Top 5 tips on how to shop in India
INDIA is a shopper’s paradise. The country produces an astonishing variety of traditional and modern goods at prices that are as compelling as the merchandise. But like everything in India, shopping can be a complex process. This series is intended to help you learn how to shop as well as what to buy and where.
Bundi, Rajasthan market Pic: Mariellen Ward
Part 1: My top 5 tips for how to shop in India
Anyone who has visited India will know that bazaars, markets, emporiums, street stalls, tourist attractions and malls, from one end of the subcontinent to the other, overflow with a dazzling array of handicrafts, textiles, jewelry, furnishings, art, spices and much more.
But the splendour of the merchandise is equaled and often surpassed by the chaos of the market place. Prices and quality vary wildly; touts are persistent to the point of obnoxious; it’s impossible to keep track of regional specialties and where the best places to buy specific things are; and haggling with wily shopkeepers is unsettling, if you’re not used to it.
On my first trip, I went a bit crazy shopping in India. I was staying with friends, an Indian family in south Delhi, and I would come home at the end of almost every day clutching bags and bags of clothing, housewares, jewelry and more. They watched in wonder as the pile of goods grew and grew in the bedroom I was sharing with a family member. I ended up giving away a lot of the stuff I bought – and learned these lessons the hard way.
Pushkar market Pic: Mariellen Ward
1. Take it easy and don’t buy on impulse. You already hate me. How can you possibly resist the shops and tables heaped with glittering, exotic and affordable goods? Trust me, as you travel in India you begin to see the same things over and over again, and gain a better sense of quality and how much things should cost. I wasted a lot of money by buying things the first time I saw them – like a peacock feather fan, fabulous-looking but horribly uncomfortable shoes and a lot of jewelry that broke on the second wearing. If I had to do it all over again, I would buy fewer things, and spend more time and money ensuring I was buying good quality.
2. Haggling is a blood sport, enjoy it. Do you remember the first time you sang karaoke? How you just had to let your inhibitions go and jump in, feet first? It’s like that. Don’t worry that you’re hurting the shopkeeper’s feelings. This is business. Take it slow, enjoy it, have a cup of tea and stay cool. Decide ahead of time on how much you want to spend — a good rule of thumb is to offer half and pay up to two-thirds. Be prepared to walk away. Whatever it is, chances are you will see its like again.
3. Know when to haggle and when to pay full price. Having said that, there are lots of fixed price stores in India that do not use the barter system; bartering is primarily done in street markets. But sometimes, in smaller stores where the merchandise is locally made, you can bargain — offering, for example, to buy more pieces if they are willing to bring the price per unit down. And sometimes, when you fall in love with something, price doesn’t matter.
Indian markets can be a little overwhelming at first. Pic: AP.
4. Do your homework. Everything in India is regional, from cuisine to language to clothing styles, and dramatically changes from state to state. As you travel, find out what the regional specialties are. Some things are obvious, like buying tea in Darjeeling. It’s worthwhile and also interesting to seek out local craftsmen. I once spent an afternoon sitting on the floor of a gem dealer’s shop in Jaipur – the gemstone capital of India – helping to design a gorgeous beaded necklace and pendant, with semi-precious stones the colours of a morning sunrise over a misty sea. That set still has a lot of meaning for me, years later. (More on this topic in the next part.)
5. All roads lead to Delhi. Many international flights arrive and leave from the capital of India, Delhi, and likely yours will too. You can buy almost everything there that you saw as you traveled – saving you the hassle of lugging your souvenirs all over the country. In fact, near Connaught Place, the commercial centre of the city, there’s a row of state emporiums that sell many of the handicrafts of those regions. Having said that, though, shopper beware: I bitterly regret not buying sandalwood oil in Mysore. I have never seen it for sale in Delhi.
Look for part 2: What to buy, and where to buy it.
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Mariellen Ward is a Canadian freelance writer and travel blogger, well-known on the Internet for her love of “all things India.” Mariellen has traveled for more than a year altogether in India and publishes an India-inspired travel blog Breathedreamgo. She writes about India, meaningful travel and yoga for newspapers, magazines and many online sites and recently published her first book, Song of India: Tales of Travel and Transformation.
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