McDonald's Is Popular With Customers Again—Here's Why
While McDonald's is still a dominant force in the fast-food world, the chain has faced its fair share of difficulties in 2024 amid declining sales and fierce customer criticism over prices. However, the fast-food slinger is finally growing in popularity again—and two buzzworthy promotions are likely to thank for the turnaround.
One major driver behind McDonald's recent popularity boost is its $5 Meal Deal, which launched in late June and came with a 4-piece Chicken McNuggets (170 calories), fries (230 calories per small order), a drink, and the customer's choice of either a McChicken (400 calories) or McDouble (400 calories).
A July report from the foot traffic platform Placer.ai showed that McDonald's saw its busiest Tuesday of the year on the day the $5 Meal Deal hit menus. In another report published last month, Placer.ai revealed that the promotion continued to drive customers to McDonald's restaurants long after the launch.
"Foot traffic began to trend upwards following the promotion's launch, with visits during the week of June 24th up 2.5% compared to the chain's weekly average between April 1 and August 5. And foot traffic to McDonald's has remained consistently elevated in the weeks since," the August report read.
The data firm Numerator reported that 70% of McDonald's customers said they ate at the chain in part because of the $5 Meal Deal, per Restaurant Business Magazine. Additionally, 58% of customers said that opted to visit McDonald's over a different eatery because of the limited-edition meal, and 91% said they'd buy it again, according to Numerator.
A new Collector's Meal that launched on Aug. 13 was another key factor behind McDonald's recent rise in popularity. The bundle came with an entrée, side, and drink (the exact offerings varied at different times of day). It also included a keepsake cup with a design inspired by iconic Happy Meal toys, merch items, films, or McDonald's collaborations from past years.
Shortly after the Collector's Meal debuted, McDonald's Senior Marketing Director Guillaume Huin took to the social media platform X to share that the promotion was already a huge hit.
"A message to McDonald's U.S. fans. The Collector Cups are literally flying off the shelves faster than anything we could have anticipated or have seen in the past," Huin wrote. "Friendly advice: if you want them, go to your local restaurant as soon as you can."
Demand for the cups has been so intense, in fact, that the Collector's Cups have been popping up on eBay for exorbitantly inflated prices. For example, one full set of all six cups is selling for $125 on the resale site right now.
Fans will have to wait and see if the success of the $5 Meal Deal and Collector's Meal translates to improved sales and customer traffic for McDonald's. The company recently reported its first decline in global same-store sales in more than three years, with CEO Chris Kempczinski pointing to a pullback in consumer spending across the entire quick-service restaurant industry. Moving forward, McDonald's plans to continue focusing on value to entice customers back into restaurants.
"For 70 years, McDonald's has defined value in our industry, and we are taking meaningful actions across the world to assert our leadership," Kempczinski said during a July earnings call.
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