Hickory Divine is one of the leading manufacturers in the hardwood furniture industry. Hickory Divine has many small competitors, none of which controls a significant portion of the industry. Hickory, like most of the furniture manufacturers, sells its products to a broad variety of small furniture stores throughout the country, none of which represents a large percentage of Hickory's sales. When purchasing the products it uses for manufacturing its furniture, Hickory is able to choose from many suppliers since the wood it uses is an undifferentiated commodity, and Hickory is able to easily switch to any supplier that has the best price and delivery times. While growth in the hardwood furniture industry has historically been in the double digits, the industry growth rate has slowed considerably into the single digits, to approximately 5% in recent years; consumers have been purchasing less expensive furniture made of composite wood that is considerably less expensive than hardwood furniture but that looks and functions very similarly once it is painted.
-Based on the above description, the hardwood furniture industry can best be described as a(n) ________ industry.
A) emerging
B) fragmented
C) consolidated
D) declining

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The passage states that there are many small competitors in the hardwood furniture industry, none of which controls a significant portion of the industry. This indicates that the industry is fragmented. The passage also states that industry growth has slowed considerably in recent years due to consumers purchasing less expensive furniture made of composite wood. This suggests that the industry is declining. However, since the question asks for the best description, the answer is fragmented.

Hickory Divine Is One of the Leading Manufacturers in the Hardwood