McDonald’s counts on simpler menu to shore up sales

NEW YORK

McDonald’s is betting that a slimmed-down menu and a push toward greater customisation will help it reverse a troubling decline in US sales.

The fast-food giant aims to simplify the dining experience after concluding that a proliferation of menu offerings slowed service and confused customers.

McDonald’s wants to get back to “where a customer can come in and understand very quickly what the order is,” said CEO Don Thompson.

The chain will eliminate eight product offerings and trim its number of meal combinations from 16 to 11. It will cut products that are less popular and take more time to prepare.

McDonald’s will keep the “Big Mac” and other mainstays, but trim the number of “wraps” from three to one and cull from its multitude of sauces.

EASY ORDERING

Eliminating the menu marginalia “makes it easier on the ordering and makes it easier on fulfilment when a person is putting that order together,” said Thompson.

The plan follows news this week that McDonald’s global sales fell 2.2 per cent in November, with US sales tumbling 4.6 per cent.

The firm has suffered amid concerns on obesity and other health ills associated with the type of food it offers.

At the same time, competition is fierce and growing, not only from Burger King and Wendy’s, but also from smaller chains such as Chipotle, which touts better-quality ingredients and an emphasis on customisation of its burritos and other offerings.