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Re: Weaken the store owner's decision [#permalink]
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The question asks us to attack "the store owner's reasoning", but the question tells us nothing about the owner's reasoning. It tells us only:

• from immediate sales alone, the store loses money on Sunday
• the owner wants to close on Sunday

but it never says that the sales figures are the reason the store owner wants to close shop on Sunday. He might just want a day off.

So I don't like the wording of the question, because it's asking us to be psychic and guess at the "owner's reasoning". But if we assume the owner is closing on Sunday because it seems unprofitable to remain open that day, then we're looking for an answer which might explain why it could be profitable to remain open on Sunday, even if the immediate sales figures do not appear to justify remaining open. Only answer A does that.

I don't like the wording of answer B, which says "The electronics store generates less profit on Mondays than on Sundays." We already know from the stem that the store takes a loss on Sundays, but this answer choice suggests it makes a profit on Sundays. Regardless, answer B is not a good answer. Answer B is a justification for also closing on Mondays, not for remaining open on Sundays.
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Re: Weaken the store owner's decision [#permalink]
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asaar wrote:
The owner of a retail electronics store has decided to no longer open his store on Sundays. For the past 2 years, the store averaged $925 in total revenue on Sundays on which it was open, while the average expense for keeping the store open on a Sunday was $1,100.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously call into question the store owner's reasoning in deciding to no longer open his store on Sundays?

A. The store's customers frequently order items from the store's website after visiting the store in person.
B. The electronics store generates less profit on Mondays than on Sundays.
C. On five Sundays during the past year, the electronics store generated profits of between $500 and $1,000.
D. Most analysts of retail buying trends believe that the coming year will be a particularly good one for electronics stores that offer online shopping.
E. Sunday has traditionally been a good business day for electronics stores.

Best Option -> A
Here is the reason

Analysis of Stimulus: Owner will keep the store Closed on Sundays because on Sundays, Avg Revenue = $925 and Avg Expense = $1100.
Average Loss = $175

To weaken this plan, we have to provide the BEST reason, among the options given, for why this is a bad idea.

A. The store's customers frequently order items from the store's website after visiting the store in person.
We can infer that if a customer visits the store on Sunday, he or she will purchase something from them online.

B. The electronics store generates less profit on Mondays than on Sundays.
1. Owner is incurring a loss on Sundays. Less profits on Mondays will translate to even more losses on Monday.
2. Who is to say that the store stays open on Monday? There is no reason to assume that.
3. Last but not the least, this option is talking about electronics stores in general. Nothing in this option says that this particular store generates...


C. On five Sundays during the past year, the electronics store generated profits of between $500 and $1,000.
Every year has about 53 Sundays. Therefore, data about 5 Sundays is not enough. Moreover, the 2 year average is a loss of $175.

D. Most analysts of retail buying trends believe that the coming year will be a particularly good one for electronics stores that offer online shopping.
Out of Scope. Nobody is talking about the future trends.

E. Sunday has traditionally been a good business day for electronics stores.
Sundays may have been a good business day traditionally but 2 year data revels that store has lost more money than it earned.
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Re: The owner of a retail electronics store has decided to no longer open [#permalink]
Harley1980, abhimahna
Regarding option A, if people need to order online, then it is not necessary that they need to visit the store on Sunday. They might as well visit the store on any other day. Didn't quite understand how the statement serves as a weakener
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Re: The owner of a retail electronics store has decided to no longer open [#permalink]
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prateek176 wrote:
Regarding option A, if people need to order online, then it is not necessary that they need to visit the store on Sunday. They might as well visit the store on any other day. Didn't quite understand how the statement serves as a weakener


Hey prateek176 ,

I agree to your point. But you are considering only side of the coin. What if they order everything online on the weekdays and then come there to pick up the things on Sundays? Won't that weaken the argument that Let's close the shop on Sunday.

Hence, I know it is not necessary to visit the store on Sunday but we are also not saying that they won't visit on Sunday.

Does that make sense?
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Re: The owner of a retail electronics store has decided to no longer open [#permalink]
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hello experts
please solve my doubt regarding this question: option A says people generally visit the shop in person and then order online
but this doesn't say they visit more on Sunday . :there is possibility that no one other than the buyers visit on Sundays and people(buyers plus potential buyers) rush more in rest of the days

i feel the argument should have mentioned something like: though on average equal no of people visit every people visit the store on Sunday but a loss is prevailing
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Re: The owner of a retail electronics store has decided to no longer open [#permalink]
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StrugglingGmat2910 wrote:
hello experts
please solve my doubt regarding this question: option A says people generally visit the shop in person and then order online
but this doesn't say they visit more on Sunday . :there is possibility that no one other than the buyers visit on Sundays and people(buyers plus potential buyers) rush more in rest of the days

i feel the argument should have mentioned something like: though on average equal no of people visit every people visit the store on Sunday but a loss is prevailing


Hey StrugglingGmat2910 ,

I agree to your point. We are no where told this. But understand the fact that we need to weaken the argument, hence I can very well assume that there is a slight(if not a lot) possibility that the visits are happening more on Sundays. If that is the case, I am done with my job. The entire argument is broken apart.

Does that make sense?
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Re: The owner of a retail electronics store has decided to no longer open [#permalink]
This seems the combo of assumption plus weakening type SC problem.
It is a single word Sunday which I need to ASSUME in option A to make it WEAKENER for given argument.
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Re: The owner of a retail electronics store has decided to no longer open [#permalink]
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Re: The owner of a retail electronics store has decided to no longer open [#permalink]
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