Author: Vyacheslav Yu. Shutilin, Cand. Sc. (Econ.), Associate Professor, Applicant for Doctoral Degree of Industrial Enterprises Economics Dept., Belarus State Economic University

Abstract. The article considers the issues of assessing the level of market competition and deals with the particularities and restrictions on the most frequently used formalized indicators for carrying out empirical research. The author adopts his own approach to the analysis of market competition. It is characterized by a relatively high transparency, insignificant capacity and a substantial degree of product diversification and takes into account structural imbalances in demand and supply. The technique allows developing a structural vision of the market in terms of various price segments, evaluating the concentration level in these segments, determining competitive positions of local producers and revealing structural imbalances in demand and supply. The analysis uses both quantitative and qualitative valuation methods. The Belarus market of metal­cutting equipment was selected as empirical material for testing the author’s technique.

Keywords: market competition, competition assessment, open economy, machine-tool construction

For citation: Vyacheslav Yu. Shutilin. Competition Assessment and Selection of Competitive Niches: Problems and Solutions for Open Markets of a Differentiated Product. Upravlenets – The Manager, 2016, no. 1(59), pp. 20–25.