Self-study
The layouts of supermarkets are not accidental: they are part of a plan designed to make customers walk all the way to the back of the store just to pick up a loaf of bread, passing tempting displays the whole way. ███ ████████████ ███ ████████ █████████ ██ ███████ ███████ █████ ██ ███ █████ ███████ ████ █████████████ ██ █████████ ███ ██████ ███ █████████ █████████████
Summary
Supermarkets are designed so that customers must walk through the whole store to pick up a loaf of bread, passing tempting displays along the way. However, this strategy can alienate customers. We know this because, in surveys, shoppers list inconvenience as their top reason for disliking supermarkets.
Strongly Supported Conclusions
Some strategies for improving sales can also have negative effects.
20.
Which one of the following ████████████ ████ ███ ███████ ████ █████████ ███████████
a
Supermarkets should focus ██ █████████ ███ ████ ██ ████████ ████ █████ ██ █ ██████ █████
This answer is unsupported. The stimulus does not make a value judgment in regards to what supermarkets should or should not do.
b
Alienation of customers ██ ███ ████ ███ █████████
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know based on the stimulus whether the strategy described is overall good for business. It could be the case that, even if a customer dislikes a supermarket’s tactics, the customer returns and shops there anyway.
c
Even well-thought-out plans ███ █████
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know whether the tactic described in the stimulus is a failure, just that it has at least one negative effect.
d
Distracting customers is ███ ████ ███ █████████
This answer is unsupported. We don’t know based on the stimulus what overall effect this strategy has. It's possible that distracting customers still improves sales, even if the customers dislike it.
e
Manipulation of people ███ ████ █████████ █████████████
This answer is strongly supported. The supermarkets’ manipulative sales tactics can give rise to unwelcome consequences in the form of their customers feeling alienated.