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EconNews Online is South-Western College Publishing'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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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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