In this highly competitive market, how to stand out is the key question. First, Li Yan told EqualOcean that "it is important to establish a reputable brand image that can be known and remembered by consumers." Nearly 94% of Chinese preprepared dish consumers will consider the brand before making a purchase. Another aspect to look for is the appearance of the product. Since most C-side users are young people, particularly females, whether the product looks visually appealing can make a difference. Given that the market is filled with homogenous products, having a unique point of differentiation is also important. Li Yan said that "let your products have their own characteristics and labels as early as possible, so that they can be competitive." Firms may achieve this through research and development. 

Nonetheless, firms in this developing industry face challenges on multiple fronts. EqualOcean learned that preprepared dish offerings face low acceptance, high unit costs, and a trade-off between standardization and diversity. Low acceptance and high unit costs may be addressed as soon as the market penetration rate improves, and economies of scale are achieved. However, satisfying diversified tastes  using standard production methods is extremely difficult. There remain many supply chain issue that need to be solved. In addition, the industry lacks comprehensive industry standards. Besides, the Consumer Protection Commission recommends that firms improve food safety, enhance consumer satisfaction, standardize product details, protect consumers' right to know, protect the conditions of transport of goods and improve distribution efficiency to solve these pain points.