The Rise of Haggling

The surge in consumer inflation has inspired a surge in consumer haggling. In a BIGresearch poll, 50 percent of consumers “report having negotiated for better prices on products other than a home or vehicle in light of the current economic situation.” They are most apt to have done this when buying tires/batteries/auto repairs (39 percent), appliances (37 percent) or electronics (37 percent). Happily, tough times haven’t undermined the honesty of a majority of Americans. In the same poll, 58 percent said they’d return $100,000 “if they found it on the street.”