In a competitive market, what is true about the firms involved?

In a competitive market, firms operate independently to set prices. This independence is a key characteristic of perfect competition, where numerous buyers and sellers interact with one another without collusion or cooperation. Each firm is a price taker; they do not have the power to influence market prices due to the large number of competitors offering similar products or services. This competition drives prices to a point where they reflect the cost of production and the value perceived by consumers.

In such a market, if a firm attempts to set its prices above the prevailing market level, consumers will simply switch to competitors offering lower prices. This dynamic encourages firms to maximize efficiency while optimizing production and pricing strategies to remain competitive. The result is that prices tend to stabilize around the equilibrium where supply meets demand. Thus, the behavior of firms operating independently shapes the market without collusion or control by any single entity.