I don’t know if I’ll ever get totally comfortable bartering while shopping here in Asia. I am so used to just paying the price listed on an item and leaving it at that. But here, typically, I can walk into most small shops and haggle the asking price down by about 60-70%. But you better not be in a hurry because it may take you awhile to get there! I’ve found I can get the price I want if I don’t mind walking away from the deal (or pretending to) and not being affected by some of the most dramatic performances by sales staff seen off Broadway. Even though some staff sound as though they are going through their last agonizing moments of life, they almost always accept the customer's offer in the end.
Another hint when purchasing in Asia: watch where you open your wallet! I know this isn't the case for all sales staff, but I had a guy poke his nose in my wallet to see how much money I was carrying and then up-the-price because he saw I had 'extra cash' on hand! I've learned it's best to divide the cash and store it in different pockets.Walking in a mall in China sure isn’t the same as walking in a western mall. You might say I'm easy prey for the Asians since I'm a typical western white guy who would rather give the sales person the asking price than barter the price down. I think most guys would agree with me on this point. I just have to walk by shops in most Asian markets and there can be upwards to 5 to 6 sales people calling out to me to visit their store to "just look" at their jewelry, watches, belts and clothes. Funny this doesn't happen when a woman is walking with me because, let's face it, the store owners know that most women will barter with them and typically end up with a bargain deal.
Then there's the famous underground market in Shanghai which is an experience all its own. I didn't witness this personally but I've heard when the police walk through these markets, 'callers' will run ahead of the police warning the shop owners to hide their cloned merchandise! It's quite a site watching all these shops scramble to shove racks of clothes and jewelry in the back room out of view of the approaching police.There are lots of high-end Gucci-type shops with real high-end Gucci-type prices too! You'll also see your share of discount stores and specialty shops, similar to what we have in the west. These photos were taken at a department store within a few blocks of our hotel with some pretty amazing prices: designer candles for less than $1, men's dress shirts for $4, a complete meal for $1 and rice by the bucket!
