Pining for sales and customer loyalty, some of the nation's top retailers are encouraging their employees to haggle with customers, The New York Times reported.
During one of the worst holiday shopping seasons, now more than ever shoppers are utilizing resources that save money, such as bargain-finding websites and smartphone apps that find the lowest price. Realizing what's at stake, retailers have no choice but to match the competition, The New York Times reported.
Best Buy made a bold move when it announced last month that if a customer proves an item costs less somewhere else, it will match the price.
But retailers are going even farther than that. DealScience, a website that compares online bargains from retail brands, told The New York Times that retailers like Best Buy, Home Depot and Lowe's will offer customers an extra 10 percent less than the competitor's price. But most of these brands hardly ever advertise they're willing to bargain.
Even high-end department store Nordstrom allows prices to be matched, as long as customers adhere to its specific bargaining guidelines. Macy's also has bargaining practices, including the promise to give a refund on items that go on sale within 14 days of purchase.
Joe Marrapodi, chief executive of Greentoe.com, successfully bargained at a Nordstrom in Santa Monica, California, The New York Times reported. But it was only after Marrapodi made the first move and asked the employees if they were allowed to bargain.
"For as long as we've been in business we've been committed to offering our customers the best possible prices, including meeting competitor pricing on similar items," Nordstrom told the New York Times.
"I think they kind of keep it low key," Marrapodi told the New York Times. "They don't want it to be a thing."
Read the full New York Times story here.
