McDonald’s (MCD) is determined to attract customers back into its stores after suffering from dwindling sales all year.
Most recently, the fast-food chain's U.S. net income declined 3% year over year during the third quarter of 2024, while comparable sales at stores open at least one year dipped by 0.3%.
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Many consumers have been avoiding McDonald’s for several reasons: high menu prices, a boycott over alleged political connections in the Gaza war, a recent unsettling E. coli outbreak at several restaurants, and the growing trend of consumers opting to cook at home instead of buying fast food.
Related: McDonald’s hopes to win back customers with a generous offer
As some of these trends continue to hurt the company’s pockets, McDonald’s has rolled out several changes to its menu over the past few months in an effort to boost its sales. Some of these updates include a $5 Meal Deal, the return of the McRib, and a new McValue menu that is set to go into effect on Jan. 7, 2025.
McDonald's major menu move sparks customer concerns
In McDonald’s latest effort to win back customers, its USA president, Joe Erlinger, recently revealed in an interview on “Good Morning America” that the fast-food chain will soon be putting its Snack Wrap back on menus after discontinuing it in 2016.
The Snack Wrap is basically chicken tenders, lettuce, shredded cheddar cheese, and ranch dressing wrapped in a soft flour tortilla.
“Snack Wrap will be back in 2025,” said Erlinger. “It has a cult following, I get so many emails into my inbox about this product.”
Even though Erlinger didn’t specify when the Snack Wrap will return to menus in 2025 or how much it will cost, many consumers were not too thrilled about the news.
Consumers took to the comment section under Good Morning America’s TikTok video of the interview, expressing concerns and frustration over McDonald’s recent pricing.
Related: McDonald’s is facing the brutal aftermath of price increases
“You gonna almost double the price like usual, though?” said one TikTok user.
“Bring back the REAL dollar menu!” wrote another.
“Too bad we won't be able to afford the snack wrap in 2025…” said another TikTok user.
It’s not surprising that consumers are annoyed with McDonald’s recent menu prices. Over the past year, consumers have been flagging soaring prices at McDonald’s locations across the country.
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According to McDonald's, the average price of a menu item at its fast-food chains has increased by roughly 40% since 2019. During an earnings call in July, McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski blamed inflation for the significant price increases.
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“Over the last several years, our system has sustained significant inflationary cost increases ranging from 20% to 40% depending on the market,” said Kempczinski during the call. “As we absorb these cost increases in partnership with our franchisees, we look for ways to protect restaurant profitability via productivity efforts and selective price increases. These price increases disrupted long-running value programs and led consumers to reconsider their buying habits.”
McDonald's faces a tough road ahead due to a growing trend
It will be hard to tell if McDonald’s latest efforts to win back customers will yield significant positive results. According to a recent survey from Ipsos Consumer Tracker, about one-third of Americans said that they have scaled back their spending on fast-food, sit-down restaurants, and food delivery since the beginning of this year to save money.
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Also, roughly 45% of respondents said that they have been cooking dinner more at home, and 38% said they have increasingly been preparing their own lunch.
“2024 will be known in part for price and value wars in both QSR (quick-service restaurant) and grocery as these sectors fight over value-seeking customers,” said Ipsos Executive Vice President Wendy Wallner.
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