Luxury Sampling by Augustinus Bader: Value Anchor or Value Leak?

Recently, one of my favorite skincare brands, Augustinus Bader, launched a Vitamin C serum. I was tempted, but decided to postpone the purchase until visiting a store — £290 for 30 ml demanded a test first.

Instead, I ended up ordering their shampoo. Not long ago, it replaced my other long-standing favorite: a creamy, soft texture that cleanses beautifully and leaves hair incredibly soft and healthy. I even have a subscription for it, which brings the price down by 20% — £36 instead of £45.

At checkout, a sample of Vitamin C was added. And not just any sample — 5 ml (worth £48 based on the full-size price), which in my specific case actually exceeded the cost of my entire order. Effectively, the brand didn’t just give it away for free — they also “paid me extra” to try it. This is where it’s worth talking about Augustinus Bader’s approach to samples.

Their packaging is a small work of art. The serum, eye cream, and Vitamin C all come in miniature metallic bottles. Other products are usually offered in 5-7-8 ml tubes — which I wouldn’t even call “samples” in the classic sense, but full travel versions.

And now, some arithmetic.

• On the official website, these travel versions cannot be purchased. They are only available as checkout gifts when your order exceeds a certain amount (usually starting from £175).

• On distributor sites (SpaceNK, Cult Beauty), there are often sample sets as a gift — which is why I often shop there. The minimum spend to qualify is usually £100–£150. These sets include 3–4 travel versions in a pouch or bag, perfect for traveling.

  

  some gifts I received from distributor sites

• Curiously, the brand also produces classic testers in 1–2 ml packs. Once, at their London counter, while browsing cleansers, a consultant gave me a couple. I have also received a sample kit with three such testers with my latest order. I wasn’t given an opportunity to choose them, and I’d say only one was of interest to me. These samples are never mentioned online.

This raises some very logical questions:

1. Pricing logic: is £290 for Vitamin C justified, or is it somewhat inflated (for comparison, Dr. Barbara Sturm’s Vitamin C is £120/30 ml)? And how does giving away a £48 mini “for free” — in cases like mine, worth more than the purchase itself — anchor perceived value of the full-size?

2. Lost revenue + margin leakage: how much money does the brand lose by handing out full travel sizes instead of letting customers buy them before committing to a full-size? It’s not just free — in many cases, like mine, it’s free plus extra.

3. Missed customer conversion: how many potential fans are lost because classic testers (1–2 ml) are not systematically offered to choose from? These are the safest and cheapest way to spark trial and could convert far more clients.

4. Profit leaks to distributors: how much margin does the brand forfeit by pushing clients to shop via retailers (who offer smarter sample bundles) rather than directly on their own website?

Such aproach echoes something I see often: neglect of the final, yet most important, link in the customer journey. That moment when a one-time or accidental client could be turned into a loyal one — but isn’t.

P.S. Do we need a case study on how to make the most of testers, trial sizes, and travel versions? In brands like this, the sums lost can be striking — not only in revenue, but in missed chances to convert curious first-time users into loyal, long-term clients.