In this article the idea is presented that the price you see in a store is "an offer ... not set in stone." From "In weak economy, old-fashioned haggling is back" (Seattle Times):
Haggling — it's not just for flea markets anymore.
"My wife thinks I am nuts, as I view retail prices as list (prices) that are quite negotiable," says Richard Hughen, vice president for sales and marketing at CSA Medical, a Baltimore-based medical-technology company. "Many times they, in fact, are."
With the weak economy persuading more people to shop hard for bargains, many seem to be resorting to good old-fashioned haggling. Not only is technology making it easier, thanks to Web sites that make comparison shopping a breeze, but some stores are even taking tiny steps to encourage it.
...
"I've been to plenty of Third World countries; I know how haggling works there," says Yair
Flicker, co-founder of Baltimore-based SmartLogic Solutions, a software and consulting outfit. "It seems to be this big secret that people don't know about, that you can actually go to these big-name stores and work out a price."
...
[W]hen it comes to bargains, there seems no substitute for good old-fashioned gumption. Most people would never dream of going into an electronics store and bartering over the price of that digital camera they've always wanted. Which could mean that those who do automatically gain an upper hand.
On a related topic, Diane Levin posted about bartering: Will mediate for beer: as times get tough, locals turn to bartering.
Image credit: ImageAfter.com.
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