The following appeared in a memo from the owner 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, all of the five best-selling cheeses at our newest store were 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 following appeared in a memo from the owner 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, all of the five best-selling cheeses at our newest store were 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.”

Write a response in which you discuss what specific evidence is needed to evaluate the argument and explain how the evidence would weaken or strengthen the argument.

The author makes several assumptions about his readers, including that they know little about cheese, and that Cheeses of the World magazine is a source of reliable data. The latter is dubious, as the survey is anonymous and may be biased. The memo contains limited analysis, as it presents only one side of the argument, that domestic cheese is more popular than imported. The latter may be true, but it may not necessarily be the best business decision, since domestic cheese may carry higher overhead costs. The author provides no basis for making this assumption, other than the fact that sales of domestic cheese have increased at one store, while sales of imported cheese decreased at another. The author also fails to consider other areas of the country where imported cheese may be more popular than domestic cheese; thus, his claim that ‘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’ is questionable.

The author’s assertion that domestic cheeses are more popular among Cheeses of the World subscribers than imported cheeses is dubious. If Cheeses of the World is a reliable survey, it does not indicate which cheeses are the most popular among subscribers. Without this information, the author fails to present an argument to support his assertion that ‘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.’ He presents no data to support his claim that domestic cheeses are more popular, nor does he provide any evidence that his stores are lagging in sales of other cheeses. A storeowner must consider the financial costs involved in carrying different types of cheese, as well as the demand among his customers. If most of his customers prefer domestic cheeses to imported cheeses, he may decide to carry only domestic cheeses in order to accommodate their preferences. However, if the majority of customers prefer imported cheeses, it may be more cost-effective for him to continue carrying both types of cheeses. Another major factor to consider is the varieties of imported cheeses available in other countries. While cheese may be popular in the United States, it may not be as popular or as profitable in other countries, which may have a variety of indigenous cheeses. Thus, the author’s assertion that ‘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’ should be approached with caution.