Shopping in Ghana

Shopping in Ghana is fun, interesting, and you can get a lot of good bargains. There are a lot of stories online about tourists getting ripped off, but the truth is that 9 times out of 10, even the "obroni" price is less than we would pay at home for the same thing.

First, make sure to carry a lot of small bills, in different places. Some in each front pocket, some in your wallet (carry this inside your bag, not your back pocket), some inside another pocket of the bag itself, some in your shirt pocket...you get the idea. In no case do you want to pull out a big wad of cash to go through when making a purchase. Also, if you happen to get pick pocketed, you won't lose everything.

The small bills help when you are negotiating from 10 new Ghana cedis to 7 for example. Ideally, you want to give the person a 5 and two 1's, not a 10 then ask for change after he's agreed to the lower price. An attempt to restart the bargaining may very well be made once your sales person sees that 10, and you're better off without the round two.

Speaking of bargaining, it is absolutely expected at stores in Ghana. If you don't do it, not only will you not get a good price, but it can create an awkward situation because negotiation is expected.

Some guides recommend starting your bargaining at 1/2 of the original price offered in Accra, and 1/3 in Kumasi. The sales person will laugh at you. He will pontificate on the high quality of his product. He will tell you he has to make a living. He will tell you his Grannie or Auntie made the items. He will tell you other tourists will pay the price he mentioned. He will tell you he knows you have it. None of this is malicious - it's all part of the negotiation process.

If you really don't want the item, the best thing to do is give a firm "no thank you" and walk away. Trying to be "nice" by feigning interest and asking more questions as we often do in the States will only make the interaction less pleasant. Your salesman will prefer to move on to his next potential customer if you are truly not planning to buy anything.

Another thing you may come across when shopping in Ghana is a sales person who refuses to give a price on anything until you have picked everything you want. Of course, for most Americans this is counterintuitive. How can we pick out things if we don't know their prices or if we have enough money to buy them?

With a bit of practice and experience, which only takes trips to a few shops, you will start to get a good feel for how much things cost. Pick out as much as you want in a shop, and set a price in your mind that is about half of what you think the sales person would ask for. Also think of the highest amount you will spend. When he laughs, facetiously argues, etc, bring your price up a little. If you are too staunch and won't budge, it will quickly take the fun out of the bargaining.

If possible, stay below your highest price and you will walk out a happy customer. If you are pushed to your high price, tell the sales person you can't afford it. Take out some items. If he can't meet your price, leave.

Typically, the salespeople, though perhaps a bit more forward than in the States, are very friendly and the negotiating process is a positive experience. Ultimately, both parties should walk away from it happy. If you feel that someone is being too pushy or pricing too high, just leave. It's better for everyone involved.

Make sure you understand the conversion rates between your home currency and Ghanaian currency, as well as old Ghanaian currency and new. 10,000 of the old Ghana cedis is equal to 1 new Ghana cedis. The recent redenomination of the cedi has caused a bit of confusion for some tourists, so you want to stay on your toes.

Happy shopping!