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Another good one

by Gaurav 2013-fall » Mon Apr 23, 2012 2:37 am
Wendell's Car Dealership moved from the outskirts of town to a more central location, after which sales increased substantially. This proves that for many retail businesses, including car dealerships, location is the most important consideration when attempting to increase sales.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument above?

Rodney's Cars, which has the highest sales within the metropolitan area, has stores in several locations, including the suburbs.

Location is particularly important if a retailer is only one of several local sources for some products.

The best reason for a retail business to have a central location is that it reduces the possibility that employees will have a long commute.

The arrival of the year's new car models coincided with the change of location of
Wendall's Car Dealership.

Car sales are affected by buying trends more than brand loyalty.


OA on discussion.
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by simone88 » Mon Apr 23, 2012 4:11 am
I choose D. The thesis say: good location -> increase sales, or at least it says that if there has been an increase in sales and there are many reasons that imply that, including among those a good location, then good location is the most important. Anyway it could be the case that an increase in sales are caused by reasons other than good location.
The evidence is the case of Wendell's Car Dealership in which there has been an increase in sales and there has been a change of location in a central one (so a good one). So they are implicitly assuming that among the reasons that could have implied an increase in sales this change of location is the most important. We could weaken this argument showing an other reason that could have left to the increase in sales, that, a priori, could be even more important than the change in location. Answer D does that: if there have been new car's models then this could be a more important reason then the location (however I would more likely buy a car if it has a new beautiful model than if the Car Dealership is well located).

A) IRRILEVANT: this doesn't either weaken the statement "good location -> increase sales", because this statement is consistent with "no good location and increase sales". All the more so it doesnt' weaken the statement "among the reasons that could have lead to an increase in sales the good location, if there is, is the most important";
B) if anything it STRENGHTENS:in some particular cases (particular kinds of retailers) the location is very important;
C)IRRILEVANT: we don't care if the location is more important for the sales or if it is for the commuter employees: we are concerned about the most important reasons among those who lead to an increase in sales
E)IRRILEVANT: it is not comparing the buying trends with location but with something else we don't care so it is not evifent why buying trends are more important than location is.
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by GmatKiss » Mon Apr 23, 2012 5:02 am
Gaurav 2013-fall wrote:Wendell's Car Dealership moved from the outskirts of town to a more central location, after which sales increased substantially. This proves that for many retail businesses, including car dealerships, location is the most important consideration when attempting to increase sales.

Which of the following, if true, would most seriously weaken the argument above?

Rodney's Cars, which has the highest sales within the metropolitan area, has stores in several locations, including the suburbs.

Location is particularly important if a retailer is only one of several local sources for some products.

The best reason for a retail business to have a central location is that it reduces the possibility that employees will have a long commute.

The arrival of the year's new car models coincided with the change of location of
Wendall's Car Dealership.

Car sales are affected by buying trends more than brand loyalty.


IMO: B.

Please post OA and Source of the question
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by Gaurav 2013-fall » Mon Apr 23, 2012 5:21 am
source princeton review and OA D.
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by bryan88 » Fri Apr 27, 2012 10:47 pm
Find an option that states-the increase in sales is due to some other factor other than the relocation.
New cars=New demand=Increased sales.

+1 for D
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by vk_vinayak » Sat Apr 28, 2012 11:11 am
Stuck between B and D, I chose B.

The option D seemed too simple to be credited answer. Though it brings in alternative angle, it doesn't talk anything that could have contributed to the sales. New cars could be expensive, non - reviewed, etc.

I could be wrong. Can somebody throw in detailed explanation?
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by GMATGuruNY » Sat Apr 28, 2012 4:15 pm
vk_vinayak wrote:Stuck between B and D, I chose B.

The option D seemed too simple to be credited answer. Though it brings in alternative angle, it doesn't talk anything that could have contributed to the sales. New cars could be expensive, non - reviewed, etc.

I could be wrong. Can somebody throw in detailed explanation?
The argument assumes a CAUSAL relationship: that moving Wendell's car dealership to a central location CAUSED the increase in sales.

One way to weaken a causal relationship is to suggest that there was ANOTHER CAUSE.

Answer choice D weakens the conclusion by introducing another possible reason for the increase in sales: the arrival of the NEW car models.

The correct answer is D.

Reasons to eliminate:

A) Outside the scope.
The conclusion is about how to INCREASE sales.
Answer choice A is about HIGH sales.
HIGH sales ≠ how to INCREASE sales.

B) STRENGTHENS the conclusion that location is important.
Does not weaken the link between location and the increase in sales.

C) STRENGTHENS the conclusion that location is important.
Does not weaken the link between location and the increase in sales.

E) Does not weaken the conclusion that location is the MOST IMPORTANT consideration when attempting to INCREASE sales.
Last edited by GMATGuruNY on Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:24 am, edited 1 time in total.
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by ice_rush » Sat Apr 28, 2012 8:27 pm
(D) for me.


Hi GMATGuruNY,

Can you please explain how choice (B) is referring to high sales or did you mean choice (A)?



Thanks.
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by GMATGuruNY » Sun Apr 29, 2012 3:31 am
ice_rush wrote:(D) for me.


Hi GMATGuruNY,

Can you please explain how choice (B) is referring to high sales or did you mean choice (A)?


Thanks.
Correct: I was referring to answer choice A.
Thanks for pointing out the typo, which has been fixed.
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