The fast-food chain is scrambling to arrest sliding sales figures, and has come up with a novel way to do so.
McDonald’s customers will be able to order items from the breakfast menu all day long from October 6 onward, according to a company announcement. Many customers have petitioned the restaurant chain to make the change, and their wish has finally been granted.
All-day breakfast to be rolled out worldwide after consultation
In recent months the company has been testing the concept of all-day breakfast in selected markets, and franchises have expressed their desire to make the change permanent, McDonald’s said.
It’s hard to say why it has taken so long for the company to listen to calls for all-day breakfast, especially given recent years of mediocre earnings. Part of the problem for McDonald’s are changing consumer tastes, and the fact that competitors such as Dunkin’ Donuts already serve breakfast over a longer time period.
As consumers become more educated about the quality of food that they eat, McDonald’s has suffered at the hands of chains such as Chipotle, which offer freshly prepared meals with a focus on quality. McDonald’s has not been helped by revelations about the chemicals used in its products, which have served to turn a generation more concerned by natural products away from its restaurants.
McDonald’s aiming to boost struggling sales
The introduction of all-day breakfast is one way that McDonald’s is aiming to boost sales. Bloomberg News has seen a company memo which claimed that offering the Egg McMuffin around the clock could see a 2.5% increase in sales per year.
Alongside traditional favorites, the breakfast menu will be expanded and new offerings look set to vary by region. The decision on which items will be offered will be left to franchise owners, who will presumably take into account local preferences.
Popular items like the McMuffin, biscuit sandwiches, hash browns, hotcakes, oatmeal, sausage burritos and yogurt parfaits will all still be offered. If you are one of the many people who have been wondering why McDonald’s breakfast couldn’t be served all day, October 6 will be a huge day.
