Following the FY 2021 financial announcement from McDonald’s;

Ramsey Baghdadi, Consumer Analyst at GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company, offers his view:

“McDonald’s has done well to adapt to rapidly changing consumption behaviors triggered by the pandemic, with digital orders generating more than a quarter of their systemwide sales.

“According to GlobalData’s latest survey, over half of people globally (56%)* prefer to order a takeaway or an online delivery from restaurants than dine-in – a trend that is here to stay in the long-term. McDonald’s quick investments and adoption of digitalization demonstrate the company’s promising market leadership and longevity.

“It’s safe to argue that if the company did not make these investments, it would have severely affected the overall customer experience during 2021 and, more importantly, its sales performance.

“The company’s agility has also been demonstrated through innovations in its menu items. At a time when outlet closures and ingredient shortages have proven key challenges, McDonald’s opted to slightly alter versions of classic menu items such as the McSpicy. These changes simultaneously satisfy adventurous consumers and those who gravitate towards familiar items with little operational changes needed on their end. According to GlobalData’s survey, over half (52%) of consumers globally somewhat or completely agree that they experiment with different cuisines when dining or ordering out-of-home.

“In challenging times like these, foodservice providers need to take McDonald’s example to re-evaluate their brand strategy, as customer behaviour is not going back to pre-pandemic habits in a hurry. More importantly, now is the time for providers to adopt a digital-first strategy to maximise consumer engagement.”

* GlobalData’s 2021 Q4 Consumer Survey, November 2021, respondents who claim to continue/started to/doing this more frequently. Global total of 21,000 respondents