72 % acceptance rate for chocolate. 8 % for insurance brochures. The spread in sampling is brutal. Yet most Brand Managers plan without benchmarks. They guess. We have the numbers. From over 200 campaigns per year, aggregated over 5 years, with more than 25 million measured contacts.
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Acceptance rates by product category
The acceptance rate is the key KPI in sampling. It shows how many people approached actually accept the sample. And it varies massively by product category.
What is a good acceptance rate in sampling?
A good acceptance rate in sampling is between 55-70 %. Food products (snacks, chocolate, beverages) regularly reach 65-80 %. Non-food products sit lower at 30-50 %. The Swiss average across all categories is 58 %.
Our benchmark data from 2021 to 2025, based on more than 1'000 campaigns:
| Product category | Acceptance rate | Peak values | Number of campaigns |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chocolate/confectionery | 72 % | 85 % | 148 |
| Beverages (non-alcoholic) | 68 % | 78 % | 186 |
| Snacks/savoury | 65 % | 76 % | 112 |
| Dairy | 61 % | 72 % | 87 |
| Ready meals/pasta | 53 % | 65 % | 64 |
| Beverages (alcoholic) | 51 % | 68 % | 93 |
| Cosmetics/personal care | 48 % | 62 % | 76 |
| Cleaning/household | 38 % | 49 % | 42 |
| Pet food | 35 % | 52 % | 31 |
| Non-food (flyers/brochures) | 22 % | 31 % | 58 |
The logic is simple: the lower the barrier to try, the higher the rate. Everyone happily tries chocolate. No one voluntarily takes a brochure about switching health insurance.
What the table also shows: the gap between average and peak is large. 13 percentage points for chocolate. Those are the campaigns with the perfect location, top staff, and a clever approach. Details make the difference.
Contact numbers by location type
Not every location is the same. Contact numbers per day and team (4 promoters) vary considerably by location type.
| Location type | Contacts/day (median) | Range | Best location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Major train station (ZH, BE, BS) | 2'800 | 2'200 – 3'500 | Zurich HB: 3'200 |
| Mid-size station (LU, SG, LA) | 1'800 | 1'400 – 2'200 | Lausanne: 2'100 |
| Shopping mall (large) | 1'500 | 1'000 – 2'000 | Glatt: 1'900 |
| Shopping mall (medium) | 900 | 600 – 1'300 | Letzipark: 1'200 |
| Festival/open air | 3'500 | 2'000 – 6'000 | Züri Fäscht: 5'800 |
| Corporate campus | 600 | 300 – 900 | Novartis Campus: 850 |
| Neighbourhood (door-to-door) | 250 | 180 – 350 | Zurich Seefeld: 340 |
The median is more informative than the average, because outliers distort the mean. A rainy day at an outdoor location pulls numbers down sharply. That is why we always plan with the median and factor in lost days.
An important point: the numbers apply to a team of 4 promoters. Two teams at the same location do not double the contacts. The uplift is around 70-80 %, because pedestrian flows overlap. Still, two teams pay off at large locations like Zurich HB or for roadshows.
Cost per contact: the real numbers
The Cost per Contact (CPC) is the metric Brand Managers care about most. And the one most often miscalculated. Many agencies count only staff costs. Logistics, stand fees, material, and reporting are missing.
Our all-in benchmarks (staff + logistics + stand fees + reporting + overheads):
| Channel | CPC median | CPC range | Main driver |
|---|---|---|---|
| Train station sampling | CHF 2.40 | CHF 1.50 – 3.50 | Staff, stand fees |
| Event sampling | CHF 3.20 | CHF 2.00 – 5.00 | Staff, stand fees |
| POS promotion | CHF 4.80 | CHF 3.00 – 7.00 | Staff (lower contact numbers) |
| Door-to-door | CHF 7.50 | CHF 5.00 – 10.00 | Walking routes, low frequency |
| Roadshow | CHF 18.00 | CHF 10.00 – 35.00 | Setup, material, staff |
The numbers show clearly: train station sampling is the most efficient channel for pure trial driving. But efficiency is not everything. A roadshow costs 7x more per contact. In return, the consumer gets a 5-10 minute experience instead of 10 seconds. Brand recall is a different game.
Economies of scale play a major role. A 3-day campaign has a CPC of CHF 3.20. A 20-day campaign at the same location drops to CHF 2.10. The reason: fixed costs (setup, briefing, logistics infrastructure) are spread across more contacts.
Conversion rates: from sample to purchase
The most interesting question: how many sampling contacts become buyers? The answer is complicated because measurement is hard. But we have three ways to measure it.
Method 1: coupon redemption. When we distribute a discount coupon together with the sample, we measure redemption in retail. The Swiss average:
| Coupon type | Redemption rate | Best case |
|---|---|---|
| CHF discount (e.g. CHF 1 off product) | 9.2 % | 15 % |
| % discount (e.g. 20 % off) | 7.1 % | 12 % |
| Free product with purchase | 12.8 % | 22 % |
| Digital coupon (QR code) | 4.3 % | 8 % |
The surprising lesson: free-product-with-purchase coupons have the highest redemption. "Buy 1, get 1 free" works better than "CHF 2 off", even though the economic value is similar. Psychology beats maths.
Method 2: POS uplift. For campaigns with POS promotion, we measure sales uplift versus the previous week. Average uplift in the campaign week: +35 % to +80 %. Two weeks after the campaign: still +10 % to +20 %. After that, sales normalise.
Method 3: self-reported purchase intent. On some campaigns, we survey sample recipients via follow-up (QR to a short survey). Result: 28 % of respondents state they bought the product after the sampling. This number should be treated with caution (recall bias) but sits in line with the coupon data.
Our benchmark for conversion rate (sample-to-purchase): 15-25 % for established FMCG brands. 8-15 % for new products. 25-35 % for love brands with coupon.
When to sample? Timing benchmarks
Timing has a huge influence on contact numbers. Our data shows clear patterns.
Weekday:
| Day | Index (Tue = 100) | Comment |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 95 | Slight lag, commuters are rushed |
| Tuesday | 100 | Baseline |
| Wednesday | 102 | Stable |
| Thursday | 108 | Best weekday |
| Friday | 98 | Early end of day, weaker afternoon |
| Saturday | 115 | Highest frequency (shopping malls) |
Thursday is the best weekday for train station sampling. Saturday beats every day at shopping malls. Monday is the weakest because commuters are more stressed at the start of the week.
Time of day: the three peaks are stable across all locations: 7:30-9:00 (morning rush), 11:30-13:00 (lunch break), 17:00-18:30 (after work). Morning rush delivers the highest contact density but the shortest interaction time. After work delivers fewer contacts, but people are more relaxed and take their time.
Season: September to November is the strongest sampling season. Weather is stable, people are back from holiday, and the Christmas season is ahead. January and February are weak (cold, New Year's resolutions). July and August are mixed (many on holiday, but festivals deliver peak values).
How to use this data for your planning
All benchmarks are useless if you do not build them into your plan. Here is a concrete calculation for a typical campaign:
Example: product launch of a new energy drink
- Target: 30'000 sampling contacts in German-speaking Switzerland
- Channel: train station sampling (CPC median: CHF 2.40)
- Expected acceptance rate (beverages): 68 %
- Required approaches: 30'000 / 0.68 = 44'117
- Contacts per day and team (major station): 2'800
- Required team-days: 44'117 / 2'800 = 15.8, so 16 team-days
- Recommendation: 4 stations x 4 days = 16 team-days
This calculation takes 5 minutes. Without benchmarks, it is guesswork.
What to keep in mind during planning:
- ✅ Always calculate with the median, not best case
- ✅ Plan a 15-20 % sample buffer (damage, rainy days)
- ✅ Budget SBB stand fees separately (varies by station and location)
- ✅ Include coupon redemption in the ROI calculation
- ✅ Minimum 5 campaign days for reliable data
- ✅ Do not forget reporting costs (or pick an agency with integrated reporting)
We update these benchmarks every year based on our kyoX platform. The data is based on real campaigns in Switzerland, not international studies that are irrelevant to the Swiss market.
Want to know what your campaign will cost? Discuss your project now. We will calculate the numbers based on our benchmarks.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good conversion rate for sampling?
A good conversion rate (sample-to-purchase) is between 15-25 %. Peak values for established FMCG brands reach up to 35 %. The rate depends heavily on the product, location, and whether a coupon is used.
How much does a sampling contact cost in Switzerland?
The price per contact varies by channel: train station sampling CHF 1.50-3.50, POS sampling CHF 3.00-6.00, event sampling CHF 2.00-5.00, door-to-door CHF 5.00-10.00. Costs decrease with campaign size.
How do you measure the success of a sampling campaign?
The key KPIs: contacts per day, acceptance rate (share of people who accept the sample), coupon redemption rate, Cost per Contact and, where possible, retail uplift in the weeks following the campaign.
Which product categories benefit most from sampling?
Food and beverages have the highest acceptance rates (65-80 %). Cosmetics and personal care sit at 45-60 %. Non-food products reach 30-45 %. As a rule: the lower the trial threshold, the higher the acceptance rate.
Head of Digital & Technology at PROMOKANT. An innovative mind connecting brand activation and tech.
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