170 likes | 310 Views
Oligopolies. A2 Economics. Starter: Recap on Concentration Ratios. Peer Mark Oligopoly Homework Questions 1, 2, 3. Aims and Objectives. Aim: To understand the barriers to entry which face firms trying to enter an oligopolistic market. Objectives: Recap on concentration ratios.
E N D
Oligopolies A2 Economics
Starter: Recap on Concentration Ratios • Peer Mark Oligopoly Homework Questions 1, 2, 3.
Aims and Objectives Aim: • To understand the barriers to entry which face firms trying to enter an oligopolistic market. Objectives: • Recap on concentration ratios. • Define and describe barriers to entry. • Analyse different barriers to entry in an Oligopolistic market. • Evaluate the positive and negative effects of barriers to entry in an oligopolistic market.
Imperfect Competition What were the features of imperfect competition? • Non homogenous goods. • Barriers to entry. • Imperfect knowledge.
Barriers to Entry • Factors which prevent firms from entering a market. • In an oligopoly barriers which exist are based on economies of scale.
Barriers to Entry – Firm Creation • In the absence of barriers to entry existing through economies of scale in an oligopolistic market. • Firms can create barriers to entry.
L: Limit and Predatory Pricing • The large oligopolistic firms have the lowest costs in an industry. • Economies of scale. • These firms can use limit pricing as a barrier to entry. • Firm lowers it’s prices to a level where other firms cannot compete. • Driving them out of the industry. BACK
A: Advertising • Large firms can spread the costs of advertising, as they produce thousands of units. • New entrants to the market have to match that level of advertising expenditure. • However they cannot produce as many units. • Unit cost of advertising will be higher. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcWJF9XvEVY&feature=related BACK
M: Multiplicity of Brands • Large oligopolistic firms can sell a large number of different products and brands. • Targets multiple areas of the market. • Therefore attracts more customers. • Tesco stocks 20 varieties of apple! BACK
I: Integration (combining two firms) • As oligopolists get larger they can integrate, horizontally and vertically. • This enables them to use predatory pricing more effectively. • Economies of scale. • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j8D6TXxL13I BACK
N: Non Price Competition • Strategies to persuade customers to buy goods, without lowering prices. • Tesco Clubcard • 8 million users, most popular loyalty card in UK. Reicheld and Teal (1996) • The greater the benefits for the customer, the more years that customer will remain loyal. • Customer loyalty is a key ingredient for success. BACK
B: Branding • Brands have unique characteristics. Built over many years. • Created through advertising. • Making demand more inelastic. BACK
R: Research and Development BACK • Increasing expenditure on R&D • Firms can produce products which give them the edge over their competitors. • Charge a higher price than their competitors. http://www.dyson.co.uk/insideDyson/article.asp?aID=rdd&imgID=rdd_02.jpg&asset=rdd_02.jpg&at=Image&hf=&js=
Positives and Negatives of Each Barrier to Entry • Limit and Predatory Pricing • Advertising • Multiplicity of brands • Integration • Non-price competition • Branding • R&D + -
Homework. • Exam question 1b) Funeral Markets. • Monday 15th November 2010. • Find out the price of 2 pints of milk in your nearest supermarket.
How do dominant firms compete with each other in an Oligopoly?