McDonald’s sets chicken market share goal as shares fall 6 per cent

McDonald’s has set a target of expanding its share of the global cooked chicken market by 1.5 percentage points, to about 20 per cent, as part of a growth plan unveiled at an investor day in Chicago yesterday.

The world’s biggest burger chain also outlined an $8.5bn support package for franchisees and a wider rollout of AI-powered drive-thru ordering as it attempts to recapture customers and reverse a sliding share price.

The strategy was met with disappointment by investors. Shares in the company dropped 6 per cent at lunchtime in New York to the lowest level in almost four years, amid concern that a turnaround to reignite growth after several quarters of slowing sales could take longer than expected.

The chicken target covers nuggets, bowls and burgers. According to the company’s investor day announcement, McDonald’s aims to gain the 1.5 percentage points of chicken category share by 2030.

The chain said it is also adapting to changing consumer preferences, including demand from users of GLP-1 weight-loss medication who are seeking higher-protein options and smaller portions.

Skye Anderson, the newly appointed head of the US business, said the company is exploring bowls, grilled chicken and egg bites to expand protein-centred options across breakfast, lunch and dinner.

The strategy focuses on improving food quality, simplifying operations, modernising restaurant designs and expanding the use of ArchIQ, the company’s AI-powered restaurant operating system, which automates tasks such as drive-thru ordering.

McDonald’s said it will deploy a generative AI-enabled version of ArchIQ at scale, which it expects to unlock about 250 basis points of gross restaurant-level efficiency.

The $8.5bn package for franchisees will be delivered through a combination of rent relief and capital support. The company said the total runs through 2036, with about $5bn of it committed through 2030.

It was accompanied by a new target for restaurant operating margins, which McDonald’s said it expects to reach the low-to-mid 50 per cent range by 2030.

Chris Kempczinski, chairman and chief executive, and Ian Borden, global chief financial officer, also presented at the event, which set out further detail on the growth strategy McDonald’s first announced in June.

“While there’s so much our customers love, we are falling short when it comes to consistent execution,” Anderson said. “We’re tackling that challenge head-on.”

The investor day followed second-quarter results in August, when McDonald’s missed estimates for US sales growth. The company admitted then that efforts to win back lower-income consumers who had cut back on dining out had yet to pay off.

Anderson’s comments on consistent execution came as the company set out its plans to address slowing sales through food quality, simpler operations and restaurant design.

The pressure on restaurant operators is not confined to the US. In Britain, profits at the 100 largest restaurant groups fell 44 per cent to £204m, despite revenues rising to £13.3bn, as higher employment costs and ingredient prices squeezed margins.

McDonald’s UK business has made its own changes this year, including the launch of 2,500 paid work experience placements aimed at young people not in education, employment or training. It has also seen a round of senior departures, including that of chief restaurant officer Zoe Hamburger, who left to lead the Netherlands business.

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