I absolutely hate bargaining like this, and countries where you're hounded and hassled to buy things without price tags on. For me, it's an education on how not to do business. It's quite like spam email.
Unfortunately this system just doesn't work with me. I'm less likely to go in a shop with no price tags on, because then I know I'll have to ask the shopkeeper the price of everything. It's inefficient. I guess if you grow up with the haggling you develop strategies for coping maybe, but I'm so glad to not be in a country where you have to deal with all that.
I agree that bargaining is inefficient for small transactions but it is the basis of business, everywhere in the world, regardless of whether or not there are price tags.
Ah yes, but that's thanks to the absence of information. And technology (internet especially) are filling in the missing info, and putting the middle men, a.k.a those who bargain, out of business.
The railroads did exactly the same thing with other middle men. In general, that is how markets become more efficient, by putting hagglers out of business.
Comments
I absolutely hate bargaining like this, and countries where you're hounded and hassled to buy things without price tags on. For me, it's an education on how not to do business. It's quite like spam email.
Unfortunately this system just doesn't work with me. I'm less likely to go in a shop with no price tags on, because then I know I'll have to ask the shopkeeper the price of everything. It's inefficient. I guess if you grow up with the haggling you develop strategies for coping maybe, but I'm so glad to not be in a country where you have to deal with all that.
I agree that bargaining is inefficient for small transactions but it is the basis of business, everywhere in the world, regardless of whether or not there are price tags.
Ah yes, but that's thanks to the absence of information. And technology (internet especially) are filling in the missing info, and putting the middle men, a.k.a those who bargain, out of business.
The railroads did exactly the same thing with other middle men. In general, that is how markets become more efficient, by putting hagglers out of business.
Being informed improves your ability to bargain, it doesn't negate the need for bargaining.