Business · 2

What is the term for the strategy where a company acquires a competitor to gain control of its customer base and eliminate rivalry?

Answer

Horizontal integration

Horizontal integration occurs when a company acquires or merges with a direct competitor operating at the same level of the supply chain. A classic example is Disney's acquisition of 21st Century Fox in 2019, which absorbed a rival film studio to expand its content library and reduce competition.

💡 Did you know?

When Standard Oil horizontally integrated by absorbing over 40 rival refineries in the 1870s, it controlled roughly 90% of U.S. oil refining within a decade.

Other options people guess

  • Diversification
  • Market penetration
  • Strategic alliance

Topics

  • business-strategy
  • mergers-acquisitions
  • corporate-growth
  • competition

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