Question

A shoe store charges a retail price of $39 for a certain type of sneaker. This retail price is 30% more than the amount it costs the shoe store to buy one pair of these sneakers. At an end-of-the-year sale, sales associates can purchase any remaining sneakers at 20% off the shoe store’s cost. How much would it cost an employee to purchase a pair of sneakers of this type during the sale (excluding sales tax)?

A.$31.20
B.$25.00
C.$24.00
D.$21.84
E.$19.50
Could someone please explain how to do this problem?

Answer 1

I was a little confused myself but if it is asking for the cost of the sneakers after the 20% off from the amount of money the store had to pay, it would be D, $21.84. The way to do this would be to find the cost of the sneakers when the store bought them. You multiply the percentage in decimal form with the cost of the sneakers at the price the store was selling it: 0.3*39 = 11.7. Then, to get the price the store bought them at, you would subtract that price from $39 to get $27.30. Finally, you apply the 20% discount to 27.30 by multiplying 0.2 to it and subtracting that price from 27.30. Then your answer will be $21.84. However, if the problem was asking for the cost of sneakers after the 20% off from the price the store was selling it, it would be A, $31.20. You would have to multiply the 20% discount straight to the price the store is selling the sneakers, $39. Then subtract that price from $39 to get $31.20.