Editor’s Note: Gotta Have It have informed us that delivery of samples will no longer be free-of-charge. Consumers will have to rate and review products to cover shipping costs, though samples themselves will remain free. The following article has been edited to reflect the change in costs.
Sampling sites are not a novelty anymore — take Sample Store, for instance. Founded in 2008 and with more than 140,000 active users, it became Singapore’s first online sampling platform that took the country by storm. Since then, more specialised sites like Preloot — a beauty sample platform — have entered the market, catering to consumers with specific interests.
If you (or your dog) love freebies, you’re in luck. Gotta Have It is a new Singapore app that offers users up to three free samples which they can choose from a selection of products. The samples will be delivered to your doorstep, though instead of forking out shipping costs, customers will pay for delivery via a point system. Like Sample Store, these points can be earned by reviewing and rating products.
Vulcan Post spoke to Gotta Have It’s Marketing and Project Executive Tizbe Tan to find out more about their exciting endeavour.
Gotta Have It’s parent company Display Concepts PL has one motto, and that is to offer client satisfaction with their in-store sampling services, as well as roadshows and mascot appearances. The concept behind these, of course, is to stay “memorable and catchy” to consumers, as Tizbe explained. And the same concept applies to their name as well.
“The name Gotta Have It was the end product of an hour-long brainstorm,” Tizbe said. “We were looking for something that would be at the top of our users’ minds. We wanted a strong slogan. So poof, we arrived at Gotta Have It! It’s memorable and catchy.”
Catchy, indeed. The app recently unveiled its updated version on Google Play and iTunes in July, which comes with a product rating and review system, points for redemption of samples, and a purchase option of full-sized products. And the products are getting better, too.
The Ability To Sample Restaurant Dishes
Gotta Have It is starting to focus on other areas besides food; they’re also offering household products and dog food samples. When I asked Tizbe what other samples they have in mind, she shared that they are preparing to include restaurant and café deals in the future. That’s right, consumers will be able to download sampler dishes from restaurants in the coming months.
With the increasing number of sampling services across the world, though, can Gotta Have It stay ahead of the pack?
One factor, in particular, points to the possibility that they might, especially in the tight labour market in Singapore: the company firmly believes that they have have the potential to ease the labour crunch by automating the promotional aspect of businesses.
“We believe we have solved a problem that may arise in the future: labor shortage. There are few to zero promoters going around the marketplace to promote products. We believe Gotta Have It will be able to close the gap and reinvent ‘promoting’ to a whole new term.”
On Raising The Bar
Gotta Have It is a small business with big dreams. During our interview, Tizbe revealed their development goals for the app.
“We would definitely want Gotta Have It to soar to greater heights, being the only app that consumers turn to for better deals and redemption of samples,” Tizbe said. “We plan to expand overseas. In five years’ time, we want Gotta Have It to be a household name not only in Singapore, but in neighboring countries as well.”
Verdict: 3.5/5
Overall, Gotta Have It does seem like an app that could take off in Singapore — everyone loves a good (or free) deal, after all. That said, with various startups already vying for a piece of the sample pie, it’s hard to say if Gotta Have It will stand the test of time.
