I’ve grown up with haggling (my parents mostly)… and it’s interesting to see people’s reactions when you talk about asking for a discount or haggling.
Big Retail Chain Stores are not haggle-friendly
I always sort of assumed that in big retail stores, chains like Target or Wal-Mart, you cannot haggle on prices.
In those stores, I just pay full retail (which.. by the way, is quite cheap as is.).
For the most part, that’s true that you can’t haggle on prices.
They are prices set by corporate, and cashiers don’t have the ability to offer even a 10% discount. And if they did, all of the low margins of those stores goes down the drain, and quality may drop, etc.
I don’t bother quibbling over $1 store items either.
What’s the point? Just pay the $2. If it was $20, I’d reconsider, but not for $1.
My NYC Necklace story
I was in New York when I saw this really cool necklace but it came as a set with earrings. I liked the necklace because it was something like gold flecked turquoise, but it wasn’t real stone.
Anyway, they had priced it at $27 and I went to the counter to ask for a discount on the product if I could just buy the necklace alone, without the earrings.
(They were an independent store by the way)
They told me: No can do.
I asked why.
They said because they come as a set, and the earrings are actually free with the necklace.
I called their bluff and told them:
- I didn’t want the earrings because I didn’t have pierced ears
- The store already had a bin of loose sets of earrings that were going for $4 – $5 they could put the earrings in
- The earrings were INCLUDED in the set with the necklace, which meant they had an added cost to the overall price
They decide to go ahead with their bluff and told me it was all or nothing. $27.
I asked for a 10% discount then. Nope, no hope of even a 10% discount.
They thought I was some country bumpkin tourist in my walking outfit who was going to buy it even if they didn’t want to give me a discount.
I held the set in my hand a bit longer, and it was in that moment I quickly re-evaluated my priorities:
- Did I really want this necklace? Yes.
- Am I willing to pay $27 for a necklace? No.
- Do I need this? No.
- Can I find something better? Possibly. It was New York after all.
- Are they even open to wanting to compromise to do business? No.
That sealed it for me.
I set the necklace & earring set down on the counter and started to leave.
The funny thing was.. that they saw me leave and they started saying: Hey! Where are you going?
I turned and said: You clearly don’t want to do business with me. So you’ve lost it forever. (Never mind I was a tourist, they didn’t know that)
And left.Some may have seen that last sentence as being rude, but you weren’t there, and they were pretty rude to me in the store.
Instead of being nice or civil while I was asking for a discount, they were giving me looks and answering in an attitude like: Who does she think she is, coming in here asking for a discount? Is she poor or crazy?
There’s no need to be condescending if you have a potential customer in the store. I’m simply asking because I didn’t think a papier-mache necklace, no matter how cute, was worth $27.
I was willing to pay $20 – $24, and I was even trying to work out a compromise, telling them they could keep the earrings to re-sell to obtain the rest of the amount.
And if they had said something like: Buy one, get one free, I may have decided to buy something else, had they put the deal on the table.
People feel ashamed to ask for a discount
It’s business, and you’re not asking for their first born child.
Scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours and all that. Being nice to customers means you could have a repeat customer or one who will give fabulous word-of-mouth.
Or, even if you’re nice and throw in some small token for free, people get happy.
If you are headed into an independent store, asking for a discount shouldn’t be frowned upon, because they may be totally eager to do business with you and are willing to knock a couple of bucks off the price to move their inventory.
Who knows?
If they don’t want to really sell it, or they say that the prices are already at rock bottom, then you can make a choice to either leave, or buy it, if you really wanted it (but were just giving it a try).
Whatever it is, if they decide to give a discount or a deal, it’s on THEM to know whether they can do it or not.
If they really want your business, they’ll take it.
If not, then the ball’s back in your court to decide whether you’ll take ’em at full price (which, if it’s a “WANT” you will do).
Will I keep haggling in the future?
Yes. But I pick my battles.
I will continue to be nice when I ask for a discount or a deal, and if the store owners get belligerent or rude just simply because I’m asking, then they don’t deserve my business nor my money.
I’m the one with the power in that store, because I don’t NEED that item (for the most part), and I can always find a deal somewhere, sooner or later if I’m patient.
I won’t haggle in a dollar store. And I won’t do it in big retail chain stores. In some cases, I don’t do it if it’s really a good price and what I’d actually want to pay for the item.
With that being said, if I see an item that has a scratch on it in a big retail store, I’ll ask for a discount to give it a try.
If for any reason, any store or owner doesn’t want to give me a deal or a discount, I do a hard, quick re-evaluation of whether or not I want the item, running through my needs/wants list from above.
More often than not, I end up walking away, and finding a better deal after a bit of searching.
Win win all around.
Just a girl trying to find a balance between being a Shopaholic and a Saver.
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I ALWAYS "NEGOTIATE". AND FREQUENTLY SUCCEED IN LOWERING THE PRICE. AT KOHL'S, GOT A $125 DOWN COMFORTOR FOR $70. JUST BOUGHT A NEW SOFA, GOT A 10% DISCOUNT FOR STATING I DIDN'T WANT THE "FREE" THROW PILLOWS, ALSO GOT SOME PARTIAL FREE SHIPPING. THIS WASN'T MY BEST "FIND." BUT, IT IS DEFINITELY WORTH THE EFFORT. ALL THE VENDOR CAN DO IS SAY NO!
I've never tried to haggle in a department store. However I will try to work deals at flea markets and yard sales.
I used to be to timid to do something like that. I think this post is great and am proud you had the strength to that – especially in NY (my hometown). When items are damaged or such, I do not hesitate to ask for a discount. I also will not do business in a store, restaurant, movie theater, you name it, I will not patronage a business owner with rude or staff or improper customer service. I just canceled a dentist appt. today b/c the receptionist was nasty.
You always have a choice about letting go of your cash money – unless your getting robbed of course!
Great Post!
I love scoring discounts but I'm not a fan of people, so haggling is a learning process. I might not haggle in bigbox stores, but I will ask if there are coupons I've missed or I'll search for one on the phone just in case. It's been fun chronicling the victories. 🙂
I learned the art of haggling in Europe in East Africa where I spent a semester of college. Haggling there is expected and required. Sweet, shy little old thing from the Midwest really got a lesson in coming out of her shell if she was going to survive! I have also haggled in Europe a lot, at markets, etc. In the States, not so much — but not because I haven't asked.
It’s a real crash course for you then! 🙂 People are surprised in Chinatown for example, if you don’t haggle haha…
I try to haggle as much as possible. I don’t think its cheap or anything.
If I’m shopping at a big box mart, I’ll ask for a discount if an item is damaged but fixable (missing a button, wobbly leg). I’ll also ask if a part is missing (belt that goes with pants missing). Especially if its the last thing in my size/last item in stock. I work at American Eagle and we’ll discount a damaged item by 10%, but the drawback there is that the item is NOT returnable. Some people will go for this, some would rather pay full price and take the item that isn’t damaged.
I even haggle on things like rent. If I happen to know through some research that one apartment is renting for a higher price than comparable apartments in the area, I’ll ask the landlord if there’s any way they could come down on rent. That gets more tricky though, because some buildings will offer more amenities than others, and some are just nicer than others. That’s a case where I’d ask where that extra rent is going, and why it helps to make this particular building better to live in. Also, some landlords will reduce rent if you provide a service for them, like snow removal or lawn care. Never hurts to ask.
As far as more independent stores go, haggling is a given, I think. Especially when buying a grouping of items. Most merchants (at least in my area) are more than willing to give you a deal for buying more than one of something, especially if they form a set. Some are willing to take things out of a set and sell it to you for a reduced price. For instance you want FB’s necklace and earrings. They’re selling them separate anyways. You ask to have them split. They’ll do it, but like FB said, it would be a reduction of maybe 2 or 3 dollars – not that much but still savings. Or if you only wear one earring, some places are willing to split up sets.
Like I said, it never hurts to ask, even if you get turned down. Sometimes like a previous poster said, they’re already pretty underpriced in terms of cost to produce.
I ask for discounts at big box stores – like Future Shop for open boxes (there are usually already discounted open-box items around the store, so i know they discount this kind of item), ask if I can buy the floor model at a huge discount if the item is sold out, or if I am making a big purchase like a camera and didn't need anyone's help (I always shop around and research before hand and don't care what the person has to say about the item at that moment), ask for something small for free – like a memory card or extra ink (for a printer I bought)…I have never had problems with these kinds of things. Another example of a discount I got at a big box store – at Chapters (the biggest, boxiest book store in Canada), I really wanted a book that was a big dirty on the back cover, and even though the cover didn't effect the book at all, I asked for a discount and got 20% off! 🙂
funny, though – I am bad at haggling in countries where it is considered 'normal' to haggle – like India or China or Thailand for street-stuff…I mean, I will try to play their game, but I am sure I don' t get as good of a price as someone else might on the same items.
Haggling works especially well if you are buying a few items and are polite to the people in the store – ask nicely, and you really have nothing to lose!
No, I confess that I don't haggle, even when it's expected. If I can't afford the full price I just don't bother. I'm aware that there is another way, but I did not grow up with haggling. I think it takes more courage than I have. Pathetic, I know.
I worked for target and if something is somewhat damaged they can give you up to I think it was 15% but most of the time they would usually just give you 10 percent. If you find a mark on a shirt or a missing button and it's the last one in your size ask for a percentage off.
This is a GREAT article. I think that's the reason why half of America is stuck in this credit crisis. I haggle on anything I can with exception to big box retailers. I could not believe how many people will walk into a car dealership and go "Okay, that's the price? I guess I'll have to pay it." Which, screwed the rest of us hagglers, because when we try to haggle, they dealers knew someone else would walk in and pay the sticker price – this drove up the price of cars altogether! (Which I think they are overpriced and I'd probably never-ever buy a new car).
Oh I am ALL for haggling. Especially when I'm familiar with the staff, the first thing I say as I walk up the counter is "Okay, how can we make this happen?!" It's all about wheeling and dealing — awesome post! 😉
I do business at conventions and shows, and Sunday is often affectionately termed 'haggle day' because most people don't want to lug all their wares home (including me). A lot of times they will already be advertising dropped prices, but if you do it right, you can usually sneak in a little more of a discount. Since I'm dealing with small businesses and individuals, I don't try to fleece them, but if I can tell the merchandise has been to a few conventions (you can usually tell by the damage to the packaging or because they're selling something for a fandom that's dying out) I'll usually try to haggle a little bit more off.
I'm actually quite willing to haggle with my customers if I have good reason to do so. I won't drop money off of my regular prices if they're just buying one item, but if they want to buy two or more, I'll usually knock a buck or two off if they ask. Heck, sometimes I'll even offer a slight discount preemptively if it looks like they're waffling on two but definitely interested in one.
Ah haggling–for whatever reason it really stresses me out–but it’s worth it. But I’m currently in the midst of haggling movers for my stuff and some storage possibly–I’ve so far gotten a quote of nearly 200 euros less than the original price . . .now I’ll go back to the original company and see what they say. I may not choose the cheapest offer, by the way, there’s a company I really like that I’ll pick if they sweeten their deal a little, we’ll see. I don’t haggle food vendors or anything like that at the market, BUT many of the people I shop with often will typically throw in a little something for free once in a while since I go a lot–so I don’t really have to haggle them. I got two free rolls today when I bought my loaf of bread–I’ll go back to that baker, darn it. You won’t get that in a corporate store, by the way.
.-= Simple in France´s last blog ..Leeks, fennel and adapting to global change: dark days challenge week 11. =-.
Girl, I was with you on the haggling until you mentioned your story. You cannot haggle on a complete set (earrings + necklace). I think they gave you dirty looks and treated you that way because you came across as expecting it to be less because you won't be using one part. I'm not saying that makes their behavior permissible, but I you tip-toed audacity to ask for a discount based on that reason.
Think about a dress with a cinch belt. Would you ask for the cinch belt or the dress at a cheaper price because you just want one part exclusively? Probably not. I'm pretty sure as a cashier, I'd be appalled if someone asked me for that.
That said, next time you haggle, (and please, do not be afraid to haggle at large retail stores. They have store associate discounts) make sure it is reasonable and sincere. Reasonable in that you aren't trying to dissemble their product for its basic components, and sincere in that you don't expect them to do it, but you would like it A LOT if they did.
I’d agree with you, except that they had a whole bin of those earrings from sets that they were re-selling for $5/a pair.
They just pre-packaged the sets and sold them for $27, but didn’t have the exact blue necklace I wanted in stock, by itself that they hadn’t already packed into a plastic bag.
I don’t think it’s audacious of me, or dirty for me to ask. It was an independent jewellery store, and they didn’t seem to be all hung up on making sure sets would be sold together.
Besides, if they don’t want my money, I can just keep it. I am not going into Target, asking them to remove belts at a discount or removing earrings.
I don’t wear earrings, I saw their bins and figured: what’s the harm in asking?
They just didn’t want to do business, thinking I’d be a dumb shopaholic (perhaps like what you might be thinking of doing yourself), and buy the set anyway.
I love this post! I'm constantly working on my negotiation skills so I can use them whenever a situation like this comes up. I haggle at thrift shops and vintage stores, Craigslist postings, etc.
Love your blog, btw. Great work!
I am on the other side of the coin . I work retail in a college bookstore. I personally hate when people try to haggle with me about the price. I think it’s rude to ask for a discount in our store when there is nothing wrong with the item. Now if there is something wrong , I can talk to my supervisor and see what she is willing to do. I personally never haggle , especially not in clothing stores , unless it is a case where there is something wrong with the item and I still like the item. Overall there is a time and place for haggling on prices , and people need to be cognizant of those places.
I tend to mostly ask for a discount on items that have slight flaws, or have been opened.
Most of the time, I pay retail, unless I feel the product REALLY isn’t worth it.
Other times, people just give me a discount when I buy many in bulk. I don’t buy just one item and ask for a 10% discount. It’s a bunch of items most of the time.
I tend to have mixed feelings on haggling.
On one hand, I think it's okay in a big retailer *IF* the item is in some way damaged. Maybe it's torn at the seam, missing a belt, or the leg is wobbly. I think it's fair to ask an associate or manager (not at the counter) if the price can be reduced. I also only think its worth buying if you can fix it. When I worked retail, it wasn't unusual for us to deeply discount damaged items for customers who asked–we needed to get rid of it, and if they could use it, all the better.
As for independent stores and conventions…. I think it's a matter of how much you're asking for off. If you're asking for half price off, then I'd tell you eff off. I think if it's for a handmade item, asking for a discount can be incredibly rude–many indie sellers are already underselling themselves for the cost of materials and labor. To ask them for half off an item at that point is ridiculous. Even asking for a discount could genuinely mean not feeding them.
As for indie businesses… I'd be more inclined to ask for a discount at a big box store than a small business. Many small businesses often have a harder time competing with big store for costs because they can't purchase as much, they don't have as much traffic, etc. I'd hate to think about the amount of business they'd lose if every customer walked out because they couldn't haggle. They've still got wages to pay, rent to make, electricity to pay for.
I've got too much sympathy for the small business or designer trying to make it to try and undercut them too much– I love indie business and want them to succeed. When so many have a hard time making a profit and go under so quickly, I don't want to be part of that.
Tech stores, cars, etc– definitely go for it, especially because you do know that no one pays full price for them.
Ugh, haggling at big retail chains is probably my biggest pet peeve. Really, it's just embarrassing, for the customer and especially for the sales associate. I've seen many PF bloggers putting up posts suggesting that you should try and do this, but really it just makes me cringe. Over the last year, I've been witness to probably 10 different incidents where customers have tried to haggle with sales associates and cashiers at big stores like The GAP, J. Crew, Nordstrom, and Target. Usually, the situation does turns out well, the customer ends up getting angry and the sales associate gets flustered and upset, and everyone else standing around is witness to this embarrassing situation. Don’t get me wrong I think there is definitely a time and place for haggling, asking for a discount and renegotiating a price but it’s not at big retail chains. I think you have the right idea, FB.
I'm always afraid to try haggling. The only time I ever try to do it is if I'm buying something used from a marketplace website or if I'm at a yard sale. Maybe I should try it more in boutique stores I go in to. Thanks for the tips!
Love this post! I haggle EVERYWHERE. Often, just from the sheer guts of asking, I'll get a 10% discount (even big stores like Macy's or Nordstrom). It works for me at least half of the time!
I haggle all the time!!
My best haggling was when I bought my new laptop. I went around to all of the electronics stores in the area and asked what was the best they could do for me, then I went to the store where I actually wanted to buy the laptop and told them the offers other stores made, and I told them I would prefer to buy the laptop from them. So they matched the best offer! I ended up paying $599 for a laptop that was $1100 everywhere else!
I also haggle with the credit card people, I’ve gotten the annual fee credited back several times. One company said they couldn’t credit back the annual fee but offered me a $200 courtesy credit!
My thought is that it doesn’t hurt to ask, all they can do is say no. . .
Its cool – lots of electronic stores will match the price plus give you a discount – I've tried this a few times at big stores in Canada.
As an Asian-Australian, and an incredibly frugal one at that, I consider haggling an Olympic sport. Like yourself there are places where I would never do it – you can't haggle at department stores, there's no point haggling at thrift stores (especially cause they're all run by charities in Australia – I'd prefer to pay a bit more to a charity for goods!), etc etc.
Independent stores? Go for it. Tech stores? Go for it.
When I bought my new bedroom furniture, I didn't bother haggling the price down ($600 for a full set – pretty good!), but I did negotiate to have it delivered for free, so I didn't have to pay the $60 delivery charge. That kind of haggling I think, is more than justified!