From free finger food at Costo to complimentary mini-sized makeup at Sephora, companies have long depended on free samples as a powerful promotional tool. But as the clothing retailer Forever 21 recently learned, this time-tested strategy can backfire when paired with the wrong type of product. 

Forever 21 routinely includes sample items when shipping out orders to its customer base of young women. Last week one of those products was a free Atkins-branded lemon granola bar that encouraged customers Continue reading →