> “There are fewer customers, so we need less light?” I asked. “Correct,” he said. His non sequitur had me leaving the store fortified with both a six-pack and

> “There are fewer customers, so we need less light?” I asked. “Correct,” he said. His non sequitur had me leaving the store fortified with both a six-pack and the reinforced conviction that books on how to think should be required reading in high schools across the country. Let's say increased lighting increases average spending per customer. Reduced lighting saves on the electricity bill. Maybe when there are less customers, the increased customer spending is not worth the electricity bill. This is plausible enough that the clerk is not making a non sequitur.