Shoppers urged to haggle for deals
The recession has led to a rise in the number of shopkeepers willing to let bargain hunters haggle over the price of goods, a study has claimed.
Some two thirds of high street stores will give discounts to shoppers brave enough to bargain, according to moneysupermarket.com.
The study found 61% of shop owners and managers report that the recession has made them more likely to offer ‘non sale’ discounts to close a deal.
But shy British shoppers are relatively coy when it comes to the dark art of bargaining, the study found.
Almost a third (31%) of retailers said customers rarely haggle and only 15% report they have a strict ‘no discounts’ policy.
A third of shoppers said they had never tried to negotiate a price down on something they were buying, with the majority of those quizzed saying embarrassment holds them back from trying to get a better deal. Only 10% said they haggle on a regular basis.
But of those who try haggling, they report being successful on two out of three occasions and, on average, negotiated a 13.5% discount.
Just 7% of hagglers received a straight no from the retailer and 73% of people who asked for free items to be thrown in with a purchase were successful. The study claimed that consumers feel most comfortable negotiating on electronic items such as TVs, DVD recorders and stereos.
Clare Francis of moneysupermarket.com comments: “As Brits, we all love to get a great deal, but it’s not necessarily in our nature to haggle on price. This report shows, however, that many recession-hit retailers are open to negotiation – if people are brave enough to give it a go.”
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Source: http://thisismoneyback.co.uk/articles_page.php?article=Shoppers%20urged%20to%20haggle%20for%20deals
