Profit /Loss

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Profit /Loss

by guerrero » Sun May 12, 2013 3:27 pm
A dealer offers a cash discount of 20% and still makes a profit of 20% when he further allows 16 articles to be sold at the cost price of 12 articles to a particular sticky bargainer. How much percent above the cost price were his articles listed?
a) 100%
b) 80%
c) 75%
d) 66+2/3%
e) 55%

OAA
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by GMATGuruNY » Sun May 12, 2013 4:12 pm
The regular selling price of an article at Acme Retailers is equal to the cost price of the article plus a markup of m%. When the owner of Acme Retailers agrees to sell 16 articles for the regular selling price of 12 articles plus a 20% discount, he still makes a profit of 20%. What is the value of m?

a) 100%
b) 80%
c) 75%
d) 66+2/3%
e) 55%

OAA
I've changed the wording to clarify what I believe is the intent of the problem.

We can plug in the answers, which represent the markup.
Given that both percentages in the problem are multiples of 10, the correct answer choice also is likely a multiple of 10.
Of the two multiples of 10 in the answer choices -- 100 and 80 -- the easier one to evaluate is 100, since a markup of 100% implies a selling price equal to TWICE the cost.

Answer choice A: 100% markup
Let the cost per article = 10.
Cost of 16 articles = 16*10 = 160.
Regular selling price of 12 articles with a 100% mark-up = twice the cost of 12 articles = 2(12*10) = 240.
Selling price with a 20% discount = 240 - .2(240) = 240-48 = 192.
Profit = 192-160 = 32.
Success!
The profit is equal to 20% of the cost of the 16 articles:
.2(160) = 32.

The correct answer is A.
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