, Chicken of the Sea
Shopper reviews

Hear what shoppers honestly thought.

A few days after sampling, shoppers rate your product and tell you what they thought. Every review shows their rating, age, gender, and store location.

01 · Rate it
~25%of shoppers rate it from 1 to 5
“How would you rate it?”
02 · Follow-up
~15%answer a follow-up based on their rating
4–5“What was the main reason you loved it?”
3“What would’ve improved your score?”
1–2“What was the biggest issue?”
03 · Review
~10%write a review in their own words
Every question is customizable.
Actual shopper comments from real campaigns
“Loved the sample and it’s on my list to get this week. … I absolutely love the sample kiosk and have already told others. Thank you for letting me be a participant!”
Justin’s · Almond butter73/F · Mariano’s Glenview West
“Honestly never knew about these bars before trying through Showdrop. I’ve bought multiple boxes since and have even shared some with friends. They’re sooo good.”
GoMacro · Oatmeal Chocolate Chip26 · Mariano’s Lakeview
“Wow. I love this. Ive already purchased a case and I plan on keeping this stocked in my fridge.”
Polar · Strawberry Creme Seltzer38/F · Metro Market Bluemound
“The balance of sweet and spicy was perfect. I used it for a tuna melt sandwich and it turned out delicious.”
Chicken of the Sea · Sweet & Spicy Tuna49/F · Mariano’s South Loop
“We tried it mixed over pasta, added a whole new dimension !! Creamy, nice new taste to our pasta night!! It’s on the grocery list!”
Barilla · Pesto52/F · Mariano’s Bridgeport
“Absolutely delicious! I didn’t know Harvest Snaps made this flavor. Will definitely be adding them to my regular snack rotation!”
Harvest Snaps39/M · Mariano’s Lakeview
“It was the best tasting electrolyte packet I’ve ever had. Didn’t taste powder or synthetic. Dissolved well!”
Cure Hydration30/F · Mariano’s West Loop
“Flavorful and healthier than other beverages. Due to the free sample, it helped me purchase some! Thankful for programs like this.”
Swoon · Peach Tea29/F · Mariano’s Park Ridge
“I usually hate coconut water in a can/bottle but something about this is so good and refreshing. So much so that I already went back to Mariano’s and picked up some more. I really like this brand”
Coaqua · Still Coconut Water27/F · Mariano’s Lakeview
“Unexpectedly great! I wouldn’t think of buying this flavor, but after trying it, I bought 2 more!”
Fannie May · Dark Chocolate Mint33/M · Mariano’s New City
“Tate’s cookies are very good for store bought cookies, I will definitely buy them again. Tate’s are one of several products I would’ve never purchased if I hadn’t tried the free samples first. 😊”
Tate’s Bake Shop · Tiny Chocolate Chip Cookies61/F · Metro Market Silvernail
“Really liked it. Ended up buying 10 on my way out.”
Chicken of the Sea · Sweet & Spicy Tuna24/M · Mariano’s New City
“I love the taste. It was very refreshing and no aftertaste. We’ve already bought six cans.”
La Colombe · Draft Latte40/M · Mariano’s Skokie
“Best bone broth I had. Ended up buying some after trying the sample”
Bare Bones · Instant Ramen Bone Broth36/F · Metro Market Cottage Grove
“Delicious! Even my toddler approved. We love this brand now”
Kindling · Honey Mustard Pretzels32/F · Metro Market Monona
Rishi Tea & Botanicals
“We’ve also gotten some very constructive feedback from the shopper reviews. For instance, we’ve found that since our tea sachets are shiny, people sometimes assume they are made of plastic… So, we’re learning that we can do better with how we talk about our commitment to sustainability and environmental impact.”
Matthew Wood
Matthew WoodDirector of Retail, Rishi Tea & Botanicals
What makes Showdrop different

Trial builds more velocity when the shopper chooses it.

Who tries it, where and why all shape whether they buy again.

Shoppers opt in and choose

Shoppers verify with their phone and pick what they want to try, in the store.

Compared with delivery samples
Often added to an order for something else, then tried at home.
Always on until the last sample

The kiosk runs every day until your samples run out, and every sample shows up in your portal.

Compared with in-store demos
A staffed table for 4 to 8 hours. Tasters usually go unrecorded.
No purchase required

Shoppers try it first. No receipt, rebate or cash back.

Compared with rebates and cash back
Shoppers buy first and claim money back, often via coupon sites.
Nielsen found nearly 3 in 4 CPG promotions don’t break even (2014).
Tropicana
“Showdrop is bringing much-needed innovation to the traditional in-store demo, making it easier, smarter, and more scalable.”
Josh Simpson
Josh SimpsonSr. Shopper Marketing Manager, Tropicana
Customer results

Real impact at the shelf.

+72%
Average velocity lift during the program
Across 50+ programs in 2025.
+65%
Average lift 6–12 months after the program
Across 50+ programs in 2025.
3–5x
Program ROI measured to date
Across the brand results below.
Swoon
Case study
+79%YoY
Swoon

velocity after sampling vs. a year ago, while the category fell 18%.

GoMacro
Case study
+49%velocity
GoMacro

sampled bar, after peak sampling. Ahead of all 12 major bar brands.

Barilla
Pasta sauce
+51%vs. trend
Barilla

sauce sales over 7 months since launch. 3x ROI so far.

Goodles
Pasta
+125%vs. trend
Goodles

over 11 months since launch. 5x ROI so far.

Chicken of the Sea
Seafood
+89%vs. trend
Chicken of the Sea

over 9 months since launch. 5x ROI so far.

La Colombe
Coffee
+45%vs. trend
La Colombe

over 6 months since launch. 4x ROI so far.

Cure Hydration
Hydration
+191%vs. trend
Cure Hydration

over 9 months since launch. 3x ROI so far.

Harvest Snaps
Snacks
+44%vs. trend
Harvest Snaps

over 7 months since launch. 4x ROI so far.

Fannie May
Chocolate
+41%vs. trend
Fannie May

over 7 months since launch. 4x ROI so far.

Case studies
Case studySwoon

Swoon kept climbing after sampling ended.

10,000 shoppers sampled Swoon’s holiday Peach Tea at Mariano’s. Velocity took off during sampling, then kept climbing while the category fell.

After sampling
+79%YoY
Swoon’s velocity at Mariano’s vs. a year ago, while the category fell 18%.
Velocity vs. a year agoSwoon+79%Legacy brand A−13%Emerging brand B−17%Total category−18%Emerging brand C−27%
+70%lift vs. trend during sampling
+115%lift vs. trend after sampling
3.3xvelocity vs. 1.0x before sampling
Read the full case study
Swoon sales velocity (U/S/W)Indexed to sampled stores’ first pre-sampling reading = 1.0x
BEFOREPre-sampling24 weeksSAMPLINGSampling12 weeksAFTERPost-sampling24 weeks0.8x1x0.9x1.1x1.4x1x1.1x1.8x2.8x3.3x
Mariano’s · stores with samplingRoundy’s WI · stores without sampling
36/F · Mariano’s Hoffman Estates

“I usually try to purchase items we both will enjoy and the drink was honestly excellent. Truthfully I would not purchase it had I not sampled it. What a treat and thank you!”

60/F · Mariano’s Wheaton

“I like the subtle peach taste and it is not too sweet. Some natural added sweetness but not sugary and no weird aftertaste. I will purchase this again!”

Swoon
“Giving shoppers an easy way to try our naturally zero sugar iced tea and lemonades at a cold temperature is already a big win. But being able to do so in a memorable way with customizable messaging to educate shoppers, and the ability to gather feedback directly from shoppers, makes Showdrop a true no-brainer.”
Sarah GustatChief Growth Officer, Swoon

Peach Tea holiday LTO program at Mariano’s, December 2025 to February 2026. Velocity is units per store per week, indexed to sampled stores’ first pre-sampling reading (1.0x). Mariano’s stores had sampling; Roundy’s WI stores did not. Source: SPINS, Mariano’s, ending 7/12/2026; Showdrop shopper reviews.

FAQ

Questions we commonly get.

Something else? Email sampling@showdrop.com.

What can you sample?

Chilled drinks, snacks, pantry items, supplements and more. The kiosks are temperature controlled.

How long does a program run?

Until your samples run out, usually about a month.

Which stores?

100+ Kroger stores across Mariano’s and Roundy’s WI.

What does it cost?

It’s more cost-effective per sample than traditional demos. Book a demo for a quote.

Start sampling with Showdrop.

Tell us about your brand and goals. We’ll come back with stores, timing and a plan.

“Showdrop makes me want to spend more on sampling because it’s so much easier, more convenient, more reliable, and more efficient.”
Lex EvanLex Evan · Founder & CEO, Lexington Bakes
sampling@showdrop.com
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