Functional recipes (strategies) for success at McDonalds UK

Love them or loathe them, it’s hard to deny that McDonalds has really got its act together in the UK and is thriving in a tough environment for consumer spending. This excellent article from the Independent features an interview with Jill McDonald (no relation to the original founder!) describes some of the key functional strategies that the business has adopted which are credited with improved business performance.

Lots for business students (and their teachers) to get their teeth into here. Among the key strategies adopted are:

• Redesign and renovation of location interiors, with renewed focus on families (marketing & ops)
• Wider menu choice, including some healthier options (marketing & ops)
• Free WIFI (marketing)
• High level of training, including extended apprentice programmes
• Increased proportion of locations which are franchises (up from 40% in 2006 to 65% now)

Well worth a read.