Although the U$.$S$.$ ready to eat $($RTE$)$ cold cereal market has been losing sales over the last $5$ to $8$ years or so$,$ it is still very profitable. In $2018,$ the industry earned about $$8\mathrm{.}5$ billion in sales. The industry is highly oligopolistic in that just four $(4)$ firms: General Mills $($GM$),$ Kellogg $($K$),$ Post Holdings $($PH$),$ and Quaker Foods $($PepsiCo$)($Q$)$ account for $$7\mathrm{.}5$ billion of those sales. CostAccording to some unverified sources, the regular $15$ oz$.$ box of cereal $($with basic nutritional value has the following costs: $0\mathrm{.}70($basic cost$)$; $0\mathrm{.}32($cost of the outer carton and inner polymer liner bag$)$; $0\mathrm{.}27($sugar coating$)$; $$48,000($weekly fixed cost$)$ Ranking of Top $10$ RTE Cereal Brands $($U$.$S$)($Kiplinger News$)20181.$ Cheerios $($GM$)$; Sales: $$435\mathrm{.}9$m; Quantity Sold $($QS$)$: $139\mathrm{.}1$ million boxes $($mb$)$;Average Price $($P$)$: $$3\mathrm{.}132.$ Honey Nut Cheerios $($GM$)$; Sales: $$421$m; QS: $129\mathrm{.}3$mb; P: $$3\mathrm{.}263.$ Frosted Flakes $($K$)$; Sales: $$412\mathrm{.}6$m; QS: $132\mathrm{.}3$mb; P: $$3\mathrm{.}12*4.$ Honey Bunches of Oats $($PH$)$; Sales: $$375\mathrm{.}2$m; QS: $113\mathrm{.}3$mb; P: $$3\mathrm{.}375.$ Cinnamon Toast Crunch $($GM$)$; Sales: $$344\mathrm{.}3$m; QS: $105\mathrm{.}2$mb; P: $$3\mathrm{.}27*6.$ Lucky Charms $($GM$)$; Sales: $$283\mathrm{.}4$m; QS: $86\mathrm{.}4$m; P: $$3\mathrm{.}287.$ Froot Loops $($K$)$; Sales: $$269\mathrm{.}1$m; QS: $91\mathrm{.}7$m; P: $2\mathrm{.}93*8.$ Frosted Mini Wheats $($K$)$; Sales: $$241\mathrm{.}9$m; QS: $71\mathrm{.}3$m; P: $$3\mathrm{.}40*9.$ Life $($Q$)$; Sales: $$177\mathrm{.}5$m; QS: $58\mathrm{.}1$m: P: $$3\mathrm{.}0610.$ Fruity Pebbles $($PH$)$; Sales: $$172$m; QS: $54\mathrm{.}1$m; P:$$3\mathrm{.}19*$