A price leader is a firm that sets the price in the market for a particular product or service. Price leadership happens in the case of a leading firm within a certain industry exerting enough influence in a particular sector that it can effectively determine the price of services and goods for the whole market. This firm has a great deal of power and influence over its competitors, who must take the lead price into account when making their own pricing decisions (Han & Lee, 2021). There are two types of price leaders: absolute and relative. Absolute price leaders are firms that always charge the highest prices in the market, while relative price leaders are firms that charge higher prices than their competitors, but not always the highest prices.
Price leadership can be achieved through various means, including economies of scale, brand recognition, and product differentiation. However, one of the most common and effective ways for a price leader to maintain its position is through implied threats to its rivals.
The following are some ways through which a price leader can enforce its leadership through implied threats to a rival.
One of the ways involves increasing advertising expenditure. A price leader can increase its advertising budget to make it more difficult for rivals to compete on price. This will also help to build brand awareness and loyalty, which will further cement the price leader’s position. The other way is by investing in new technology or product development. A price leader can also invest in new technology or product development to stay ahead of its rivals. This will make it more difficult for them to catch up and could give the price leader a competitive advantage.
There is also expanding into new markets as the other way. A price leader can also expand into new markets, which will make it more difficult for rivals to compete. This will also help to increase the price leader’s market share and allow it to charge higher prices. The other way a price leader can deal with its rivals is by acquiring them. A price leader can also try to acquire rival firms to eliminate competition and consolidate its position. This can be a very effective way to become the dominant player in a market.
A low-cost price leader can also deal with the competitors through engaging in price discrimination. A price leader can also engage in price discrimination, which is when different prices are charged for the same product or service based on customer characteristics. This could involve charging different prices to different customer segments or using dynamic pricing strategies. The other way involves setting minimum resale price agreements. A price leader can also set minimum resale price agreements (MRPAs) with its distributors and retailers. This will prevent them from selling the product at a lower price, which could erode the price leader’s market share.
The last way through which the price leaders can enforce its leadership is by using predatory pricing (Han & Lee, 2021). A price leader can also use predatory pricing, which is when prices are set at artificially low levels to drive rivals out of business. This is a risky strategy that could lead to antitrust action, but it can be effective in consolidating a market. The strategies provided in this paper are just some of how a price leader can enforce its leadership through implied threats to a rival. By using these strategies, a price leader can maintain its position and keep competitors at bay.
Reference
Han, A., & Lee, K. H. (2021). The Impact of Public Reporting Schemes and Market Competition on Hospital Efficiency. Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland), 9(8), 1031. https://doi.org/10.3390/healthcare9081031