This document provides a comparative analysis of two fried oyster businesses - Ah Soon Fried Oyster in Penang and a fried oyster stall in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Key findings are that the Klang Valley stall has a monopoly with no competitors, allowing it to earn more profit compared to Ah Soon which faces significant competition. A summary table compares the businesses, finding the Klang Valley stall has pricing power as a monopoly while Ah Soon operates in a perfectly competitive market. The document recommends Ah Soon expand to new locations and create new product varieties to attract customers, while the Klang Valley stall should consider expanding and adjusting prices to attract more customers.

1. 1
SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE, BUILDING AND DESIGN
THE DESIGN SCHOOL
FOUNDATION IN NATURAL BUILD ENVIRONMENT
NAME: Lai Choon Feng (0315898)
Bo Yong Khong (0316317)
Chong Zit Man (0315915)
Lee Kit Hung (0315722)
Gan Jet Foong (0315998)
English 2 [ENGL0205]
Assignment: A Tale of Two Businesses – A Comparative Analysis of 2
Businesses of Similar Industry in Different Geographical Locations
LECTURER: Cassandra Wijesuria
SUBMISSION DATE: WEEK 16

2. 2
Table of content
Content page
Cover page 1
Table of content 2
Key summary 3
Brief description of business 4-5
Comparative analysis of business 6-9
Recommendation 10-12
Appendices 13-25
References 26

3. 3
Key summary
This is an assignment that we have to research and compare the same
business between Klang Valley and Penang. At first, we have decided to
interview the fried oyster food stall as our business, then we have to
elaborate how both of the business going. For the result that we know
from our report is fried oyster in Klang Valley is having the more profit
and also the fresh oyster compare with the Ah Soon Fried Oyster
(Penang). This is because of the fried oyster in Klang Valley is a
monopoly in the market. For the similarity, the main products selling of
Klang Valley and Penang famous fried oyster.

4. 4
Brief Description of Business
Ah Soon Fried Oyster
 Location: No.2, Leith Street, 10000 Penang, Malaysia.
 Branches: Do not have any branches
 Employees: Do not hire any employees, his wife and daughter help
him.
 Main products: Oyster fried
 Estimated current sales per day: 50-100 plates per day, can sell 200
plates in weekends, the highest sale is 300 when Chinese New
Year
 When the business started? : 5/1/2006, he was doing this business
over 15 years ago.
 Founder: Mr. Soon Zhen Wai (Ah Wai)
 Motive to start this business: He affected by his father and brother.
His father was a vendor and his brother had learned fried oyster
omelette from a chief. Then, his brother asked him to start a
business with him. After a few years, they decided to separate and
earn money themselves because this can earn more profit.
Therefore, Mr. Soon decides to go Red Garden to rent a stall and
start his business alone.
 Their recent development: They have no big recent development
actually. However, the Red Garden food court was parking lot in
the past.

5. 5
Fried oyster in Klang valley
 This Fried Oyster stall was interviewed which was located in
Klang valley, Subang Jaya Asia Café. The interviewee is the food
stall manager and also the boss, Uncle Lim.
 The business is only unique in that area. Uncle Lim had no idea to
develop a second outlet because there are no successors to continue
his business.
 The food stall mainly sells fried oyster and Lobakoh. The famous
food of selling is fried oyster.
 Uncle Lim runs his business since he was a teenager and he did his
business about 20 years and above. The reason why he comes to
this business is his brother suggested him to be a partner to start
this business as he just came to help at the beginning. After that,
his brother quit the business as Uncle Lim turn to pick him up all
the business. He preserves to continue the business alone.
 Now his stall has two employees to help him to cook and serve the
customer but only on weekends and public holidays. If on
weekdays, there is only one employee to help him as well.
 He started his business on 5pm until 2am midnight every day.
 Each plate that he sells is RM10 for fried oyster and RM8 for
Lobakoh. The size is fixed for all types of his food.
 In that area, he has no any competitor because this type of business
has no any big reciprocation.
 He can sell his fried oyster about 100 plates per day and 50 plates
for Lobakoh. He can sell more than the amount during weekends
and public holiday.

6. 6
Comparative analysis of business
1. Number of competitors in their respective geographical markets;
 Penang: There are a lot in Penang, can find out about 200
fried oyster omelette business through Internet.
 Klang Valley: the fried oyster stall that we interviewed has
no strong competitor. Since that, we can know that Uncle
Lim’s fried oyster owns the only business in that area.
2. Brief bios of each business’ top 3 competitors
 Penang: Mr. Soon said do not have top 3 competitors because
there are too many selling fried oyster business in Penang.
 Klang Valley: the market share of fried oyster is small since
there is no competitive to Uncle Lim’s fried oyster.
3. How do the businesses compete with their competitors? What
strategies were employed and how successful are they?
 Penang: Mr. Soon had participated many tournaments of
fried oyster and won many awards in Asian. For example, he
went to Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan to participate
tournament. Therefore, there are many reporters visit and
interview him. Then, he gained a free cost of promoting his
products through mass media. For the product variety, he said
that he must the fresh oyster to maintain the delicious and
yummy every day.
 Klang Valley:No idea of competing with other opponents. He
hasn’t meet challenge from other competitors.

7. 7
4. What are the obstacles faced by new businesses who wish to enter
their markets today? Are they easy or difficult to overcome? Why?
 Penang: The main obstacle is it is very hard to survive in this
business because there are too many same businesses in this
market. Then, the capital also is a problem who wants to start
a new business. It is very hard to overcome the main
obstacle. The reason is everybody else can make the same
delicious foods, why they want to come and eat yours?
 Klang Valley: To enter the market according to both bosses
are currently we need enough cash as their capital to start
their business. For business friend oyster in Klang Valley,
Uncle Lim contributes about RM 100k to tart his business as
well. He communicates by the food court manager to deal his
rent about RM 2400 per month and also his employees. Each
of his employees he has to pay them RM1200 a person for a
month. By the way, He also deals with his supplier as well.
He buys the stocks with fresh oyster on cheapest price or the
price with discount.
5. What is the nature of their markets and your justifications?
 Penang: The nature of their markets is perfectly competitive
because there are unlimited of fried oyster businesses in
Penang.
 Klang Valley: The nature of their markets is monopoly
because there are no competitors.

8. 8
6. You must include a summary table (see appendix 3) to compare
the similarities and differences between the 2 businesses.
Competitive
traits
Ah Soon Fried
Oyster (Penang)
Fried oyster stall
in Klang Valley
Number of
competitors
200 above No
Barriers to entry Low, there are too
many same kinds
of businesses.
Strong, it is the
only stall in the
area.
Differentiated or
standardized
products
Standardized, just
one kind of food.
Standardized, just
one kind of food.
Pricing power Price maker, it is
very difficult to
cook at the house.
Price maker, it is
very difficult to
cook at the house.
Other
characteristic
Many close
product substitutes
foods nearby.
No close product
substitutes foods
nearby.
Verdict Perfectly
competitive
Monopoly

9. 9
7. Based on your analysis, which business is more commercially
successful? And why?
Based on our analysis, the fried oyster in Klang Valley is more
commercially successful than Ah Soon Fried Oyster (Penang). The
main reason is there are too many competitors in Penang.
Therefore, the Ah Soon Fried Oyster (Penang) is difficult to gain
extra profit. However, the fried oyster in the Klang Valley had no
any competitors. So that, it can earn much profit.

10. 10
Recommendation
Ah Soon Fried Oyster Omelette
 The business should open a new stall to become branches.
The reason is this way can make the business maximum the
profit. When the business is just focused at one stall or one
shop, it is hard to earn extra profit. When need to open a new
stall, den Mr. Soon and his wife should do business in their
stall separately for maintaining the quality of food. The
reason is foreign worker should not put so many efforts to do
business when the boss is not there.
 The business should make a new creation of fried oyster
omelette because there are too many same kinds of fried
oyster omelette in this market. Therefore, as the fried oyster
omelette is very special and delicious. This would attract
more extra customer come and taste. For example, black
pepper fried oyster omelette, thousand island fried oyster
omelette, mushroom fried oyster omelette and spicy fried
oyster omelette.

11. 11
Fried Oyster in Klang valley
 Uncle Lim has to expand his business to start his outlet. To expand
his business, He has to find an other area there are having a
majority of population like college students, workers and
employees. And also he has to find the area that has a less
competitor as he can earn more profit easily in a short period time.
Besides, Uncle Lim can make more different ways of food which
fried the oyster like he can do it with different type of saucers like
chili, mayonnaise and steam as well.
 Furthermore, Uncle Lim has to reduce each plate of the price from
Rm10 to Rm8 for fried oyster and Rm8 to Rm6 for Lobakoh. This
action is related to the strategy of attracting more customer come
to his food stall to consume the products with him. And last, He
must expand his size for his plate like he has a medium size and
bigger size as it is easy for customers can choose more.

12. 12
Appendices
Ah Soon Fried Oyster (Penang)

13. 13
Shop's Title '' Penang Famous''
Stall's appeared in
newspaper
An appreciation model
from Galaxy Macau

14. 14
Lower view of the shop
The front view of the shop, including the menu and price

15. 15
These are the questions we had prepared to interview

16. 16

17. 17
Picture taken when we interviewed with the owner, Mr. Soon (Ah Wai).

18. 18
The owner was preparing the ingredients before business start

19. 19
This is the front view of Ah Wai's business card
The back view of the card

20. 20
This is the certification of participation in the Penang Red Garden
Hawker Center
Certification of appreciation for Penang Hawker Fare in Singapore ( 1-
31 October, 2010 )

21. 21
Fried Oyster in Klang Valley
Contact details
Address: No2, Jalan SS 15/8A Subang Jaya, 47500 Subang Jaya.
Contact number: 016-3581463
Boss name: Lim Tong Kiat

22. 22
The signboard of the fried oyster stall in Klang Valley

23. 23
The license for business

24. 24
The contact number given by the boss Mr. Lim

25. 25
How the stall looks like.

26. 26
References
Issac Tan. Isaac Tan.net. Retrieved from
http://www.isaactan.net/2011/08/red-garden-food-paradise-
penang.html (Accessed 5/5/2014)
Food point of interest. Retrieved from
http://www.foodpoi.com/2012/04/crispy-fried-oyster-at-lam-ah-
coffee-shop-chulia-street-penang/ (Accessed 5/5/2014)
Campbell.C (January 2013). Penang's traditional Oh Chien fried oyster
omelettes. Retrieved from
http://www.1stoppenang.com/articles/oh_chien (Accessed 5/5/2014)
Famous most wanted. Retrieved from
http://food.malaysiamostwanted.com/venues/kedai-kopi-seng-thor-
lebuh-camarvon-penang (Accessed 5/5/2014)
Penang travel tips. Retrieved from http://m.penang-
traveltips.com/site/fried-oyster.htm (Accessed 5/5/2014)
Place sand foods. Retrieved from
http://www.placesandfoods.com/2013/03/seng-thor-greasy-oh-chien-
oyster-omelette.html (Accessed 5/5/2014)
Top food. Retrieved from http://www.tourism.gov.my/en/my/web-
page/places/states-of-malaysia/penang#page/2 (Accessed 5/5/2014)
CK Lam (20 jan 2014). What to see online. Retrieved from
http://www.what2seeonline.com/2010/01/fried-oyster-omelette-oh-
chien-in-penang/ (Accessed 5/5/2014)