Argument117

117.The following is a memo from the business manager of Valu-Mart stores. "Over 70 percent of the respondents to a recent survey reported that they are required to take more work home with them from the workplace than they were in the past. Since Valu-Mart has not seen impressive sales in its office-supply departments in the past, we should take advantage of this work-at-home trend by increasing at all Valu-Mart stores the stock of home office machines such as printers, small copy machines, paper shredders, and fax machines. We will also increase stock of office supplies such as paper, pens, and staplers. With these changes, our office-supply departments will become the most profitable component of our stores."
(433 words)
In this argument, the author comes to the conclusion that Valu-Mart(VM) stores should increasing at all VM stores the stock of home office machines and office supplies. To justfy this conclusion, the author cites a recent survey. This argument rests on a series of unsubstantiated assumptions, and is therefore unpersuasive as it stands.Firstly, the survey the author mentions in the argument seems not statistically reliable. Do those responders reporting that they are required to take more work home with them from the workplace than they were in the past represent the customers VM aimed at? It's highlyl suspected. Even if it's representive, the plain fact that there is more work needed to done doesn't definitely contribute to more machines. Maybe they have already worked at home for a long time, thus extra machines is unnecessary. In a similar way, maybe the office suppies such as paper, pens, and staples are supplied by the company which wanted its employees to work at home, thus the total demand for these supplies doesn't increase.Without counting for these and other factors, the author can't convice me that the need for office machine and supplies will be growing.Secondly, even if the office machine and supplies will actually be more popular, it is highly possible that there are other factors causing the impressive sales in VM's office-supply deparments in the past, maybe it is due to the high price or the poor quality, thus increasing the stocks of machines can't be sure to promote the sales. If this is the case, the statement that increasing the stock can help increasing the sales can't be convincly trusted.Finally, the standpoint that the office-supply departments will become the most prefitables component of our stores is highly suspected. As we all know that, the profit is a function of both cost and sales. In addition, the author didn't mention any data about how much will these machines and supplies cost, as well as what are their prices. Moreover, we don't know anything about the profits of the other department of VM, so it's ridiculous to justify that the office-supply department will be the most profitable one just due to its growing sales. Thus, the author cannot justifiably rely on this claim to bolster its recommendation.In sum, to convice me that VM should increase the stocks of office machiens and supplies, the author must prove that the demand for these items will surely increase. In addition, the author must also supply details about the cost and price of the commodities VM will purchased, together with the profits of other department.