People are becoming cautious as they go down the economic scale as a result of the out-of-control costs at American fast-food restaurants and eateries, and executives at Wendy's and McDonald's have expressed concern about losing business to those with the lowest incomes.
According to a survey conducted in February by the consulting firm Revenue Management Solutions, nearly 25% of low-income consumers—those who earn less than $50,000 annually—said they were consuming less fast food, and roughly 50% said they were visiting full-service and fast-casual restaurants less frequently.
Diners on tight budgets are making reductions in part because of the growing cost of food.
Meals costs jumped 20% between January 2021 and January 2024, the quickest increase ever recorded, whether meals was consumed at home or in a restaurant.
According to the Household Pulse Survey, which was conducted recently, half of those with annual incomes under $35,000 reported having trouble covering basic expenses, and over 80% said that recent price rises had caused them significantly or "very" stress.
Musician Lauren Oxford, who works part-time at a bed and breakfast in Tennessee, said she used to treat herself to two double hamburgers, fries, and a drink at McDonald's for less than $5 after running errands. She stopped buying the drink and shifted to smaller hamburgers when the cost increased.
She is, however, going to McDonald's less frequently overall after a year in which, according to corporate executives, McDonald's franchisees raised prices by roughly 10%. "I'm not sure if I can defend that right now."
To prevent more injury, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical announced that it was bringing back a number of items.
According to seven out of twelve regional Fed districts, low-income consumers were shifting their spending habits in search of deals, asking for more assistance from community organisations, or finding it difficult to get credit, according to the Federal Reserve's most recent Beige Book compilation of anecdotal reports from business and community contacts across the nation.
The most recent U.S. census data available indicates that 21% of White American households and around one-third of Black American households made less than $35,000.
According to income level, a bar chart displaying data from Revenue Management Solutions illustrates the percentage of Americans who had visited restaurants less recently than in prior months.
The percentage of US citizens who, according to income level, have visited restaurants less recently than in prior months is based on data from Revenue Management Solutions.
Low-income customers make up a sizable component of the client base for fast-food chains, which frequently cultivate an image of affordability. They also serve as a predictor of longer-term trends. However, they are usually the latest to return and the first to reduce spending.
However, chains could be less inclined to go after consumers as fervently as they once did because, despite a decline in traffic, sales have steadily climbed thanks to pricing increases.
According to Mike Lukianoff, CEO of SignalFlare.ai and a seasoned consultant in the fast food sector, fast food companies aren't "in a hurry to take traffic over profit the way they were a decade ago."
For instance, when Subway debuted its $5 footlong nationwide in 2008, it instantly became the symbol of the Great Recession. This prompted competitors to launch outrageously low-cost offerings for consumers on a tight budget, such Yum! Brands KFC's "$5 Fill-Up Boxes."
Following a protracted sales decline, McDonald's debuted a package offer called "McPick 2" in 2016, which allowed consumers to select two items—such as a McDouble—for $2. Wendy's introduced a four for $4 offer a few months later. $5 for five was Burger King's deal. Pizza Hut offered a “flavor menu” for $5.
These days, industry observers claim that chains are being more selective with their discounts and menu cuts, targeting particular groups or restricting them to particular meal times or channels, like their app or just through delivery.
In order to attract low-income customers who could be tempted to buy packaged food at home instead, McDonald's officials stated to investors in February that the company would continue to provide its "value menu" as is. According to CFO Ian Borden, the brand's fundamental component is affordability, and the business will keep "evolving" its value offerings.
McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski told investors, "The battleground is certainly with that low-income consumer," alluding to those who earn less than $45,000.
Recently, Wendy's unveiled a $1 burger that is exclusively accessible via their app. In February, the company's CFO, Gunther Plosch, informed investors that while traffic from lower-class consumers has decreased, their market share remained constant.
Loyalty apps are the preferred tactic used by large fast-food chains to improve customer retention and average transaction amounts. Chains benefit from capturing more transaction and demographic data for the customer, according to David Henkes, senior principal at Technomic, "which is a trade-off many are happy to do."
For instance, McDonald's regularly provides in-app discounts, such as free delivery when an order is large enough or 20% off an order.
At a conference in January, Domino's CEO informed investors that the minimum purchase amount to earn points in the company's loyalty programme has been cut in half, from $10 to $5. Additionally, it cut the quantity of purchases required to qualify for a free pizza from six to as little as two. CEO Russell Weiner stated, "And so basically, we've made the brand more accessible for this lower-income consumer."
Undoubtedly, not all chains are observing weakening in their lower-class clientele. shops in low-income areas performed better than others at Taco Bell, where a single taco costs $1.40 at several of its San Antonio shops. Yum! In February, CEO David Gibbs informed investors.
Andreas Garay, a retail worker in westside San Antonio, finds McDonald's to be still appealing. He stated that even if costs keep rising, he intends to stick to his habit of having coffee and a Big Mac.
(Source:www.reuters.com)
According to a survey conducted in February by the consulting firm Revenue Management Solutions, nearly 25% of low-income consumers—those who earn less than $50,000 annually—said they were consuming less fast food, and roughly 50% said they were visiting full-service and fast-casual restaurants less frequently.
Diners on tight budgets are making reductions in part because of the growing cost of food.
Meals costs jumped 20% between January 2021 and January 2024, the quickest increase ever recorded, whether meals was consumed at home or in a restaurant.
According to the Household Pulse Survey, which was conducted recently, half of those with annual incomes under $35,000 reported having trouble covering basic expenses, and over 80% said that recent price rises had caused them significantly or "very" stress.
Musician Lauren Oxford, who works part-time at a bed and breakfast in Tennessee, said she used to treat herself to two double hamburgers, fries, and a drink at McDonald's for less than $5 after running errands. She stopped buying the drink and shifted to smaller hamburgers when the cost increased.
She is, however, going to McDonald's less frequently overall after a year in which, according to corporate executives, McDonald's franchisees raised prices by roughly 10%. "I'm not sure if I can defend that right now."
To prevent more injury, Kobayashi Pharmaceutical announced that it was bringing back a number of items.
According to seven out of twelve regional Fed districts, low-income consumers were shifting their spending habits in search of deals, asking for more assistance from community organisations, or finding it difficult to get credit, according to the Federal Reserve's most recent Beige Book compilation of anecdotal reports from business and community contacts across the nation.
The most recent U.S. census data available indicates that 21% of White American households and around one-third of Black American households made less than $35,000.
According to income level, a bar chart displaying data from Revenue Management Solutions illustrates the percentage of Americans who had visited restaurants less recently than in prior months.
The percentage of US citizens who, according to income level, have visited restaurants less recently than in prior months is based on data from Revenue Management Solutions.
Low-income customers make up a sizable component of the client base for fast-food chains, which frequently cultivate an image of affordability. They also serve as a predictor of longer-term trends. However, they are usually the latest to return and the first to reduce spending.
However, chains could be less inclined to go after consumers as fervently as they once did because, despite a decline in traffic, sales have steadily climbed thanks to pricing increases.
According to Mike Lukianoff, CEO of SignalFlare.ai and a seasoned consultant in the fast food sector, fast food companies aren't "in a hurry to take traffic over profit the way they were a decade ago."
For instance, when Subway debuted its $5 footlong nationwide in 2008, it instantly became the symbol of the Great Recession. This prompted competitors to launch outrageously low-cost offerings for consumers on a tight budget, such Yum! Brands KFC's "$5 Fill-Up Boxes."
Following a protracted sales decline, McDonald's debuted a package offer called "McPick 2" in 2016, which allowed consumers to select two items—such as a McDouble—for $2. Wendy's introduced a four for $4 offer a few months later. $5 for five was Burger King's deal. Pizza Hut offered a “flavor menu” for $5.
These days, industry observers claim that chains are being more selective with their discounts and menu cuts, targeting particular groups or restricting them to particular meal times or channels, like their app or just through delivery.
In order to attract low-income customers who could be tempted to buy packaged food at home instead, McDonald's officials stated to investors in February that the company would continue to provide its "value menu" as is. According to CFO Ian Borden, the brand's fundamental component is affordability, and the business will keep "evolving" its value offerings.
McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski told investors, "The battleground is certainly with that low-income consumer," alluding to those who earn less than $45,000.
Recently, Wendy's unveiled a $1 burger that is exclusively accessible via their app. In February, the company's CFO, Gunther Plosch, informed investors that while traffic from lower-class consumers has decreased, their market share remained constant.
Loyalty apps are the preferred tactic used by large fast-food chains to improve customer retention and average transaction amounts. Chains benefit from capturing more transaction and demographic data for the customer, according to David Henkes, senior principal at Technomic, "which is a trade-off many are happy to do."
For instance, McDonald's regularly provides in-app discounts, such as free delivery when an order is large enough or 20% off an order.
At a conference in January, Domino's CEO informed investors that the minimum purchase amount to earn points in the company's loyalty programme has been cut in half, from $10 to $5. Additionally, it cut the quantity of purchases required to qualify for a free pizza from six to as little as two. CEO Russell Weiner stated, "And so basically, we've made the brand more accessible for this lower-income consumer."
Undoubtedly, not all chains are observing weakening in their lower-class clientele. shops in low-income areas performed better than others at Taco Bell, where a single taco costs $1.40 at several of its San Antonio shops. Yum! In February, CEO David Gibbs informed investors.
Andreas Garay, a retail worker in westside San Antonio, finds McDonald's to be still appealing. He stated that even if costs keep rising, he intends to stick to his habit of having coffee and a Big Mac.
(Source:www.reuters.com)
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