Group 9 Question 45: A department store has long used an elevator...

I'd go with (C) - The customers who said they would prefer the stairs to the elevator when needing to go from one floor to the next tend to be the younger customers of the store.

The argument mentions the following -



Notice the jump (and clear generalisation) from "many of the customers" to "all customers".

Negate C - The customers who said they would prefer the stairs to the elevator when needing to go from one floor to the next DID NOT tend to be the younger customers of the store.

This weakens the conclusion that ALL customers will be able to get much more quickly from one part of the store to another.

A department store has long used an elevator to take customers to the four floors of the building, but the store’s owners are considering adding staircases to avoid the delays caused by large groups of people taking the elevator. According to a survey of the store’s customers, many said that they would prefer to take the stairs rather than the elevator to go from at least one floor to the next. This should lead to all customers being able to get much more quickly from one part of the store to another.

Which of the following is an assumption made by the store’s owners?

(A) It would not be less expensive to add escalators rather than staircases. Incorrect

cost is not a fact in argument

(B) The number of customers who shop at the store will not change substantially in the coming years. Correct

so staircases help customer to get from one part of the store to another and reduce delays, support conclusion

(C) The customers who said they would prefer the stairs to the elevator when needing to go from one floor to the next tend to be the younger customers of the store. Incorrect

it against argument, staircases less helpful for overall all customer

(D) The most popular floor for customers is the second. Irrelevant

(E) The customers who participated in the survey took into account that they would be carrying items when going from one part of the store to another. Incorrect

it weakens survey result

Official Explanation:

A department store has long used an elevator to take customers to the four floors of the building, but the store’s owners are considering adding staircases to avoid the delays caused by large groups of people taking the elevator. According to a survey of the store’s customers, many said that they would prefer to take the stairs rather than the elevator to go from at least one floor to the next. This should lead to all customers being able to get much more quickly from one part of the store to another.

Which of the following is an assumption made by the store’s owners?

(A) It would not be less expensive to add escalators rather than staircases.
(B) The number of customers who shop at the store will not change substantially in the coming years.
(C) The customers who said they would prefer the stairs to the elevator when needing to go from one floor to the next tend to be the younger customers of the store.
(D) The most popular floor for customers is the second.
(E) The customers who participated in the survey took into account that they would be carrying items when going from one part of the store to another.

Question Type: Assumption
Boil It Down: To reduce wait times at elevators and allow people to traverse the store more quickly, a department store wants to add in staircases. Their main supporting evidence is a survey that showed people prefer using stairs to go from one floor to the next.
Goal: Find the option that best highlights an assumption the department store made about the people participating in the survey that would, in turn, support their decision to add stairs to the store.

Analysis:
This question asks for an assumption (unstated evidence) supporting the store’s owners conclusion.

Conclusion: The staircases should lead to all customers being able to get much more quickly from one part of the store to another.

Evidence: The staircases will be used by enough people that there will be fewer customers waiting for the elevator.

If the customers participating in the survey neglected to consider that they would be carrying items from one floor to another, then the survey would be likely to be inaccurate. Choice E states that the participants did NOT neglect to consider this, thus supporting the survey results and the conclusion.

(A) It would not be less expensive to add escalators rather than staircases.
The cost of the plan is not discussed in the argument, so it’s irrelevant.

(B) The number of customers who shop at the store will not change substantially in the coming years.
This does not need to be assumed. The number could increase, which could make the plan a greater success.

(C) The customers who said they would prefer the stairs to the elevator when needing to go from one floor to the next tend to be the younger customers of the store.
The age of these people is irrelevant; it’s enough to say that “many” customers said they would prefer the stairs.

(D) The most popular floor for customers is the second.
This does not need to be assumed. If the first or third floor was the most popular, the plan could still be effective.

(E) The customers who participated in the survey took into account that they would be carrying items when going from one part of the store to another.
This is the correct choice. If this is true, then the survey results are an even stronger reason why the store should consider putting in stairs.



Don’t study for the GMAT. Train for it.

Hello from the GMAT Club VerbalBot!

Thanks to another GMAT Club member, I have just discovered this valuable topic, yet it had no discussion for over a year. I am now bumping it up - doing my job. I think you may find it valuable (esp those replies with Kudos).

Want to see all other topics I dig out? Follow me (click follow button on profile). You will receive a summary of all topics I bump in your profile area as well as via email.