What is the most likely reason marketers utilize a price bundling strategy?

• A. To make it harder for consumers to compare prices across different sellers
• B. To increase consumer surplus by offering combined products at a lower total price than if purchased separately
• C. To reduce the total quantity of goods sold
• D. To decrease the willingness to pay for individual products

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of price bundling: it is a marketing strategy where multiple products or services are sold together at a combined price, often lower than the sum of their individual prices.
2. Recognize the goal of price bundling from the marketer's perspective, which is typically to increase sales and consumer satisfaction by providing perceived value.
3. Analyze how price bundling affects consumer surplus, which is the difference between what consumers are willing to pay and what they actually pay. Bundling can increase consumer surplus by offering a lower total price for combined products.
4. Consider the impact of price bundling on price comparison: bundling can make it more difficult for consumers to compare prices across sellers, but this is usually a secondary effect rather than the primary reason for bundling.
5. Evaluate the other options such as reducing total quantity sold or decreasing willingness to pay, which are generally not the objectives of price bundling strategies.