The key to bargaining is tact. I am certainly not suggesting you walk into the mall and pick up a $70 bottle of perfume and say loudly “I’ll give you $10 for it!”. You’ll likely get some rude comments and rolled eyes, and if you persist, a visit from the friendly mall security guard! Most people think of bargaining as something you do at thrift stores and flea markets- But, there are situations when a little bargaining is appropriate at a retail location.
If you encounter one of the situations we will outline below, a little bargaining may be fine, and advantageous to both parties. The first thing you need to do is figure out what sort of retail location you are in. If you are in a mom and pop shop, where the owner is on the premises and is available to approve bargaining, that’s a good thing. Otherwise, you’ll need to talk to the manager on duty. Sometimes managers don’t have the authority to further discount an item, even if it is damaged. But often they do. Sometimes at larger stores, Customer service associates have the power to discount. If the store has a customer service counter, start there. Smile, be friendly and polite. Nothing will get you further than being nice in situations like this. The whole flies and honey bit- its really true. No one’s gonna go out of their way to do something for someone who’s irritating them!
For clothing: Item has a flaw, stain, tear, pull, makeup marks, missing button, broken zipper, etc. Only buy things you know you can fix (or are pretty sure you can!), otherwise, you’ll end up with something unusable.
For furniture, appliances, household goods: Item has a scratch or dent, chip, etc. Sometimes you can get appliances that have a dent for up to 30% off (some large appliance stores even have scratch and dent outlets, or at least a section in the store of already discounted cosmetically challenged items). My clothes dryer has a small dent on the side that faces the wall. We got over a $100 discount for a dent that nobody can see. (We also had a coupon for the appliance outlet that saved us an additional 10%.- appliance outlets are great!)
Floor models: as these will generally show some minor wear from being handled by prospective buyers. They may or may not have boxes, batteries may be worn down, etc. You can generally order an extra manual from the manufacturer if the original has been misplaced- or sometimes they are available at the manufacturer’s website.
One of the principles of bargaining is that “he who names a price first loses”. A good way to go about it is to speak to the manager or owner and tell them you noticed a flaw on the item. Point out the flaw and say you’re still interested (this works especially well if it’s the last one of the item, otherwise, a manager will usually just point you towards the undamaged items). Ask if there is a policy for discounting items that are flawed. If he states an immediate policy, generally its best to accept or deny the offer and move on. If he hesitates and seems to make up a discount out of thin air “Ummm.. How about 10% off?”… you’re usually OK to respond. “Well, I was hoping for 25%” You might be surprised. Often managers are willing to deeply discount items just to make more room on the selling floor or in the stock room. The manager may offer you 50% or more, so try to let him name his price first. Some stores don’t allow the sale of damaged merchandise, it must either be sent back for credit or disposed of.
Truthfully, the only time I really use this tactic is when I’m interested in a damaged item that is the last one on the shelf. You can use it any time an item is damaged- but it can be time consuming, and unless you are super polite, I think it can come off as a little rude in the retail environment. I have used the tactic quite a few times when looking at an item that is the last one available or a floor model. I’ve witnessed some ugly scenes though, were a customer was loudly demanding 50% off because a corner of a tag was torn, or there was a stain (that strangely, no one else could see!) or something equally silly. Use good judgment and be reasonable. Don’t act like you’re begging, and no whining or loud voices please. Ask a reasonable question or make a reasonable offer. If they refuse, thank them and move on. A discount is not worth raising your blood pressure over!
I once needed a certain kind of litterbox for my cat. The pet store had it for $19.99. The discount store had just one for $12.99, but the top had a crack in it. I went to customer service and told her it was the last one, and she immediately offered to discount it to $5. (A good example of why its best not to offer a price, I would’ve offered her $10, as I knew it was easily fixable) A piece of clear duct tape made the top like new and I ended up saving 75% off the pet store price.
Another time, there was a vacuum cleaner that was on sale at a national department store. The only one left was the floor model, and it had no box and just a tiny bit of wear from being tried out. I asked if I could buy the floor model, and the manager offered me half of the sale price, which was again about 75% off retail. It was one of the bagless types, which I highly recommend. You never have to worry with bags and you can dump the container after each vacuum. He also kindly pointed out that the accessories for this model were being clearanced as well, so I stocked up a couple of replacement belts at 75% off. (Its not a good idea to purchase a discontinued model of something that needs regular replacement parts unless you know the company is going to continue to make the parts. (Or you can stock up on belts, bags, etc. when you buy the item) In this case, the store was just discontinuing the model, the manufacturer was still making it. It may still be worth buying something discontinued anyway if the item is super cheap, but its something to consider. Its also better if just a model is being discontinued versus the company going out of business. If just the model is being discontinued, you can at least still talk to customer service for parts, service, etc.)
Another time its OK to ask for a discount is if you’re buying in large quantities or for a charity cause. Both is even better. Again, speak to the manager. If you’re buying for an organization or charity, (ex: you need to buy baseball caps for volunteers at a charity concert, you’re buying spaghetti for a youth group dinner fund-raiser, you’re buying dog food for a rescue group, or 10 sleeping bags for Scouts) Go speak to the manager, take a business card, a brochure from the organization you’re representing, some kind of documentation so the manager can be sure you are legitimate. Offer to mention the store’s name in the event program, or on a banner, etc for free advertising in exchange for a discount or donation. If you’re buying in bulk, ask for a quantity discount. For instance, if your whole wedding party is renting tuxes from one location, see if they’ll throw in the groom’s tux free. (Write thank you notes for large discounts to charities, they’ll be more willing to help out again in the future)
It’s definitely not always appropriate to bargain at retail stores, but it’s not as uncommon as you’d think either. When finding a damaged item or a lone floor model, work up the guts to ask at customer service, or talk to a manager. Good retail personnel realize that moving a damaged item at a discounted price is a lot better than it sitting on their sales floor for another month. The worst they can say is “no”, right?
