According to Porter’s Five Forces, supplier power is strong in industries where which of the...

Supplier power is strong when buyers have fewer choices and suppliers have leverage. This occurs where:

No substitutes are available [A]: Buyers are locked into what suppliers provide, increasing supplier power.

Supplier’s customers are fragmented [B]: When customers are fragmented [many small buyers], they cannot collectively negotiate, so suppliers hold more power.

Forward integration is possible [D]: Suppliers can bypass buyers and sell directly to the end customer, which gives them negotiating strength.

Options C and E relate more to buyer power:

Switching costs are low [C]: This reduces supplier power as buyers can easily move.

Undifferentiated products [E]: This strengthens buyer power since products are interchangeable.

[Ref: CIPS L5M6 Study Guide, p.116 – Porter’s Five Forces model]