The Art of the Calculator

Wednesday in Beijing was one of a kind! I designated the whole day (after my American breakfast and blogging) for Yashow shopping. Yashow is one of the many big shopping areas in Beijing but the only one where the calculator is in full force! I learned something new on this trip… that there actually is a reason the Chinese use calculators when showing you their “Best Price”.

It’s all about negotiation at Yashow. You walk in the building and see nothing but vendor after vendor of the SAME exact stuff being sold at each booth/section. You enter in on the clothing section where hundreds of young mostly female vendors wearing pink shirts are calling you over to their booth to get you to buy their clothes. There are about 5 floors full of clothes, watches, shoes, souvenirs, scarves, purses, belts, and more.

The first time is definitely overwhelming, which is why I went with Darah on Sunday, just to check it out. But this time, I was all by myself and prime target for these young professional salespeople ready to rip off tourists!

So here is how a typical negotiation works at Yashow:

Salesperson: “Lady Lady, you need pearl necklace. I have nice ones, real pearls, best quality.”
Steph: Let me take a look at what you have…. Okay I’ll take this one, how much?”
Salesperson: (Quickly whips out her calculator attached to her belt and types in the starting price but NEVER says it out loud) “Normally I charge” (shows calculator screen showing 1200) “but for you, and because your nice and beautiful, I only charge you this much” (shows me calculator displaying 850)
Steph: Gasps b/c its way overpriced then starts to laugh out loud b/c it’s such a joke of a starting price “That’s more than I would pay in the US and that is TOO Much”
Salesperson: Ok lady, how much you want to pay?
Steph: Grabs the calculator and types 30.
Salesperson: Gasps back at me and says, “Lady, you breaka my heart. That is too low. I can’t sell to you at that price. You make me so angry. This is the besta quality. Fresh water pearl, you know. Only the best.
Steph: I start to slowly walk away from the booth as I say, “Okay then I don’t want it”
Salesperson: Lady, Lady come back here. Okay Okay. Make me your best offer. C’mon, a little higher. I can’t sell at your price!”
Steph: I grab the calculator and type 30 again.
Saleperson: Ladyyyyyyy, C’mon, I really lika you. I want to sell to you but I can’t at this price. Just a little higher, c’mon. Okay, I’ll show you last price I can sell. Last price and no more. I can’t go any lower” She types in the calculator 150.
Steph: Starts to walk away again, deep down knowing they will not let you walk away from their booth because if they don’t get the sale, another booth with that same exact item will sell it to you for that price. “30”
Salesperson: Starts raising her voice as I am getting farther and farther away from the booth, “Okay, lady come back her… come back. Okay, 100…… 80”
Steph: “30”
Salesperson: “60….. 50….40….. 35 is as low as I can go. 35 or no sale. Okay Okay Okay 30. Come back.

The sale is made and you end up with an item that start at 1200 Quai and got it for 30 Quai. RIDICULOUS.

But what I realized is that the calculator is a way to privately show you and only you what their “Best Price” is. There are lots of other tourists and locals shopping nearby and the sales people don’t want to let others know how good of a deal you are getting, if you know how to play the game. Of course they always make you feel like you are winning, but by the end of the day, I’d realized I’d lost my first few rounds of negotiation and overpaid for my goods.

Of the 7 total hours I spent perfecting the art of the calculator negotiation, I walked away with lots of gifts to bring home and an unforgettable experience shopping the Chinese way.

Bring it China!