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EconNews Online is South-Western's service to provide summaries of the latest economics news stories. Review the brief summaries and, for stories of interest, select the full summary. |
| MONOPOLISTIC COMPETITION | |
| Title | Brief Summary |
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Of the 22,000-some funeral homes in the US, only about 3,000 are part of corporations. The remaining 85% of the funeral homes are owned by smaller firms or families. The difference, they say, and the reason why it is so difficult to conglomerate in this market, is in the services provided. (Updated September, 2007) |
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Just when you thought there couldn’t be another bell or whistle that could go on a shoe, here it comes…the shoe that you can write on. (Updated August, 2007) |
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Health care has a new player in the market: quick clinics designed to serve people who want common ailments diagnosed at a lower cost than a visit to the doctor. RediClinic and MinuteClinic, two of the most prominent chains in the US, expect to rapidly increase the number of clinics over the next few years. Why are they so popular? (Updated May, 2007) |
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A competition that was created in 1999 has grown to become a way out of poverty for some farmers in developing countries. Known as the Cup of Excellence, this competition encourages farmers to engage in investment designed to stimulate quality of the bean. (Updated March, 2007) |
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If you've ever been involved in planning a funeral--or been to a few, for that matter - you know that, despite mortician's best sales efforts, all caskets pretty much look the same: they're boxy, and made of various types of wood or steel. So what happens if you need to buy a casket, but just don't like any of the models you see? You go into business and build them to suit your own aesthetic sensibilities! (Updated September, 2006) |
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Fly on an airplane, and you can bet that you didn't pay the same airfare as the person sitting next to you. Go to a restaurant before 5:30, and pay an "early bird" reduced dinner price for the exact same meal that someone else will pay triple that price for at 7:30. Why shouldn't the same pricing strategy apply to moviegoers? (Updated March, 2006) |
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Profitability of Chinese airlines (Updated March, 2006) |
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Marketers are discovering the potential of sending advertising messages to individual cellular phones, arguing that it’s a way of further refining their target audiences. (Updated February, 2006) |
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Despite people’s vehement dislike of direct mail, the annoying fliers work. Or, at least, they used to. (Updated December, 2005) |
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Circuses now rely on high-profile clowns to revitalize their industry. (Updated November, 2005) |
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Companies like Amazon.com, A libris, and eBay are making it easier and easier for consumers to sell their used books online. This glut of used books on the market is giving traditional booksellers a headache of significant proportions. (Updated November, 2005) |
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Beurger King, a new fast-food restaurant in Paris, caters to the Muslim population there. In fact, the name is a play on the term "Beur," indicating a second generation North African in France. The food is standard fast-food; burgers, doughnut, and such, but all of the meat is halal - prepared according to Islamic dietary laws. (Updated September, 2005) |
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When daylight-savings time expands by four weeks beginning in 2007, many electronic devices could give consumers big headaches. DVD recorders and VCRs may be programmed with current daylight-saving time zones, but not for the new, expanded daylight savings zones. Computer calendars won't immediately recognize the change, and some people may miss meetings or may find that their TVs taped the wrong shows. (Updated September, 2005) |
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Hotel chains are beginning to act environmentally responsible: They're not changing sheets as often. It's also a good business decision, as their costs fall as a result. But some travelers aren't happy with the trend: They want fresh sheets every night. (Updated September, 2005) |
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SBC Communications has announced a move to lower the price of broadband Internet access for only $14.95 a month, sharply undercutting competitors, and putting it below the cost of some dialup plans. The move is putting significant pressure on competitors to follow suit and lower prices. (Updated August 2005) |
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On the heels of the success of the disposable cameras, drugstore giant CVS Corporation is going to begin selling single-use, disposable digital camcorders. (Updated August 2005) |
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Texas-based grocery chain Whole Foods believes it has the answer to the scarcity of urban grocery stores: locate stores in new skyscraper condo complexes. (Updated July 2005) |
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New immigrant businesses are going head-to-head with American icons. Greyhound has just reduced its fare for its Boston-New York run to $15. It had to, since Lucky Star Travel, a Chinese business, had been charging $15 for some time. (Updated April 2005) |
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Violight, a new company in New York, has created a toothbrush sanitizer. While it's not the first on the market--the first was about 3 times larger than Violight's--it is the first to attain relatively broad market appeal. (Updated March 2005) |
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Is bigger better in the retail world? Sometime yes--if you're a giant firm like Wal-Mart. Sometimes no--when you're anyone else in the field, and it may be impossible to get large enough no matter how many mergers you form. (Updated January 2005) |
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Energizer has come up with a new addition to the flashlight market: a flashlight that will work with any of three different sizes of batteries. (Updated December, 2004) |
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Across college campuses nationwide, students are increasingly purchasing Apple computers. (Updated November, 2004) |
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In an attempt to make office mailing systems more efficient, Avery has come up with "Quick Peel" Automatic Label Peeler - a device that not only prints out labels, but peels them off for you as well. (Updated September, 2004) |
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Giant toy retailer Toys 'R' Us is considering leaving the toy business. (Updated September, 2004) |
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In response to changing
consumer trends toward healthier eating, McDonald's announced that on May
6, 2004, it would roll out Adult Happy Meals, called "Go Active!"
meals, in all 13,600 U.S. domestic McDonald's restaurants. (Updated June, 2004) |
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Furniture Brands International,
a North Carolina furniture maker, has been hampered by competition from
China. The company has recently shuttered 17 production facilities, but
one in Thomasville, NC, has refused to fold. (Updated May, 2004) |
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Santa Claus is coming
to Wal-Mart, and kids can get their pictures taken with him for free. This
is a move the chain is hoping will draw additional customers to its almost
3,000 stores in the US over this holiday shopping season. (Updated January 4, 2004) |
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America Online (AOL)
has lost two million US subscribers in the last year, and is fighting back
in the internet service market with a new promotion: commit to one year
of service, and they'll throw in a personal computer and color printer for
only $299. (Updated January 4, 2004) |
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A new form of competition
has erupted in the telecommunications industry - using current digital Internet
lines to transmit telephone calls, at little cost. (Updated October 17, 2003) |
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In a move to become
more competitive in the package-delivery industry, UPS has pledged to reduce
ground delivery time by at least one day. (Updated October 17, 2003) |
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Federated department
stores introduces amenities into its stores and reduces the number of human
interactions in its stores. (Updated September 10, 2003) |
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Zara, a clothing manufacturer
and retailer, designs and produces new styles in a matter of weeks, and
delivers clothes to stores on a just-in-time basis, giving it an edge in
the market. (Updated July 1, 2001) |
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As the number of products
increase, consumers find it harder to make decisions rationally. They may
rely on emotional reactions to the packaging of the product more. Many producers
have therefore been redesigning their packaging to appeal to consumers. (Updated March 1, 2000) |
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Coke is raising its
prices. To prevent consumers switching to other soft drinks, it is beginning
a new ad campaign emphasizing the unique features of Coke and its refreshing
and fun qualities. The ads employ various musical genres and recall the
good times, past and present. (Updated March 1, 2000) |
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Online retailing is
booming. It is opening up markets, reducing costs, allowing more flexible
responses to consumer needs, and is more convenient. Fast, not necessarily
big, businesses are benefiting. (Updated January 1, 2000) |
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On-line pharmacies are
proliferating. Consumers like the convenience and privacy, although the
danger is that consumers may be encouraged to buy drugs that would be injurious
to their health. (Updated October 1, 1999) |
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Even before the new
Star Wars movie opened, stores were flooded with products bearing the likenesses
of characters from the film. This was a marketing campaign to promote the
movie, but companies like Pepsi see it as very profitable for their own
products. (Updated July 1, 1999) |
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Internet auction sites,
such as e-Bay, are growing fast. Businesses are expected to increase their
share of transactions because they can reach a large number of consumers
quickly and do not incur the costs of having a store. (Updated July 1, 1999) |
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Iridium is a hand-held
satellite phone service. Sales have been poor, but the war in Yugoslavia
is increasing the demand from news and aid organizations. Donations of phones
to refugee camps are also providing welcome publicity. (Updated June 1, 1999) |
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Handcuffs Sweatshirts are sweatshirts
with sleeves that can be rolled down over the hands. The business has taken
off in the last four years and future prospects look rosy. (Updated January 1, 1999) |
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Canteen Vending Services is about
to offer restaurant foods in its vending machines. It expects sales to increase.
The restaurant chains hope that they will reach new customers and encourage
restaurant visits. However, some restaurants remain skeptical, fearing that
lower quality would actually hurt their business. (Updated December 1, 1998) |
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In Britain, there are
three main pizza delivery firms, but thousands of smaller operators. It
is predicted that many small delivery firms will drop out of the industry
in the next five years, leaving the big three firms with two-thirds of the
market. (Updated November 11, 1998) |
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