The conclusion in this article is that Dolici Candy Company should shift its business from
lower-priced candy to premium candy. To support the conclusion, the author provides several
facts that the company get succeed in a recent taste test of premium candy, and that economy
would be depressed and customers have lower possibilities to purchase luxury items. However,
close scrutiny reveals that these facts lend little credible support to the author’s conclusion.
In the first place, it is highly doubtful that in the future, expensive chocolate candies will
continue be successful according to taste test and current sales. We are not given enough
information to be sure that customers still would like to purchase these expensive candies.
The only evidence supplied by author is the result of taste test and current sales. Even if it
granted that customers like the taste of these premium candies, resent situations cannot qualify
the customers would keep spending money on these candies when economic depression. When people
deals with problem of finance, price comes to an important factor related to purchase behavior.
Since taste test does not concerned the influence of price and resent sales does not reflect
customers’ reaction to depression, I have a good reason to suspect people would not buy these
candies because lower revenue, although the taste is attractive to people. Without ruling out
and considering these possibilities and alternative explanations, the author can not conclude
that focusing on line of premium candies would benefit the company.
Second, the author fails to figure out the effects of economic depression. The line of reasoning
by author is that because economic boom ends, people prefer to buying small luxuries, such as
expensive candies, to replace original major luxury items. The argument is clearly mistaken.
There is no guarantee that people would consume small luxuries to substitute for major luxuries.
Plenty of products could become choices for luxuries substitute. The author seems to assume that
premium candies are the only product to replace major luxuries. Furthermore, perhaps it is
depression that people have little money to consume and lower possibilities to purchase expensive
items, including premium candies. Unless more attributes are include in assessing effects of
economic depression, the argument is ill-founded.
In sum, it is imprudent for author to draw this conclusion simply on the basis of these evidences
presented. To solidify the argument, the author has to provide more information and causable
explanations about taste test and future sales. In addition, the author should realize that
expensive candies are not necessarily purchased by customers when people face economic
depression, without thorough concern.