Suppose You Have Just Opened a Store to Sell Espresso

question 261

Multiple Choice

Suppose you have just opened a store to sell espresso machines.Both you and a competing store buy this machine from a manufacturer for $130 each.Your competitor ,who has a store of the same size as yours, is currently selling about 10 machines a month at a price of $200 per machine.You expect to sell about 6 machines a month at a price of $220 per machine.If you lower your price, you expect to make a loss.Which of the following could explain why your competitor is able to profitably sell the machine at a lower price although the cost of purchasing the machine is the same for the both of you?

• A)The competing store probably has a greater number of employees.
• B)The competing store probably has a lower average variable cost of production.
• C)The competing store's goal is to maximize revenue and not profit.
• D)The competing store probably has a lower average cost because average fixed cost falls as output increases.

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Definitions:

Overhead Costs

Indirect costs not directly attributed to the production of goods or services, such as rent, utilities, and administrative expenses.

Machine Setups

The process of configuring or preparing machinery for a particular job, task, or production run.

Variable Cost

Expenses that change in proportion to the level of goods or services produced, such as raw materials or direct labor costs.

High-Low Method

A technique used in managerial accounting to estimate fixed and variable costs based on the highest and lowest levels of activity.