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ifeomaidoko
- Newbie | Next Rank: 10 Posts
- Posts: 5
- Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2014 8:25 am
"On average, middle-aged consumers devote 39 percent of their retail expenditure to department store products and services, while for younger consumers the average is on 25 percent. Since the number of middle-aged people will increase dramatically within the next decade, department stores can expect retail sales to increase significantly during that period. Furthermore, to take that advantage of the trend, these stores should begin to replace some of those products intended to attract younger consumer with products intended to attract middle-aged consumer"
Department stores have become somewhat of a household name in the world at large. They carry all sorts and products and services and attract a wide range of customers from young to old. In the preceding statement, the author claims that middle aged consumers spend more than younger consumers in department stores and the number of middle-aged people will increase dramatically in the next decade. He also states that stores should take advantage of the trend by replacing products for younger consumers with those of middle-aged consumers. Though his claim may well have merit, the author presents a poorly reasoned argument based on questionable assumption like the statistics of retail expenditure to department stores made by consumers and the increase in the number of middle-aged people in the next decade.
The primary issue with the author's reasoning lies in his unsubstantiated premise that middle-aged consumers devote 39 percent of their retail expenditure to department store products and services while younger consumers, only 25 percent. It was not stated where these numbers where obtained. There was no suggestion that these numbers were derived from a study performed by the author or anyone else. If we are creating assumptions, the younger consumers could be spending 50 percent of their retail expenditure in department stores and middle-aged consumers only 15 percent. It could also be assumed that both young and middle-aged consumers spend little or none of their retail expenditure in department stores. Therefore, the primary premise lacks evidentiary support thereby causing us to reject the conclusion in the statement.
The statement also suggests that the number of middle-aged people will increase dramatically within the next decade and this will cause retail sales to increase significantly in this period. This brings about the secondary issue that there is also no evidence to prove that the number of middle-aged people will increase significantly. There is no indication that the middle-aged population will grow significantly for any reason at all. Even if the middle-aged population increased, there is no indication or evidentiary support that the middle-aged population will devote much of their retail expenditure to department store products and services thereby increasing retail sales. Again, the author weakens his argument by failing to provide evidence to support the suggested increase in middle-aged population and explication of the link between the increase in middle-aged population and the increase in retail sales.
In sum, the illogical argument is based on unexplained assumptions that middle-aged consumers devote more of their retail expenditure to department stores than young consumers, middle-aged population will grow dramatically in the next decade and that retail sales will increase significantly due to increase in middle-aged population. If the author hopes to change his readers' minds on the issue, he will have to restructure his argument and provide evidentiary support to fix the flaws. Till then, based solely on the evidence given by the author, we cannot accept his argument as valid.
Department stores have become somewhat of a household name in the world at large. They carry all sorts and products and services and attract a wide range of customers from young to old. In the preceding statement, the author claims that middle aged consumers spend more than younger consumers in department stores and the number of middle-aged people will increase dramatically in the next decade. He also states that stores should take advantage of the trend by replacing products for younger consumers with those of middle-aged consumers. Though his claim may well have merit, the author presents a poorly reasoned argument based on questionable assumption like the statistics of retail expenditure to department stores made by consumers and the increase in the number of middle-aged people in the next decade.
The primary issue with the author's reasoning lies in his unsubstantiated premise that middle-aged consumers devote 39 percent of their retail expenditure to department store products and services while younger consumers, only 25 percent. It was not stated where these numbers where obtained. There was no suggestion that these numbers were derived from a study performed by the author or anyone else. If we are creating assumptions, the younger consumers could be spending 50 percent of their retail expenditure in department stores and middle-aged consumers only 15 percent. It could also be assumed that both young and middle-aged consumers spend little or none of their retail expenditure in department stores. Therefore, the primary premise lacks evidentiary support thereby causing us to reject the conclusion in the statement.
The statement also suggests that the number of middle-aged people will increase dramatically within the next decade and this will cause retail sales to increase significantly in this period. This brings about the secondary issue that there is also no evidence to prove that the number of middle-aged people will increase significantly. There is no indication that the middle-aged population will grow significantly for any reason at all. Even if the middle-aged population increased, there is no indication or evidentiary support that the middle-aged population will devote much of their retail expenditure to department store products and services thereby increasing retail sales. Again, the author weakens his argument by failing to provide evidence to support the suggested increase in middle-aged population and explication of the link between the increase in middle-aged population and the increase in retail sales.
In sum, the illogical argument is based on unexplained assumptions that middle-aged consumers devote more of their retail expenditure to department stores than young consumers, middle-aged population will grow dramatically in the next decade and that retail sales will increase significantly due to increase in middle-aged population. If the author hopes to change his readers' minds on the issue, he will have to restructure his argument and provide evidentiary support to fix the flaws. Till then, based solely on the evidence given by the author, we cannot accept his argument as valid.
