McDonald’s recently announced ambitious plans to expand its global presence in the restaurant industry with an eye to reaching a total of 8,000 chain restaurants by 2027, while looking to convince 100 million customers to join their loyalty program in the same time frame.
The restaurant chain currently stands at roughly 37,000 restaurants around the world and 38 million customers who are part of the My McD’s loyalty program.
The fast food giant is aiming to make significant investments in order to reach its goals. For starters, McDonald’s announced their plans to construct 8,000 new restaurants in 101 countries, as well as renovations and revitalizations of their existing properties. Each new restaurant is expected to create 30 to 50 jobs in the community where the restaurant is located.
In addition to the new restaurants, McDonald’s has also focused on digital transformation and has launched its own global customer loyalty program. The My McD’s loyalty program allows customers to collect points through their purchases, and then exchange those points for various rewards. To incentivize customers to join the program, McDonald’s now offers exclusive promotions, offers, and discounts to loyalty members.
McDonald’s also plans to roll out several new menu items over the next decade, in order to entice customers and keep them coming back. The chain has already made changes to their menu in recent years, like adding healthier options, vegan options, and “mcplants” which are plant-based burgers.
McDonald’s’ announcement of its new expansion and global goals speaks to the immense competitive pressure that the restaurant chain faces from both traditional and tech-oriented competitors. With its new initiatives, McDonald’s is hoping to establish itself as one of the most successful food brands in the world.