Bargaining is acceptable in most Chinese stores, except in the supermarket or some shopping malls in which the goods have clear fixed prices and the staff are not allowed to grant discretionary markdowns.
When facing tourists, sellers will almost always raise the price of the products, normally doubling it, or sometimes making it 5 or 10 times higher in some souvenir shops. Try bargaining every time you shop; you may get a great price reduction and it’s great fun when it’s done right!
Here is a short video, showing the fastest, best, freestyle bargaining:
So, after watching the video, we should know that when facing some stubborn shopkeepers, we need to keep going, be persistent, and you’ll come out on top in the end! Here are some tips for good ways to bargain in China:
Preparation
Bargaining is a little time-consuming and sometimes troublesome, so being fully prepared is very necessary – however, there is no need to be nervous. First, you should visit many different shops and markets to get a general idea about the reasonable average price of the things you want to buy and compare the quality.
Practice
In bargaining with the seller, stay relaxed but always polite. Be patient and unflappable to facilitate the bargaining process. There are some skills that can be used in the course of bargaining:
1. Cut down considerably from the asking price.
The shopkeeper often charges higher prices than the actual value of the goods. Try to reduce the price to half of the asking price, and then spend some time on further negotiation. Generally, the basic rules and conditions of bargaining in different shopping areas are different, so you should know them first in order to make comparisons. Then you can bargain and arrive at a good price that will enhance your shopping experience.
2. Never express how much you like the things you want to buy, as the seller may use this information to jack up the price.
Pretend to be casual and indifferent while strolling around in the shops.
3. Try to find and point out as many flaws as possible in the product.
The seller will always describe its excellence and will avoid talking about blemishes, but no product is completely perfect, and you should learn to identify all the flaws in order to gain bargaining leverage. In response, the seller may reduce his asking price.
4. Take some time when choosing and comparing the goods before you propose the price you wish.
In this situation, the seller may compromise with you.
5. Pretend to walk away. Generally, this skill works quite well in most shopping places.
If the price proposed by the seller is still unacceptable and outside your budget, you can use the walk away technique. Usually, you will be called back again, and the price you offer may be accepted by the shopkeeper.
6. Paying with small change is preferred.
Do not show money of large denominations, and keep your small change separately in your pockets. Otherwise, the seller may hike the price when he discovers that you can afford the price he or she asks.
7. Try to wear plain clothes without jewelry.
If your clothes and ornaments make you appear to be rich, the price proposed by the seller will accordingly be a little higher. But this is not a must and should not prevent you from being yourself.
8. Speaking a little Chinese may be very helpful.
To overcome the language obstacles when communicating with the Chinese shopkeeper, you will benefit from learning some everyday Chinese phrases about shopping like ‘nǐ hǎo（你好）’ (Hello!), ‘duō shǎo qián?（多少钱）’ (How much?) as well as ‘piányi diǎn （便宜点）?’ (Can you give me this for cheaper?).
Do not worry about speaking Chinese fluently. A calculator or a paper and pen held in the seller’s hand may ease the communication of prices between you.
9. Pretend you bought this product before, and tell the shopkeeper: how much you bought them, and ask them to offer you the same price.
Make sure that you get the things you buy at prices you are satisfied with, and that the products are flawless and the ones you prefer. It is possible that you will take pleasure in practicing the exciting art of bargaining.