beijing Bargain guide

There's no getting away from the fact that in Beijing, bargaining is king. Outside of the department stores (and sometimes even inside) anything can be bartered down to a better price

Visiting China, most Westerners quickly become aware of what goods are really worth without the phenomenal markups imposed by Western retailers, and the sudden realisation can turn even the most frugal shopper into a glutton. To get the best bargain possible takes practice – but there are a few tricks that can be employed to make sure you get a great deal rather than just a good one:

• Do a little preparation first. If you're going shopping for something in particular, ask the concierge at your hotel, or a local, how much it should cost. And don't dress up – looking like you have lots of money won't encourage the salesgirl to give you a rock bottom price.

• When you get to the market and see what it is you want, mentally decide how much you are willing to pay for it before you start – confidence is key.

• Thats not to say that being cocky is the way to go, however. All market vendors will tell you that as soon as someone starts giving them attitude, it's over. Remember most stall workers don't get commission so it's not necessarily in their interests to sell you something if they don't want to.

• Don't be put off by the idea that if you're not Chinese or don't speak the lingo you'll automatically be charged more than the locals. 'Everybody gets a good deal these days,' says one vendor, 'because foreigners know the deal now.' More than that, Chinese vendors often favour foreign customers for their ability to decide quickly, buy in bulk and not be too fussy about quality.

• When you approach a stall or vendor, don't head straight for the first thing that catches your eye. Instead, pick up something you don't like and bargain with that first to get the price down. If a vendor knows how much you want something, they'll play on that weakness.

•The old adage that people will initially quote you three times what something's worth is generally true, but remember that it can vary from vendor to vendor. A pair of good quality jeans, that have been bought by the stall owner for 80RMB, will have a hidden lowest price of 100RMB to ensure that they make at least a 20 per cent profit. You'll be told at first that they're worth 300RMB. On the other hand, free spending tourists expecting things like Persian rugs to be expensive when they're not means you'll struggle to get the price down more than 500RMB on a 4,500RMB rug as stall owners are used to making a 70 per cent profit.

Sarah Keenlyside