6.14 : 価格の変化

To remain competitive, businesses must proactively manage prices by initiating price changes or responding to those of competitors.

These adjustments can take the form of price cuts or increases.

Price cuts are driven by low-cost strategies to dominate the market.

Additionally, fierce competition or excess capacity, where increased sales efforts or product improvements fail to generate business, necessitates price cuts to stimulate sales.

Price reductions may also risk consumer perceptions of poor quality.

Conversely, price hikes are driven by cost inflation, in which profits are squeezed, and the price increase is passed on to the consumers.

It is also driven by over-demand, where the company cannot fulfill them, increasing consumer prices.

In response to price changes, competitors may choose one of the four potential strategies.

First is reducing prices for price-sensitive markets.

The second is maintaining the price but boosting the product's perceived value through promotions.

Third is repositioning the brand by enhancing quality and price.

And fourth, a lower-priced brand or product is introduced for the unresponsive, price-sensitive segments.