. SuSummit Products, Inc. is interested in producing and selling an improved widget. Market research indicates that customers would be willing to pay $90 for such a widget and that 50,000 units could be sold each year at this price. The current cost to produce the widget is estimated to be $65.
a. If Summit Products requires a 25% return on sales to undertake production, what is the target cost for the new widget?
b. Summit has learned that a competitor plans to introduce a similar widget at a price of $80. In response, Summit may reduce its selling price to $80. If Summit requires a 25% return on sales, what is the target cost for the new widget?
c. At a price of $80, Summit's market research indicates that it can sell 60,000 units per year. Assuming Summit can reach its new target cost, how will Summit's profit at the $80 price compare to what it would have earned in the absence of the competitor's product?