Haggling Tips When Shopping in Markets and Bazaars
Shopping is definitely one of the things you look forward to when traveling to different countries. Huge shopping malls are not necessarily the best places to look into if your goal is to avoid spending a lot of money. There are a lot of markets and bazaars in various cities where the prices of the goods sold are not fixed. This can be a bad thing if you were given a really high price, but can be something positive if you know how to haggle. Here are some tips to help you when haggling in a foreign county.
Buy in bulk
If you decide to buy on a wholesale basis, several shop owners are willing to give you a really low price. They might earn less due to the discount, but they have sold their stocks faster. This is the tradeoff that you must be willing to give if you want a lower price. Just find something that is unique to that place so you won’t mind buying a lot.
Learn the local language
It helps if you also know some words spoken by the locals. This does not only help you avoid getting scammed, but it also endears you to the locals. They are willing to give a lower price if you can haggle in their language or at least you try to. Just make sure you don’t appear to mock them when speaking the language.
Always be willing to walk out
The first one to bat an eye definitely loses in this haggling game. In many instances, the vendors are tough. However, the moment you walk away, they will change their minds and give in to your demands. There are others though who are not going to give up even if you are already about to leave. You must be willing to walk away only if you know there are still other options out there.
Look around
There are some products sold across different stores. Take a look at the average price for these products. There are sellers that give a really low price but are no longer willing to give you a discount. Don’t write them off as their price could be the lowest it can get for that product. There are other stores that exaggerate their promotions by telling you they can drop everything by 50%. They only do it because they have a high starting price. Once you know the average cost, you won’t easily get fooled.
Don’t speak a lot
Limit your words to make you look serious about buying without necessarily looking too desperate. Avoid too much emotions. Whether you are surprised, irritated or sad, just keep your mouth shut and don a poker face.
Read reviews online
Sometimes, markets have hundreds of stalls in the same area. You might easily get lost or overwhelmed with the choices. The key is to do your research in advance. Read reviews online so you will be pointed to the best options immediately. You don’t have to spend time walking around.
With these tips, you can surely bring a lot back with you.
Photo Attribution:
Featured and 1st image from http://www.bangkok.com/shopping-market/
2nd image from http://primer.com.ph/blog/2017/12/01/shop-with-the-stars-at-the-world-bazaar-festival-2017/
