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Tough Weaken the Argument - Q107 GMAT REVIEW

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Tough Weaken the Argument - Q107 GMAT REVIEW

by mjabki » Sun Jan 06, 2013 1:10 am
Dear all,

I need help with this official GMAT review question- all the answer choices didn't seem to weaken the argument for me.

Q # 107 in Verbal section:

Although the discount stores in Goreville's central shopping district are expected to close within five years as a result of competition from a SpendLess discount department store that just opened, those locations will not stay vacant for long. In the five years since the opening of Colson's, a nondiscount department store, a new store has opened at the location of every store in the shopping district that closed because it could not compete with Colson's.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

(A) Many customers of Colson's are expected to do less shopping there than they did before the SpendLess store opened.
(B) Increasingly, the stores that have opened in the central shopping district since Colson's opened have been discount stores.
(C) At present, the central shopping district has as many stores operating in it as it ever had.
(D) Over the course of the next five years, it is expected that Goreville's population will grow at a faster rate than it has for the past several decades.
(E) Many stores inthe central shopping district sell types of merchandise that are not available at either SpendLess or Colson's.

The OA is B.

Could someone explain the reasoning as to why the answer is B ?

I still cannot see how that would be the answer.

Thanks and BR,

MJ.
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by buzzdeepak » Sun Jan 06, 2013 5:38 am
Conclusion: Locations won't stay VACANT for long

Premise: DISCOUNT stores are expected to close because of opening of another DISCOUNT store SpendLess

Premise: Colson's (NON DISCOUNT) opened and along with it, a new store at the location of every store

Reasoning: We need to weaken the statement, so need points to prove that location WILL STAY VACANT for long. A big assumption in the argument is SpendLess (discount) is likened to Colson's (non-discount).

A - Don't know if Colson's sells the same products as SpendLess and hence direct competitors.

B - states that since Colson's (non discount) opened, there has been a proliferation of discount stores since they could compete with Colson's. BUT, the first premise clearly states that the discount stores can't compete with SpendLess.

C - Irrelevant

D - If at all, this strengthens the argument

E - Again, if at all this strengthens the argument. Actually, the argument states that SpendLess and the existing discount stores are competitors.

Hope this helps.
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by GMATGuruNY » Sun Jan 06, 2013 5:57 am
Although the discount stores in Goreville's central shopping district are
expected to close within five years as a result of competition from a SpendLess
discount department store that just opened, those locations will not stay vacant
for long. In the five years since the opening of Colson's, a nondiscount
department store, a new store has opened at the location of every store in the
shopping district that closed because it could not compete with Colson's.

Which of the following, if true, most seriously weakens the argument?

A. Many customer's of Colson's are expected to do less shopping there than they
did before the SPendless store opened.

B. Increasingly, the stores that have opened in the central shopping district
since Colson's opened have been discount stores.

C. At present, the central shopping district has as many stores operating in it
as it ever had.

D. Over the course of the next five years, it is expected that Goreville's
opulation will grow at a faster rate than it has for the past several decades.

E. Many stores in the central shopping district sell types of merchandise that
are not available at either Spendless or Colson's.
This CR makes an ANALOGY.
The premise is about X: Colson's NONDISCOUNT department store.
The conclusion is about Y: the SpendLess DISCOUNT department store.

The argument assumes that X is linked to Y: that what was true for Colson's (a NONDISCOUNT store) will be true for Spendless (a DISCOUNT store).
To break the link, the correct answer must show how Colson's and Spendless are DIFFERENT.

Answer choice B: Increasingly, the stores that have opened in the central shopping district since Colson's opened have been DISCOUNT stores.
This answer choice highlights a key DIFFERENCE between Colson's and Spendless. Colson's is a NONDISCOUNT store. Thus, the recently opened DISCOUNT stores have been able to compete with it. But Spendless is itself a DISCOUNT store. Its arrival likely will DISCOURAGE other discount stores from opening, invalidating the conclusion that the central shopping district will be able to fill its vacancies.

The correct answer is B.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Sun Jan 06, 2013 8:44 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by mjabki » Sun Jan 06, 2013 8:41 am
Thanks Guys,

That was very helpful.

Best regards,
Mahmoud.
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