It turns out, just asking for a discount while shopping, even at big-box retailers, is the easiest way to get a deal. The troubled sellers are more than willing to discount merchandise to make a quick sale…

From the Boston Globe:

The National Retail Federation insists that the national chain stores don't negotiate. But consumer reports of successful bargaining at big box stores, as well as a survey by America's Research Group, a Charleston, S.C., market research firm, tell a different story.

Consumers knocked off an average of 20 percent by negotiating, says C. Britt Beemer, CEO of ARG. The survey, taken in December, reported that 72 percent of customers bargained in stores - up from 56 percent in December 2007. Even more noteworthy, shoppers reported success 80 percent of time, up from 50 percent in 2007.

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