NEW YORK (AP) — McDonald’s sales have been sputtering for more than two years and the company seems trapped in a cycle of bad headlines that likely won’t end soon.
Its quarterly earnings results today aren’t expected to be pretty either, and there’s a chance its dominance will continue to wane as newer players keep coming onto the scene.
But don’t write the obituary just yet. McDonald’s has many strengths that the rivals biting at its heels can only envy, including Ronald McDonald’s worldwide recognition. The Golden Arches will need to put them to good use to remain the world’s largest restaurant chain.
Here are some reasons why McDonald’s is nowhere close to death’s door for now.
MASSIVE REACH
McDonald’s has more than 14,300 locations in the U.S. and that ubiquity continues to make it a default option for many. Burrito chain Chipotle is in growth mode but still only a fraction of that size, with around 1,800 locations. (Shake Shack, whose stock offering earlier this year garnered lots of attention, has fewer than 40.)
Because of its recent struggles, McDonald’s plans to slow its growth to its lowest level in five years. But “slow” is relative: It still plans to add 600 to 700 restaurants around the world this year, on top of the more than 36,200 it already has.
MARKETING POWER
McDonald’s has enormous marketing muscle, in large part because its franchisees are required to contribute at least 4 percent of their sales to advertising.
Based on the $31.1 billion in sales U.S. franchisees saw last year, that would translate to at least $1.24 billion in advertising money.
PRINTING MONEY
The recent sales decline in the U.S. is squeezing franchisees, who still have to pay for fixed costs like labor and electricity.
But McDonald’s restaurants continue to generate a lot more cash than their peers. In 2014, the average McDonald’s restaurant raked in $2.5 million in sales, according to industry tracker Technomic. Wendy’s restaurants pulled in an average of $1.6 million, while Burger King pulled in $1.2 million.
A big reason for the difference: the popularity of McDonald’s breakfast.
Comments are not available on this story. Read more about why we allow commenting on some stories and not on others.
We believe it's important to offer commenting on certain stories as a benefit to our readers. At its best, our comments sections can be a productive platform for readers to engage with our journalism, offer thoughts on coverage and issues, and drive conversation in a respectful, solutions-based way. It's a form of open discourse that can be useful to our community, public officials, journalists and others.
We do not enable comments on everything — exceptions include most crime stories, and coverage involving personal tragedy or sensitive issues that invite personal attacks instead of thoughtful discussion.
You can read more here about our commenting policy and terms of use. More information is also found on our FAQs.
Show less