ECO 365
April 6, 2014
Differentiating Between Market Structures
Market structure is the state of the market with respect to its competition. There are several different market structures such as perfect competition, monopolies, and oligopoly. An industry consists of all firms making similar or identical products. Economists assume that there are a number of different buyers and sellers in the marketplace (Heakal, 2014). In some industries, there are no substitutes and there is no competition. In a market that has only one or few suppliers of a good or service, the producer(s) can control price, meaning that a consumer does not have choice, cannot maximize his or her total utility and has have very little influence over the price of goods. This will lead to a competition in the market, which allows price to change in response to changes in supply and demand. For almost every product there are substitutes, so if one product becomes too expensive, a buyer can choose a cheaper substitute instead (Heakal, 2014). According to the Fortune Global 500 list Walmart is the biggest private employer in the world with over two million employees. It remains a family owned business controlled by the Walton family, who own over 50 percent of Walmart. …show more content…
References
Heakal, R. (2014, May). Economics Basics: Monopolies, Oligopolies and Perfect Competition. Retrieved from http://www.investopedia.com/university/economics/economics6.asp
Walmart: Keys to Successful Supply Chain Management. (2014, April). Retrieved from http://www.usanfranonline.com/resources/supply-chain-management/walmart-keys-to-successful-supply-chain-management/#.U0SQTvldWSo
What is a Market Challenger. (April, 2014). Retrieved from