I know there are some older folks who never liked and never will like McDonalds, which is fair enough. But there’s no doubt things have gone downhill for them, and there’s a few different drivers.
The CEO that has been in place since 2019 has been pivoting McDonalds towards a more “luxury” price point. In some regions like the US, this means that prices have increased by 40-50% in 5 years. This is total folly, people don’t go for McDonalds for the experience, they go because it is cheap and cheerful and convenient. If it costs the same as buying a burger at an actual restaurant, then people are just not going to go.
Secondly, because of the reputation that they gained from accelerating the obesity crisis - the Supersize Me era - they have also pivoted to a more “health-oriented” stance. What it has meant in practice is that they have quite factually made their products “healthier” (e.g. as of this year most Happy Meals are no longer classed as high in fat, salt and sugars).
But this is only ever going to be faux healthy. If you want a healthy balanced meal you don’t go to McDonalds.
So now they find themselves in this awkward half-space. Expensive products that don’t justify the price paid. Food with token efforts to be health conscious that have made the product inferior.
They are basically trying to be everything except what they are. Which is a cheap junk food outlet. Maybe it will succeed in the long run but I am sceptical. Price increases basically explain their entire business growth and more over the last 5 years and those aren’t sustainable.