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Wired: All-Day Breakfast Won’t Be Enough to Save McDonald’s

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All hail Watterson
 

Sean

Banned
Just tried their all-day breakfast, kind of disappointing. Menu was limited as fuck (at least at mine), literally only three items: Egg McMuffin, Sausage McMuffin, and hash browns.

It was midnight and the drive-through was packed though so this all-day breakfast thing seems to be working out for them (at least so far).
 
It's an image problem. Other than that it's the same as it ever was. With more competition and no value but fast.

It also hurts that big cities are getting more options, and even smaller businesses are becoming more aggressive with their pricing while McD's goes up. In my area, you can find a bunch of fairly cheap restaurants, get a huge slice of pizza for a few bucks, partake in some greasey drunk food around the corner that actually tastes good, and a hell of a lot more.

In addition to all that, big chains are stepping up their deals on a constant basis.

McDonalds is living in the past.
 

Guevara

Member
For the first time in a while I went to McD's (only option at an airport), I got a egg white McMuffin.

notbad.jpg
 

Vyer

Member
It's so fucking simple.

It's not about mobile.

It's not about making better or healthier food.

It's not about all day breakfast (as nice as that is).


It's the fucking prices. McDonalds has become too expensive. I was around in the 80s when McDonald's was at its height of Ascension .... 3.50 a combo. How could anyone else best that? The same shit today goes for over 9 dollars after tax (Canada).

Is it any surprise their sales are tanking? Literally everything else out there costs the same or is even cheaper and better quality.


Let me add that better quality isn't the answer either. People still want their greasy Big Mac combos. But they want it for under 4.99 (fries and drink included).

They need to lower their prices, it's that simple.

Doesn't one of these kind of contradict the other? Improving quality and offering 'healthier' options tends to raise prices rather than lower them.
 
Doesn't one of these kind of contradict the other? Improving quality and offering 'healthier' options tends to raise prices rather than lower them.

I think what hes really trying to say is that the value isnt there. Value is subjective of course but after having one of McDonalds anus burger I can say there was little value in what I paid or and what I got.
 

Liberty4all

Banned
Doesn't one of these kind of contradict the other? Improving quality and offering 'healthier' options tends to raise prices rather than lower them.

No they should stick with garbage food. But charge half what they charge right now. I like McDonalds once in awhile but I usually skip it ... Its too expensive for what it is.

Personally I think that's the problem. Nobody wants to pay 10 bucks for a McDonalds combo.
 

Rootbeer

Banned
The new McDonald's app sucks. You get coupons like "$1 off a Quarter Pounder" -- nobody wants to come off as being that desperate at the register. The previous app had GOOD coupons like Buy 1 Get 1 or in some cases FREE. Sadly the previous app was very region-limited and they closed it down in favor of a broader initiative, but they aren't doing nearly as good a job.

The starbucks digital initiative wipes the floor with mcdonalds, including their loyalty program that has big payoffs. Thanks to e-mail promotions about getting bonus stars, I've gotten multiple free drinks in a one span several times this year.

The food quality and menu offerings is key but they can't skimp on the digital side either if they want to pull people in their stores. It works out well for Starbucks.
 

Future

Member
Wait.... Starbucks success is due to a mobile app?

Nothing to do with coffee culture, comfortable lounge atmosphere and free wifi and laptop areas that attract the college crowds? In Los Angeles, Starbucks feels like luxury compared to the run down McDonald's. People go to Starbucks all the time, while if you mention McDonald's it's like you are admitting to an old drug habit you are trying to ween yourself from. People meet on dates at Starbucks where McDonald's have dirty unkept playpens for fat families

Nope, it's gotta be the app. Kids and their phones you know
 

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
People saying McDonalds is still huge/rich are missing the point. A business that isn't growing is failing.

I'm not really sure what they can do though. I think their brand and image are tarnished at this point, McDonalds in the minds of most is equated to low quality and obesity. The best bet is probably to optimize pricing, they need to be faster and cheaper than anything else by a decent margin. That's what people expect out of McDonalds. Focusing on quality or the "dining experience" at the cost of increasing prices hurts their ability to cater what's likely their biggest demographic - low income families.
 
OH MY GOD! MCDONALD'S IS ONLY MAKING INSANE PROFITS, AND NOT LUDICROUS PROFITS! WE NEED MOBILE*! PREPARE THE APPS!
*Research funded by AppTasric Research Institute, random analyst Jerry, and pissed off shareholders like you.
 

MC Safety

Member
In France, the McDonald’s mobile app is pretty successful, which Thomas Husson, a principal analyst at research firm Forrester, studied last year. Apparently in France, you can order a Big Mac anytime on a mobile device and pick it up later at any of McDonald’s 1200 restaurants. But it’s the only country in the world where you can do this.

Truly we are living in an age of miracles and wonder where you no longer have to walk in to a McDonald's and say, "Big Mac, please."
 

McHuj

Member
I think what hes really trying to say is that the value isnt there. Value is subjective of course but after having one of McDonalds anus burger I can say there was little value in what I paid or and what I got.

Sounds gross. No thanks.
 
But even if McDonald’s move towards mobile is inevitable

Wtf? McDonald's to go mobile? What does that even mean?

There is nothing that the McDonald's app doesn't have that the Starbucks app has. :\
Except "PassBook" options. But is it that important?
 

Halcyon

Member
Despite the fact that we have an obesity epidemic in this country, I think more and more generations of people are becoming educated on healthy eating.

Unless they put a Chipotle inside McDonalds or start using all the BS organic whole foods free range non-gmo asparagus sprouts in place of their food, I feel like they will continue to lose customers.
 

joelseph

Member
The more coffee you buy with that Starbucks app the higher status your membership goes? I have no idea but my dad never shuts up about his status over the holidays.
 
I don't want or need the ability to order fast food via a mobile application, and I'd be surprised if anyone saw any real benefit from this at all. This is the type of thing that really only makes sense in places where the food takes a while to make, like pizza, or places where the line is typically out the door and ordering ahead lets you circumvent that wait.

It'd take longer to open the app, parse through the inevitably complex ordering process and place/confirm an order than it would to just go into the store or drive through and order there. It's not like they're delivering the food to you, you still need to go into the store to get it. What a stupid idea.
 
I don't want or need the ability to order fast food via a mobile application, and I'd be surprised if anyone saw any real benefit from this at all. This is the type of thing that really only makes sense in places where the food takes a while to make, like pizza, or places where the line is typically out the door and ordering ahead lets you circumvent that wait.

It'd take longer to open the app, parse through the inevitably complex ordering process and place/confirm an order than it would to just go into the store or drive through and order there. It's not like they're delivering the food to you, you still need to go into the store to get it. What a stupid idea.

Right? What is a McDonald's mobile app even for? So I can waste 30 seconds pre-ordering a Big Mac, and then go to the counter and get my Big Mac 30 seconds faster? In exchange for the shame of having a McDonald's app on my phone?

"Make a better mobile app" just seems like the dumbest thing. The sort of thing that worthless "consultants" recommend because it sounds hip and cool and millennials love apps! But millennials don't love apps. Millennials love convenient services: Google Maps and Uber and such. What the hell does a McDonald's app do? All-day breakfast and making premium items and lowering prices might not really be workable, but at least you can see why actual human beings might, you know, actually want them.
 

Soroc

Member
I only use the Chipotle app. I'm not a millenial. But fuck waiting in that damn Chipotle line, app ordering and direct to cashier pickup is the bees knees
 
During Monopoly season, McDonalds typically experiences their highest sales, but there is no indication they will have Monopoly in 2015 which is strange. Perhaps they are taking a break from the routine this year, and are prepping a Monopoly at McDonalds app for 2016. It wouldn't be a bad strategy honestly
 

Ryaaan14

Banned
HEY RONALD, IF YOURE READING THIS NO ONE GIVES A FUCK ABOUT MCMUFFINS

WHEN PPL DONT BUY ALL DAY BREAKFAST ITS NOT BECAUSE IT WAS A BAD IDEA ITS BECAUSE THE MENU SELECTION IS GARBAGE!
 

Eidan

Member
The mobile argument presented in this article is weak as hell. McDonald's has been associated with being shit food that was terrible for you my entire life. With greater competition, this was inevitable, and outside of a very drastic rebranding, I don't see the trend reversing.
 

sflufan

Banned
From a business perspective, this really adds quite a bit of extra cost to the store's operations.

When breakfast was served between certain times, the manager pretty much knows how much of the breakfast-related and non-breakfast related products to order because the demand for each would effectively self-select into different time periods. Now, you have to essentially view that every person coming into the restaurant after the previous "breakfast period" could either order a breakfast item OR a non-breakfast item. This means that the manager would have to order with that mind which makes costs increase.

Eventually, a store manager should be able to have enough data to see certain trends after a few months to determine what proportion of breakfast vs non-breakfast items should be ordered. But in the interim, man, the inventory/cost hit to the income statement will be nasty.
 

E92 M3

Member
I seldom eat fast food, but when I do, I choose chick-fil-a. The employees there are always happy and the environment is clean. Food tastes great as well. At Mcdonalds, everyone is always miserable and it feels slimey.

They definitely have an image problem that is larger than all-day breakfast.
 

PBY

Banned
I never eat McDonalds, but the only item that its unique/I can't really get elsewhere is the McGriddle.

Which isn't being served, so...
 
Their problems are quality and prices. There are lots of worthy competitors now and they all offer similar or better prices. Meanwhile their own food seems to be getting worse and worse. I have In and Out, Five Guys, Sonic, Whataburger, Jack In the Box, BK, Braums, MOOYAH, Carls Jr, and 7-8 local places I can go and they're all similar priced to McDonalds with much better food imho. Hell even Chilis has great burgers not much more expensive than McDonalds.
 

Verelios

Member
Once Mcdonald's removed the dollar menu they really fucked up.

Like...majorly fucked up. Can't walk two steps without getting hit in the face with a pie fucked up.
 

Divvy

Canadians burned my passport
McDonald's has nothing going for them

Their food is shit, they're not the cheapest, and they are not healthy.

No reason to go there
 
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