What typically triggers a price war?

A price war is typically triggered by successive price cutting by competitors. When one company reduces its prices, other companies in the same market may feel compelled to lower their prices as well to remain competitive and retain their customer base. This creates a cycle where companies continuously undercut each other’s prices to attract more customers, leading to an ongoing escalation in price reductions.

In markets where competition is high, even a slight price decrease by one player can initiate a chain reaction because companies must respond swiftly to avoid losing market share. Successive price cuts can diminish profit margins for all parties involved, as they attempt to outdo one another in terms of pricing to maintain sales volume.

On the other hand, high demand for a specific product typically leads to stable or increasing prices, not reductions; success in gaining market share might encourage companies to raise prices due to improved positioning, and stable market prices suggest a lack of competitive pressure that would lead to drastic price changes.