The following is a recommendation from the business manager of Monarch Books.
“Since its opening in Collegeville twenty years ago, Monarch Books has developed a large customer base due to its reader-friendly atmosphere and wide selection of books on all subjects. Last month, Book and Bean, a combination bookstore and coffee shop, announced its intention to open a Collegeville store. Monarch Books should open its own in-store café in the space currently devoted to children’s books. Given recent national census data indicating a significant decline in the percentage of the population under age ten, sales of children’s books are likely to decline. By replacing its children’s books section with a café, Monarch Books can increase profits and ward off competition from Book and Bean.”
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 business manager of Monarch Books makes several sensible and sound recommendations. He suggest that Monarch Books should open a café to supplement its existing bookstore, and he suggests that Monarch Books should expand its selection of books. However, he offers only anecdotal evidence to support his recommendation that Monarch Books should replace its children’s book section with a coffee shop. While it is possible that the decrease in the number of children reading books will translate into decreased sales, the data presented in this article contradicts such a supposition.
According to the US Census Bureau, the number of children under the age of ten living in the United States decreased in 2015. This decrease is largely due to a growing trend among parents to retire early. Many Baby Boomers, as well as Gen Xers and Millennials, are choosing to opt out of the workforce altogether and devote their time to raising their children. This means that fewer children will be entering the workforce, and this may have an impact on the sales of children’s books. However, if Monarch Books were to expand its selection of books, it may be able to expand the number of potential customers. The decline in the number of children living in the United States may also mean that there are fewer potential customers for bookstores in general. If Monarch Books were to open a café, it would be able to serve both adults, who may not have time to read books, and children who may visit the café with their parents. However, while it is possible that Monarch Books could attract new customers, it is unlikely that they would make up for the decline in the number of children, and this could result in decreased revenue for the business.’Although it is hard for a business manager to make predictions based on limited data, it is entirely possible that the number of children in the United States will continue to rise. The baby boomer generation is retiring at a steady rate, and according to many economists, this trend will continue well into the future. Sales of children’s books will increase, and Monarch Books will be able to expand the number of potential customers who frequent its store. It is entirely possible that the number of children in the United States will continue to decrease, and Monarch Books will have to find a way to combat this loss. However, if the decline in the number of children is not severe enough, it is unlikely that the café would make up for the loss of children as the business’ primary customer base.