A $5 meal deal at McDonalds, Price Wars also at Starbucks, Walmart, Target – MishTalk By apkyez.com

Even more signs of consumer fatigue are visible in the tactics of McDonalds, Starbucks and other chains trying to woo customers who balked at price hikes.

Friday with free fries and a $5 meal deal

Quartz reports that McDonalds is introducing free fries on Friday to win back inflation-weary customers

McDonald’s announced Thursday that customers who spend a minimum of $1 on Fridays will get free fries with their order as part of its effort to win back customers spurned by inflation.

“We heard our fans loud and clear – they’re demanding even more value from us, and this summer that’s exactly what they’re going to get,” said Joe Erlinger, president of McDonald’s USA in a statement. announced the initiative.

The Chicago-based fast food giant said the French fry deal is only for customers with the McDonald’s app, which is free to download, and will last until the end of 2024.

It also said its much-hyped $5 deal will begin June 25, allowing customers to order a small fries, 4-piece Chicken McNugget, a small soda and choose between a McDouble or McChicken sandwich for just $5. This deal is scheduled to run through the summer in select locations.

Price Wars

Also note the race of Amazon, Walmart and Big Retail to drive down prices

Amazon, Walmart, Target and others are doing it with discount offers — and with each discount, they hope their bargain will be the one to win over inflation-weary consumers. While some retailers say they are cutting prices to offer shoppers deals, the efforts are clearly in line with companies’ needs to offset falling sales as inflation remains elevated. In recent weeks, a flurry of quarterly earnings reports and other company announcements have underscored the extent to which customers are chasing deals and how quickly retailers are taking action.

“Retailers respond when consumer sentiment appears to be hitting a tipping point,” said Jerry Sheldon, vice president of technology at market research firm IHL Group, referring to the impact of inflation on American households. “The whole point of supply-demand and cost sensitivity is quite fragile it seems, and no retailer wants to position itself as a price outlier from their self-defined set.

Wait a second. Didn’t economists tell us that wages were rising faster than prices? If so, why don’t consumers have more to spend?

 

 

Starbucks attracts customers with great offers

And for the first time in years, Starbucks is wooing customers with great deals

In an effort to rebuild declining customer numbers, Starbucks is now offering a selection of specials — a promotion the popular coffee chain has avoided for decades.

The Seattle-based carrier is currently offering several promotions, including discounts, buy-one-get-one-free offers and great benefits for loyal customers.

Starbucks has long marketed itself as a premium coffee chain, though its prices tend to be on the high side, something that hasn’t been helped by rising U.S. inflation — resulting in more Americans choosing to eat at home or to give up special foods.

A Grand Caramel Frappuccino typically lists for about $5.65 on the chain’s menu, though a single iced coffee with extra syrups and foam can run about $10 at full price.

According to Starbucks, its traffic fell 7 percent in the three months ended March 31 from a year earlier, the biggest quarterly decline since at least 2010. Its active loyalty rewards users decreased by 1.5 million between Dec. 31 and March 31.

Earlier this month, for the first time in more than a decade, the chain began offering breakfast coffee and snack packs starting at $5. “50% discount on drinks. It’s on,” Starbucks said in a recent email to customers. “Keep checking the app all summer long for more deals headed your way.”

A $5 meal deal at Starbucks too, you love it. I can’t comment on the meal deals at Starbucks because I’ve never been to one.

However, I can ask: How many people think like me that McNuggets are inedible fried pieces of fat?

Going back to Starbucks, even if I had coffee, I wouldn’t pay $10 for it.

McRib flashback

On February 2, 2013, I reviewed the Yum! The McRib is back, get yours today (Once you find out what’s in it); The secret is in the sauce!

McDonald’s McRib is famous in some circles for using what is known as ‘restructured meat’ technology. Since McDonald’s knows that you would never eat a pork heart, tongue or stomach on your plate, they decided instead to grind these ingredients and put them in the shape of a typical rib. That way, consumers won’t know what they’re putting in their mouths. As Chicago Mag reported, the technology’s innovator said it best in 1995:

“Most people would be extremely unhappy if they were served their heart or tongue on a plate… but by becoming a restructured product it loses its identity. Products such as stick, heart and burning stomach…”

So, in other words, it’s not actually a rib. Instead, it is a combination of unwanted animal waste processed in the main facilities and ‘restructured’ in the form of a rib. Then, 70 additives, chemicals, fillers and GMO ingredients later, you have a ‘meat’ product that tastes like ribs.

I sure hope this whets your appetite because as we all know “Parts are parts”.

By the way, I have no idea what Wendy’s did to their chicken sandwich, but whatever it was, they ruined it. The new dough tastes like Elmer’s glue.

This happened in 2020 when it replaced the homemade chicken sandwich with the classic chicken sandwich. But aside from the now-inedible dressing, at least a Wendy’s chicken sandwich is still a part.

Breadsticks at Olive Garden Highlight the financial strain on America’s middle class

In case you missed it, please see my June 20 post, Breadsticks at Olive Garden Highlight the financial strain on America’s middle class

Olive Garden traffic is up 3.9 percent, but same-store sales are down 1.5 percent. Are people filling up on unlimited bread? Drink less wine?

Retail sales were very weak in May counting negative reviews

On June 18, I commented Retail sales were very weak in May counting negative reviews

If anyone tells you that the consumer is strong, please let them read this post. The strong consumer is all an inflationary mirage.

Discretionary expenses

All the articles in this post have one thing in common. They are about discretionary spending.

Consumers have been tapped and this is the first, if not the only, thing consumers can reduce.