Entry Exam Category: College Admission Exams
Course: Accuplacer
Exam: Accuplacer Reading Comprehension Practice Test
Practice Question
Extract
Why is the e-commerce market share substantially lower in the music products industry? There are a few ready explanations. Pianos, by virtue of their size and weight, are still almost exclusively a brick-and-mortar product category. Retailers may promote and prospect online, but piano sales are still consummated at a local storefront. Similarly, entry-level school music instruments are primarily sold by local retailers who service music directors. Sales of pro audio gear, where any installation expertise is required, are also largely a brick-and-mortar affair. Exclude these categories, and the online market share of the remaining product groups is closer to that of the consumer electronics market. Convenience and the absence of sales tax are two of the reasons why online commerce has flourished. The industry's expanded product offering is another. As one online retailer put it, 'Customers can see everything that's available online, and when they decide they want a red guitar with specific pickup and hardware configuration, they won't settle for anything else. If they can't find it in a store, they'll go online for it. That’s what has driven our sales.'
It can most reasonably be inferred from the passage that the music products industry would have a higher share of the e-commerce market if:
Answer Choices
- A: entry-level school music instruments were sold to schools' music directors rather than directly to students
- B: the consumer market were to place less value on convenience and variety and more on competitive pricing
- C: a few types of music products sold predominantly in brick-and-mortar stores were excluded from the calculation
- D: brick-and-mortar store managers improved customer service and provided better training for their installation experts
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: The passage states that pianos, entry-level school instruments, and pro audio gear are still mostly sold through brick-and-mortar stores, and that excluding these categories reveals that the online market share of the remaining products is comparable to that of consumer electronics. This clearly supports the inference that if those brick-and-mortar-dominant categories were excluded, the overall e-commerce market share for the music industry would be higher.