China Economic Weekly - Economic Net News: Recently, McDonald's responded by making the topic of price increases a hot topic on Weibo. A staff member at a McDonald's restaurant in Beijing said, "Some products have been adjusted in price since the 27th, some have increased by 50 cents, and some have increased by one yuan. Not only breakfast, but also lunch prices will have corresponding changes." In response to this, McDonald's officially responded to media reports on December 27th that due to recent changes in operating costs, McDonald's China adjusted some product prices from December 27th, 2023, with an average increase of about 3%, The prices have been clearly marked on various ordering channels.
McDonald's has stated that it provides customers with value for money products and services, such as the 1+1 package, Hi Flip Monday, a 60% discount breakfast card, and O McKinsey membership, among other long-term promotional activities. Every month, there are innovative promotional activities for customers.
On the same day, McDonald's also announced that the price of 1+1 complimentary meals will not increase. This package has been mocked by netizens as a "poor guy package". Subsequently, the topic "Poor Ghost Package Does Not Increase in Price" topped the hot search list. It is reported that in January this year, the price of this package increased by 1 yuan, from 12.9 yuan to 13.9 yuan. The brand stated at the time that due to the continuous impact of the epidemic on various costs, starting from January 4, 2023, the prices of some individual items and packages for dine in and Maile delivery have been adjusted, and the actual prices have been clearly displayed in various ordering channels.
It is worth noting that after the release of this news, some netizens expressed: "You can raise the price, but can hamburgers be bigger?" "If the price goes up, will hamburgers become bigger?" "Hamburgers are getting smaller and more expensive, and there are unreasonable member delivery fees. These are all reasons why I don't buy them." "Nowadays, McDonald's hamburgers in various categories have shrunk, and they have already indirectly increased in price.". Topic # Why McDonald's hamburgers are getting smaller and smaller # The topic has also made headlines. In response, McDonald's customer service stated that each restaurant produces different dishes, and the hamburger manufacturing standards are the same. The specific size is based on the inside of the restaurant.
But this response seems to have not received recognition from netizens. Some netizens said, "It's not an operational issue that makes it smaller, it's a standard that makes it smaller." "I used to think it was because I grew up, and it turns out that hamburgers really became smaller." "Reduce the quantity and increase the price, win twice.".
According to media comments, based on the comments of netizens, the fundamental reason is that while prices have increased, the quality of McDonald's products has greatly decreased. The main feedback from consumers is that McDonald's burgers are getting smaller and smaller as they are made. As a catering brand, the original intention is to produce good products. For consumers, what they hope for is to not only enjoy delicious food but also better prices, products, and services. The behavior of raising prices will lead to McDonald's losing some loyal customers. If we can improve product quality, there may be room for recovery, but according to the current trend, customer loss is inevitable.
The comments point out that McDonald's can actually quietly raise prices or distribute coupons to reduce consumer sensitivity by releasing new products and improving the experience. However, even these "visual efforts" have not been done well, indicating that behind its price increase, some brands are showing a "superior" attitude towards consumers. Knowing that price increases will cause consumer dissatisfaction, but still making such a choice to increase profits; Knowing that cutting corners on products can lead to customer loss, but in order to save costs, we still turn a blind eye to this phenomenon - brands prioritize profits and ignore consumer opinions. This behavior should be corrected in a timely manner and should not escalate.