1.Nathan sells gourmet hot dogs. His customers have identical inverse demands, given by P=5-0.25Q. Nathan can produce...
Question:
1.Nathan sells gourmet hot dogs. His customers have identical inverse demands, given by P=5-0.25Q. Nathan can produce hot dogs at a constant marginal and average cost of $1.
a.If Nathan operates as a single-price monopolist, what price should he set? How many units will he sell? What will his profits be?
b.Suppose Nathan decides to make a hot dog club where members pay an annual enrollment fee and are then entitled to buy as many hot dogs as they wish at a fixed price. If Nathan chooses a fixed price of $2.00 per hot dog, what is the maximum membership fee he will be able to charge his customers? How much profit will Nathan earn from each customer? (Hint: Add Nathan's profits from selling hot dogs to the membership fee.) How do Nathan's profits compare to what he earned in (a)?
c.If Nathan chooses a fixed price of $1.00, what membership fee will he be able to charge his customers? What will his overall profits be?
d.Can Nathan increase his profits by charging a super-high admission fee and giving away hot dogs to members for free?
e.Generalize a rule about the per-unit price and membership fee that will maximize profits for a seller implementing a two-part tariff.