The management of Highway Mall was contemplating the addition of a bookstore to their establishment, aiming to draw in a reading audience. A comparable initiative had been undertaken by Cloud 9 Mall in the city, which subsequently experienced positive feedback. Critics, however, argued that due to its location, Highway Mall might not enjoy the same success, suggesting that malls on highways primarily attract travelers interested only in purchasing snacks, travel accessories, or car care products. Despite these concerns, Highway Mall's management decided to proceed with opening the bookstore.
Which of the following, if true, most strengthens the management's decision to open a bookstore at Highway Mall?The decision is to open a bookstore at a highway mall. The critics’ objection is that highway visitors are travelers who only want quick, practical purchases, so a bookstore will not attract them. The best strengthener shows that travelers are actually a good target market for buying books while on the move.
A. Reading is a popular pastime among travelers across the world.
This directly supports the needed link: if travelers commonly like reading, then travelers stopping at a highway mall are more likely to want to buy something to read for the trip.
It connects the mall’s customer base to bookstore demand.B. Critics have frequently been incorrect about other issues related to Highway Mall in the past.
This only attacks the critics’ credibility. It does not provide a concrete reason the bookstore will succeed.
C. Visitors who stop to buy snacks or accessories at malls often take the opportunity to relax and browse other stores.
This helps somewhat by suggesting travelers might wander, but it still does not specifically show they want to browse or buy books.
D. The location of a mall along a highway is a viable place for businesses, including bookstores.
This is vague and close to restating the conclusion. It does not address why travelers there would buy books.
E. The cost of purchasing books wholesale has significantly decreased, making it economically feasible to buy in bulk.
Lower costs help margins, but the key concern is demand from highway travelers, not inventory economics.
Answer: (A)