The days when you could go to the deli counter at your local Publix and have a free slice of meat offered up to you—simply by requesting a cut that's a little thinner or perhaps a bit thicker—are no longer.
Now if you want that sample slice of meat for free, you have to speak up and ask for it. "The free slice is no longer offered," Brian West, media relations manager at Publix, confirmed to the Tampa Bay Times. "But if the customer would like the free sample, they just need to ask the associate. In fact, customers can always ask for a sample of any item we have. That's one of the best ways to introduce our customers to new things."
Loyal, meat-loving Publix customers were shaken by the change in their deli counter routine.
But there's a reason for the store's change in meat policy, and it's not about cutting costs, according to Florida Today. Instead of automatically offering customers free meat samples, the supermarket chain is testing out a pilot program in more than 200 of its stores in central and southwest Florida where customers are offered a sample of the "cheese of the week" when they order at the deli. It's an effort to expose customers to new products and showcase more of what Publix has to offer. So next time you head to your closest Publix deli counter, don't fret—the free meat is still is there for the taking, you just gotta ask for it.
(h/t Tampa Bay Times)
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