How to bargain when shopping in Asia

If you are on your first visit to Asia and plan to do any shopping, get ready to learn how to bargain – something that many Westerners are not accustomed to. Hence, PassportChop.com has recently posted a short article about bargain shopping techniques to use in Shenzhen or Hong Kong. However, these bargaining techniques could be employed anywhere in Asia when shopping. 

Some of the bargaining techniques suggested by PassportChop.com include:

1. Do your research.  In other words, compare prices for similar products at different shops as well as back home. There may be instances where what your are looking for will actually cost less back home than in Asia (check out our Price Survey postings to get an idea of prices in Asia and how they compare with prices around the world).
2. Make a lower offer than you would plan to see what price the vendor will agree on.  If your target price is 50% of the opening price, start with 40%.
3. You will most definitely be made a counter offer (usually 80% of opening price).  Consider the offer and then make a 5-10% concession from your starting price. After a long pause, the vendor may cut his price even further.
4. During the bargaining process, keep smiling and keep the exchange of offers and counter-offers light and relaxed.  Remember, in most Asian cultures, showing anger in public is not considered appropriate.
5. Continue Step 3. Keep doing a give and take with the vendor until you come to an agreement on a price - usually 50-60% of original price.
6. If you still cannot get a good price, politely reject his counter offer, smile and walk away slowly.  If the vendor follows you, try to negotiate a lower price.
7. If he/she doesn’t come running after you, it is quite clear that the vendor is not making a profit at the price you want.  In other words, you now know what the real market price is for the item that you want.

Keeping the above tips in mind will save you money on your next shopping trip in Asia.