Following today’s news that McDonald’s has reportedly beaten its Q3 sales estimates;

Carmen Bryan, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers her view:

“McDonald’s has demonstrated a winning strategy during this challenging period. By focusing on digital, delivery and drive-thru – neatly dubbed as the ‘three D’s’ – the company has been able to quickly adapt to changing consumer habits, adjust its menu size to address demand, and strengthen its delivery channel. This strategy will serve the company well in the future, particularly in the case of further unprecedented disruptions.

“Delivery options, for example, have seen explosive growth, with almost half (47%) of consumers globally ordering food delivery the same or more frequently in the last few months since summer – rising to 58% for the US – despite the ease of lockdowns and reopening of restaurants in many markets. This tells us that takeaways have become a fundamental part of many people’s routines, promising a lucrative revenue channel.

“However, it should be noted that delivery and restaurant footfall are not interchangeable, and can, in fact, complement each other. GlobalData notes that one in five people globally have reported to be eating at fast-food outlets at least a few times a week and big-name chains such as McDonald’s, which benefit from brand trust and familiarity, can continue to reap the benefits of this.”