📚 Year 11 Edexcel Economics: Case Study Practical Drill | 爱德思经济：案例分析实战演练
This article offers a full case study drill tailored for the Year 11 Edexcel Economics syllabus. We will work through a realistic business scenario featuring a UK coffee chain called Brew & Bean. Each section demonstrates how to apply micro and macro concepts, build chain of reasoning and develop high‑quality exam answers. Use this as a model for structuring your own case study responses.
本文为爱德思 Year 11 经济课程量身打造了一次完整的案例分析实战演练。我们将围绕一家名为 Brew & Bean 的英国咖啡连锁品牌，贯穿微观与宏观概念，展示如何搭建逻辑链条并写出高分答案。请将本文视为构建你自己案例分析的范例。
1. Introducing the Case: UK Coffee Market and Brew & Bean | 案例背景：英国咖啡市场与 Brew & Bean
Brew & Bean is a medium‑sized coffee shop chain operating 50 outlets across England. The total UK coffee shop market is valued at £11 billion and has grown 5% annually. The average price of a latte is £2.80. Brew & Bean currently sells 1,000 cups per shop per day at £2.50 per cup. Their main costs are coffee beans, milk, labour and rent.
Brew & Bean 是一家中等规模的连锁咖啡品牌，在英国拥有 50 家门店。英国咖啡店市场总值为 110 亿英镑，年增长率 5%。一杯拿铁的平均价格为 2.80 英镑。Brew & Bean 目前以每杯 2.50 英镑的价格，每天每家店售出 1000 杯。其主要成本包括咖啡豆、牛奶、人工和租金。
The case study explores how changes in demand, costs and government policy affect Brew & Bean’s decisions. Data given: a 10% rise in the price of coffee beans raises total variable cost by £0.15 per cup; a health campaign increases daily demand by 200 cups per shop; the government proposes a 20p sugar tax on flavoured syrups.
案例将探讨需求、成本和政府政策的变化如何影响 Brew & Bean 的决策。给定数据：咖啡豆价格上涨 10% 导致每杯总变动成本增加 0.15 英镑；一项健康宣传活动使每家店每日需求增加 200 杯；政府拟对调味糖浆征收每杯 20 便士的糖税。
2. Demand Analysis: Factors Affecting Coffee Demand | 需求分析：影响咖啡需求的因素
The demand for Brew & Bean coffee is shaped by income, tastes, price of substitutes and complementary goods. A rise in average disposable income shifts the demand curve to the right (D to D1). The health campaign shifts tastes in favour of black coffee, increasing demand for standard lattes without syrup.
Brew & Bean 咖啡的需求受收入、偏好、替代品和互补品价格的影响。平均可支配收入的增加会使需求曲线向右移动（D 到 D1）。健康宣传活动改变了消费者偏好，使不加糖浆的普通拿铁需求上升。
A competing chain drops its latte price to £2.30 – a substitute good. This causes a contraction in quantity demanded for Brew & Bean lattes as some consumers switch. On a diagram, we show a movement along Brew & Bean’s demand curve to a lower quantity, rather than a shift of the entire curve.
某竞争连锁品牌将拿铁价格降至 2.30 英镑（替代品），这导致 Brew & Bean 拿铁的需求量收缩，因为部分消费者转向替代品。在图表上，表现为沿着 Brew & Bean 需求曲线向下的移动，而非整条曲线的平移。
Complementary goods like pastries: if the shop offers a combo deal reducing pastry price, demand for coffee can increase. Thus the demand curve shifts right.
互补品如糕点：如果门店推出套餐降低糕点价格，咖啡的需求可能会上升，需求曲线向右平移。
Demand shift factors (CIDA): Consumer income, Interest/tastes, Demographics, Advertising
需求平移因素 (CIDA)：消费者收入、偏好、人口结构、广告
3. Supply Analysis: Costs and Production Decisions | 供给分析：成本与生产决策
Supply for Brew & Bean depends on costs of production. The 10% rise in coffee bean prices increases the marginal cost per cup by £0.15. This shifts the supply curve to the left (S to S1), meaning at any given price, the firm is willing to supply fewer cups.
Brew & Bean 的供给取决于生产成本。咖啡豆价格上涨 10% 使每杯边际成本增加 0.15 英镑，供给曲线向左移动（S 到 S1），即在任何给定价格下，企业愿意供给的杯数减少。
Additionally, an increase in the National Living Wage raises labour costs. This is an indirect tax‑like effect on the firm’s cost structure, further shifting supply leftwards. The firm may respond by investing in automated espresso machines, which could improve productivity and shift supply right over time.
此外，国家最低生活工资的提高增加了劳动力成本，类似于间接税影响企业的成本结构，进一步将供给曲线向左推移。企业可能通过投资自动咖啡机来提高生产率，长期内使供给曲线右移。
Technological improvements in farming can reduce bean prices and shift supply right. Thus supply is not static; multiple factors interplay.
种植技术的改进可降低咖啡豆价格，并使供给曲线右移。因此，供给并非静止不变，多种因素在相互作用。
| Supply shift factor | Effect on curve |
|---|---|
| Increase in raw material cost | Shift left (S1) |
| Improvement in technology | Shift right (S2) |
| 供给平移因素 | 对曲线的影响 |
|---|---|
| 原材料成本上升 | 左移 (S1) |
| 技术进步 | 右移 (S2) |
4. Market Equilibrium and the Price Mechanism | 市场均衡与价格机制
Initially, Brew & Bean faces equilibrium where D=S at £2.50 per cup and 1,000 cups per shop. The health campaign increases demand (shift right). With supply unchanged, a new equilibrium emerges at a higher price and quantity. Diagrammatically, price rises from £2.50 to £2.65, quantity to 1,150 cups.
初始均衡点为每杯 2.50 英镑、每家店 1000 杯。健康宣传使需求右移。在供给不变的条件下，新的均衡点对应更高的价格和数量。图中表现为价格从 2.50 升至 2.65 英镑，数量增至 1150 杯。
Simultaneously, the bean‑price shock shifts supply left. If both demand shifts right and supply shifts left, equilibrium price unambiguously rises, but the change in equilibrium quantity is indeterminate. The exam skill is to explain both effects and state that the final quantity depends on the relative magnitude of the shifts.
与此同时，咖啡豆价格冲击使供给左移。如果需求右移而供给左移，均衡价格必然上升，但均衡数量的变化不确定。考试技巧在于解释两种效应，并说明最终数量取决于移动的相对幅度。
The price mechanism performs a signalling function: higher prices signal producers to supply more (if possible) and ration demand. Consumers who value the good most are willing to pay, thereby allocating scarce resources.
价格机制发挥着信号功能：更高的价格向生产者传递增加供给的信号（如果可能），并配给需求。最看重该商品的消费者愿意支付，从而配置稀缺资源。
5. Price Elasticity of Demand | 需求价格弹性
PED measures responsiveness of quantity demanded to a change in price. Using hypothetical data: if Brew & Bean raises its price by 10% from £2.50 to £2.75 and quantity demanded falls from 1,000 to 900 cups, PED = -10% / +10% = -1.0 (unitary elastic).
需求价格弹性（PED）衡量需求量对价格变动的反应程度。假设 Brew & Bean 提价 10% 从 2.50 至 2.75 英镑，需求量从 1000 杯降至 900 杯，PED = -10% / +10% = -1.0（单位弹性）。
Lattes from Brew & Bean likely have elastic demand because there are many close substitutes (Costa, Starbucks, independent cafes). Thus a price increase may cause a more than proportionate fall in quantity demanded, reducing total revenue. This is crucial for pricing decisions.
Brew & Bean 的拿铁很可能富有弹性，因为存在众多近似替代品（Costa、星巴克、独立咖啡馆）。因此，价格上涨可能导致需求量超比例下降，从而降低总收益。这对定价决策至关重要。
Determinants: availability of substitutes (high), luxury vs necessity (coffee is a habitual necessity for many, but a specific brand may be elastic), and time. Over time, consumers can find more substitutes, making demand more elastic.
决定因素：替代品的可得性（高）、奢侈品还是必需品（咖啡对很多人是习惯性必需品，但特定品牌可能富有弹性）、时间。随时间推移，消费者能找到更多替代品，使需求更富弹性。
PED Formula: %ΔQd ÷ %ΔP
PED 公式: %ΔQd ÷ %ΔP
6. Price Elasticity of Supply | 供给价格弹性
PES measures how easily firms can increase output in response to a price rise. In the short run, Brew & Bean faces capacity constraints – café seats, number of baristas, espresso machines – so supply is relatively inelastic. PES < 1.
供给价格弹性（PES）衡量企业对价格上涨做出增产反应的难易程度。短期 Brew & Bean 面临产能约束——座位数、咖啡师人数、机器数量——因此供给相对缺乏弹性，PES < 1。
In the long run, the firm can open new stores, hire more staff and invest in technology; supply becomes more elastic. For agricultural commodities like coffee beans, supply is often inelastic in the short run due to long growing cycles, causing price volatility.
长期中，企业可以开新店、增聘员工和技术投资，供给变得更具弹性。咖啡豆等农产品的供给在短期内因生长周期长而常常缺乏弹性，导致价格波动。
A key exam point: if demand increases and supply is inelastic, the price rise will be larger than the quantity increase. Always mention the time horizon when analysing PES.
考试要点：如果需求增加而供给缺乏弹性，价格上涨幅度将大于数量增加幅度。分析 PES 时务必提及时间跨度。
7. Business Objectives and Profit Maximisation | 企业目标与利润最大化
Brew & Bean’s primary objective is profit maximisation, where MC = MR. In a competitive coffee market, the firm is likely a price taker for standard products, but it can differentiate through branding, loyalty schemes and premium ingredients.
Brew & Bean 的主要目标是利润最大化，即 MC = MR。在竞争性咖啡市场中，标准产品近似价格接受者，但企业可通过品牌、会员优惠和优质原料实现差异化。
Total revenue per shop per day at £2.50 and 1,000 cups is £2,500. Variable costs per cup might be £1.00, giving a total variable cost of £1,000. Fixed costs (rent, salaries) £800 per day. Therefore, daily profit = £2,500 – £1,800 = £700 per shop.
以 2.50 英镑、1000 杯计，每家店每日总收入为 2500 英镑。每杯变动成本假设 1.00 英镑，总变动成本 1000 英镑；固定成本（租金、工资）每日 800 英镑。因此每日利润 = 2500 – 1800 = 700 英镑。
After the bean cost shock, variable cost rises to £1.15 per cup. All else equal, profit falls to £550 per shop. The firm must decide whether to absorb the cost or raise price. If it raises price to £2.70 and quantity drops to 900, revenue becomes £2,430, profit = £2,430 – (900×1.15 + 800) = £2,430 – £1,835 = £595. Profit maximisation requires calculating marginal cost and revenue carefully.
豆价冲击后，每杯变动成本升至 1.15 英镑。其他条件不变，每家店利润降至 550 英镑。企业须决定吸收成本还是提价。若提价至 2.70 英镑、销量降至 900 杯，收入为 2430 英镑，利润 = 2430 – (900×1.15 + 800) = 2430 – 1835 = 595 英镑。利润最大化需要谨慎计算边际成本与边际收益。
8. Market Structure and Competition | 市场结构与竞争
The UK coffee shop market exhibits characteristics of monopolistic competition: many small firms, product differentiation, few barriers to entry. Brew & Bean competes with national chains and artisanal cafés. Non‑price competition is intense: loyalty cards, interior design, free Wi‑Fi, and ethical sourcing (Fairtrade).
英国咖啡店市场具有垄断竞争的特征：众多小企业、产品差异化、进入壁垒较低。Brew & Bean 与全国连锁和独立精品咖啡馆竞争。非价格竞争激烈：会员卡、室内设计、免费 Wi‑Fi、道德采购（公平贸易认证）。
In the long run, new entrants erode supernormal profits. If Brew & Bean enjoys high profits, new cafés open nearby, shifting the firm’s demand curve leftwards and making it more elastic until only normal profit remains. This is a standard diagram examiners love.
长远看，新进入者会侵蚀超额利润。如果 Brew & Bean 利润丰厚，附近会开出新咖啡馆，使该企业需求曲线向左平移且更富弹性，直至仅剩正常利润为止。这是考官喜爱的经典图表分析。
The sugar tax proposal affects all firms equally – it raises costs industry‑wide; supply shifts left for everyone, and price rises. But Brew & Bean could re‑formulate syrups to avoid the tax, a possible competitive advantage.
糖税提案对全行业一视同仁——它提高了所有企业的成本，整个行业供给左移，价格上涨。但 Brew & Bean 可调整配方避免糖税，这可能构成竞争优势。
9. Externalities and Government Intervention | 外部性与政府干预
Coffee consumption generates both positive and negative externalities. Disposable cups create negative externalities in the form of litter and plastic waste. The marginal social cost (MSC) exceeds marginal private cost (MPC). This is a negative production externality leading to overconsumption from society’s perspective.
咖啡消费带来正负外部性。一次性杯具以垃圾和塑料废物的形式产生负外部性。边际社会成本（MSC）大于边际私人成本（MPC），这是一种负生产外部性，从社会角度看导致过度消费。
Government could intervene with a tax on disposable cups equal to the external cost. Diagram: a tax shifts the MPC curve up to MSC, reducing equilibrium quantity to the socially optimal level. The revenue could fund recycling schemes.
政府可对一次性杯具征收等于外部成本的税收。图表中：税收使 MPC 曲线上移至 MSC，将均衡数量降至社会最优水平。税收收入可用于资助回收计划。
Positive externality: coffee shops provide a meeting space, supporting community cohesion and worker productivity. A subsidy to coffee shops in regeneration areas could shift demand or supply and increase societal benefit.
正外部性：咖啡店提供社交空间，支持社区凝聚力和劳动者生产力。对城市再开发区的咖啡店提供补贴可以平移需求或供给，增加社会效益。
The sugar tax is justified on health grounds: excessive sugar intake contributes to obesity and diabetes, which impose costs on the NHS. This is a negative consumption externality. A tax on syrup‑sweetened drinks internalises the externality.
糖税基于健康理由：过量摄入糖导致肥胖和糖尿病，给医疗系统增加成本，属于负消费外部性。对含糖浆饮品征税可将外部性内部化。
10. Macroeconomic Links | 宏观经济联系
Brew & Bean does not operate in a vacuum. A recession would reduce disposable income, shifting demand for its lattes left (an inferior good for some? Actually, coffee may be an affordable luxury, so demand could fall modestly). Exchange rate fluctuations affect imported coffee bean prices: a weaker pound raises import costs, shifting supply left.
Brew & Bean 并非在真空中运营。经济衰退会降低可支配收入，使拿铁需求左移（对某些人是低档品？实际上，咖啡可能被视为负担得起的奢侈，需求可能温和下降）。汇率波动影响进口咖啡豆价格：英镑贬值提升进口成本，使供给曲线左移。
Monetary policy: lower interest rates stimulate spending, potentially increasing demand for coffee. However, higher inflation erodes real incomes, which could dampen demand. Taxation and government spending also affect the macroeconomic environment in which Brew & Bean plans its investment.
货币政策：低利率刺激支出，可能增加咖啡需求。然而，高通胀侵蚀实际收入，可能抑制需求。税收与政府支出也影响 Brew & Bean 制定投资计划的宏观环境。
Unemployment levels matter: high unemployment may reduce overall demand, but could also lower wage pressures for the firm. Always link macroeconomic trends back to the micro decisions of the firm.
失业水平同样重要：高失业可能降低总需求，但也可能缓解企业的工资压力。一定要将宏观经济趋势与企业微观决策联系起来。
11. Evaluation and Exam Technique | 评估与考试技巧
Strong evaluation goes beyond one‑sided answers. For each policy or event, discuss magnitude, short‑run vs long‑run, and any unintended consequences. For example, a sugar tax might encourage black‑market syrup sales or lead to job losses in syrup‑producing sectors. Also, the effectiveness depends on PED – if demand is highly inelastic, the tax may not reduce consumption much but generates high revenue.
优秀的评估超越片面回答。对每个政策或事件，要讨论影响的大小、短期与长期，以及任何非预期后果。例如，糖税可能激励糖浆黑市或导致糖浆生产行业失业。此外，有效性取决于 PED——若需求高度缺乏弹性，征税可能不会大幅减少消费，但可带来高额财政收入。
Use the ‘IT DEPENDS’ framework: It depends on the time frame, on whether the firm passes costs to consumers, on the degree of competition, on the availability of substitutes, and on the broader economic cycle. Always weigh up advantages and disadvantages before reaching a reasoned conclusion.
运用“依情况而定”（IT DEPENDS）框架：取决于时间框架、企业是否将成本转嫁给消费者、竞争程度、替代品可得性以及更广泛的经济周期。始终在权衡利弊之后得出有理有据的结论。
Chains of reasoning: start with a cause, then an effect, then a further consequence. For example: ‘An increase in bean prices raises Brew & Bean’s marginal cost. This shifts supply left, raising the market price. Higher price reduces quantity demanded, especially if demand is elastic. Consequently, total revenue might fall, reducing profits. The firm may then seek cost‑cutting innovations.’ Practice linking four or five steps in every answer.
逻辑链条：从原因开始，然后到直接效应，再到进一步后果。例如：“咖啡豆价格上涨增加了 Brew & Bean 的边际成本，使供给左移，市场价格上升。更高的价格减少需求量，若需求富有弹性，则总收益下降，利润减少。企业进而可能寻求降成本的创新。”每个答案都应练习链接四到五个步骤。
Finally, always support arguments with data from the case. Explicitly quote figures: ‘As shown in the case, demand increased by 200 cups per shop, which represents a 20% rise at the given price.’ This demonstrates application skills, which earn top marks in Edexcel mark schemes.
最后，始终用案例数据支撑论点。直接引用数字：“如案例所示，每家店需求增加了 200 杯，在给定价格下相当于 20% 的增长。”这展示了应用技能，能在爱德思评分方案中获得高分。
Published by TutorHao | Economics Revision Series | aleveler.com
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