Today, the market of goods and services represents a huge assortment of various products. Small and large businesses produce consumer goods that people use in everyday life. In the economic sphere it is customary to distinguish between identical goods and homogeneous. These concepts are necessary for the formation of market prices.
Theory of Theory
An identical product is a service or consumer goods that has the same characteristics that are characteristic of two or more types. Made by one manufacturer and in one city. This does not take into account minor differences in the outer wrapper or appearance.
Homogeneous goods are commodities or services that have similar characteristics and can be used interchangeably.
These two concepts are considered only for consumer goods. These are the goods that are sold to the end consumer for his personal use. With their help, the buyer satisfies his material and cultural needs.
Consider one interesting example. A raisin bun made by a local bakery and a raisin bun but coated with icing sugar from the same factory will be considered identical. But a bun with raisins from a local manufacturer and the exact same product from a manufacturer from another city will be called homogeneous.
What are the concepts of identity and homogeneity used for?
It is difficult for a new company entering the market to form a pricing policy. In theory, the price of a product on the market is formed by the interaction of supply and demand. When the buyer is satisfied with the amount, it may be too small for the seller, and vice versa, too high a producer price can push the consumer away.
Over time, the seller and the buyer find a common point of contact. But the new company, which has just entered the market, is not aware of this. And in order to establish reasonable prices for your product, you need to study products similar to it. In this case, it is about homogeneity.
For example, a company produces cakes. By comparing the range of competitors, you can set the price lower or higher than others. Or leave on the same level.
"Black Swan"
Consider the example of entering the market of a company with an identical product. Here we will talk about one company "K", which for many years has been producing cakes. She has a good reputation, delicious products and the Black Swan cake with chocolate and white icing is most popular.
The company, in order to expand and form the assortment, decided to change the Black Swan chocolate cake and add caramel icing to it, naming the product "Sweet Passion". In this case, the product will be identical, and the price will be formed, starting from the first cake.
Franchising
An identical product must necessarily be produced by the same manufacturer. Consider the example of franchising. There is a company "R", which makes high-quality and delicious ice cream. But she only cooperates with wholesale intermediaries, not selling products directly to the final consumer. One entrepreneur, acting on behalf of the company "R", put several refrigerators with ice cream in his city and set the price for it at 50 rubles per hundred grams.
Another businessman came and also decided to sell ice cream in the same city from the same company. In this case, these entrepreneurs will trade identical goods. The second businessman will set his price, focusing on the one that the first has already set.
Features of identical and homogeneous product groups
Homogeneous and identical objects are very common among consumer goods. This is almost the entire range in our stores and supermarkets.
Look at the shelves. Highly carbonated and medium carbonated water “Kuyalnik” from one manufacturer is an identical product. But the highly carbonated Kuban and Kuyalnik are already homogeneous.
Milk and milk chocolate Alpen Gold with nuts from one factory Stollwerck AG is an identical group, while Alpen Gold and Alyonushka are homogeneous.
We gave an example of assortment formation. It can be created both within the same company with interchangeable identical products, and retailers with interchangeable similar products.
Distinctive features
We give the characteristics of an identical group:
- have the same functions;
- are created using one technology;
- have high quality;
- used in everyday life;
- have one country of origin and one manufacturer.
Pay attention to the last point. There are times when the manufacturer is alone, but his representative office is in another country, and the goods were released there. Then two similar subjects issued in different states will already be considered homogeneous.
Identical goods are recognized only by those created by one enterprise in one country.
Characteristic features of a homogeneous category:
- the composition may be the same or with similar substitutes;
- the quality of the goods is not inferior to each other;
- produced in one country;
- manufacturers have an equally good reputation in the market;
- for the consumer are considered interchangeable.
Suppose a person in a supermarket chooses a shampoo. On the shelf are several bottles, all from different manufacturers, but have a good reputation and a recognizable trademark. From the point of view of the buyer, goods of similar quality practically do not differ in anything, and then the buyer will make his choice based on factors such as price, smell, color, etc.
Formation of concepts of identical and homogeneous goods at customs
When crossing the border with popular goods, you need to fill out a declaration, which indicates the quantity and price of products. Consider how the concepts of identical and homogeneous goods are formed during customs clearance.
The same cotton fabric of the same color, one manufacturer is imported into the territory of the Russian Federation by two carriers. One entered into a contract with the manufacturer for a continuous supply at a wholesale price. The second is a one-time contract at a completely different price. In this case, the final cost should be adjusted taking into account differences in commercial levels of sales, the fabric will be recognized as identical.
One more example. Two batches of dresses are imported to customs. Outfits have a common resemblance, the same fabric and style. Differences are in color and size. One batch was brought from a famous fashion designer with a worldwide reputation. The second is from China. Thus, popular products will be considered homogeneous and their price category will be different.
Consider the situation when two cars of the same brand with the same characteristics, equipment, only different colors are imported into the country. In the event that the color does not affect the price, then the machines are recognized as identical. If a unique paint, airbrush, art tinting is applied and the price is higher, then these are already homogeneous objects.