14.55 Shopping and bargaining in Mexico.

Price haggling and other bargaining behaviors among consumers have been observed for a long time. However, research addressing these behaviors, especially in a real-life setting, remains relatively sparse. A group of researchers recently performed a small study to determine whether gender or nationality of the bargainer has an effect on the final price obtained.¹¹ The study took place in Mexico because of the prevalence of price haggling in informal markets. Salespersons working at various informal shops were approached by one of three bargainers looking for a specific product. After an initial price was stated by the vendor, bargaining took place. The response was the difference between the initial and the final price of the product. The bargainers were a Spanish-speaking Hispanic male, a Spanish-speaking Hispanic female, and an Anglo non-Spanish-speaking male. The following table summarizes the results.