What is a market leader?
A market leader is a dominant company that has the largest turnover, highest profit or most customers within a defined market. LEGO A/S, for example, is the market leader in the toy industry, not only in Denmark, but also in many other countries.
As a market leader, you often have great power and the ability to influence the market. For example, you can regulate pricing in the market: you can raise the price if you have a large customer base that is loyal regardless of the price, or you can lower the price to outperform competitors if you have a solid profit on products or high equity.
An advantage of being a market leader is that it is easier to introduce new products that can be sold at a higher price than competitors, as customers have more confidence in the market leader. A disadvantage of being a market leader is that it can be difficult to adapt and adapt the company and its products to new needs because large companies are often not very adaptable.
Market leader strategy
How do you become a market leader? One strategy to become or remain a market leader is to acquire or outcompete a major competitor in the market. In an acquisition, the companies merge and the merged company has a very strong position in the market.
However, it's a risky strategy, as the person you're competing against may respond in a way that could negatively impact your business. Therefore, you need to think carefully about which strategy to use.
Examples of market leaders
A few examples of Danish market leaders in terms of revenue:
- Salling Group A/S (groceries)
- Arla Foods International A/S (dairy products)
- Maersk A/S (shipping)
- Louis Nielsen A/S (glasses and contact lenses)
- Vestas Manufacturing A/S (wind turbines)