Monday, May 5, 2008

Rate my Argument - 1 (out of 6)

"Over 75% of the households in the town of Parksboro have Jacuzzi bathtubs. In addition, the average family income in parksboro is 50% higher than the national avaerage, and a local store reports record-high sales of the most costly brands of hair and body care products. With so much being spent on the personal care, parksboro will be a profitable location for a new luxe spa- a salon that offers premium services at prices that are above average."

The author concludes with the statement that opening a new luxury spa will be very profitable in Parksboro in view of the current statistics. However, he relies on certian assumptions for which there is no evidence.
Firstly, he tries to correlate the increase in the number of households having Jacuzzi bathtubs with the average income of these families. The evidence that the average family income in Parkboro is 50% higher does not necessarily imply that most of these households have bought the luxury bathtubs. Nevertheless, there also seems no evidence as to whether these households have been owned by people staying there for years or if new prople have shifted to Parksboro. The argument would be strengthened if the author had provided elements stating the fact that the families whose incomes have rised have started to buy new Jacuzzi bathtubs.
Secondly, the author mentions record high sales of the local store. There is no number mentioned to express the impact of the figure. The authenticity of the source providing this crucial information needs to be verified. Its not clear as to which class of people are buying the costly hair products. Are these products being bought by neighboring town who do not have access to any personal care store in their own vicinity? The argument would be strengthened in the light of facts that could uncover the truth
Finally, the author doesnt mention as which products and in which range are maximum sales occurring. The new luxury spa aimed at opening a new store may be targeting all items for kids which may prove a loss if most of the residents staying nearby the salon where unmarried. The argument would need to seek more information on the location aspects and class of people being targeted for its maximum sales. Only if the writer provides substantial clues to support his point that maximum sales will happen in area with household having higher income than average and that their interests matching those for costly hair products, will the argument hold.

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