You Paid Retail?

There are many countries where negotiating the price of something, anything is the normal course of affairs. Buying a bag of rice, a t-shirt or a CD is an elaborate dance between the seller and the purchaser.

Typically in the United States we consider the price to be the price unless we’re dealing with big ticket items like a car or a house. The reality is that many things are negotiable.

Clearly we understand this as it relates to the internet. If I see something online I’m interested in purchasing I’ll do a quick search to see if I can find it somewhere else cheaper, or with free shipping or free pickup. But when it comes to shopping in a store most people assume that the price of an item is the only price the seller is willing to accept. And while that may be true at some retailers, it isn’t a universal truth.

Think only mom and pop stores will negotiate on price? I’ve found many national retailers are willing to negotiate as well.
So how can you tell if the retailer is willing to negotiate on price? It’s simple: Ask!

This fall I was wandering through a high end kitchenwares store. Normally I just go in to look, because for the price of a single plate at this place I can by a full place setting for 6 at IKEA.  But since my divorce I’ve been using a very cheap (but serviceable) set of pots and pans which were a gift. So when I saw an 8 piece cooking set on clearance I was interested. They were an extremely high end set of pots and pans, not something I would normally consider.

I asked an associate if I could see them (they were on the top shelf and required a ladder). As she was taking them down I was chatting her up. After inspecting the set I asked if this was the “best price”. She thought for a moment and then said “I could knock another 30% off that price“.

Grinning ear to ear, I said “If you keep that up I’m going to have to start coming in here more often just to flirt with you.” Corny? You bet! But when we got to the register she reached behind the counter and handed me a coupon for an additional $10 off.

Total savings? Over $50 before tax. And what was already a good value on clearance became an excellent value.

And that’s not the only time I’ve gotten a discount at a national retailer. To be fair, I often have much better success with paying less than retail at independently owned stores. There are a thousand techniques for this. I opt for the KISS form of negotiation. I spend a few minutes speaking with the owner or associate about the product asking questions. I compliment them on their store and their selection (I live in Austin and we have some of the coolest little shops you’ll find anywhere, so I’m not lying when I say that). If I’m interested in something I just ask “is that your best price?” That’s it. If the answer is yes, I walk out. Sometimes I’ll get stopped halfway out the door with a better offer. Sometimes not. If I make it to the door and I still want to buy it 5 minutes later, I’ll go back in and buy it.

Yes, I could probably push harder for a discount. But even with just this single question I’ve had great success. Sometimes it’s just a 5-10% discount, but on more than one occasion it’s been 50% or more. A 50% discount for asking a single question about an item I was going to buy anyway.

Why wouldn’t I ask? Better yet, why wouldn’t you?