2. A manufacturer of men’s dress socks sought to increase profits by increasing sales. The size of its customer pool was remaining steady, with the average customer buying twelve pairs of dress socks per year. The company’s plan was to increase the number of promotional discount-sale periods to one every six months.

Which of the following, if it is a realistic possibility, casts the most serious doubt on the viability of the company’s plan?

(A) New manufacturing capacity would not be required if the company were to increase the number of pairs of socks sold.

(B) Inventory stocks of merchandise ready for sale would be high preceding the increase in the number of discount-sale periods.

(C) The manufacturer’s competitors would match its discounts during sale periods, and its customers would learn to wait for those times to make their purchases.

(D) New styles and colors would increase customers’ consciousness of fashion in dress socks, but the customers’ requirements for older styles and colors would not be reduced.（C）

(E) The cost of the manufacturer’s raw materials would remain steady, and its customers would have more disposable income.

我是用排除法做的。ｗｈｙ　Ｃ，是怎么削弱的呢，谢谢

The manufacturer’s competitors would match its discounts during sale

periods -> No increased market share during the sale periods.

its customers would learn to wait for those times to make their purchases ->

increased sales during promotion periods (which have lower profit margin)

cannibalize sales in non-promotion period (which have higher margin).

还是不是很明白C选项的意思. 有XDJM可以帮我翻译一下吗? cutomers would learn

to wait for those times to make their purchases. (这里those times指什么?)

非常感谢!