To solve this question, we can use the concept of percentages and the relationship between the original sale and the reduced sale.
Let's assume the previous sale was 'x' rupees.
According to the question, a reduction of 20% is given on clothes. This means the reduced sale is 80% of the original sale.
So, the reduced sale will be 0.8x rupees.
It is also mentioned that the reduced sale increased by 30% to become 26,000 rupees.
So, we can set up the equation: 0.8x + 0.3(0.8x) = 26,000.
Now, let's solve this equation to find the value of x.
0.8x + 0.3(0.8x) = 26,000
0.8x + 0.24x = 26,000
1.04x = 26,000
x = 26,000 / 1.04
x = 25,000
Therefore, the previous sale was 25,000 rupees.
The correct answer is option A) 25000.