Excellent points you make. The Producers could have compensated the traders for any losses they had incurred during the transactions.

I can see why he spun those stories. I've worked in sales and it can, at times, be the most morally-bankrupting thing you'll ever do.

Anyone spinning a yarn like Chris did, would have had me laughing my head off, but as to getting him a large discount?...

NO chance!.

I have no idea if the shop owners are primed before hand, but it wouldnt surprise me one bit.

It reminded me that these guys are accompanied by a film crew.
Chris goes into the Taxi information shop with a TV crew and spills a ridiculous story while the staff are laughing at him and he gets rewarded for telling the porky pie story.

Sugar will not have a problem with those tactics, they were buying not selling and making false promises.

I think the guys were brilliant and the shopkeepers were laughing as well.

"Excellent points you make. The Producers could have compensated the traders for any losses they had incurred during the transactions"

The whole point ought to be, that the traders were not filmed first and had no idea they would be and would make a genuine sale. Only afterwards would they be invited perhaps for a consideration just to restage it.
So there would be no losses involved. They would have agreed to the price when the sale was originally concluded without the cameras.
I dont know what happens to all these items after the show, but if the trader refused to film, I am sure the producers could afford to buy again at a different trader.