Chinese Shopping Mall 101: Xidan District, Beijing

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• published: 06 Jan 2015
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In Beijing, one of the most famous shopping districts is called Xidan. Xidan is host to large indoor malls that have eight to nine (sometimes more and sometimes less) vertical levels stacked one on top of each other and filled with various little boutiques featuring an assortment of clothing styles. These boutiques, each about the size of a one-bedroom, are squished between one another on a single floor and often managed by one to two people who are in charge of haggling with customers. "Haggling," or the art of buying and selling through persuasive techniques, was one of the first things I learned about when I was in China. In the United States, when you walk into a department store and pick something out, you have to pay the price on the tag. There is no exception, and not many people give it much thought; there is a clear acceptance of the market price. In China, however, it's a whole 'nother story. In shopping malls like these, one is able to negotiate with the seller to lower the price. Because there are so many boutiques selling similar items, there is a great deal of competition among all of the sellers for a buyer's attention (and ultimately, money). So, if a buyer wants to purchase something from a seller, they can take advantage of the competitive atmosphere between the sellers and haggle the price down. Proper step-by-step haggling techniques include the following: 1. Ask for the price on an item that you see but feign interest in (the most interested you are in the item, the more leverage the seller has in keeping up the price) 2. Initially, nonchalantly ask for a lower price, like 50% less than what the seller has told you (so if the seller asks for 100 yuan, the equivalent to USD $16, for an item, you can say, "I'll give you 50 yuan, or $8, for it." [[Fun fact: in the marketplace of buying and selling yuan and kuai mean the same thing, but many sellers use the term "kuai" instead of the proper term for the currency which is "yuan." Sometimes you will also hear the term "quian," which is the Mandarin term for "money."]] 3. The seller will look at you with utter disapproval and perhaps even slight disgust (it's all a game of facial expressions and wit, I tell you!) and probably say something along the lines of "No way, Jose," and then stick with the original, inflated price. [[Fun fact: One thing also important to keep in mind is that if you are a foreigner in China, most sellers will increase the price of a good 2-3 times its initial rate because they think you have more money than the average Chinese customer. Because of this stereotype, foreign folks should be more willing to haggle down the price to get their monies worth. If you feel uncomfortable haggling, bring along a friend who is well trained in it, and it'll make things a lot easier. I speak from experience.]] 4. If the price the seller gives you a second time isn't something that you want to pay (or is a price that, in your opinion, isn't equivalent to the actual value of the good), shake your head and walk away from the item and the booth itself. **This "walk-away/ I'm-not-interested-anymore" technique works on many occasions; the seller than yells a lower price at your back as you walk away, or chases after you to ask for another round of negotiation. At this point, you can either re-engage with the seller in the "haggle" dance, or move on and continue your shopping spree at another boutique. At the end of the day, you have a choice in what price you pay for the good you're interested in. Mastering the art of haggling will help you pay less for more stuff and get your money's worth in Chinese markets. As for me, I could never properly haggle due to my poor Chinese language skills and my inability to play the game or dance the dance. Thankfully, I was behind the camera the entire time, so I could merely observe instead of engage. It was a lot easier this way. Special thanks to my fellow exchange students in this video for embarking on this awesome adventure with me! #NewExperiencesForDayz #GilmanScholarship #BeijingChina