Showdrop

In 2004, Amelia Kirchoff was diagnosed with breast cancer and adopted a plant-based diet. She couldn't find a bar that met her standards, so she made one in her kitchen on the family farm in Wisconsin. She and her daughter Jola started selling them. They converted a milk shed into a small commercial kitchen. Amelia fought the cancer and won. Twenty-plus years later, GoMacro bars are still made to the same recipe... certified organic, plant-based, the same standard she set in that shed. A 33-year-old sampler at Mariano's tried GoMacro for the first time last week: "I love GoMacro and also LOVE that it's woman-founded!! Forever supporter right here." GoMacro now sampling across our platform at Mariano's & Metro Market!

𝐀𝐢𝐬𝐥𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 ➡️ ⬅️ ⬆️ ⬇️ A few months ago, we launched a feature that helps shoppers find the location of products in-store after sampling. Navigating a store can be tough, and any way we can simplify that journey (including a simple text!) is a win for everyone. It’s great to see shoppers calling it out specifically and using it to make their next purchase. Shout out to Rishi Tea & Botanicals for giving shoppers a reason to find them on the aisle! 🔎📍

🚀 🎉✨🥳 𝐎𝐟𝐟 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐬! Launched our latest wave of kiosks across the remaining Metro Market and Mariano's grocery stores this past week. We now have more than 300 new sampling customers using our kiosks for the first time everyday -- excited to put samples in the hands of many more! If you live by any one of our stores, come by and check it out!

"𝐃𝐨 𝐰𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐚 𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐢𝐳𝐞?" We’re often asked by brand partners if they need to provide sample-sized products to run a campaign with us. The answer is no. The beauty of our smart kiosks is their flexibility - they’re built to handle everything from the smallest tea sachets to boxed pasta and bottled drinks. And the majority of our brand partners have actually gone this route, leaning in to offering shoppers a full-sized sample that becomes a surprising and delightful in-store brand experience that give shoppers more confidence to make a subsequent purchase. La Colombe Coffee Workshop has been one of our consistent partners doing this, having sampled various flavors including their very delicious (and seasonal) Peppermint Mocha! Get a sample in Mariano's and Metro Market stores this month!

We're hiring for 2 incredible brand sales & partnerships roles!

𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞! ✨ Sometimes all a shopper needs is one try to get over the hump of a purchase. Sampling has always been powerful... but traditionally limited to a short window on a foldable table in the store. That’s why we love seeing comments like this. When sampling is available 24/7 and can meet customers whenever they’re in the store, the impact is undeniable. Our campaign with Simple Mills at Mariano's and Metro Market is a perfect example of this: curiosity → trial → purchase. 💛➡️🛒 And if you haven't tried their Cheddar Almond Flour Crackers, you should! (before we run out!)

Vitaminis samples live now in three locations - Mariano's Lakeview, West Loop & South Loop. My gut tells me they're popular, so get them while you can!

𝐒𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐨 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫!🍹❄️ We love partnering with brands like Swoon to bring seasonal moments to life. From refreshing Pink Lemonade sampling activations across Chicago stores this past summer to a cozy, winter-ready Peach Iced Tea campaign launching this month, it’s been exciting to see each product shine in its season. If you're keen to sample some 🎄 holiday spirit with Swoon, pop into any of our grocery locations in Illinois and Wisconsin - we can't promise the festive ribbons, but we do promise an ice-cold sample!

EBOOST just hit the Showdrop network -- and shoppers are already feeling the difference! ⚡️ Natural caffeine, B-vitamins, electrolytes -- and a clean label that actually delivers on energy. One shopper put it best, “Very good balance all around…I liked how the caffeine wasn’t so much like a preworkout but it also wasn’t too little, a perfect amount.” Big thanks to EBOOST and Mel Gonzales for teaming up on this launch. Proud to feature such a strong brand in the functional energy category and help more shoppers discover it firsthand. Shoppers in the Chicagoland area can grab an ice-cold sample in-store at their local Mariano's! #EBOOST #Showdrop #CPG #ShopperMarketing #Sampling #EnergyDrinks #RetailMedia #RetailMarketing

BIOLYTE® is celebrating 7 months on-shelf at Kroger stores…and what better way for a newly stocked brand to stand out in a competitive category than through Showdrop's smart sampling kiosks! Super excited to partner with Jesslyn Rollins and the BIOLYTE® team to dish out free ice cold samples of BIOLYTE's delicious Mixed Berry medical grade hydration drinks. Shoppers can try it at their convenience all month long at Mariano's and Metro Market stores. Early comments are already rolling in and shoppers are clearly loving BIOLYTE. Here are a couple of our favorites: “Love the taste and the profile reads clean”, “It was so hydrating! I generally felt better overall”, “The flavors were great, very refreshing!...it helped keep my energy up”. #FoodAndBeverage #RetailMarketing #ShopperMarketing #CPG #InStoreSampling #BIOLYTE #Kroger