Member Article

Britons go for bargains on holiday

Britons are collectively saving £3.5bn a year by haggling for bargains when they are abroad, knocking about 23% off the price of items they are buying. Six out of 10 people say they barter while on holiday, with 41% claiming it is an essential part of the experience and 36% saying they like getting into the spirit of things.

Just under half said they haggled abroad because they thought it was what was expected, and 17% said arguing to lower the price of what they were buying came naturally to them, according to the survey undertaken by AA Insurance. Despite their enthusiasm for haggling while they are on holiday, only 18% of people claim they regularly barter for things in the UK.

Christian Young, from AA Insurance said: “It’s great we’re saving so much each year by haggling on our holidays - it shows Brits have got what it takes to bag a bargain and get the best deal possible. “But when it comes to bartering back home, our stiff upper lip gets in the way.”

It seems men are more likely to haggle when they are abroad than women, with 68% bartering compared with 53% of women.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .