PERFECT COMPETITION (2024)

PERFECT COMPETITION (1) PERFECT COMPETITION (2)

Pure or perfect competition is rare in the real world, but the model is important because it helps analyze industries with characteristics similar to pure competition. This model provides a context in which to apply revenue and cost concepts developed in the previous lecture. Examples of this model are stock market and agricultural industries.

Characteristics

1. Many sellers: there are enough so that a single seller’s decision has no impact on market price.

2. hom*ogenous or standardized products: each seller’s product is identical to its competitors’.

3. Firms are price takers: individual firms must accept the market price and can exert no influence on price.

4. Free entry and exit: no significant barriers prevent firms from entering or leaving the industry.

Demand

The individual firm will view its demand as perfectly elastic. A perfectly elastic demand curve is a horizontal line at the price. The demand curve for the industry is not perfectly elastic, it only appears that way to the individual firms, since they must take the market price no matter what quantity they produce. Therefore, the firm’s demand curve is a horizontal line at the market price.

Marginal revenue (MR) is the increase in total revenue resulting from a one-unit increase in output. Since the price is constant in the perfect competition. The increase in total revenue from producing 1 extra unit will equal to the price. Therefore, P= MR in perfect competition.

Profit-Maximizing Output

Short Run Analysis

In the short run, the firm has fixed resources and maximizes profit or minimizes loss by adjusting output. Firms should produce if the difference between total revenue and total cost is profitable (EP >0), or if the loss is less than the fixed cost (EP> - FC). The firm should not produce, but should shut down in the short run if its loss exceeds its fixed costs. By shutting down, its loss will just equal those fixed costs. Fixed cost in real life would be rent of the office, business license fees, equipment lease, etc. These cost would have to be paid with or without any output. Therefore, fixed cost would be the loss of shut down at any time. If by producing one unit of output, this loss could be lowered, then this unit should be produced to minimize the loss. However, if by producing one unit of output, this loss would be higher , then this unit should not be produced. The firm should shut down, just pay for the fixed cost.

If EP< - FC firm should shut down. Then its lost will be the Fixed cost. EP = - FC. In order for EP < - FC, market price, P, must be lower than the minimum AVC.

If EP>- FC, firm should produce. That is when market price is greater than minimum AVC.

Marginal revenue and marginal cost (MC) are compared to decide the profit-maximizing output.

If MR > MC, then the firm should continue to produce.

If MR = MC, then the firm should stop producing the additional unit. As the additional unit’s MC would be higher according to law of diminishing returns, MR would be less than MC; that is, the firm would loss profit by producing additional units. Therefore, this is the profit maximizing output level.

If MR < MC, then the firm should lower its output.

In conclusion:

The shutdown point is the level of output and price at which the firm just covers its total variable cost. If the MR of the product is less than the minimum average variable cost (min AVC), the firm will shut down because this action minimizes the firm’s loss. In this case, the firm’s economic loss equals its total fixed costs. If MR < min AVC, then each additional unit produced would increase the loss. For pure competition, MR is equal to price as the firm is facing a perfectly elastic demand. Therefore, for short run, if Price < min AVC, then the firm should shut down. If Price > min AVC, then the firm should produce. Price and MC are compared to find the profit maximizing or loss minimizing output level. The supply curve of the pure competition firms would be the portion of the MC curve above the min AVC.

1. If EP < - FC or Market P < Min AVC, firm should shut down. Output = 0 , and EP = -FC

2. If EP >- FC or Market P > Min AVC, firm should produce. Firm's output level should be at where MR=MC or P=MC. Use EP = TR - TC to get economic profit of the firm.

PERFECT COMPETITION (2024)

FAQs

PERFECT COMPETITION? ›

Firms are said to be in perfect competition when the following conditions occur: Many firms produce identical products. Many buyers are available to buy the product, and many sellers are available to sell the product.

What is a perfect competition in economics? ›

Firms are said to be in perfect competition when the following conditions occur: Many firms produce identical products. Many buyers are available to buy the product, and many sellers are available to sell the product.

What is an example of a perfect competition company? ›

In comparison, the monopoly market structure has only one firm that determines the price and supply of goods and services. Name the perfect competition examples companies. Uber and Amazon have perfect competition market structures.

What are the 5 characteristics of perfect competition? ›

Following are the characteristics of perfect competition:
  • Large numbers of buyers and sellers in the market.
  • Free entry and exit of firms in the market.
  • Each firm should be selling a hom*ogeneous product.
  • Buyers and sellers should possess complete knowledge of the market.
  • No price control.

What is perfect competition market structure? ›

Perfect competition is a hypothetical market structure in which there are very many firms, each of which represents an infinitesimal share of the market. In a perfectly competitive market, if any firm is able to earn an economic profit, other firms will immediately enter the market, driving economic profit to zero.

What is perfect competition characteristics? ›

The three primary characteristics of perfect competition are (1) no company holds a substantial market share, (2) the industry output is standardized, and (3) there is freedom of entry and exit. The efficient market equilibrium in a perfect competition is where marginal revenue equals marginal cost.

What is the difference between monopoly and perfect competition? ›

In a monopolistic market, there is only one firm that dictates the price and supply levels of goods and services. A perfectly competitive market is composed of many firms, where no one firm has market control. In the real world, no market is purely monopolistic or perfectly competitive.

Is Starbucks perfect competition? ›

Answer and Explanation: Starbucks belongs to a purely competitive market because it has competitors such as Coffee Bean, Peet's Coffee, and Dunkin Donuts, which sell coffee... See full answer below.

Is Mcdonald's a perfect competition? ›

Answer: Monopolistic Competition

Thus, the market can't be perfectly competitive since the goods aren't hom*ogeneous. The market can't be a monopoly because there are other sellers of fast food. It is also not an oligopoly because there... See full answer below.

What is perfect and imperfect competition? ›

Perfect competition is a concept in microeconomics that describes a market structure controlled entirely by market forces. If and when these forces are not met, the market is said to have imperfect competition. While no market has clearly defined perfect competition, all real-world markets are classified as imperfect.

Are grocery stores perfect competition? ›

Supermarkets are an example of markets that are close to perfect competition.

Is Walmart a perfect competition? ›

Answer and Explanation: Walmart is not a good example of perfect competition. First, Walmart does not sell an identical product as all of its competitors because the different competitors carry different lines of products and different overall product offerings (ie some offer groceries while others don't).

What is perfect competition features and examples? ›

Perfect competition is an economic term that refers to a theoretical market structure in which all suppliers are equal and overall supply and demand are in equilibrium. For example, if there are several firms producing a commodity and no individual firm has a competitive advantage, there is perfect competition.

What are the advantages of perfect competition? ›

The advantages of perfect competition are as follows: Knowledge is shared evenly between all the participating firms in the market. Due to no barriers to entry, the existing firms cannot exercise monopoly. Allocation of resources is done in the most efficient manner.

Why is perfect competition unrealistic? ›

Products, prices, firms and consumers are all the same, so no one company can do anything about it. Perfect competition prevails leaving no profit.

Which of the following is the best example of a perfectly competitive market? ›

Therefore, agriculture is the best example of a perfectly competitive market.

What are four 4 basic features of perfect competition? ›

Answer: In a perfect competition, the number of firms is large, products are hom*ogeneous, factors are mobile, and everyone has the liberty to enter and exit the market. Also, monopolistic combinations are not possible.

What are the four conditions of perfect competition? ›

A perfectly competitive market has four conditions:
  • There are many buyers and sellers.
  • Sellers offer identical products.
  • Buyers and sellers are well-informed about their products.
  • Sellers are able to enter and exit the market freely.

Why is perfect competition more efficient than monopoly? ›

Perfectly competitive firms have the least market power (i.e., perfectly competitive firms are price takers), which yields the most efficient outcome. Monopolies have the most market power, which yields the least efficient outcome.

Who determines the price in the perfect market? ›

In a perfectly competitive market, equilibrium price is determined by the forces of market demand and market supply. Market demand refers to the sum total of demand for a commodity by all the buyers in the market. Whereas market supply refers to the sum total of supply of a commodity by all the firms in the market.

What is meant by a perfect market? ›

a market where the sellers of a product or service are free to compete fairly, and sellers and buyers have complete information: The internet has a big part to play in the creation of a perfect market.

Is co*ke and Pepsi perfect competition? ›

So, Coca-cola and Pepsi- cola cannot be produced in a perfectly competitive market.

Is milk perfect competition? ›

The market for milk closely represents perfect competition. All milk suppliers produce the same good and the price is controlled.

Is sugar perfect competition? ›

In a perfectly competitive market, there are numerous buyers and sellers of exactly the same good. The standard examples of perfectly competitive markets are those for commodities, such as copper, sugar, wheat, or coffee.

Is Apple a perfect competition market? ›

For instance, it would be impossible for a company like Apple (AAPL) to exist in a perfectly competitive market because its phones are more expensive than those of its competitors.

Are eggs perfect competition? ›

Perfect Competition Example

A good example of a perfectly competitive market is the market for basic produce like wheat, corn, sugar, eggs, and chicken. The products sold by different firms are essentially all the same. If a buyer does not like the price in one shop, they will go to another shop with cheaper prices.

Are bananas perfect competition? ›

The Banana market is not a perfect competition. There are a few reasons why this is the case. Suppliers have more power in the market because there are fewer suppliers.

Is Nike perfect or imperfect competition? ›

Nike is an example of monopolistic competition because they have the aspects that a perfect competition has, except their products are not exactly like their competitors such as Adidas and Under Armour. Monopolistic competition is characterized by product differentiation.

Is Apple perfect competition or imperfect competition? ›

The market for apples is classified under perfect competition. This is because sellers in this market produce and sell the same...

What are 2 examples of imperfect competition? ›

Here are some imperfect competition examples and what each of them means:
  • Monopolies. A monopoly is the most common form of imperfect competition. ...
  • Natural monopolies. ...
  • Duopolies. ...
  • Oligopolies. ...
  • Cartels. ...
  • Monopsonies. ...
  • Cronyism. ...
  • Government interference.
Mar 19, 2023

Is pizza a perfect competition? ›

The pizza market is a monopolistic competition where sellers sell different products in terms of brand and quality.

Is fast food a perfect competition? ›

Monopolistically competitive industries are those that contain more than a few firms, each of which offers a similar but not identical product. Take fast food, for example. The fast food market is quite competitive, and yet each firm has a monopoly in its own product.

Are gas stations perfect competition? ›

Gas Stations are often used as examples in the classroom when learning about perfectly competitive markets. Perfectly competitive markets are characterized by products that barely differ (hom*ogenous), sold by lots of small producers (in this case, gas station owners) and with no barriers to entry.

What market structure is Amazon? ›

A monopsony, unlike a monopoly, is a market condition where there's only one buyer for a good or service. Amazon seems to fit this bill in two ways: how it treats its third-party sellers and how it acts in the labor market.

Is Nestle a perfect competition? ›

They are the perfect competition, monopolistic, oligopoly and monopoly. Perfect competition is the most competitive market structure which means it has many buyers and sellers.

Is target a monopolistic competition? ›

The company is an oligopoly. This is a market structure that is dominated by a few sellers; each firm is large enough to make price changes in the market. This type of market structure enables Target to react to changes that competitors, like Walmart, apply to their prices and offerings.

Is eBay a perfect competition? ›

There are several features of eBay which make the market competitive – and perhaps close to the model of perfect competition. Many buyers – thousands of people have access to viewing items listed on eBay. If I sold it in traditional means, smaller numbers of buyers would mean lower prices for me the seller.

Is agriculture perfect competition? ›

Most agricultural markets are "perfectly competitive," meaning (ideally) that a hom*ogeneous product is produced by and for many sellers and buyers, who are well informed about prices. The market is characterized by free entry and exit, with producers obligated to be price takers.

What is an example of perfect competition quizlet? ›

Perfect competition is a market structure in which a large number of firms all produce the same product. A product that is the same no matter who produces it, such as petroleum, notebook paper, or milk.

Is perfect competition good for consumers? ›

it benefits consumers by keeping prices low and the quality and choice of goods and services high. Competition makes our economy work. By enforcing antitrust laws, the Federal trade Commission helps to ensure that our markets are open and free.

Is perfect competition more efficient? ›

In the short run, perfect markets are not necessarily productively efficient. But in the long run, productive efficiency is achieved as new firms enter the market. Increased competition reduces price and cost to the minimum of the long run average costs.

Is perfect competition the most efficient? ›

Perfect competition is efficient because it achieves efficiency in allocation and efficiency in production simultaneously. Both of these conditions have to be fulfilled in order to be efficient. Among all the market firms only perfect competition satisfies both the conditions and thus it is efficient.

What are cons of perfect competition? ›

Some of the disadvantages of perfect competition are limited consumer choice, lack of investment, lack of incentive for innovation, and lack of economies of scale. These cannot be alleviated because of the nature of perfect competition.

Why is perfect competition a market failure? ›

The perfect competition model is criticized as being unrealistic and unachievable. According to this theory, market failure results when power is concentrated in too few hands. A monopoly is a single provider of a product or service. A monopsony is a single buyer of a product or service.

What is the failure of perfect competition? ›

A perfectly competitive market gives the greatest possible wealth – the sum of consumer and producer surplus. Any market that fails to get this full amount is not perfect, and we say that we have a “market failure.” By “failure” we simply mean “not perfect.” All markets are in failure, but some more than others.

What are the assumptions of perfect competition? ›

Perfect competition is a model of the market based on the assumption that a large number of firms produce identical goods consumed by a large number of buyers. The model of perfect competition also assumes that it is easy for new firms to enter the market and for existing ones to leave.

Why is a perfect competitor called a price taker? ›

A perfectly competitive firm is known as a price taker, because the pressure of competing firms forces them to accept the prevailing equilibrium price in the market. If a firm in a perfectly competitive market raises the price of its product by so much as a penny, it will lose all of its sales to competitors.

Why are there so few examples of perfectly competitive markets? ›

One reason so few markets are perfectly competitive is that minimum efficient scales are so high that eventually the market can support only a few sellers.

What is the definition of perfect competition quizlet? ›

perfect competition. Perfect competition is a market structure in which a large number of firms all produce the same product. commodity. A product that is the same no matter who produces it, such as petroleum, notebook paper, or milk.

What are 2 examples of monopolistic? ›

Restaurants, hair salons, household items, and clothing are examples of industries with monopolistic competition. Items like dish soap or hamburgers are sold, marketed, and priced by many competing companies.

What is an example of a pure competition? ›

Online retail stores especially are an example of pure competition. They will offer essentially the same types of products, such as clothing, shoes and accessories, and in relatively similar price ranges.

Is Starbucks an example of perfect competition? ›

Starbucks belongs to a purely competitive market because it has competitors such as Coffee Bean, Peet's Coffee, and Dunkin Donuts, which sell coffee...

What is the definition and examples of perfect competition? ›

Perfect competition is an economic term that refers to a theoretical market structure in which all suppliers are equal and overall supply and demand are in equilibrium. For example, if there are several firms producing a commodity and no individual firm has a competitive advantage, there is perfect competition.

What is perfect competition vs not perfect competition? ›

In a perfectly competitive market, the sellers sell identical products. While the sellers in the case of an imperfectly competitive market sell non-identical products. This means that sellers in the imperfectly competitive market choose their own specialties according to their knowledge and choice.

Does perfect competition mean no competition? ›

There is no competition in a perfectly competitive market because the market forces like demand and supply of goods and services set the price level. No firms have any market power in the form of goods or price because there are substitutes of goods in the market.

Is Amazon a monopoly? ›

It is heavily in the thrall of a destructive and ideological system of monopoly, which has led to it blocking precisely zero of the over 1,000 Big Tech acquisitions in the past decade. Its fines on Big Tech firms like Amazon amount to several billion dollars - but have hardly dented these firms' insane growth rates.

Is Walmart a monopoly? ›

Walmart is never largely affected by the pricing strategies of its competitors but instead its competitors are the ones who have to adapt their prices to match the prices of Walmart. The size of Walmart in comparison to its competitors gives Walmart the characteristic of a monopoly.

Is Apple a monopoly? ›

And the judge ruled that Apple doesn't have monopoly power because customers can choose Android phones instead. She did find, however, that Apple's policies violated California's Unfair Competition Law.

What is an example of a monopoly? ›

1. Public utilities: gas, electric, water, cable TV, and local telephone service companies, are often pure monopolies. 2. First Data Resources (Western Union), Wham-O (Frisbees), and the DeBeers diamond syndicate are examples of "near" monopolies.

What is an example of an oligopoly? ›

Some examples of oligopolies include the car industry, petrol retail, pharmaceutical industry, coffee shop retail, and airlines. In each of these industries, a few large companies dominate.

What is a monopoly in economics? ›

A monopoly is an enterprise that is the only seller of a good or service. In the absence of government intervention, a monopoly is free to set any price it chooses and will usually set the price that yields the largest possible profit.

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