Haggling Makes a Comeback

Many shoppers might consider haggling a buying technique better suited to a Moroccan carpet bazaar than their local mall, but the practice is picking up steam in the US in the midst of increasing economic woes, reports the Los Angeles Times. Cash-strapped consumers are trying to create bargains rather than hunt them down, and retailers stuck with unsold stock are giving sales staff more leeway to cut deals.

"Haggling is at an all-time high," noted one consumer expert. The fine art of negotiation may not come easily to everybody, but pros say shoppers should research prices, look for stock that's been around a while, be polite, offer to pay cash—and most of all remember that there's no harm in asking. (More retail shopping stories.)