Hi,
here are my two cents for this question
First this question is high on difficulty level because of options that are presented to us.
But should we understand what we are trying to strengthen, we could get the answer then by POE.
So Theater owners are saying that using certain oil for popcorn has hurt their popcorn sales.
But their sales figures show that they have sold 5% more popcorn than previous year.
Then why how did they come to conclusion that their strategy was bad and decided to go back on previously used cooking oil X
they must have assumed the following
Previously selling popcorn made in X oil always got them more than 5 % increase YOY
Also no of movie goers did not drop significantly.
Other theaters which sold popcorn made in X oil had more than doubled their sales of popcorn.
Refreshments other than popcorn that were sold registered a growth.
Now if i negate any of the above arguments then the Theater owners argument fails.
This is what is precisely done by choice A but in slight different manner.
All it is telling is Total sales of all the refreshments sold last year increased by less than 5%
Now to understand this part understanding the below will be helpful.
Ford Motor company sold more 5% modified trucks last year even though increase in their total sales of all the Ford automobiles was less than 5%.
Would it be wise to discontinue modified trucks from its offering .
No why because this is the sector that bought a certain increase % of total sales, other wise they wouldn't have any increase in % of total sales.
This is what precisely A tells.
Now Option D
Total attendance at Moviemania’s movie theaters was more than 20 percent higher last year than the year before.
Now this in a way strengthens Theater owners claim, because they assumed this factor when concluding their argument.
Many of my friends on the forum say this is weakening Theater owners claims.
Ok Look at the above statement this way
You are the owner of that Chain of theater and you have following data with you.
Earlier 1000 People went to theaters and on average in every 10 person who visited 3 bought pop corns . So total sales of 300 popcons.
and last year 1500 people went to theater. and popcorn sale grew by 5% which is equal to 315 . which other wise would have been 450( talking of organic growth)
What would you do as movie theater owner. You would switch back to tried and tested strategy.
So that is why this option is incorrect as it strengthen the theater owners claim.
Hope this helps
Probus
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Probus
~You Just Can't beat the person who never gives up~ Babe Ruth