When One Store Stays Open Late to Gain an Advantage

question 13

Multiple Choice

When one store stays open late to gain an advantage, its competitors begin to stay open late, too. At this point the first store is no better off than it was before, but now every store has additional expenses. This illustration is an example of what Frank and Cook call a

• A) capitalistic marathon.
• B) market economy.
• C) positional arms race.
• D) struggle for parity.

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Definitions:

Variable Costs

Expenses that change in proportion to the level of production or business activity.

Fixed Costs

Fixed costs are business expenses that remain constant regardless of the level of production or sales activities, such as rent, salaries, and insurance.

Contribution Margin

The sales price minus the variable costs of a product, indicating how much selling one more unit adds to profit.

Variable Costs

Costs that vary directly with the level of production or volume of output, such as raw materials and direct labor.