THERE'S never been a better time to bag a bargain through a bit of judicious haggling. But, even so, most of us still feel too embarrassed to try.

Now, though, it seems things are changing.

The recession has led to a rise in the number of shopkeepers willing to let bargain hunters haggle over the price of goods, a study has claimed.

Some two-thirds of high street stores will give discounts to shoppers brave enough to bargain, according to comparison website moneysupermarket.com

The study found 61 per cent of shop owners and managers reported the recession had made them more likely to offer "non-sale" discounts to close a deal.

But shy British shoppers are relatively coy when it comes to the dark art of bargaining, the study found.

Almost a third (31 per cent) of retailers said customers rarely haggled, and only 15 per cent reported they had a strict "no discounts" policy.

A third of shoppers said they had never tried to negotiate a price down on something they were buying, with the majority of those quizzed saying embarrassment held them back from trying to get a better deal. Only 10 per cent said they haggled regularly.

But of those who try haggling, they report being successful on two out of three occasions and, on average, negotiated a 13.5 per cent discount.

Just seven per cent of hagglers received a straight no from the retailer, and 73 per cent of people who asked for free items to be thrown in with a purchase were successful.

The study claimed consumers felt most comfortable negotiating on electronic items such as TVs, DVD recorders and stereos.

Clare Francis, of moneysupermarket. com, said: "As Brits, we all love to get a great deal, but it's not necessarily in our nature to haggle on price.

"This report shows, however, that many recession-hit retailers are open to negotiation — if people are brave enough to give it a go."

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So, can you get a bargain by haggling?