Businesses can use price elasticity of demand, or PED, to set prices that are competitive:
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What is PED?:
- PED tells us how much the amount people want to buy changes when prices go up or down.
- If PED is greater than 1, we say demand is elastic. This means people are sensitive to price changes.
- If PED is less than 1, we say demand is inelastic. Here, people are not very sensitive to price changes.
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Pricing Strategies:
- For elastic products: If prices go down, sales can go up a lot. For example, if you lower the price by 1%, the number of items sold might increase by more than 1%.
- For inelastic products: If prices go up, businesses can still make more money. Customers won’t change their buying habits much with higher prices.
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Market Analysis:
- By understanding what competitors are charging and how their customers react to price changes, businesses can adjust their own prices. This helps them make the most profits possible.