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Unless you are prepared to haggle on prices, be prepared to get eaten for lunch by the vendors, all of whom are ready for you! But it can be done. If you are accustomed to shopping in China or any other market where haggling, you don't need this tutorial. For the rest of the average American tourist, this is meant for you (and is honestly not meant to be condescending!). :) 1) most of the products there are not local. A few were, but most were from elsewhere, and importantly, most of the items were available from more than one vendor. So I'd recommend doing a reconnaissance of the entire market before you settle into buying items, then be prepared to comparison shop. It will also help if you are prepared to walk away from any item because ultimately, that's what it often takes before you get down to a vendor's best price. 2) the vendors are not interested in being your friends. A friendly vendor is nice because he is interested in making a sale, and importantly, you don't have to be worried about hurting his feelings. I would not permit my friend to shop independently in this market because he's so anxious to please that I knew that he would gladly pay any price to any person. There is no need to be a people pleaser in this place. He might like you better for paying his inflated price, but he still won't be your friend. 3) the winner of any haggling contest comes down to whether you want the item more or whether he wants your money more. If you squeal and gush and tell him that you've been waiting for this item all your life, he knows that you'll pay whatever he wants. So you can love an item, but keep it on the inside. 4) some vendors will ship items to your home. If it's out of state, typically you should not have to pay tax. Some vendors tried to charge tax anyway. Some vendors will also not charge tax if you pay in cash, but that was not consistent across vendors. 5) telling vendors that you are browsing and "will come back later" is usually enough to get someone off your back so you can depart. I learned that they also fully don't expect you to ever return, and discovered that if you genuinely do come back, at least one of them spontaneously offered me a discount because I was not bluffing when I said I would return. 6) buying additional items confers more bargaining leverage. It's also helpful to buy if someone else is already negotiating a good price at the same vendor, presumably because he knows that you aren't going to pay a higher price than the other person who already haggled down to the lower price. 7) if you hate the idea of bargaining, try to shop with vendors where the price is already clearly marked on the tag or sign. This happened in the definite minority of vendors that I encountered at the French Market, but there were a few. That doesn't mean that haggling is completely out of the question here, but at least you won't be paying $45 for an item that you can get down to $14 with a little effort. :) 8) have fun!…
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Date of experience: February 2021
Helpful
Great food, better service, and outstanding location. Local favorites served in traditional NOLA style.
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Date of experience: January 2021
1 Helpful vote
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There were only a couple vendors that had neat things for sale when we visited, most of it looked like mass produced Chinese garbage. Maybe in non Covid times it will be better. Did not try any of the food so can't comment on that.
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Date of experience: November 2020
2 Helpful votes
Helpful
Awesome place to shop for souvenirs and some tastes of NOLA, we could've spent all day there!!! Definitely a must when in NOLA!!!
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Date of experience: October 2020
3 Helpful votes
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We arrived with a list of recommendations to try, especially the shaved ice which was described to me as a must do on a hot day. We were so disappointed that the market was deserted, all stalls closed. I understand we were visiting during a pandemic but I had hoped the market would be open because it's outside, open air, so social distancing would be easy to do. I wonder if the lack of tourists caused the market to be boarded up rather than just the pandemic. To add to our discomfort, the empty area has become a hangout for drunk and drugged homeless. Do not bother until the pandemic is over.…
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Date of experience: July 2020
4 Helpful votes
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