Business Spotlight: McDonald’s Part 2

Continued from Part 1… Around this time, McDonald’s innovated many of its best-known products, including the Filet-O-Fish (1962), the Big Mac (1968), and the Egg McMuffin (1972). The first “drive-thru” also arrived in 1975, and Happy Meals were created in 1979. The first Japanese location was established in Mitsukoshi Department Store, in Tokyo’s Ginza district, in 1971. McDonald’s success continued throughout the ’80s, when it prevailed in the so-called Burger Wars among itself, Burger King and Wendy’s. Revenues rose again in the early 2000s, thanks to successes like the McFlurry and the youth-focused “I’m lovin’ it” campaign. However, criticisms also began to rise, particularly from health advocates who continue to voice concerns about its unhealthy products. The 2010s have seen yet more innovations in the McDonald’s format. For instance, the all-day breakfast option, launched in 2015, has significantly improved sales in the U.S., and McDonald’s opened its biggest outlet ever, the size of a soccer stadium, for the 2012 London Olympics. Nonetheless, with so many more strong competitors on the rise, how long will we still be lovin’ it? (Jasmin Hayward) This article was provided by The Japan Times Alpha.