8/10/2019 McDonalds Vows Fresh Thinking - WSJ - WSJ
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10/27/2014 McDonalds Vows Fresh Thinking - WSJ - WSJ
http://online.wsj.com/articles/mcdonalds-profit-falls-30-on-u-s-china-woes-1413893397
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By the third quarter of next year, McDonalds also plans to fully
roll out new technology in some
markets to make it easier for customers to order and pay
digitally and to give people the ability to
customize their orders, part of what the company terms the
McDonalds Experience of the Future
initiative.
The key to our success will be our ability to deliver a more
relevant McDonalds experience for all of
our customers, Mr. Thompson said. Customers want to personalize
their meals with locally relevant
ingredients. They also want to enjoy eating in a contemporary,
inviting atmosphere. And they want
choices in how they order, choices in what they order and how
theyre served.
McDonalds thrived through the global economic downturn. In the
decade from 2001 to 2011, sales
nearly doubled and profit more than tripled. But Mr. Thompson,
who helped drive that growth as head of
McDonalds U.S. business, has confronted a series of challenges
since taking the top job in July 2012.
In China, a scandal at one of its meat suppliers has shaken
customer confidence, driving same-store sales
down 9.9% in the latest quarter in McDonalds Asia/Pacific,
Middle East and Africa region. In Europe,
broader economic softness was compounded by political
complications in Russia, where authorities have
been inspecting and, in some cases, shutting McDonalds
restaurantsmoves widely seen as retaliation
for U.S. sanctions in response to Russias military incursion in
Ukraine.
The problems in China and Europe are considered to be short
term. McDonalds said it would be another
six to nine months before the China business fully recovers. But
the U.S. market, which accounts for
roughly 40% of its more than 35,000 global restaurants, is
facing a fundamental shift in the way
Americans buy food. Young consumers, in particular, have been
flocking to fast casual restaurants such
Chipotle and Panera Bread Co.
Mr. Thompson said he knows consumers want more transparency
about the source of ingredients.
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