Question

The price of a shirt is Rs. 800, that of a trouser is Rs. 1000, that of a pair of shoes is Rs. 2000 and that of a belt is Rs. 500. What is the minimum amount with which one can get all the three articles (a shirt, a trouser and a pair of shoes)?

Statement (1): There is a discount of 30% on the shirt and the trousers.

Statement (2): The belt is free with one shirt and a trouser. The shirt is free with one pair of shoes and one trouser.

• A. If the data in statement (1) alone is sufficient to answer the question, but the data in statement (2) alone is not sufficient.
• B. If the data in statement (2) alone is sufficient to answer the question, but the data in statement (1) alone is not sufficient.
• C. If the data in both the statements together are needed to answer the question.
• D. If either statement (1) alone or statement (2) alone is sufficient to answer the question.
• E. If the data in neither statement (1) nor statement (2) is sufficient to answer the question, and more data is needed.

Hint:

Work out the minimum spend under each statement separately: statement 1 is a straightforward discount calculation, statement 2 is a look for the cheapest bundle using the free-item offers.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is D

The plain sticker prices are shirt Rs. 800, trouser Rs. 1000 and shoes Rs. 2000, so buying all three with no offer at all would cost Rs. 3800. We are asked for the cheapest way to walk out with these three items.

Statement (1): There's a 30% discount on the shirt and the trouser only; the shoes stay at full price. Minimum amount = \(0.7 \times 800 + 0.7 \times 1000 + 2000 = 560 + 700 + 2000 = 3260\). This is one clean, calculable number, so statement (1) alone is enough to answer the question.

Statement (2): Two combo offers are described. The first, belt free with a shirt and a trouser, is not useful here since we don't need the belt and it doesn't reduce the price of the shirt or trouser. The second is the one that matters: buying a pair of shoes and a trouser gets the shirt for free. So the cheapest way is to pay for shoes and trouser only: \(2000 + 1000 = 3000\), and the shirt comes free. This is again one clean, calculable number, so statement (2) alone is also enough.

Both statements independently let us compute a definite minimum amount (they don't have to agree with each other for sufficiency, they only need to each individually answer the question), so either statement alone is sufficient. The correct choice is option (4).