Internet Is Not Happy With Foreigner Bargaining At Delhi's Sarojini Nagar; Here’s Why

Many street markets in India are known for their range of products that one can buy at an inexpensive rate, the Sarojini Nagar market in Delhi is one such place. Recently, a young foreigner tried to unsuccessfully bargain for a kurta in a viral video. Ella Johansen, who makes travel content along with her family members, visited the Sarojini Nagar market and tried to buy a kurta for Rs 250 when the shopkeeper quoted the price at Rs 350. The shopkeeper did not reduce the price and instead highlighted that it was a fixed-price shop and pointed to a sign that said ‘Sale 350’. Ella conceded when she realised that one should not bargain at ‘fixed price’ shops and bought the kurta.

Recently, an X user mushruem posted this video online and criticised Ella for bargaining with street vendors. While many people thought that Ella was respectful and reasonable while bargaining, others thought that affluent foreigners would not bargain when the price was highly reasonable to begin with.

In her critique of Ella, mushruem wrote, ‘It’s not that, it’s more so that she’s not a local and she can clearly afford 350 rupees she’s not bargaining because she genuinely wants a lower price she’s bargaining because she thinks it’s an “ethnic experience” or whatever white tourists say nowadays.”

Another asserted, “I’m sorry but imagine going to Walmart and trying to bargain with the cashier for a dress that’s so weird, even if bargaining was the norm I’d stop when I heard “fixed price” like a normal person.”

In defense of Ella, an X user wrote, “I honestly didn’t expect the hate. We do price haggling in such markets. Yeah she’s privileged and can definitely afford it. But the first time I saw this video I got the impression that she’s just trying to bargain like we do, for the video I mean… Idk just my understanding!”

Another argued, “Nothing wrong with her trying to bargain and in fact she learnt a new cultural thing about India that if there is a board which says fixed price, you can’t bargain. She clearly says that she eventually figured out what to do in the ‘fixed price’ board scenario in India.”

Ella and her family (her father Kasper and her mother Kylie) run a travel-centric channel called ‘Living the Jo’. They have 79,000 followers on Instagram and 1.5 lakh on YouTube. So far the trio has visited 65 countries.