SolveYourProblem
Article Series: Shopping
Give Me Some Smart Shopping Tips
How
To Bargain Even At Local Retail or Department Stores
When you got together with your girlfriends
last month, you were riveted by one of their descriptions of
how she was able to score brand-name merchandise for a fraction
of the marked price. You might be wondering just how to go
about making these great buys for yourself, but you might be
a bit hesitant. After all, your friend might be a bit savvier
at sniffing out bargains than you are – or is she?
As a matter of fact, everyone can get great deals at the local
stores. Here are some wise ways to bargain even in your local
retail or department store.
A
price tag does not a gospel message make. Take a look at
the tag, and more often than not you will see the notation
“suggested retail price.” This little note is the entire license
you need to get in bargaining mood. For example, let’s say
you see a great scarf at a department store. You might remember
that you saw a similar scarf at another store for a bit less.
Go ahead and find a sales floor manager or assistant manager
and bring this fact to their attention, and let them know that
you would like to purchase this scarf, if they will bring down
the price to the same level as you saw it at the other store.
Find
a manager or other supervisor to bargain with. Keep in
mind that salesclerks behind the register do not usually have
the authority to mark down any items. If no manager or supervisor
is visible, you might want to ask, but if the answer is negative,
then ask for a manager to be called with whom you can discuss
the issue. The trick is to be respectful and non-confrontational.
Remember that just like you have every right to ask for a lower
price, the store personnel have every right to deny your request.
Before going shopping, go
online and look for coupons. You
will be surprised to find out how many department stores offer
coupons on their websites. These coupons are not available
inside the store, and even if you hold a department store credit
card, there is no guarantee that you will receive them in the
mail with your statement. Rather than leaving these possible
bargains to chance, be proactive and go look for them. While
you are online, go ahead and also check out the websites of
manufacturers that you might run across. For example, if you
are in the market for a good pair of tennis shoes for your
son, go visit Adidas’ website and see if there are some online
coupons you can print out. Your department store will honor
them, and they might translate into some pretty big savings!
Use layaway to your advantage. If you find something, such
as a brand name toy, that you know will be a desired item over
the Christmas, go ahead and put it on layaway. When you get
home, check on the Internet to see if you could get it elsewhere
for less. Similarly, do check for online manufacturer and retail
store coupons. If you can find either deal, go back and reclaim
your item and bargain with the information you found.
As you can see, there are plenty of wise ways to bargain even
at a retail or department store. All it takes is a bit of know
how, the ability to ferret out some deals on the Internet,
and the willingness to discuss this matter with a person in
charge at the store. This little bit of knowledge can literally
save you hundreds of dollars every year!
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SolveYourProblem.com
: 2008
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