Released: July 25, 2008

It’s a buyer’s market. Haggle.

Source: Bob Tedeschi, Money Magazine (CNNMoney.com)

If there’s any silver lining to this sluggish economy, it’s this: You, the consumer, are back in charge. For most products and services, “you have a lot more power to name your price,” says Nancy Koehn, a retail history professor at Harvard Business School.

The proof? Nearly 70% of Americans have managed to negotiate a better deal on a purchase in recent months, according to America’s Research Group - a 12-percentage-point jump from a year ago. While you’ll still hit walls with certain businesses (don’t expect much luck at the gas station), you’ll find wiggle room now in unexpected places, including health clubs, cell-phone stores, even big-box retailers, says G. Richard Shell, author of “Bargaining for Advantage.”

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