Survey results: When bargaining works best

It pays to bargain, judging by the experiences of 2,167 respondents to our nationally representative survey. Of those who negotiated for furniture, for example, 94 percent were successful at least once during the past three years.

Overall, 61 percent of respondents bargained at least once during that time. Men were somewhat more likely to bargain than women: 64 percent vs. 58 percent. Although both genders were equally successful when they tried to negotiate, women tended to dislike the process more: Forty-six percent said haggling made them so uncomfortable that they rarely, if ever, tried it. Only 32 percent of men said they felt that way.

In order of bargaining success.