The following is a recommendation from the Board of Directed of Monarch Books.
"We recommend that Monarch Books open a cafe in its store. Monarch,having been in business at the same location for more than twenty years, has a large customer base because it is known for its wide selection of books on all subjects. Clearly, opening the cafe would attract more customers. Space could be made for the cafe by discontinuing the children's book section, which will probably become less popular given that the most recent national census indicated a significant decline in the population under age ten. Opening a cafe will allow Monarch to attract more customers and better compete with Regal Books, which recently opened its own cafe."
What questions should be answered to decide whether the recommendation will have the predicted result?
In this argument the author suggests Monarch Books to open a cafe in order to a attract more customers and compete with in this argument the author suggests Monarch Books to open a cafe in order to a attract more customers and compete with Regal Books. The authors mentions the great customer base and the way to make space for the cafe. However, without answering several crucial questions the recommendation can hardly have the predicted result.
First of all, do the customers like coffee? Although large customer base is good for business, it is also vulnerable. An unfavourable decision may break the support in one night. Especial the penchant food odour is very tricky. Some people love it, some hate it. It may distract concentration when one is reading. However, some will like to enjoy a cup of coffee when reading. Therefore, it is essential to know the dominant preference of the customers. Otherwise, the cafe will become a tool to exile customers.
About the space for the cafe, the author suggest to occupy the area for children's book, base on the true that the decline of children's population. However, the decline in country wild may not mean decline in the surrounding of Monarch Books. Also, less children don't mean less readers. Oppositely, the young reader number may even increase, as children's education has become the most important issue in many families. Rather than quality, people become more concerned in the quality of their offspring. Furthermore, small kids need adults to bring them to the shop, which means loss one kids will also loss one or even more adult customers. Therefore, the portion of young readers in Monarch Books' customers must be enrolled the decision making. Will it be worthy to give up these customers?
The last but not the least questions: does Monarch Books need such change to compete with other book shops? The author also mentions that Monarch Books is a 20s years old book shop, and is reputed for its wild range of books selection. Will it be essential to change its original route to compete with some new book shops. (The author does not indicate the age of Regal Books, but it is rare for a book shop to survive more then 20 years without change place.)
It is adorable for the author (possible a customer) to care about the development of the shop. But no action should be taken before there are solid evidences which show a cafe will have positive effects for the shop.
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