In a competitive market, the best way for a firm to compete in the marketplace is to:

• A. restrict output to increase scarcity
• B. collaborate with competitors to fix prices
• C. lower its costs and offer products at the market price
• D. set prices above the market equilibrium to maximize profits

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the characteristics of a perfectly competitive market: many firms, identical products, and free entry and exit, which means firms are price takers and cannot influence the market price.
2. Recognize that in such a market, firms cannot restrict output to increase scarcity because the market price is determined by overall supply and demand, and any attempt to reduce output individually will not affect the market price.
3. Know that collaborating with competitors to fix prices is illegal in most markets (antitrust laws) and is not a sustainable or ethical strategy in perfect competition.
4. Recall that setting prices above the market equilibrium will result in zero sales because consumers will buy from competitors offering the market price or lower.
5. Conclude that the best strategy for a firm in a competitive market is to lower its costs to maximize profit at the given market price, and offer products at that market price, since the firm is a price taker.