Tag: jewellery

Kusadasi is truly a shopper’s paradise, if you have the time and the patience you can really buy whatever you are looking for at the best price. Bargaining and haggling is a tradition in Turkey, so if you are brave and cheeky enough you’ll get some great bargains!!! Just spend your time browsing in a few different places at first, it’s very tempting to just buy what you want  in the first shop!! But shopping around pays off as much in Turkey as in any other country! We recommend that you “play it cool” and don’t appear too interested in whatever it is you are looking for,  just appear casually interested, the price will usually start off ridiculously high so don’t be too alarmed or worried, from a personal experience I have seen prices drop by anything up  to  50%

I have often had to walk away out of a shop or down the road away from a stall, and the owner or sales person has ended up chasing after me or calling me back to agree with the figure I suggested. There are some cases where they won’t agree with you, try not to worry about this or get stressed, there are literally hundreds of other shops and you are very likely to get what you want just a few yards.

Don’t get stressed and worried if someone tells you they got a similar item elsewhere for cheaper, it happens,  there’s nothing you can do, sometimes you have a good day sometimes not. Just stay determined but don’t let them see that you are getting too bothered about it.
If you cannot come to an agreement on price , simply say “thank you” and leave, as I said there are plenty more shops around waiting for you and your money!” Do not feel that you have to buy something just because you have been there for 5-10 or longer minutes, these people make their living trying to sell their products, and after you leave there will be many more behind you, so don’t worry about offending anybody.
Don’t be surprised if you are offered apple tea or ordinary tea or any other refreshments this is a normal custom, and again you should not feel under any obligation to buy because of this.
If you are purchasing large items-paintings or carpets many shops will arrange to ship them for you, just be sensible and try to get as much information about the purchase and shipping and see if you can keep track of it.
If you are purchasing leather or a suit many of the shops will arrange to have the clothes altered for you for a small fee, this is usually done within a day or so which means you can have your new jacket fitting perfectly before you leave to return home.
If you are purchasing jewellery, especially valuable items gold or silver, most proper jewellery shops should give you a guarantee with your purchase, and they will usually adjust any jewellery e.g. rings to fit for you. Again you can haggle for your best price in these shops too, don’t be shy!