Assume that the market for paper supplies and the market for toothpicks have the following characteristics: The Market for Paper Supplies is comprised of: The Market for Toothpicks is comprised of: The Papyrus Company operates in the market for paper supplies and Wudden Floss operates in the toothpick market. The sales managers for both companies want to know how a change in price will affect the quantity sold. Which of the following choices best completes the following sentence? If both firms increase prices, the quantity sold by Papyrus Company will: A)
| increase, and the quantity sold by Wudden Floss will decrease. |
| B)
| decrease, and so will the quantity sold by Wudden Floss. |
| C)
| decrease, and Wudden Floss will sell nothing. |
|
Papyrus Company is an example of a price searcher engaged in monopolistic competition (low barriers to entry). Thus, the company faces a downward sloping demand curve and highly elastic demand. An increase in price will result in fewer units sold. Wudden Floss is an example of a price taker operating in a purely competitive market. Thus, the firm faces a horizontal demand curve and perfectly elastic demand. An increase in price will result in no units sold. In a purely competitive market, the firm must take the market price. |