Survival guide to China, Part 2: Shopping

Shopping in China is so different from how it's done in western countries, that it pays to have a survival guide. Chinese shopkeepers are very passionate towards each and every sale and nothing less is expected from the buyer. Let's start with something that's virtually unknown in the Western hemisphere – haggling.

When you go shopping, whether in bazaars, alleys, marketplaces or small boutiques, prepare to spend some time there to bargain. You might have to sacrifice as long as half an hour just to slash a few euros off the price and you might feel both your voice and blood pressure rising, but it's all part of the process. You'll probably get the best results if you say you're dissatisfied over a product, dismissing the best silk jacket you've seen like some kind of Salvation Army reject while offering to buy it for, oh, about 30 to 70 percent of what the seller's offering. Remember to stay polite, though, and never lose your cool.

If the shopkeeper doesn't buy into this act, your last option might be to calmly walk away to make it appear that you're never ever going back to look at the merchandise again. Yes, calmly walk away and see how fast the seller comes after you, because that shows how willing they are to accept the price you're offering.

Haggle, if not for yourself, then for the next Westerner who comes into the shop after you. If you think you can spare yourself the pain by not bargaining and decide to pay the full price, the next Western person to come through the shop doors will be offered the same merchandise at an even higher price. The Chinese seller might actually also be disappointed that selling to you took such a short time and have some not so very flattering thoughts about your IQ. In the newer department stores and malls, there's no place for bargaining. The owners of these places are rarely ever behind the cash register, so it's no longer a matter of honor for the salespeople to get you to buy.

China is home to some fo the biggest shopping malls in the world. (Image: Radio86)In department stores, the service is nevertheless as personal as in the smallest alley shops. In the prime shopping malls in Beijing and Shanghai, it seems there are at least as many salespeople as customers. In the ladies' wear section, you might suddenly have five salesladies all trying to help you come up with a new look. You might even end up feeling like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman as you decide to buy a whole ensemble rather than just the original jacket you were looking at. Your bank account might look a little worse for wear after a visit to a trendy shop, but with salesladies escorting you all the way to the front door and with the quality of customer service you've received, you'll still walk away with a smile.

Sometimes, though, customer service Chinese-style can be nothing less than suffocating. In the fresh produce section, you'll find yourself with at least two very willing “helpers” who will help you pick a kilo's worth of mandarins even though you only wanted to buy a couple. Rejoice in the fact that buying food in China won't land you in bankruptcy.

It's also good to know that paying for your purchases in department stores might get a bit complicated. After you've decided what to buy, the seller will pack it for you and give you a slip of paper which you're supposed to hand to another person sitting in booth somewhere. This is the person you have to pay to and who will give you the receipt. You then go back to the original saleslady who's holding your package hostage and claim it with your receipt.

Space and choice, what more can you ask for? (Image: Radio86)And if you think you'll be free of sellers when at Chinese tourist spots, oh, you'd be so wrong. There is always some hawker, whether in Tian'anmen Square or at the Great Wall, pulling on your sleeve to try to sell you something. Remember that tip about never losing your cool? Well, for these people, that doesn't apply. Politeness and courtesy just don't work if you want to be able to move on. The same can be said for those people who try to entice you to see some art show somewhere, because the show is almost certainly the trunk of someone's car filled to the brim with cheap copies of masterpieces.

Shopping in China is always an experience, but with some common sense, the result is almost always some good bargains. Plus, you get all these wonderful stories to tell your friends back home.