Plenty of shoppers assume the price on a ticket is set in stone. It isn't. On furniture and household appliances, margins are wide and the salesperson almost always has room to move. Knowing how to haggle in a shop is not about cheek, it's about method: preparing your case, opening with the right first number, knowing when to stay silent and knowing when to walk away. Here is how to secure 10, 15, sometimes 25 per cent off a sofa, a fridge or a fitted kitchen.
Prepare your case before you walk in
The negotiation is won before the handshake. Note the exact product reference and record its price at three competitors (a high-street chain, a pure player, a marketplace). That comparison becomes your objective criterion: you're not asking for a favour, you're bringing the shop into line with a verifiable market. In parallel, identify your fallback option: if the salesperson says no, where and at what price will you buy instead? A shopper who knows exactly what they'll do if it falls through negotiates without fear, and the salesperson can sense it.
- The exact reference and its price at 3 sellers.
- The lowest price you've found (often the pure player).
- The timing: end of month, end of quarter, seasonal clearance.
Target end-of-stock and display models
The single best lever in this sector is the display model and the end-of-line item. A washing machine that's been on show, a sofa in a colour about to leave the catalogue, a fridge with a dented corner: these products cost the shop money for as long as they take up floor space. Ask outright: "Do you have this model as an end-of-line or ex-display?" You turn one of the shop's constraints into a discount for yourself, and the conversation becomes factual rather than pleading.
The story of a £1,490 sofa
A real example shows the mechanism at work. Marc spots a corner sofa priced at £1,490. He's done his homework: the same model is £1,350 on a well-known website. He doesn't open by moaning about the price. He leads with a little tactical empathy: "I imagine getting a corner unit like this delivered is a real headache to schedule at the moment." The salesperson relaxes, talks about their lead times. Marc then drops his anchor: "I can sign today at £1,200, delivery included."
The salesperson recoils: "Impossible, that's below my cost." Marc doesn't justify himself. He lets a strategic silence fall. Five seconds. Uncomfortable, the salesperson fills the void: "I can do you £1,390." Marc reflects it back with a mirror: "£1,390?" The other carries on: "...and I'll throw in delivery." Marc then produces his calibrated question: "I understand, but at £1,390 I'm at the online price without the service. How am I meant to justify the difference to my partner?"
The salesperson goes off to fetch their manager. They come back at £1,290, delivery and removal of the old sofa included. Marc accepts. He's saved £200 plus a service, not by raising his voice, but by stringing together simple techniques at the right moment.
Bundle up and play on reciprocity
With appliances, never negotiate a single item in isolation if you're buying several. The salesperson fiercely defends the margin on a dishwasher on its own, but gives ground readily on a full basket of oven, hob and extractor. Announce the bundle, then apply give-and-take: "If I take all three today, you add the installation and the extended warranty." You tie each concession to a visible counterpart, which makes saying no uncomfortable for the salesperson.
Also use the contrast principle: after haggling over a £1,300 sofa, a £40 reduction on a table looks trivial to the salesperson, yet it pays for your chairs. Small amounts go through all the more easily when they follow a big one.
Know when to walk: the exit that unlocks the deal
The most powerful technique in a shop remains the walk-away. When the salesperson digs in, thank them sincerely, say you're going to think it over and head for the door. Leave your number: "If you can find some margin by tomorrow, give me a call." In a good proportion of cases the salesperson rings back, or catches you before the door, because a standing, decided customer who leaves is a lost sale and a sales target slipping away. A word of caution, though: only bluff if your fallback is genuine. A credible walk-away rests on a real alternative, not on a pose.
One final reflex: keep control of the tempo. If the salesperson pressures you ("it's the last one at the promotional price"), acknowledge that urgency without giving in to it. You can practise these sequences on the simulator or pick out other levers by situation in the library.
FAQ
How much can you knock off the price of a piece of furniture in a shop?
On a standard catalogue product, a discount of 5 to 10 per cent is realistic, often topped up with free delivery. On a display model, an end-of-line item or a bundle of appliances, you frequently reach 15 to 25 per cent. The lever isn't your persistence but the product's situation: the more it costs the shop to keep it, the more real the room for negotiation. Always lean on a verifiable objective criterion.
Should you negotiate before or after choosing the product?
After. First show sincere, specific interest in a model: the salesperson invests time, so they now have something to lose if the sale collapses. That's the moment, once the product is "as good as sold" in their mind, to place your anchor and open the discussion. Negotiating too early, before you've made up your mind, weakens your position because you haven't committed to anything yet.
