McDonald’s Blames Israel-Hamas War, Middle East Boycotts for Missing Sales Targets
The low sales could explain why McDonald’s has already brought back the Shamrock Shake and the Oreo Shamrock McFlurry.
McDonald’s did not meet its fourth-quarter sales target for the first time in four years.
Wall Street expected a 4.7% increase. McDonald’s global comparable sales only increased 3.4%.
The company blamed the Israel-Hamas war because international sales went down, especially in the Middle East.
The Middle East boycotted McDonald’s after assuming it supports Israel. From The Associated Press:
Customers in the Middle East were angered after McDonald’s Israel – which is operated by a local franchisee — announced in October it was providing free meals to Israeli soldiers. In response, some franchisees, like McDonald’s Oman, announced donations to relief efforts in Gaza. Sales have since dropped in Muslim-majority countries like Malaysia and Indonesia as well as countries with large Muslim populations like France.
“So long as this conflict, this war, is going on… we’re not expecting to see any significant improvement in this,” [CEO Chris] Kempczinski said. “It’s a human tragedy, what’s going on, and I think that does weigh on brands like ours.”
Sales in America increased 4.3% in the fourth quarter, but Kempczinski noted the chain had “fewer visits and lower spending by customers earning $45,000 per year or less.”
Prices have gone up due to inflation. Prices will likely rise even more when states implement minimum wage increases. Or I bet the company will replace them with kiosks.
The low sales might explain why McDonald’s has already brought back the Shamrock Shake and the Oreo Shamrock McFlurry at a few restaurants.
I love McDonald’s. I want to get one of those Shamrock shakes!
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Why would anyone, in any country, buy garbage “food” like this?
I mean, they only put 1/2 a slice of cheese on a Filet-o-fish (when asked, they said their customers wanted that…yeah, right), and sell hamburgers so thin you could read a newspaper through them.
Bidenomics is only part of the problem.
My mother loved that fish filet sandwich.. When I drove down five hours for a visit,, she would be waiting for me to take her “out” for lunch.. Sweet memory. I love the thin hamburgers.. plain.. always did, always will. The issue in my mind is the cost. I used to get the dollar menu stuff… and I was happy.. I don’t think they even have that anymore. But, to be clear, I rarely go to MDs, even though there is one in the town where I live.
I use to buy the fish sandwich, it’s about the size of a playing card now and kind of tastes like one, so the one thing I would eat isn’t worth it anymore.
Nice story about your mom. When it was good in the past, it was actually good..
I hear what you’re saying. But, during Lent the Filet-o-Fish is a TargaGTS family staple and has been for at least two generations. The reality is there aren’t a whole lot of fast-food fish options particularly in the Midwest and the South. On the west coast, you can usually find a fish taco truck somewhere.
Lots of fish tacos available around Dallas. I used to go for the Filet, too, but McD’s has gotten too expensive to pass the “I know it’s junk food but at least it’s cheap” test I used to employ. 😉
I love McDonald’s.
TY Mary,
I generally only go to McDonald’s when traveling and there is one near the hotel. Nothing better than the little hamburgers (plain), fries and a chocolate shake, They are always the same..you know they will be the same. After a long day driving, it is great to just walk over.
That being said, their price increases have been significant. It has reached a point where you have to wonder about just going to a real restaurant.
One nice thing though, they do have good coffee. Offering a senior coffee is a big plus.
I am not surprised that a global company has been impacted by global events.. “as goes McDonalds, so goes the world”.
I love your memory of your mother! How sweet! The price increase has been awful. I know businesses must keep up with inflation and stupid wage increases forced on them. You’re right about consistency. No matter where you are you know you can rely on places like McDonald’s for food!
It’s God awful food and so overpriced.
I can go to HEB here, local grocery store and buy a “simple meal”, which is quality food, like steak, potatoes and asparagus for what I pay for a meal
At MickyD’s.
Yes I have to cook it for 20 minutes but I’m talking real quality food, little processing and additives
They also have cooked , hot meals
Reasonably priced.
Many people are waking up to the disaster these fast food disasters are.
I rarely eat at one.
I love McDonald’s. I don’t eat it a lot but man…the Big Macs are a weakness.
White backlash is growing, especially among males.
I patronize White Castle- just for the name.
Nothing to do with the $16 Big Mac combo price I’m sure
Wife an I just ate at Five Guys. 2 small burgers, 1 regular fries and 2 fountain drinks were $30.
And, the fries are greasy..yuck
Actually they are not bad and can be frozen to be reheated. At the price, though, it’s a once a few months thing anymore
War is good for business – if you’re an international arms dealer and their willing accomplices in govt.
Hmmm. Put a McDonald’s restaurant at the corner of Gaza and Terrorist Ave. Add in a rapid action terrorist attack on teenagers attending a peaceful music festival, murder, rape, mutilate, and burn people and houses, take many and hold them hostage, systematically kill them at will – and then have the IDF roll in and take retribution for the idiocy.
Yeah. That sounds like a good business plan that will reap profits.
McDonalds is jewish conspiracy to hold down muzzies??
Dunkin Donuts you could be next. lol
“McDonalds is jewish conspiracy to hold down muzzies??”
McDonalds is assigning blame to the wrong scapegoat. Not kosher. As Tommy Lee Jones said in the Fugitive, “Do you want to change you bullshit story?”
No, it’s because they raised their prices to a ridiculous amount and the quality is not commensurate.
If’ I’m paying $10+ for a “Value Meal”, I’d rather go to a sit down restaurant for the same price and have better quality of food.
Head to Chilli’s for about $ 11.00 you get a burger, fries, chips, salsa or a salad and a drink. Brought to your table by a server.
The quality to value ratio is just not there. I remember going on discount burger days and thinking 35 cents for a cheeseburger was too much – today’s cheeseburgers are vastly inferior and so much more expensive!
When I was growing up in Milwaukee Wisconsin they had a diner, George Webbs, everywhere called that you could buy, on Sundays , with a coupon, SEVEN hamburgers, made to order from the grill.
I loved their fried onions on them
SEVEN for ONE DOLLAR!
Hope video works!
https://m.facebook.com/video.php/?video_id=10156121150274630
Fond memories of their burger with fried egg back in my college days
I worked at McDonalds when they had 25 cent hamburger night once a year. A cheeseburger was still $1.00 but a slice of cheese was 10 cents. I got 2 hamburgers and 2 side orders of cheese. I’m so cheap. Thrifty Yankee runs deep for someone raised by grandparents of the Great Depression
When my older kids were small it was 35 cent cheeseburgers on Wednesday afternoons, but it was as they came, no special orders. Sad burgers compared to my own childhood memories though.
They could increase sales by bringing back McRibs all year long.
Shurzhell not in the Middle East.
Even the Shamrock Shakes would do better that that, though not by much.
The McD’s in my town could increase their sales 20% immediately if they really wanted… just by taking the stupid “no firearms” sign off their door. That crap doesn’t fly in a cowboy town, one whose main industry is catering to roper snowbirds. Other than the health industry buildings (whose insurers demand it), the only other shop posted in town is Goodwill, and they’re cutting their own throats too. For resale goods, Habitat for Humanity’s ReStore is most people’s first stop, then The Pony, with Goodwill the port of very last resort. Hell, even our BARS don’t post.
McBrisket in that hood
Who knew McDonald’s was Halal
yes
omar is demanding a mcgaza strip meal in correct flag colors to celebrate oct 7
but for mcd to also issue an announcement that oct 7 was as justified as stealing the 2020 election
which according to the left both oct7 anddd stealing of 2020 election
never actually happened
prices go upppp b/c the government demands the companies to do so
and then with alll the tax money sent too these companies the price wont come down anyway
correction:
do so b/c of wage hikes demand by the gov
The California Big Mac meal price p, before the asinine $20/hr “living wage” baloney, is $18…and everything is smaller. So their earnings report is actually worse than presented with jacked up prices, smaller COGS, and fewer employees per restaurant as an attempt to make up for lousy sales volume.
I did not realize that McPatties were kosher, or halal to begin with.