Shopping in Marrakech is an experience like no other: The billowing silk scarves and hand woven shawls, shiny brass lamps in shimmering gold and silver metals, fragrant mint and exotic spices such as cinnamon and cumin, handmade Berber rugs with geometric designs and silky smooth tadelakt bowls in intense sky blues, ox blood reds and jet blacks. However the experience can be seriously terrifying for the uninitiated travellers arriving fresh off the ryan air and easyjet flights more used to buying rugs from John Lewis and lamps from Bhs!
This guide is based on the knowledge I have gained from adventuring out into the souks over the past five years. I am hoping to help new visitors to enjoy the Marrakech Shopping experience, purchase some exquisite handicrafts from the souks and perhaps even make some new friends at the same time.
I have never been trained in the art of negotiation and have not worked as a ‘buyer’. However, in the process of renovating
Riad Papillon -our wonderful newly opened boutique hotel in the centre of Marrakech, I think I have learnt quite a lot about the art and science of ‘haggling’.
In the beginning I learnt the hard way making sometimes costly mistakes. I also managed to upset quite a few stall holders by my clumsy initial attempts at haggling. One stallholder was so upset that I didn’t want to buy his lamps that he called me ‘La Poubelle de la France!’ which means ‘the dustbin of France’ (Some Moroccans are not very keen on the French for historical reasons). I was quite offended by this (as you can imagine) but, caught off my guard, all I could offer as a retort to this was: ‘Mais je ne suis pas francaise!’ which means ‘but Im not french!’ I hasten to add that I do not think I am a dustbin either but, in the heat of the moment, I was not quick witted enough to advise him of that!
Although I would not call myself a ‘haggleguru’ , I do find that I can now haggle with confidence and generally end up with purchases that I truly desire at prices that I am very happy with whilst still preserving the relationship with the seller. I actually enjoy the experience of shopping in the Marrakech souks now and find it exhilarating as well as rewarding.
There are thousands of stallholders-mostly charming and welcoming, a few can be grumpy or plain rude, and some are tricky or dishonest. All, however are master salesmen and are highly motivated to sell to you generally at the highest price possible.
Each of us has his or her own style and so let me just offer some broad haggling guidelines and then let you conduct the negotiation in your own unique style.
1. Firstly, remember to keep your cool and your sense of humour at all times. The soaring temperatures can result in frayed tempers and not speaking the language can make one feel frustrated and confused. Just take your time and remember you are on holiday and this is supposed to be fun!
2. Secondly, remember that Haggling is, in some respects, like taking part in a small play or pantomime. There are certain roles and lines that are predictable and some that are not. It is useful to know how these roles and lines generally work so that you play your part well and even enjoy it.
3. Thirdly, I think it is always important to remember that you are a guest in someone else’s country (even if the stall holder may forget that sometimes!) and to behave politely and respectfully even if the haggling starts to get a bit heated.
4. Although haggling can be viewed as a game or a play it should also be remembered that although you may be haggling to buy something worth a tiny fraction of your monthly income, for the stall holder the negotiation may represent his next meal quite literally. Therefore I advise only to haggle over something that you do actually want to buy not just for the fun of it.
5. Be assertive and clear, not passive and absolutely never aggressive in your interactions. If a salesman starts bringing down dozens of scarves that he thinks you are interested in just because you looked at them and didn’t stop him, then you may well end up feeling embarrassed to refuse them so be clear when you do not want something as well as when you do.
6. Sometimes stall holders have bad days and may have had abuse from tourists so try to be forgiving to the guy who gets grumpy with you or even becomes a little rude and impatient. Take it with good humour and try to diffuse the tension with a smile. I find that over the course of a days serious shopping there will usually be one or two stall holders who are clearly rude. In this situation I usually appeal to fellow stallholders who are usually quick to chastise the childish seller.
7. Look at an item, decide if you cannot live without it and if you cant then decide on what price it is worth to you. Set your price and don’t go over it. There may be some items that are made by skilled crafts people and it has taken many hours to create. I am not suggesting that you should try to ’buy on the cheap’, every craftsman deserves a living wage, but the important thing is not buy something unless you will be pleased to own it at the price you pay.
8. You need to know that the price that is quoted is always the price for just one item. If you buy 2 or more then the price will drop significantly. I generally establish the price of a single article and then if I want 10 I may ask the price of 2 then 5, when I have established that I would generally expect to have a further significant reduction for 10.
9. The first encounter of the day is viewed as ‘auspicious’ and so early shopping can bring some great deals as the seller wants to get off to a good start by having a successful initial sale and have a ‘lucky day’ for the remainder of the day.
10. Similarly the last sale of the day can be a good deal especially if the seller has not done too well and wants to end on a positive note (or more seriously, needs some more money for dinner.) The end of the day can equally be a bad time to buy as the seller may be tired and just wants to go home.
11. If you are a serious shopper and want to establish the true price of an item, say for example, a silk tassle. For an item where I am unsure of the price I would generally ask at a few stalls explaining that I am not buying but just want an idea of the price for now. This will generally result in a high price for the item. Then I would have a brief negotiation with my price in mind. I will go to walk away if the price is too high. If I am called back then I know that there is still room for manoeuvre. If I walk away and am not called back then I know that my price was too low and I have established the ‘proper’price for the item.
12. If you buy from the stalls on the main tourist street and around the place jma el fna you should generally (not always) expect to pay about 20-30% higher than further away. If you venture into the old foundouks and side derbs or the side alleys off side derbs (where English and even French may not be spoken) and talk to the ‘fabricants’ themselves then you may well save 50-80%. You have to be aware though that if someone is brought in to translate for you that they are likely to be getting a hefty introduction fee hidden in your price so try to do it without a translator if you can after all they say money talks! Although I speak pretty good French in this situation i would have notes at the ready and illustrate the item I want and the money I would pay and mime an exchange. Most of my most satisfying encounters and deals have been made in this way and both parties in the negotiation are invariably delighted!
13. Try to brush up on your french. This will result in better prices and easier negotiations as most stall holders speak french rather than english. Ideally learn a few arabic phrases-if you greet the stall holder in arabic ‘Salam Aleikum!’ (Hello). I can almost guarantee that your price will be 20 % lower than if you begin by saying ‘Hello, how much is that?’
Many readers will be practiced and skilled at haggling and so will find the next section at best tedious and at worst irritatingly patronizing! However, for those who have never ‘haggled’ before let me now give a blow by blow description of how a typical haggle works:
1. The haggle begins even before you start to talk to the stall holder. Make sure you wander around several stalls that sell the item you want before you even consider beginning a serious negotiation. Ask to hold an item explaining clearly that you do not want to buy today but you are ‘just looking’. Inspect the quality of workmanship of the item. There are usually several similar looking items that are actually very different in terms of quality-thickness of metal, number of threads per inch of fabric, handmade vs machine made etc. It is up to you to check out these features as you may not be given a 100% accurate description by the seller.
2. When, at last, you have decided what you really want to buy and how much you are willing to pay for the article then you can ask its price from the seller: ‘C’est combien pour ca s’il vous plait?’ which means ‘How much is this please?’ Let’s imagine you want to buy a large silk-looking throw (probably poyester but at least it should wash well) and you are willing to pay £35-45 for it.
3. The seller will generally ask for a price that is between 30 and 500% higher then the actual price that he is happy to accept and what it is probably worth. Some people accept this initial price -which is why they always ‘try it on’. You must remember that Marrakech is second home to many of the ’ultra rich and famous’. So the seller finally states his price of 2000 dhms.
4. However, assuming you are not Bill Gates or part of the Trump or Goldsmith family, then you would respond to the seller by looking shocked (this will not be difficult usually!) and saying ‘Non, c’est trop cher pour moi.’ (No, this is too expensive for me.)
5. He may reduce the price significantly for you saying. ‘OK, only for you because you have such beautiful eyes/because you are English/French/American/Because you are so friendly etc etc’ I will sell to you for 1800 Dhirrams.
Try not to loose all sense of reason with this brazen flattery-keep your cool and to your price.
6. You then say: ‘Non, non c’est beaucoup trop cher pour moi!’
7. Then he will say ‘OK, Give me your last price.’
8.Then you can offer a price that is significantly below the price you are actually prepared to pay. This is the tricky point and the point at which acting skills come to the fore. You say: ‘Je peut payer 100 dhms.’ which means I can pay 100 dhms. You need to try to look convincing although it really doesn’t matter too much if you are a poor liar as he knows that this is a game and that he has to be cooperative and ‘follow the rules’.
9. He will probably be better at acting than you are so do not be thrown off track by his response. He may look shocked or even angry and dismissive. He is likely to say: ‘This is handmade/ a one-off piece/ made of the best pure silk/ not like the others you have seen before etc etc’ Then, when he sees that you are a serious negotiator, he is likely to start to get closer to the true price and may say: ‘OK, I will sell to you for a very good price. This is Moroccans price: 800 dhms.’
10. The you say: ‘Mon dernier prix c’est 200 dhms.’ which means my last price is 200 dhms.
11. He will then grumble quite a lot and call you a Berber-since Berber people are renouned for being very careful with money. He will then ask for 700 or 600 Dhms.
12. You can say no and start to walk away.
13. He will inevitably call you back and ask for your last price.
14. You then offer 300 or 350. Again saying it is your last price and perhaps emphasising this by saying: ‘Vraiment, c’est mon dernier prix.’ meaning really it is my last price. At this point it can be useful to get out the cash you are offering so that he can see you are serious. Seeing the cash rather than just talking or writing numbers seems to concentrate the mind and should get you a better price more quickly.
13. He will then probably offer a price of 500 dhms.
14. You offer 400 dhms.
15. He offers 480 dhms.
16. You offer 430 dhms.
17. He says this is truly his final price so he is still making a small profit is 460 dhms. (This is not true of course.)
18. You say: ‘OK je l’achete a 450 dhms’ and reach out your hand to shake on the deal.
19. He accepts your offer, you pay the money (preferably the exact amount) and he starts to wrap up your lovely throw for you.
20. You collapse exhausted in the nearest cafe and wonder whether this beautiful throw was really worth all that effort!
In contrast to this ‘transcational drama’, Shopping in Marrakesh can, in my opinion (and probably only those truly hardened shoppers will understand this), be a truly spiritual experience!
Try to allow your senses to truly ‘listen’ to what is around you with your eyes, ears, fingers, nose and your ‘inner child’ (if you have found yours yet!). You will find that you are able to enjoy your experience so much more. Every now and then move to one side and breathe deeply (preferably not next to that open sewer!) Just allow yourself to drink in this amazing experience and remind yourself of how priviledged you are to find yourself in this truly amazing place.
I say to myself ’thank you, thank you.’ many times as I walk around the souks reminding myself of how lucky I am to be there and how lucky I am to be able to experience the bright and subtle colours, fabric -textures of velvet and silk, shiny and matt pots and lamps, glass of all colours, herbs and flowers, organic fruits and vegetables….. I could go on and on and on….
Although I am sometimes in a state of ecstasy and wonder during my shopping trips it does not stop me from being aware that there are some desperate and cunning players amongst the many warm, helpful and generous stall holders. Sadly those unscrupulous stallholders do sometimes (some would say frequently) try to ‘trick’ naive tourists out of their money in clever ways. So stay alert for some of these ‘bunny traps’:
*When you finally agree to pay for something be sure to check the price and currency is clearly agreed (preferably in writing) by both parties.
*triple check your change.
*Check the item that is put into the bag is the same as the item you agreed to buy and the correct number of items.
*Check that the item is not damaged (open the box if necessary) or if buying a set make sure the colours are all the same.
*Always haggle in Dirhams if you can so that you do not end up losing money when the seller converts the Euros or pounds at an unfavourable rate into Dhirrams.
*For larger purchases payment in cash in a hard currency (Euros, Sterling or US Dollars) may extract a further discount.
*If someone offers to take you to their 2nd shop or brother’s shop ‘just down the road’ be aware that this may involve a 2-60 minute journey with a low probablity of finding what you were seeking at the end.
* Unless you already know the stall or have had it recommended to you by a serious source, be aware that an item may be described as silver or gold but in reality it may be silver plated or gold plated. Just because something is very expensive doesn’t mean that it is genuine. I usually haggle for something in the knowledge that it is likely to be a fake or of non-precious metal and decide on my price accordingly.
* If you are offerred mint tea and spend a long time deciding on your purchase only to decide not to buy in the end some stall holders will try to make you feel guilty for taking up their time and try to charge you (sometimes a ridiculous amount) for the time you have ‘taken’! Other stall holders are charming whether or not you want to buy and put you under no pressure.
* Metalwork comes in all different quality levels so do verify the quality-thickness and material of the item you are buying. Some metals will rust or just look dull after just a few months time and others require a lot of maintenance to keep them looking nice.
* Repeat the agreement several times to make sure all parties agree. If the deal is changed (eg delivery was included and then it becomes a hefty extra) then withdraw your money and start again or move on to another seller.
* If delivery is included ensure before you leave that the cart man (chariot) has been paid a fair amount for the journey otherwise you may be asked to pay again at the other end!
Remember that Marrakech does have a tourist police department and if any tourist is unhappy with the way they have been treated there are serious consequences for the stall holders. Many of these plain clothed police officers wander around the souks to prevent tourists from being hassled so you just need to shout for help and I suspect that several officers would magically appear to offer assistance to you and chastise the stall holder.
Most stall holders are charming, witty and warm so do not let the unscrupulous few taint the experience of shopping in Marrakech. I have filled our riad hotel- Riad Papillon -with all manner of beautiful hand crafted items: from pierced metal lamps that throw magical patterns of light onto the tadelakt walls to tiny glass pots with perfectly fitting silver metal lids with silk thread tassles and beaten metal arched mirrors made to measure.
Over the years I have made friends with many stall holders who will now welcome me and my friends, give gifts to our children, talk philosophy or football (to my husband), invite us into their homes for dinner and ensure we are 100% happy with our goods. I have even been invited to the wedding of one stall holder’s sister. Unfortunatley I could not make the date although he tried insisting they could change the date just so that we could attend! I cannot imagine that any employee from Tescos or even our local grocers would ever do that!
Hopefully this article will have given you some hints on the process of haggling in Marrakech. However, if you still feel nervous about shopping here or really want some ‘insider tips’ then you should consider booking an accompanied shopping trip. For around £30-50 for half a day you can be taken around the Souks, the metalworkers area or the industrial area to buy with trusted sellers or to have someone negotiate on your behalf.
Enjoy Marrakech!
Lucie
please feel free to
contact Lucie through our enquiry form.
Haggling in the Souks in Marrakech