Explanation
Correct answer: A.
Choice A is the best answer because it most accurately states the main idea of the text. The text explains that fashion retailers face challenges in forecasting product demand due to rapidly changing tastes and lengthy manufacturing times. It then presents research by Fu and Fisher showing that combining retailers’ own data with social media information significantly improves forecast accuracy. The text concludes by noting that better predictions help retailers meet demand without becoming overstocked. Thus, the main idea is that using multiple data sources (retailers’ own data combined with social media information) can enhance fashion retailers’ ability to anticipate demand.
Why the other choices are wrong
Choice B
Choice B is incorrect because the text doesn’t claim that social media is revolutionizing, or fundamentally changing, how sellers and researchers view the fashion industry. The text never addresses the way the fashion industry is viewed; rather, it discusses a practical approach sellers in the industry can take to better match production with demand.
Choice C
Choice C is incorrect. Although avoiding overstocking is mentioned as a benefit of an approach that can help fashion sellers better predict demand, the text doesn’t focus on overstocking or characterize it as the main concern of sellers. Rather, the text is focused on discussing the approach itself.
Choice D
Choice D is incorrect because the text suggests that fashion sellers encounter obstacles when using their own data to try to forecast demand as tastes and styles change; the text focuses on the idea that instead of using their own data alone, retailers should combine their own data with social media information to more accurately forecast demand.