ARGUMENT65

晓天UID: 2755357

65. The following appeared in a memo from the president of a chain of cheese stores

located throughout the United States."For many years all the stores in our chain have stocked a wide variety of both domestic and imported cheeses. Last year, however, the five best-selling cheeses at our newest store were all domestic cheddar cheeses from Wisconsin. Furthermore, a recent survey by Cheeses of the World magazine indicates an increasing preference for domestic cheeses among its subscribers. Since our company can reduce expenses by limiting inventory, the best way to improve profits in all of our stores is to discontinue stocking many of our varieties of imported cheese and concentrate primarily on domestic cheeses."

很多年来我们的所有连锁店都储备了很多种类的国产奶酪和进口奶酪。然而去年，我们的最新店里五种销量最高的奶酪都是威斯康星出产的cheddar 奶酪。而且，最近一次由Cheese of the World 杂志所举行的调查显示，其订阅者对于国产奶酪的倾向性越来越高。由于我们公司可以通过限制库存来减少开支，在我们所有连锁店增加盈利的最好方式就是停止贮备很多进口奶酪而主要集中于国产奶酪。

In this memo, the president of a chain of cheese stores recommends that to make higher profits, the stories should decrease the amount of various of imported cheese and focus on the domestic ones. To support his proposal, the president list some evidence that the five best-selling cheeses were among the domestic ones at the newest store one year before, and the survey shows an accreting preference of the domestic cheeses. Close scrutiny of each of these facts, however, reveals that none of them can substantiate the recommendation clearly.

Firstly, the new store’s strong
domestic cheeses’ selling do not necessarily indicate that the whole selling state of the other merchants of the chain cheese store are similar to the new one. Perhaps the preference of region people is the domestic stuffs or they have the emotion of patriotism. Besides, selling good at the moment means nothing with the permanent best-selling. Maybe, the domestic cheeses are on promotions and the sale’s condition will change in a period of time. In a word, lacking more evidence about the new store’s sale, the president cannot convince me on the basis of them that the domestic cheeses are best-sellers , let alone to increase them to make profits.

In addition, the credibility of the magazine is doubtful in some aspects to conclude the popularization the domestic cheeses. The reader group of the magazine is not mentioned in this survey. As this reason, the survey has no representation to prove something. For the matter, the subscribers are weather our chain store’s consumers or not, perhaps they are just vendors or researchers on the marketing study. No sufficient information about this survey, we remains unconvinced the tendency of our consumers.

Moreover, the president unfairly assumes that only in the way to pay more attention on the domestic cheeses can the store enhance a higher profit. It is unsure that domestic ones can really enhance the profit which is related with demand and supply. Perhaps, the profits are lowed by the domestic cheeses, while increasing the imported ones can upgrade it due to the changeable marketing situation. Meanwhile, other strategies can reach the effect to add the interest, such as promotion, or advertising.

Without ruling other possibilities to bolster the recommendation that to increase the domestic cheeses is the best way, the assumption still remains unwarranted and vague.

In conclusion, the recommendation relies on certain doubtful assumptions that render it unconvincing as it stands. To getting rid of the false decision, the president should get more evidence of the place where the new store locates, and the preference of people there. Furthermore, more information concerning the magazine survey should be offered to certificate its representation. And other efforts to make profits can be also taken into account.