How to Haggle and Save: 5 Key Moves

Haggling is no longer limited to flea markets and car dealerships. With consumer spending down more than 10 percent from December 2007 to last December — its steepest drop since 1968 — you can now dicker over cashmere sweaters or even home-theater components at major retailers. "In this economy, everything’s negotiable," says Britt Beemer, author of The Customer Rules. Below, ways to wrangle down the price on just about anything.

Deal with decision makers. Usually, only commissioned sales folk are authorized to give discounts. If yours can’t, ask to speak to a manager. Albert Ko, founder of bargain-hunting Web site Cheapcheapcheap.com, often tells salespeople he wants to help them out. At Best Buy recently, he did just that — while helping his dad score 10 percent off a 52-inch TV. It’s win-win: They give on price, and he buys the item there and not via an Internet discounter. (A Best Buy spokesperson says that while haggling isn’t the norm, "managers are empowered to react to local market needs.")

Bring comps. Many stores have price-match guarantees. But have proof. If the difference is 20 percent or greater, stores are more likely to call the competition to verify the price, Beemer says.

Watch your attitude. Don’t waste people’s time. If you put a salesperson through serious negotiations, be prepared to buy. And leave the big stick at home. Herb Cohen, author of You Can Negotiate Anything, suggests this softer-touch approach: "I told my spouse/mother/accountant that I’d only spend X, and I just can’t go over that. Is there any way you can help me out?"

Ask about unadvertised deals. Are there coupons in the register drawer? Any Internet-only promotions? Salespeople may let you use a store computer to buy a cheaper item on the Web site, even though workers on commission generally won’t get their cut unless the item is shipped to the store.

Work the margins. The more you buy, the better your bargaining power. So don’t ask for 30 percent off a single $20 item. Try for 20 percent off a $3,000 TV, says Ko — or ask the sales guy to throw in a pricey connecting cord or to deeply discount a service contract, since both are high-margin items. Just forget about discounters like Wal-Mart and Costco, says Patricia Edwards, founder of retail consultancy Storehouse Partners. Their margins are already razor thin.