I'm not speaking for Carrie, here, but my sense is that offering these kind of samples - or any kind of very cheap samples on (eg) a cotton puff/cloth pad - is a giant loss leader. Just the labor/postage costs for getting them done and sent out would be a big chunk in a promotional budget.
I know BB does it - you can send them separate SASE's for individual scents for free - but they are the only ones that do, and if I were them I probably wouldn't, from a business perspective.
I completely disagree. It was one of my requests on page one and a topic of discussion with Jo from Mad Oils. As I stated earlier, scent is a personal and subjective thing. The current thread searching for the "best vanilla" should convey how differently everyone feels about what their version of "best" should be: buttery or cool, sweet or dry. I hate, hate, hate spending money on a scent promising me the smell of Hawaii to find that their interpretation is cloyingly floral or synthetic suntan lotion. It offends my "waste not" sensibilities to throw it away, but I refuse use up that much more money in ingredients to make a soap that I am curl my lip at every time I use it.
I acknowledge that BB is exceedingly generous in their policy. However, I spend hundreds of dollars more with them as a result. Because I am reasonably confident that I will like a particular interpretation of a fragrance from a sniffie sample, they get the order over other vendors. As long as I am paying a shipping fee with them, I get my basics there as well (butters, oils, mold, etc). I also appreciate their level of customer service and go out of my way to support those business practices with my money.
(As a personal side note, I get just as irritated with shipping fees as everyone else, but have duplicated my BB cart on WSP to directly compare total price. Thus far, BB has always come out cheaper...proving that "free shipping" is more a marketing gimmick than savings.)
When talking with Jo, I explained this same point especially in light of the fact that I found some of the fragrance descriptions on her site a little lacking. I am someone who is entirely willing to PAY for the sniffies, especially given that the shipping should be negligible for cotton swabs. Sweet Cakes has intrigued me for a while, but I could easily spend $200 on an assortment of small jars and shipping...a commitment I am not willing to make for things that may be hit or miss for me. I would be thrilled to send SASEs and pay a fee to hone my selections under the assumption that a $25 investment would save me money in the long run.
Jo agreed to discuss it with her partner and consider adding it as a feature when their new site launches. I will keep my fingers crossed.
. You know what though, the muscle memory from wrapping cheese and sausage and using a heat gun has stood me in good stead in these soaping times!
