I must admit, I have a natural affinity for bargaining. But even if bargaining is not one of your instincts, with proper training, you can bargain in Beijing.
Like an Olympian, you must train yourself mentally before you step foot into your ‘shopping meet’ or you will be disqualified and taken advantage of immediately.
In Beijing, shopping is a friendly competition and you will build camaraderie along the way. But if you want to get the best possible price, you are going to get a mental workout.
Keep in mind, the people who staff the booth are experts at this, and no matter what you pay or what they tell you, they are making a profit. They know how to turn their lips down and pout.
Exercise your Olympic Shopping Skills with the following Training Tips:
• Technique Training – Act confident (even if you are not) when offering you a price. Start very low. Very, very low. Obscenely Low like 90% less than they are asking. Don’t hamper your own performance by showing uncertainty.
• Attitude –If you feel you aren’t good at bargaining, you won’t be. Practice with items you don’t care if you get so you will know how to do it with items you really want. Do not feel obligated to buy anything.
• Form – Again, if you present yourself without good form, you will pay far more than you have to. Look like you do this everyday. Think about the asking price as if it is the top dollar at Neiman Marcus or Harrods. If you would like to pay more than you have to, go ahead.
• Focus – Do not appear wishy-washy. Keep your eye on the finish line (your final offer which really is much, much lower than the asking price – you can always go up)
• Endurance – Don’t give up, 90% of the time, they will give in.
I guarantee you the easier the negotiation; the more you are being ripped off.
More Tips:
• If the merchant leaves and comes back with ‘another one’ in plastic, check it. It might not be the same quality as the item you were seeing.
• Be ready to walk – 90% of the time they will not let you leave their booth. They’ll grab you by the arm to come back and if they don’t, you’ll walk away feeling like you gave it your all.
• Know the currency denominations.
• Have separate wallets to pay for things and do not keep much money in it.
Beijing is a shopper’s paradise. There is the Cotton Market, Xiushui Silk Market, Hongiao, Pearl Market, and the weekend Panjiayan to name a few; bargaining skills are essential though it can be taxing.
The markets are like obstacle-ridden courses, you are trying to browse and they are trying to usher you into their booths and I mean aggressively.
If you show any interest at all a salesperson will grab your arm saying, “Come see.”
Before you have a chance to even look around you’ll hear, “You like?”
Each merchant is competing for your business and at the first sign of interest, they will take your arm to try to steer you to their booth.
Once you walk in, you aren’t getting out of there without at least negotiating for something.
If you are firm and say, “NO,” it is over, but if you are the least bit unsure, they are like a pet following you.
It can be overwhelming or fun.
There are two universal expressions I found every Chinese merchant knew how to say and that is, “You crazy” (always very rhetorical), and “You killing me.”
“You killing me,” is often said with a “Lady, you killing me” or “Man, you killing me,” but the direct translation is “You are getting close to what I will sell this for…”
If the item is too big… they will say no problem.
If the item is too small, no issue.
Too blue, here it is in another shade
Just like in the Olympics, you don’t make it until you make it; in the sport of bargaining, there is no deal until there is a deal, and even then you must have exact change or you will get ripped off.
If you give yourself time, with each purchase you will pay less and less. By the time you leave you will feel like you are at the peak of your game!
Though you won’t go home with a Gold Medal, your ‘winnings’ will be victory enough!