To find the ratio of chocolate bars to the number of hard candies, we need to determine the total number of chocolate bars and the total number of hard candies in the store.
The store stocks 12 types of chocolate bars, and it has 24 of each type. So the total number of chocolate bars is 12 * 24 = 288.
Similarly, the store stocks 8 brands of hard candy, and it has 32 of each brand. Therefore, the total number of hard candies is 8 * 32 = 256.
Now, we can calculate the ratio of chocolate bars to hard candies:
Ratio = Total number of chocolate bars / Total number of hard candies
= 288 / 256
= 1.125
So the ratio of chocolate bars to the number of hard candies is approximately 1.125.