Bibijuagua souvenir village is one of the keepsake mainstays of Punta Cana. In existence from Punta Cana’s infancy and established well before many new souvenir shops have popped up, this beach-front market is as picturesque as it is unique in finding gifts and mementos from your trip to Punta Cana.
As in any tourist market, haggling is the norm at Bibijaugua, as visitors and vendors pull and tug in a never ending fight for the best price. A cousin of mine once said, “you have to walk into the Bibijaugua like Rambo; knife in mouth!”
Although my cousin’s saying is a bit over exaggerated, her words are not too far from the truth. To get a fair price at this tourist market (or any Punta Cana market for that matter), visitors have to polish up their bargaining skills, as many items are marked up substantially for this very reason!
To assist visitors in their quest for the best price, Punta Cana Tours gathered some essential tips on how to haggle – Punta Cana style! And veteran vendors Virgilio Gonzalez and Silvia Molina were brave enough to give me some advice for the enemy – you!
Haggling is expected
According to Victor, the vendors expect bargaining, so much so, they would be a bit surprised if a client did not ask for a lower price. So, don’t be afraid, it’s the norm. “Tourists seem to know they can haggle the price, maybe they’re told at the airport,” Victor says with a smile.“I have no problem lowering until we arrive at a price that is comfort-able for me and for the client.”
Be nice
You get More with Honey than Vinegar! And we’re at the beach mon’! Some visitors can be a bit aggressive when trying to lower a price tag; and according to Victor, this is the wrong way to go about business. Remember there’s something to be gained by both parties.“We can keep lowering the price to an amount where I can’t go any lower. If the client cannot pay my lowest price, there’s no reason to get upset,” says Victor. He explains that he also wants to arrive at an agreement but obviously has to make some money as well. Patience and courtesy helps during this process.
Not every stall has the same price
A common misconception at Bibijagua is that since each stall is basically selling the same thing, the prices should be more or less the same. Not so, explains Victor. According to him, each shop buys from different artisans and prices can vary a great deal within the market for the exact same item. Victor suggests you shop around because although the same item may be sold in various shops, there is no fixed rate at which vendors purchase and no fixed rate at which they mark the items up. “For example, merchandise I purchase at RD$100 and sell for RD$350 may be sold at RD$800, RD$700 or RD$550 down the hall-way. There’s never a fixed price,” he says.
Offer 50%
According to Silvia Molina, visitors should offer 50% of the cost of an item right away to start the bargaining game as this puts both parties on an even playing field. The buyer is offering what they consider a fair price, and the seller (although they may try to increase the price) will make a profit. Molina advises that visitors should try and hold strong around the 50% mark especially on larger merchandise like wooden sculptures, paintings, drums, etc. She mentions that the vendor will try to get the buyer more around 30% for smaller merchandise like magnets, knick knacks, pens, etc.
According to Molina, haggling is just part of the game in Punta Cana