Shopping in the Souks

Buyer beware but it’s all part of the game in Morocco. Marrakech can be a challenge and even the best of us come out a bit worse for the wear after an afternoon of hard negotiations but negotiate, you must! Be prepared to be bombarded with one vendor after the other promising you that they have the best price. My advice is to wander around, see what you like and then start bidding for whatever items you know you can’t live without. My rule is always 50% from the initial price offered. In Morocco, there is no such thing as one price. Everyone gets their own negotiated price. If he says 100, you must come back with 50 (or less) depending on what it is. It will go back and forth until you agree. It can take a while and there will be lots of hands flying and heads wagging back and forth as if your price is completely preposterous. Stay strong. Also, there’s nothing wrong with politely saying that you may come back. Try it out with some other vendors and get an idea of what they’re all selling the item for. Remember that there are many vendors selling the exact same thing so you have the luxury to shop around.

My feeling is this. What is it worth to you? If you see a blanket that you absolutely love and the guy wants 50 dollars, ask yourself if you could find it at home for that price. It’ll be a unique piece and in the end, could be a good deal for you.

Another way that I always look at it is that these vendors have lots and lots of stock. They want a certain amount from you. For example, one time I wanted to buy Pom Pom blankets. The vendor asked me for 100 dollars for one. As I lived there I knew that was a very high price. However, I wanted 10 Pom Pom blankets so I then asked him to give me a price for 10. I managed to buy them for 20 dollars each. He got his 100 and I got my 10 blankets at a great price 😎. He couldn’t have known I wanted that many. Moral of the story is do not be afraid to try. It can be intimidating.