Stories From A Shopboy: Haggling in Southampton

by GofG Public · July 2, 2008

    Haggling in SouthamptonWritten by John Hering

    Working in a high end (is there any other?) retail shop in downtown Southampton, I've noticed that some people get off thinking that shops in downtown Southampton will cut them some kind of deal because..... well I don't even know why.

    Sure the boutique is overpriced (even with an employee discount I will never be able to shop there), but what kind of person do you have to be to stroll in with your trophy wife (decked out in a velvety cheetah-print dress that would have been inappropriate even in her glory days), look around for 20 minutes and then ask "what kind of deal can you give me?"

    Queries such as these place me in the awkward position of diplomatically explaining that "'I'm sorry, this isn't a Moroccan souk. We can't barter; I simply cannot sell you our goods in exchange for $45 and a freshly killed chicken." What do you think? Am I being unfair?