Foamy Soda's competitors lowered their prices even more drastically during the summer months. The weather during the summer months was unseasonably cool, decreasing the demand for soft drinks. The soft-drink industry as a whole experienced depressed sales during the summer months. Because of an increase in the price of sweeteners, the production costs of Foamy Soda rose during the summer months.
In an effort to boost sales during the summer months, which are typically the best for soft-drink sales, Foamy Soda lowered its prices. In spite of this, however, the sales of Foamy Soda dropped during the summer months.
Each of the following, if true, contributes to reconciling the apparent discrepancy indicated above EXCEPT: