By Waylon Cunningham
June 1 (Reuters) – McDonald’s is set to announce a new corporate strategy at a worldwide gathering for franchisees and suppliers in Las Vegas, the company said in a statement on Monday.
The strategy, which the burger giant is calling “McDonald’s>NEXT,” focuses on increasing automation, raising standards for hospitality, leaning on social media for marketing, and making its sandwiches and fries taste better.
McDonald’s, the world’s largest fast food chain by sales, said details including financial figures would be released at an investor event in September.
The broad strategy’s announcement comes as McDonald’s tries to hold on to lower-income consumers who have cut back on restaurant visits after years of higher prices. The company has leaned on value meals, loyalty program offers and limited-time menu items to drive traffic.
The share of U.S. customers who said the chain offers good value fell from 55% to roughly 40% between 2020 and 2024, and has largely stayed there since, according to surveys from UBS Evidence Labs shared with Reuters last month.
“While perceptions of our value have rebounded in most markets, it’s a reminder that we need to earn, and re-earn, each and every visit,” said CEO Chris Kempczinski in a company-wide memo shared with Reuters.
With the new strategy, the company aims to make its restaurants “easier to run and more enjoyable to visit,” McDonald’s chief restaurant experience executive Jill McDonald said in a statement.
McDonald’s previous corporate strategy, announced in 2020, was called “Accelerating the Arches” and focused in part on digital sales and increased marketing.
(Reporting by Waylon Cunningham; Editing by Andrea Ricci)
