Family Guide
Wednesday, 27 May 2009 08:05
Written by DW
The scenario runs like this: a foreigner (i.e., anyone who does not speak fluent Shanghainese) slows while walking past a shop selling fake North Face parkas, and the store owner comes bustling toward with more than enthusiastic two word exclamations: “You like? We have! Inside here! Come look! Blue color! Extra large? We have!” The foreigner warily asks “How much?” The shop owner quickly states an amount, to which the foreigner grimaces. So the shop owner goes through the “but for you, my friend” bit and reduces the price by about 10%.
Depending on whether the foreigner is a tourist or a seasoned Shanghai expat, there might be some haggling before the price is settled. The foreigner then walks away, delighted by their bargaining prowess, while the shop owner calls a friend who owns another shop down the lane to say, “foreigner zoning in at minus twenty steps; level two orange alert; bagged North Face seven times net.”
In case you didn’t know – the underground motto among shop owners in Shanghai is “You can always dupe a foreigner.” And while it might be considered unfair that the lighter one’s complexion and hair color, the higher the price one pays, bargaining does present its own special type of entertainment. After some time and experience, anyone -- even foreigners -- can learn the artful dance of bargaining. But don’t expect the duping to stop anytime soon.
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