How Australia is saving Maccas
McDonald innovations started in Australia are being cited as one of the key reasons behind an astonishing turnaround in the company’s global fortunes.
After the fast food giant encountered falling sales, the US chain announced on Tuesday that in the six months leading up to June, sales increased by 6.6 per cent in stores globally and 3.9 per cent in the US.
The US sales were the company’s best for five years while the UK, Canada, Germany and China were also standout markets.
One new Maccas line that has been responsible for improved sales are the posh burgers that first made an appearance in Australia.
Australia has long been a tester for Macca’s with new products and new features, such as self-serve kiosks, appearing in Australia before being rolled out internationally.
On Tuesday, McDonald’s CEO Steve Easterbrook said, “We’re building a better McDonald’s and more customers are noticing.”
Mr Easterbrook took over two years ago, and since then, he has launched new products such as all-day breakfasts and auto ordering booths across.
Mr Easterbrook believes increased sales can be attributed to both cheap soft drinks in the US and the “Signature Crafted” premium burger range.
In 2014, McDonald’s first introduced its Create Your Taste Burgers range in a single store in Sydney’s Hills District.
The range allowed customers to personalise their burgers by mixing proteins, buns, dressings and cheeses.
The burger line has since gone worldwide.
Another Maccas success to come from Australia was the McCafe concept, offering customers coffees alongside brownies and muffins.
The first McCafe opened in Melbourne in 1993 and has also been rolled out globally.
Loaded Fries, which were launched in 2016, were also first available in Australia and have since landed in the US.
McDonald’s isn’t the only fast food store that is trialling new ideas on Aussie customers. In 2015, KFC opened a concept store in Parramatta named KFC Urban. However, the experiment didn’t succeed and closed that same year.
Red Rooster is also testing new concept stores to attract customers who are looking for takeaway stores with a better aesthetic.