Britons defy the downturn to eat out – at McDonald's
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The fast-food giant McDonald's delivered soaring sales in the UK after a "flight to value" sent customers flocking into its stores to eat Big Macs.
It is thought that McDonald's UK grew underlying sales by about 12 per cent in the three months to 30 September and that profits were broadly in line with this uplift, but the company declined to provide figures.
Details of its buoyant performance in Britain came as its parent company posted a better-than-expected 6 per cent rise in profits to $1.26bn. Its UK performance far outstripped the underlying global sales at McDonald's, which grew by 3.8 per cent.
Steve Easterbrook, the chief executive of McDonald's UK, said: "What is particularly encouraging about the sales growth is that it is being driven by serving more customers and growth across the menu board. Some of it is around the flight to value. People still want to eat out, but they are more discerning about what they spend when they have less money in their pocket."
McDonald's UK served 8 per cent more customers in the quarter, and its Big Mac meals and breakfast menu were star performers. It was McDonald's 14th consecutive quarter of growth.
In the UK, 80 per cent of McDonald's restaurants are now open from 6am, and more than 300 are open 24 hours.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments