The following article is my first column article presented in Oriental Press. This is a half a month column and the first article is published in 05-11-2008. In this column, I will mainly concentrate in the impact of globalization toward local industry and business culture i.e. using MUAR as an example.
Myth shattering of Starbucks and the opportunity of local enterprise
"lim tea? let's go to the old place!"
oh! sorry about that, the subtitle is not part of the slogan of any advertisement. Indeed, we all like to "lim tea" (in Hock Kian, it mean "drink tea")in our good old place. "Lim Tea" culture in Muar no doubt had since been enriched if compare with last time. Every morning, you can choose to enjoy "dim sam" in in-famous "Guan Kee" or "Kuan Guan Kee", or you might want to try out Hai Lam style of kopi-O plus toast in "Nam Kee". At night, go and enjoy a few pints in "1001 Beer Gargen", or probably some Taiwanese style of milkshake in "Mori" or "Lao Di Fang".
How is the "lim tea" calture begin - A generation who grown up from "Ah Gu" and "Ah Kua Tua"
I don't like coffee, but I drink tea, especially tea without sugar i.e. Chinese Tea. I have many friends who grown up with "Tea Tarik" culture. Of course, they put a lot of sugar into their tea. Well, this is not my fault, I can't expect "mamak" store to sell Chinese tea, so, I only order "milo panas". "mamak" ask: "tambah gula tak?" I always say: "kurang sikit la". Now I no longer take any tea tarik, instead of that, I drink coffee. Occasionally, similar to my old habit, I will order "Double Latte", but no sugar please! Sometime I think, my brothers and sister's children might have different childhood as what I have last time, they will probabaly growing up in Starbuck.
Starbucks VS Seven-eleven
I know I am a bit long-wind, but please allow me to have a brief introduction of Starbuck for my readers. Starbuck is one of the leading chain retailers of coffee business in America. With it's successive concept in mind as "retreat of the bobos" and "liberalism ideology", Starbuck business rapidly grow for last decade, over a thousand branches had been expended in light speed. The shop populated by hundred of thousand middle-class who are caffeine-addicted. So far, there are more then 16 thousand branches worldwide. Just like traditional grocery store versus "7-11", such kind of giant chain stores almost like typhoon landing. Traditional restaurants from all over the world will have to pray for their own survival.
Monotonicity and Aggressivity of Giant Chian stores
Muar is allocated along the cultural periphery. When the so-called "globalization" is imported in term of economy and culture, they are too weak to defend the change of business culture. So, it is expected there will be more and more Muarian choose to attend modem cafe. As an old Murian and a consumer like myself, I feel like a contradiction when I witness all kind of Huge-capital chain stores landed in Muar, such as "Giant", "The Store", "7-11" and so on. Good thing is I will be able to enjoy buying goods anytime I want, any day anytime. But what is deep in my mind, I feel disturbed. For every "7-11" store established, it means that at lease one local grocery store will have to shut down their business; when a "Giant" superstore open business, probably all the grocery stores in within 10KM radius will be completedly wipe out.
Muarian's choice
"globalization" can be referred as "Pandora Box". Especially when a development country tends to open up the box, they will find a huge market, advance technology, and explosive information. At the same time, the period of "Law of the jungle" is coming - only the strongest will survive. When I saw the wide spread business model of "7-11", and local grocery stores will have to fight for their survival, that make me worry. Do we have the capability to compete with the chain stores? We Muarian can not isolate ourselves, we can not simply let the foreign industries come into our town and setup the factories but at the same time rejecting foreign retail business.
"Wa Ko Kau" - expected more localized business
Located along Batu Satu of Bakri Road, that is a grocery shop called "Wa Ko Kao". In this shop, we still can find the accent we all familiar with. They serve the customers with their very unique personality and you will never forget it's easy-to-follow nick name. I am pleased when I see The shop which had been operated for decades and it is now still populated. Globalization actually representing "hope". I had grown up from Mamak Store culture. As I witness all kind of western cafes and coffee culture flourishing in Muar, my feeling is indescribable. This is the nature of economy development, and also consistency of upgrading of educational level. Let's look at Roti Canai sold in "Delicatize Caffee", or elegant environment of "Little Caffee" and the the serving attitude of inexperience part-time students, or bright and clean "Fang Seng" , or a long queue of customers who are waiting to enjoy "Hai Lam" chicken rice in "Hui Lan". Yes, Muarian's traditional food culture can adopt modernization and grow even stronger! Starbuck is no cockroaches, what are we Muarin afraid of?
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