Going shopping in another country can be stressful. Here are five tips to make it easier for everyone involved.
We’ve learned a lot shopping the marketplaces of foreign countries, and have experienced many of the pitfalls and problems you may run into while shopping. Here are five tips to help you navigate through a market and have a stress free shopping day:
Protect Your Pockets
You really don’t want to have a pickpocket steal your money. Be smart about where you keep your cash. Don’t keep your money in your back pocket or your purse, because those are usually the first places they will search. Also, be cautious about cargo pockets. They are baggy enough that you may not notice someone putting their hand in them.
Never Show Your Hand
When you’re playing cards with people you are the only one who knows what cards are in your hand. You hold them close to your body and only pull out what you need when it’s needed.
While in the market, you need to treat your money as if it were your personal “deck of cards.” This includes not opening your wallet or coin purse to show all the bills inside to anyone nearby, or even pulling out a bunch of bills.
If you are going to the market to go shopping for souvenirs, supplies, or even for groceries, you should be the only person who knows how much money you have. Exercise caution when buying things at the market and never pull out all your money at once.
Plan Your Work and Work Your Plan
If you’re going to the market to grocery shop, it will make your life a lot easier if you make a list and split it up. There’s no need for your whole team to follow you around while you pick out the best papaya. Split up into teams of two or three and send people off with part of the list and their own money. Shopping will go quicker, you’ll draw less attention, and in general your life will be easier.
Learn the Art of Bartering
Unlike the United States or Western Europe, you will rarely find price tags on anything in the market. In many of the countries you are going to haggling will be a skill that you will want to acquire.
Remember that you will likely get a different price than the locals because you are Westerner. Talk to your contact about the price of things and attempt to haggle down to that price. Don’t get upset if you don’t get the same price as someone else. When haggling you don’t always know what cost you’re going to land on.
Lastly, don’t be a stubborn customer. This is how these people make a living and they don’t usually have much money as it is. So haggle a bit, but if you aren’t getting the price you want either move on or concede defeat.
Observe and Report
It is very important to see what stores the locals are going too. We usually want to avoid the long lines or crowded vendors but there is usually a reason a particular vendor is not visited. It could be bad food, prices, or something else entirely – but many times the less crowded a business is, the less likely it is you should do business with them.
If you follow these five tips your trips to the market should be a lot easier. What are other great tips for a successful shopping overseas?
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