McDonald’s must step up focus on mobile tech

With cost growth being outpaced by sales growth and returns diminishing, restaurant efficiency is key for McDonald’s.

Improvements have been made by the installation of touchscreen ordering and allowing consumers to order on mobiles. But this needs to be rolled out further and faster to streamline operations. And this isn’t just a case of installing and implementing the technology, it is about getting customers to actually use it, according to Neil Saunders, Managing Director of GlobalData Retail.

“Indeed, consumers need to be given more incentives to use the new ways of ordering, especially mobile, as many still shun the technology. Longer term, more automation in the kitchen is also critical - something that will be particularly beneficial now McDonald's menu options are more varied and complex,” he says.

Saunders made his comments as McDonald’s announced results for the fourth quarter and year ended 31st December 2018. “We are not discouraged by these latest numbers and believe that the company is still on the right track. However, 2019 will be a more challenging year than 2018 and it will be a balancing act between keeping both customer and franchisees happy,” Saunders concludes.