what is a horizontal merger 
a horizontal merger is a merger or business consolidation that occurs between firms that operate in the same industry the aim is usually to create more efficient economies of scale exploit cost based and revenue based synergies increase market share and generally gain an advantage over other competitors operating in the same space horizontal mergers are just one type of merger another is the vertical merger which takes place when firms from different parts of the supply chain consolidate to make the production process more efficient or cost effective 