Synopsis:

This case is somewhat unique, as there are not many known teaching cases specifically written in the area of economics in the Malaysian context. Case-users are to assume the manager role of an eyewear retail store in a small town. They are to apply basic economics understanding of demand and supply, and the underlying mechanics of monopolistic market structures to help sort out the immediate issues faced by the manager. The issues include whether or not to place any orders for an assortment of exclusive top designer eyewear, have a store facelift to match the exclusivity of the designer brands, purchase state-of-art ophthalmic equipment, and hire a certified optometrist. In essence, case-users are to come up with recommendations on whether it is advisable to transform eyewear retail store into a high-end store catering for customers with expensive tastes. By incorporating basic applications of SWOT and CBA analyses, the case is also adaptable for case-users in finance and management-related courses.