Markets and Products

Work in progress. This note is still being written and incomplete.

Market

A market is a set of arrangements through which buyers and sellers interact to exchange goods and services.

Types of Markets

  • Physical Market
    Buyers, sellers, and goods/services are in physical contact.
  • Intermediate Market
    Markets such as the share market.
  • Super Market
    Prices are generally fixed.
  • Electronic Market
    Buying and selling through the internet.
  • Tele Market
    Transactions through telephone, video, fax, etc.
  • Auction Market
    Prices are determined through bidding.
  • Differentiated Market
    Products differ in quality, features, or customer preferences.
  • Homogeneous Market
    Products are similar and generally sold at similar prices.
  • Geographical Market
    Markets defined by a particular region, city, rural area, etc.

Types of Products

Normal Products

Quantity demanded increases when consumer income increases and decreases when income decreases.

For example: branded clothing.

Inferior Products

Quantity demanded decreases when consumer income increases and increases when income decreases.

For example: instant noodles.

Giffen Products

A special type of inferior product where, under certain conditions, an increase in price can cause quantity demanded to increase, resulting in an upward-sloping demand curve.

For example: bread among very poor households during the Irish potato famine.

Veblen Products

Luxury products for which a higher price may increase demand because the high price can signal status or exclusivity.

For example: luxury jewellery.

Substitute Products

Goods that can be used instead of one another.

For example: tea and coffee.

If the price of one substitute increases, demand for the other may increase.

Complementary Products

Goods that are normally consumed together.

For example: cars and petrol.

If the price of one complementary good increases, demand for the other may decrease.

Independent Products

Goods whose consumption does not significantly depend on the consumption of another good.

For example: salt and notebooks.

Written by September 26, 2026 2 min read
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