Flower markets are global. About three-quarters of cut-flowers purchased in the United States are imported. More than half the world’s cut flowers move through the auction system in the Netherlands. Five days a week, in a huge building 10 miles outside Amsterdam, some 2,500 buyers gather to participate in FloraHolland Aalsmeer, the largest auction of its kind in the world. Every day over 20 million flowers and plants from thousands of growers around the globe are auctioned off in the world’s largest roofed building, spread across the equivalent of 100 football fields. Flowers are grouped and auctioned off by type—long-stemmed roses, tulips, and so on. Hundreds of buyers sit in theater settings with their fingers on buttons. Nearly as many buyers bid online from remote locations. Once the flowers are presented, a clock-like instrument starts ticking off descending prices until a buyer pushes a button. The winning bidder gets to choose how many and which items to take. The clock starts again until another buyer stops it, and so on, until all flowers are sold. Auctions occur rapidly—on average a transaction takes place every 4 seconds. This is an example of a Dutch auction, which starts at a high price and works down. Dutch auctions are more common when selling multiple lots of similar, though not identical, items, such as flowers in Amsterdam, tobacco in Canada, and fish in seaports around the world. Because there is some difference among the products for sale in a given market—for example, some flower lots are in better condition than others—this is not quite perfect competition because perfectly competitive markets sell identical products. The birth of the Internet has breathed new life into auctions. Web sites such as eBay, uBid, and hundreds more hold online auctions for old maps, used computers, wine, airline tickets, antiques, military memorabilia, comic books, paperweights—you name it. The largest online site, eBay, offers over 2,000 categories in a forum that mimics a live auction. Internet auctions allow specialized sellers to reach a world of customers. A listing on eBay, for example, could reach millions of people in more than 100 countries. Now here is the Question: Which of the characteristics of the perfectly competitive market structure are found in FloraHollad Aalsmeer?  List at least 3 characteristics.  Would you consider this an example of a perfectly competitive industry?  Why or why not? Can you provide other examples of a perfectly competitive industry?

ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
14th Edition
ISBN:9780190931919
Author:NEWNAN
Publisher:NEWNAN
Chapter1: Making Economics Decisions
Section: Chapter Questions
Problem 1QTC
icon
Related questions
Question
100%

Auction Markets

Flower markets are global. About three-quarters of cut-flowers purchased in the United States are imported. More than half the world’s cut flowers move through the auction system in the Netherlands. Five days a week, in a huge building 10 miles outside Amsterdam, some 2,500 buyers gather to participate in FloraHolland Aalsmeer, the largest auction of its kind in the world. Every day over 20 million flowers and plants from thousands of growers around the globe are auctioned off in the world’s largest roofed building, spread across the equivalent of 100 football fields. Flowers are grouped and auctioned off by type—long-stemmed roses, tulips, and so on. Hundreds of buyers sit in theater settings with their fingers on buttons. Nearly as many buyers bid online from remote locations. Once the flowers are presented, a clock-like instrument starts ticking off descending prices until a buyer pushes a button. The winning bidder gets to choose how many and which items to take. The clock starts again until another buyer stops it, and so on, until all flowers are sold. Auctions occur rapidly—on average a transaction takes place every 4 seconds.

This is an example of a Dutch auction, which starts at a high price and works down. Dutch auctions are more common when selling multiple lots of similar, though not identical, items, such as flowers in Amsterdam, tobacco in Canada, and fish in seaports around the world. Because there is some difference among the products for sale in a given market—for example, some flower lots are in better condition than others—this is not quite perfect competition because perfectly competitive markets sell identical products.

The birth of the Internet has breathed new life into auctions. Web sites such as eBay, uBid, and hundreds more hold online auctions for old maps, used computers, wine, airline tickets, antiques, military memorabilia, comic books, paperweights—you name it. The largest online site, eBay, offers over 2,000 categories in a forum that mimics a live auction. Internet auctions allow specialized sellers to reach a world of customers. A listing on eBay, for example, could reach millions of people in more than 100 countries.

Now here is the Question: Which of the characteristics of the perfectly competitive market structure are found in FloraHollad Aalsmeer?  List at least 3 characteristics.  Would you consider this an example of a perfectly competitive industry?  Why or why not? Can you provide other examples of a perfectly competitive industry?

Expert Solution
trending now

Trending now

This is a popular solution!

steps

Step by step

Solved in 2 steps

Blurred answer
Knowledge Booster
Bayesian Probability Rule
Learn more about
Need a deep-dive on the concept behind this application? Look no further. Learn more about this topic, economics and related others by exploring similar questions and additional content below.
Similar questions
Recommended textbooks for you
ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
ENGR.ECONOMIC ANALYSIS
Economics
ISBN:
9780190931919
Author:
NEWNAN
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Principles of Economics (12th Edition)
Principles of Economics (12th Edition)
Economics
ISBN:
9780134078779
Author:
Karl E. Case, Ray C. Fair, Sharon E. Oster
Publisher:
PEARSON
Engineering Economy (17th Edition)
Engineering Economy (17th Edition)
Economics
ISBN:
9780134870069
Author:
William G. Sullivan, Elin M. Wicks, C. Patrick Koelling
Publisher:
PEARSON
Principles of Economics (MindTap Course List)
Principles of Economics (MindTap Course List)
Economics
ISBN:
9781305585126
Author:
N. Gregory Mankiw
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Managerial Economics: A Problem Solving Approach
Managerial Economics: A Problem Solving Approach
Economics
ISBN:
9781337106665
Author:
Luke M. Froeb, Brian T. McCann, Michael R. Ward, Mike Shor
Publisher:
Cengage Learning
Managerial Economics & Business Strategy (Mcgraw-…
Managerial Economics & Business Strategy (Mcgraw-…
Economics
ISBN:
9781259290619
Author:
Michael Baye, Jeff Prince
Publisher:
McGraw-Hill Education