Question

Firm A and Firm B are the only two companies that sell mail-order DVD rental subscriptions. For several years, Firm A priced its subscriptions below average variable cost. Firm B tried to compete by also selling subscriptions below average variable cost, but went bankrupt and exited the market. Several months after Firm B exited the market, Firm A raised prices by 40 percent and is currently earning large, positive economic profits. Based only on this information, an argument can be made that:____________.
A. the mail-order DVD rental subscription market is a monopolistically competitive market.
B. Firm A engaged in predatory pricing.
C. Firm B must have made bad business decisions because it went bankrupt.
D. Firm B engaged in predatory pricing.
E. FirmA and Firm B must have had a collusive agreement

Answer 1

Answer:

B. Firm A engaged in predatory pricing.

Explanation:

Since Firm A and B are the only two companies that sell this good

Firm A decided to price its subscriptions below average variable cost that is it lowered it's prices which made Firm B to also lower it's own, but they went bankrupt and exited the market. Firm A then raised prices by 40% and is currently earning large, positive economic profits.

Based on this, Firm A engaged in predatory pricing.

Predatory pricing is a marketing or pricing strategy that has to do with lowering the cost of goods and services for a short-term, in order to make competitors lower their price, making them to go bankrupt in the process and thereby exiting the market.