Associated Press With vaccinations rolling out and the threat of COVID-19 easing in the U.S., stores are feeling confident enough to revive the tradition of offering free samples. Previous Next Sunday, July 11, 2021 1:00 am Retailers beginning to revive free samples ANNE D'INNOCENZIO | Associated Press NEW YORK – When Pat Curry spotted bite-sized wood-fire rotisserie chicken with portabella mushroom at her local Costco in early June, she felt “giddy.” After a 14-month hiatus, free samples were back. “It was one of the markers that told me that we turned a corner,” said the 60-year-old who lives in Augusta, Georgia. “It's the little things that you do that were taken away, and now they're back.”