Earlier in the year, Sony reduced the price of its PlayStation VR bundle from $499 to $449, a significant 10% reduction in price. Given there is significant brand loyalty towards PlayStation (and inelastic demand), what are the possible economic reasons behind cutting the price? Complementary products One very strong reason is to make profit from …
Explanation of why government intervention to try and correct market failure may result in government failure. Summary Market failure is a socially inefficient allocation of resources in a free market. Market failure can occur for various reasons Externalities Demerit/merit goods Public goods Monopoly power Government failure occurs when government intervention results in a more inefficient …
UK interest rates were last raised over a decade ago – July 2007, but it is widely expected that this week the MPC will vote to raise base interest rates from their current low of 0.25%. The logic for an interest rate rise is that – inflation (3%) is above the 2% target, fall in …
Many business leaders are strongly arguing that Britain urgently needs to expand its airport capacity in the south-east. The easiest and quickest method to increase airport expansion would be to expand Heathrow to include a third runway and sixth terminal. However, there is vocal opposition from local residents and green groups against expanding Heathrow. Opponents …
A devaluation leads to a decline in the value of a currency making exports more competitive and imports more expensive. Generally, a devaluation is likely to contribute to inflationary pressures because of higher import prices and rising demand for exports. However, the overall impact depends on the state of the economy and other factors affecting …
Source: World Bank This shows the price of petrol per litre around the world. Varying in price from $0.02 a litre in Venezuela to Eritrea with a price of $3.33. Generally Western European economies have the highest price of petrol due to higher petrol tax. Out of 217 countries listed by the world bank. Most …
Companies often offer student discounts – from 10% to 50% off. What is the logic behind this student discount – is it compassionate pricing for hard-up students or is there good economic logic to increase profits for firms? Charging different prices to different groups of consumers is known as price discrimination. The idea is that …
Consumer confidence is the outlook that consumers have towards the economy and their own personal financial situation. This outlook can be optimistic (high consumer confidence) or pessimistic (low consumer confidence) The level of consumer confidence will be an important factor that determines the willingness of consumers to spend, borrow and save. A high level of …