| Essay Non-Fiction posted September 5, 2022 |
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An insight into the operation of the Bazaar
Grand Bazaar Istanbul
by Thesis
Sense of Place Short Story Contest Winner
When you walk into the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, you are immediately transported back in time to how goods were sold for thousands of years. Albeit the Bazaar is now inside, no longer under individual vendor tents, its aura draws you into the spirit of negotiation, timeless as it can be.
To understand how sales work at the Bazaar, you must understand the art of negotiation. However, it is more than that. There is, and always has been, a merchant strategy to assess the customer, determine where they are from, and then determine how much they can afford to pay for an item.
Throughout the Bazaar, there are hundreds of children, some begging for change, some trying to match buyers to products (for which they receive a finder's fee from the merchants), and some who are trying to steal from you. Those who are working for the merchants speak many languages and try to determine what nationality you are to begin conversations.
The Bazaar houses over three thousand merchants. You can find items from ceramic plates, lamps, and leather goods to fine jewelry.
The buying process is quite friendly and very personal. While the merchant is assessing your ability to pay, they are very hospitable, offering you coffee, tea, or Efes (beer). They summon ever present tea boys to bring you a beverage and offer a pillow or rug to sit down while they show you a selection of their merchandise.
If you decide there is an item that you may want to buy, the negotiation begins. The customer usually asks how much an item is and the merchant hesitates for a moment, then offers a high price (the items usually do not have prices posted on them). The price is usually rejected as being too high. The merchant usually looks hurt and slightly offended and discussed the item's attributes, countering with a slightly lower price.
Usually, this reduced price is still higher than the buyer wants to spend and tells the merchant so. At this point the merchant will probably show his disappointment with the buyers second price reduction and will click his tongue four or five times, indicating that he is not pleased. The buyer then will offer a price they are willing to pay. It may or may nor illicit the same tongue clicking, or the merchant will end the negotiation, offering a lowest price he can accept for the item.
My personal experience at the Bazaar is that if the merchant accepts a price you propose, you've overpaid.
It may cost you a few extra dollars to purchase an item than you wanted to pay, but the experience of the negotiation process, the hospitality, and the wide range of products available are well worth the cost.
Your experience continues once you exit the Bazaar and wander into one of the outside restaurants to experience the wonderful Turkish cuisine and imbibe some traditional Raki. It's an experience I would highly recommend.
When you walk into the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul, you are immediately transported back in time to how goods were sold for thousands of years. Albeit the Bazaar is now inside, no longer under individual vendor tents, its aura draws you into the spirit of negotiation, timeless as it can be.
To understand how sales work at the Bazaar, you must understand the art of negotiation. However, it is more than that. There is, and always has been, a merchant strategy to assess the customer, determine where they are from, and then determine how much they can afford to pay for an item.
Throughout the Bazaar, there are hundreds of children, some begging for change, some trying to match buyers to products (for which they receive a finder's fee from the merchants), and some who are trying to steal from you. Those who are working for the merchants speak many languages and try to determine what nationality you are to begin conversations.
The Bazaar houses over three thousand merchants. You can find items from ceramic plates, lamps, and leather goods to fine jewelry.
The buying process is quite friendly and very personal. While the merchant is assessing your ability to pay, they are very hospitable, offering you coffee, tea, or Efes (beer). They summon ever present tea boys to bring you a beverage and offer a pillow or rug to sit down while they show you a selection of their merchandise.
If you decide there is an item that you may want to buy, the negotiation begins. The customer usually asks how much an item is and the merchant hesitates for a moment, then offers a high price (the items usually do not have prices posted on them). The price is usually rejected as being too high. The merchant usually looks hurt and slightly offended and discussed the item's attributes, countering with a slightly lower price.
Usually, this reduced price is still higher than the buyer wants to spend and tells the merchant so. At this point the merchant will probably show his disappointment with the buyers second price reduction and will click his tongue four or five times, indicating that he is not pleased. The buyer then will offer a price they are willing to pay. It may or may nor illicit the same tongue clicking, or the merchant will end the negotiation, offering a lowest price he can accept for the item.
My personal experience at the Bazaar is that if the merchant accepts a price you propose, you've overpaid.
It may cost you a few extra dollars to purchase an item than you wanted to pay, but the experience of the negotiation process, the hospitality, and the wide range of products available are well worth the cost.
Your experience continues once you exit the Bazaar and wander into one of the outside restaurants to experience the wonderful Turkish cuisine and imbibe some traditional Raki. It's an experience I would highly recommend.
To understand how sales work at the Bazaar, you must understand the art of negotiation. However, it is more than that. There is, and always has been, a merchant strategy to assess the customer, determine where they are from, and then determine how much they can afford to pay for an item.
Throughout the Bazaar, there are hundreds of children, some begging for change, some trying to match buyers to products (for which they receive a finder's fee from the merchants), and some who are trying to steal from you. Those who are working for the merchants speak many languages and try to determine what nationality you are to begin conversations.
The Bazaar houses over three thousand merchants. You can find items from ceramic plates, lamps, and leather goods to fine jewelry.
The buying process is quite friendly and very personal. While the merchant is assessing your ability to pay, they are very hospitable, offering you coffee, tea, or Efes (beer). They summon ever present tea boys to bring you a beverage and offer a pillow or rug to sit down while they show you a selection of their merchandise.
If you decide there is an item that you may want to buy, the negotiation begins. The customer usually asks how much an item is and the merchant hesitates for a moment, then offers a high price (the items usually do not have prices posted on them). The price is usually rejected as being too high. The merchant usually looks hurt and slightly offended and discussed the item's attributes, countering with a slightly lower price.
Usually, this reduced price is still higher than the buyer wants to spend and tells the merchant so. At this point the merchant will probably show his disappointment with the buyers second price reduction and will click his tongue four or five times, indicating that he is not pleased. The buyer then will offer a price they are willing to pay. It may or may nor illicit the same tongue clicking, or the merchant will end the negotiation, offering a lowest price he can accept for the item.
My personal experience at the Bazaar is that if the merchant accepts a price you propose, you've overpaid.
It may cost you a few extra dollars to purchase an item than you wanted to pay, but the experience of the negotiation process, the hospitality, and the wide range of products available are well worth the cost.
Your experience continues once you exit the Bazaar and wander into one of the outside restaurants to experience the wonderful Turkish cuisine and imbibe some traditional Raki. It's an experience I would highly recommend.
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Writing Prompt Write a 400 to 700 word essay describing a place. This should be a descriptive short story, make sure you describe the place very well. This place you are describing can not be a place in your imagination, dreams, ext. It has to be a real place, preferably a place you know very well. You do not have to have been to this place, and this can be a made up story. Be creative and descriptive! |
Sense of Place Short Story Contest Winner |
I lived in Istanbul for a few years. I love the country, but especially the people. They are very warm and caring. The food is fantastic, the Turkish Coffee is addicting, and the marketplaces are some of the best in the world. The Spice Bazaar is also one of my favorite places there, along with the Palaces, the Bosphorus Straight, and the restaurants along the Black Sea.
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