One of my favorite activities to do while traveling is shopping! I don’t mean shopping at malls or high end shopping strips. I love shopping at local markets and evening bazaars. As soon as you turn the corner, these shop owners know you are not a local and talk you into stepping into their shop. Once you’re in, they raise the prices depending on where you are from or how you’re dressed. And then, my favorite part…the bargaining! If you’re new to shopping and bargaining, here are several tips that might help you to become a successful bazaar shopper!
1 When you see something that catches your eye, don’t show excitement or enthusiasm about that particular item. Just look around and maybe even skip the item you want and come back to it. Going directly to and touching the item you like the most at the shop is a No-No! Once they know that you like something very much, they won’t budge on the price.
2 When you start to bargain, ask first for the price of something else that you don’t plan on getting. Ask about an item that is similar size to what you actually have you’re eye on. After they tell you the price, you can respond that it’s way too high and keep looking. Next, ask for item you really wanted in the first place. Not only will you get an idea of the price ranges, you’ll also see that the price of the second item will usually be less than the first. Now, think of a reasonable price that your willing to pay for that item and start bargaining!
3 Take out the cash you are willing to pay for the item…the amount you are bargaining for. Once they see the money up front, they are more likely to give into the last pitch of the bargain a little sooner. Also, paying with cash is the way to go with small markets and vendors. Even though now a days, some shop owners may take credit cards, they are likely to bump up the price because of the fees attached to it.
4 If you’re traveling in groups, ask for a group discount for buying several items together. For example, if three people in the group wants to purchase a bag each or several t-shirts or souvenirs, ask for a reduced price per piece rather than buying separately. Vendors are more likely to give you a discount price if you buy more than one piece at their shop. Once you have a total of all the products your group plans on buying, try to round down once again:)
Continue Reading Bargaining Tips and Hacks….
5 If there are other customers in the shop besides you, hold off on bargaining until they leave. Shop owners do not want other naïve tourist customers to know that they can also bargain! Keep looking around at different items and listen to the prices being offered to the other tourists. Once they have left the shop, then you can start bargaining for what you have your eye on. Some vendors might even get a little agitated or upset when you bargain in front of other tourists.
6 If you do not plan on buying an item, don’t stay too long or bargain too much. It’s okay to skim through and get an understanding of the prices. Once you spend a lot of time inside the shop and bargain for for several items, it becomes rude to leave without buying anything. If you can’t find something you like, move on. The more time you spend there, the more likely you are to buy something, even if you don’t like it 100 percent. There will be plenty more shops and even better deals along the way.
7 Do not purchase any souvenirs close to any big monuments or tourist attractions. You may think you can’t get the souvenir of the attraction elsewhere and be highly tempted to buy it right away. However, keep in mind that anything sold near tourist areas are likely to be extremely over priced. I bought a Taj Mahal statue from the vendors near the Taj, because they told me it was made there and I wouldn’t be able to get it anywhere else. They even had a man sitting outside, working on making the statue (or at least that’s what they made it look like). Later the next day, I saw the same statue for half the price by a street vendor at another location. Lesson learned.
8 That leads me to the next bargaining tip on the list. Don’t believe everything vendors and shop owners tell you. Majority of the items at these kind of shops are not hand made at home by their grandmothers, like they might tell you. They come in bulk from bigger distributors and you can find the same ones down the block or even in a neighboring city. The vendors might also ask you where you’re from and what you do to get an idea of how to sell to you. They also do this to make conversation and to keep you longer inside the store. (See number 6) They will compliment you and tell you “just for you, I will make it only $$ much….” Don’t give into it.
9 And last but not least, the game changing bargaining tip of all… Don’t be afraid to walk away. If you are bargaining for a fair price and the vendor is not budging, simply walk away. Had the price you stated was fair enough, they will call you back and agree to the your last price. If they don’t call you back….well, now you know. Next time, don’t bargain so low!
Even though I love getting a good bargain, I am careful on who I bargain with. If I see that the owner of the shop is there and working hard, I usually don’t bargain too much. When you bargain, you have to keep in mind that this is probably their mainstream income. A extra few bucks, which may be pocket change for us, can put food on the table for a whole family. Remember that some of these people live from their day to day earnings, especially in less fortunate countries.
On the other hand, the employees who go into each others stalls and borrows items from the nearby stall are working together, for someone else. The owner of that stall might possibly even own the whole shopping strip! With these kinds of stalls, I say bargain away! Just be sure to know your limits and respect the employees and owners, regardless of where you are 🙂
Now that you have read all my market bargaining tips and hacks, you’re ready for your next evening bazaar shopping spree! Do you have any tips that are not on my list? Comment below and let me know!
My favorite places to bargain is India and in other Asian countries. Check out all my Asia related posts here!
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