Argument 65

leepmoUID: 2296903

The assumption that people prefer domestic cheeses to imported chesses.
To support the assumption the author cite the evidences that(1), the five best-selling cheeses at the newest store were all domestic cheddar cheeses from Wisconsin.(2) The result of a survey conducted by a magazine.
Granted that people like the domestic cheeses,will the domestic cheeses bring more profit?

TOPIC: ARGUMENT65 - 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."


The author advocates that all the cheese stores should concentrate on domestic cheeses, based on the assumption that people prefer domestic cheeses to imported cheeses. To support this assumption the author cites the evidences about the sales of the newest stores and the result of a survey conducted by a magazine. Close examination of these facts, however, reveal that none of them bolster the author's claim.

To begin with, the author's assumption that people would prefer domestic cheeses to the imported ones is weak. First of all, the facts that the five best-selling cheeses at the newest store were all domestic cheddar cheesed is insufficient to establish a general conclusion since the result came from the newest stores. It is possible that the newest stores are all located in the areas in which people prefer the domestic cheeses. The author fails to convince us that people of the whole nation would also prefer the domestic cheeses. What's more, the result showed that cheddar cheeses from Wisconsin were welcomed, a small kind of the domestic cheeses. The author fails to make us believe that all domestic cheeses are welcomed. Second, the survey conducted by Cheeses of the World magazine seems to lack the credibility. The survey is based only on the subscribers of the magazine which are not representative. What's more the author provide no information about the number of the people did the survey study, how many people responds the survey,how was the question of the survey set. Until these and other question are answered, the survey are worthwhile for claim that domestic cheeses are more welcome.

Granted that the people prefer the domestic cheese to the imported will the domestic cheeses bring more profits to the stores? There are many aspects that will infleuce the profits of the stores.Unfortunately, the author provide no information about the price and the cost of each kind of cheeses.  It is possible that we can make more profits by selling the imported cheeses. The sales of the cheeses could not necessarily indicate the profits. Besides, the author fails to consider the potential negative effects. Will the number of the customers decrease since the choice of the customers will be limited than before. Will the taste of customers change?

In sum, the author's claim seem to be unwarranted. To support his claim the author should provide more information to prove that people like the domestic cheeses. For example, a survey which is more representative will be helpful. Also,the author might show that the domestic cheeses can bring more profits.