What counts as good food depends upon individual taste, but could it be that even MacDonalds, most people’s antithesis of good food, is starting to get the message?
Last week the company pledged to stop selling ‘supersized’ portions of fries and soft drinks in the US and that healthier food such as salads and even fruit (!) would be available in its units in Europe.
Meanwhile, have you noticed how one of its rivals is currently running a TV ad that boasts about how zingy its salads are without once mentioning its burgers?
Are these moves simply a sop to ward off potential lawsuits from couch potatoes or a genuine response to customer demand? Well consider this: last year MacDonalds reported its first ever quarterly loss since going public in 1965 – this after a decade of stagnant sales was followed by an actual fall in comparable store sales in the US.
Complaints also shot through the roof – a company once synonymous with the great US of A had lost touch with its public.
Cause for optimism that the message is getting through? Well, it’s all relative. For MacDonalds slowing down meant only opening 360 new stores worldwide last year compared to 1,000 the year before – but let’s take hope where we can find it!