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Q.What is Monopolistic Competition ? Explain its characteristics.

(OR)
What is Perfect Competition ? Explain how equilibrium price is determined under perfect competition.
Jammu Kashmir JkboseJKBOSE Class 12 Annual Regular Examination (Commerce) 2019Subjective· 6mImportance★★★★★
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Monopolistic competition combines features of both perfect competition and monopoly: many sellers compete, but each sells a slightly differentiated product and therefore has a degree of price-setting power.

Meaning: Monopolistic competition is a market structure in which a large number of firms sell products that are close substitutes of one another but not identical — i.e., products are differentiated by brand, quality, packaging, location or after-sales service.

Characteristics of Monopolistic Competition:

  1. Large number of sellers and buyers: No single firm can influence the market price significantly by its own action; each firm's share in total market supply is small.
  2. Product differentiation: Each firm's product is slightly different from rivals' (real or perceived differences), so products are close substitutes but not perfect substitutes. This gives each firm a limited monopoly over its own brand.
  3. Free entry and exit: There are no significant barriers to entry or exit in the long run, as in perfect competition; new firms can enter if existing firms earn abnormal profits.
  4. Selling costs: Because products are differentiated, firms incur substantial selling costs — advertising, packaging, branding — to promote their own variety and influence buyers' preferences; such costs are not important under perfect competition. …

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