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

The argument above is well-presented and appears to be relatively sound at first glance: since Regal Books has opened a café to attract more customers, it seems reasonable for Monarch to follow the step of Regal to compete with it. However, as more light is shed on the issue and more detailed facts are concerned, the lack of questions leads me to question the validity of the argument.

First, the author needs to answer the question whether the result of national consensus can be taken at face value. Since the percentage of population under age ten has declined, the author hastily believes the total number of population in this age range has also reduced. However, it is possible that the percentage has decreased because the number of population over age ten has increased at an exponential rate, although the actual number of children stays constant. In such a case, it would be far-fetched to argue that the children’s book section in Monarch Books will no longer popular in the future. Even if the number of children under ten has decreased, it does not represent that the sales of children’s book will decline in the near future. Therefore, more information is necessary to verify the credibility of the national consensus.

Another question the author needs to answer is whether opening a café at the expense of children’s book section will result in increased number of customers in Monarch Books. It should be noted that a myriad of customers might come to Monarch since it is well known for a wide selection of books on all subjects. If the store no longer have children’s books, it may be plausible that many customers who would come for children’s books will stop coming to the store. If this would be the case, it would be hard to argue that Monarch Books will attract more customers in the near future. Therefore, the author should consider the drawbacks of opening a café.

Lastly, the soundness of the recommendation that Monarch should open a café to better compete with Regal Books is another question the author should provide. Without further information on the success of Regal Books, the author simply claims that a café in a bookstore will yield a myriad of benefits to Monarch. However, in all likelihood, opening a café at Regal Books were not successful since customers prefer bookstores with a wide array of books, therefore, following this change will take a toll on Monarch Books. Thus, the author should supplement more information whether a café in Regal was a successful strategy to attract customers.

In conclusion, the argument is not cogent in many respects. To bolster the argument, the author should corroborate the soundness of the national consensus, provide the effectiveness of a café in a store, and validity of the recommendation.