10.1 : 独占的競争

Monopolistic competition is a market structure where numerous buyers and sellers exist. Here, each seller offers differentiated products, and each firm has some control over the price of its product.

Firms compete by selling differentiated products that are similar but not perfect substitutes, which benefits consumers by offering a variety of goods.

For instance, in the restaurant industry, each eatery offers a unique dining experience.

In this market structure, advertising is one of the key strategies firms use to differentiate their products. However, while advertising can increase costs, firms must be careful not to raise prices too much.

Because consumers have many alternatives, they can easily switch to another provider if prices become too high.

The demand in monopolistic competition is relatively elastic due to the availability of close substitutes. This means that firms have limited power to increase prices without losing customers.

Additionally, the market has low barriers to entry and exit. In the long run, this leads to the entry of new firms, driving profits down to a normal level as competition increases.