Editing Shopping (section)

==Pricing and negotiation==
{{Further|Pricing|Pricing strategies}}

[[File:Drawing by Marguerite Martyn of Soulard Market, St. Louis, in 1912.jpg|thumb|Sales being made at Soulard Market, St. Louis, Missouri, drawing by [[Marguerite Martyn]], 1912]]
Historically, prices were established through a system of barter or negotiation. The first retailer to adopt fixed prices is thought to be the retailers operating out of the Palais-Royal complex in the 18th-century. These retailers adopted a system of high price maintenance in order to cultivate images of luxury. For their upper class clientele, fixed prices spared them from hassle of bartering.<ref>Byrne-Paquet, L., ''The Urge to Splurge: A Social History of Shopping,'' ECW Press, Toronto, Canada, pp. 90–93</ref>

The [[pricing]] technique used by most retailers is ''[[cost-plus pricing]]''. This involves adding a [[markup (business)|markup]] amount (or percentage) to the retailers' cost. Another common technique is ''[[suggested retail price|manufacturers suggested list]]'' pricing. This simply involves charging the amount suggested by the manufacturer and usually printed on the [[product (business)|product]] by the manufacturer.

In retail settings, ''[[psychological pricing]]'' or ''odd-number pricing'' are both widely used. [[Psychological pricing]] which refers to a range of tactics, designed to have a positive psychological impact. For example, price tags using the terminal digit "9" (e.g., 9.99, 19.99, or 199.99) can be used to signal [[price point]]s and bring an item in at just under the consumer's [[reservation price]].<ref>Poundstone, W., ''Priceless: The Myth of Fair Value (and How to Take Advantage of It),'' NY, Hill and Wang, 2011, pp. 184–200</ref> However, in Chinese societies, prices are generally either a round number or sometimes some lucky number. This creates [[price points]].

In a fixed-price system, consumers may still use [[bargaining]] or ''haggling''; a [[negotiation]] about the price. Economists see this as determining how the transaction's total [[economic surplus]] will be divided between consumers and producers. Neither party has a clear advantage because the threat of no sale exists, in which case the surplus would vanish for both.

When [[online shopping|shopping online]], it can be more difficult to negotiate price given that you are not directly interacting with a [[sales|sales person]]. Some consumers use [[price comparison service]]s to locate the best price and/or to make a decision about who or where to buy from to save money.

==="Window shopping"===
{{Main|Window shopping}}

[[File:Window shopping in Cowbridge - geograph.org.uk - 1770681.jpg|alt=Women peer through a shop window on a rainy day|thumb|Window shopping in the rain]]

"Window shopping" is a term referring to the browsing of goods by a consumer with or without the intent to purchase. Window shopping is often practised by a particular segment, known as  the recreation-conscious or hedonistic shopper. Recreational shopping is characterised by the consumer's engagement in the purchase process, and recreational shoppers are those consumers who see the act of shopping as a form of enjoyment.<ref>Sproles, G. B., & Kendall, E. L., "A methodology for profiling consumers' decision-marking styles," ''Journal of Consumer Affairs'', Vol., 20 No. 2, 1986, pp. 267–79</ref> Other consumers use window shopping as part of their planning activity for a later purchase.

[[Showrooming]], the practice of examining merchandise in a traditional retail store without purchasing it, but then shopping online to find a lower price for the same item, has become an increasingly prevalent problem for traditional retailers as a result of online competitors, so much so that some have begun to take measures to combat it.<ref name=Showrooming>{{cite news|last=Bhasin|first=Kim|title=Store Charges Customers $5 'Just Looking' Fee To Combat Showrooming |url=http://www.businessinsider.com/stores-charges-just-looking-fee-2013-3|access-date=2014-08-10|newspaper=Business Insider|date=2013-03-25}}</ref>