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☆ Walmart’s business surges as shoppers hunt for low prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-16 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Businesses from McDonald’s to Home Depot are struggling to attract financially strapped shoppers. Walmart said Thursday that sales at stores open at least a year increased 3.8% during its latest quarter from the same time last year. The company raised its sales and profit guidance for the year, a sign it expects growth to continue. Groceries account for more than half of Walmart’s sales, and Walmart has benefited from its pricing advantage with prices around 25% lower than traditional supermarkets, according to analysts at Evercore IRI. Retail sales have slipped overall in recent months.

Persons: ” Neil Saunders, “ Walmart’s, “, ”, Ian Borden Organizations: New, New York CNN, McDonald’s, Walmart, Evercore IRI, GlobalData, “ Locations: New York, United States

☆ The $5 McDonald's meal may be making a grand comeback — but only for a month
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-13 | by ( Shubhangi Goel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

McDonald's reportedly plans to launch a limited-time $5 meal. AdvertisementMcDonald's is looking to launch a $5 meal in the US in a move to bring back price-sensitive customers. CEO Chris Kempczinski said McDonald's has local value meals around the US, but no standard national offering like competitors do. A meal consisting of the same four items — a McChicken, fries, a drink, and four-piece chicken nuggets — costs $18.26 in downtown New York City. AdvertisementThe new bundle would be priced lower than a Happy Meal, which starts at $6.39 in downtown Manhattan.

Persons: McDonald's, —, Ian Borden, they're, Chris Kempczinski, Gunther Plosch Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, Restaurant Business, Customers, downtown, Burger King, Restaurant Brands Locations: New York City, downtown San Francisco, Manhattan

☆ Fast food is expensive. Applebee’s and Chili’s are moving in
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-11 | by ( Danielle Wiener-Bronner | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

For them, and the fast food chains they’re now competing against, the stakes are high. “Fast food has gotten really expensive,” Henkes said. On X, Chili’s asked whether Chili’s is better than fast food, and promised rewards to those who said yes. Chili’s also ran video ads comparing its food favorably to fast food burgers. “People go to sit-down restaurants, generally speaking, for different occasions, than they go to fast food restaurants,” he noted.

Persons: New York CNN — McDonald’s, Applebee’s, ” John Peyton, it’s, Peyton, “, ”, Henkes, McDonald’s, Chris Kempczinski, Ian Borden, we’ve, Chili’s, Kevin Hochman, Chili's, Jeffery Greenberg, David Henkes, ” Henkes Organizations: New, New York CNN, Dine Brands, CNN, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Bloomberg, Applebee’s, Brinker International, Universal, “ Locations: New York, McDonald’s, Applebee’s, Chili’s, Technomic

☆ McDonald’s is working to introduce a $5 value meal
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-10 | by ( Kate Rogers | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

McDonald's is working to introduce a value meal in U.S. stores to help offset an increasingly challenging environment for consumers, two people familiar with the matter told CNBC. The value meal was first reported by Bloomberg News. The potential new offering comes at a time when low-income consumers are beginning to pull back on spending, particularly at fast-food brands. Mentions of low-income consumers on company earnings calls are at their highest levels in nearly two years, according to data from Bank of America. An initial proposal by McDonald's for the $5 value meal did not clear necessary hurdles, and additional details are now being discussed, according to a person familiar with the process.

Persons: McDonald's, Dave, Buster's, Chris Kempczinski, Kempczinski, Ian Borden, — CNBC's Amelia Lucas Organizations: CNBC, Bloomberg News, Bank of America, McDonald's, U.S Locations: U.S

☆ US brands like McDonald's and Starbucks are facing mounting backlash in the Middle East as tensions rise
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewFor the second quarter in a row, America's biggest fast-food brands continued to see their sales hit by consumer boycotts in the Middle East. McDonald's said last week that it took a sales hit from "the ongoing war in the Middle East" at restaurants in that part of the world. AdvertisementSome consumers in the Middle East and other parts of the world have avoided brands associated with the US, citing America's support of Israel. At Starbucks, the problems in the Middle East took a toll on second-quarter international sales, CFO Rachel Ruggeri said. The analysts wrote that "a social media narrative around [Starbucks'] position on the Middle East may be the primary driver" of slower sales in the US.

Persons: —, McDonald's, Ian Borden, We're, Chris Kempczinski, Rachel Ruggeri, Laxman Narasimhan, David Gibbs, Gibbs Organizations: Service, Business, Starbucks, Bank of America, KFC, Yum ! Brands Locations: Japan, Europe, America, Domino's, Gaza, Israel, China, North America

☆ Fast food chains are getting the message about soaring prices
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-06 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

To win penny-pinching customers back, some say they're planning smaller price increases for the rest of the year. Wendy's CFO Gunther Plosch told investors on Thursday that consumers are "still under pressure" — especially those with household incomes under $75,000. Chains raised prices drastically during the pandemic to offset rising labor and food costs, and it's coming back to bite them. For some restaurant chains, comparable sales even fell. McDonald's would "certainly" be "prudent and thoughtful" about any further price increases in the rest of 2024, Borden said.

Persons: —, Gunther Plosch, Ian Borden, Joshua Kobza, Burger, Popeyes, Burger King, Wendy's, William Blair, Sharon Zackfia, Borden, Katie Fogertey Organizations: Service, Starbucks, KFC, US, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Burger, North America

☆ Restaurants are competing for frugal diners’ dollars
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-03 | by ( Krystal Hur | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

For some restaurants, it feels like a battle to get them to spend. Olive Garden-parent Darden Restaurants saw same-restaurant sales dip during its most recent quarter. Darden saw sales from households with incomes above $150,000 climb from the prior year. What to expect in Friday’s jobs reportThe US job market has been on a roll for the past three years. That’s about 25,000 more jobs per month than last year and 111,000 more per month than in 2019.

Persons: ”, Laxman Narasimhan, “, we’ve, Ian Borden, Ricardo Cardenas, Scott Sheffield, “ Mr, —, Matt Egan, Read, Alicia Wallace, ” Julia Pollak, ZipRecruiter Organizations: CNN Business, Bell, New York CNN, Starbucks, Darden, OPEC, Federal Trade Commission, Sheffield, Organization of, Petroleum, Saudi Arabia, Regulators, Pioneer Natural Resources, CNN, of Labor Statistics Locations: New York, China, Olive, American, Saudi, Sheffield, Texas, OPEC, Russia

☆ McDonald's says it's listening to penny-pinching customers and focusing on value
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

Consumers are "price weary," and McDonald's is paying attention. McDonald's will be "thoughtful" about any further price increases in 2024, CFO Ian Borden said. download the app Email address Sign up By clicking “Sign Up”, you accept our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy . "The consumer is price weary," McDonald's CFO Ian Borden told analysts at the company's earnings call on Tuesday. "And I think we certainly are going to be prudent and thoughtful about any further price increases that we're looking at for the rest of 2024."

Persons: Ian Borden, Borden, —, McDonald's, Chris Kempczinski Organizations: Service, Business

☆ Amazon, Starbucks show how jittery US customers are about the economy
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Starbucks CEO Laxman Narasimhan said the coffee chain's customers were growing more cautious. NEW LOOK Sign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. AdvertisementUS consumers are becoming more prudent with their spending, executives at Amazon and Starbucks said on Tuesday. "A challenging macro environment including rising interest rates and elevated costs continues to create volatile consumer confidence levels and put pressure on consumer spending," Borden said then. Representatives for Amazon and Starbucks didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from BI sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: Brian Olsavsky, Laxman Narasimhan, —, Olsavsky, Narasimhan, Ian Borden, Borden Organizations: Starbucks, Service, Amazon, Bank of America, BI

☆ Long-predicted consumer pullback finally hits restaurants like Starbucks, KFC and McDonald's
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Starbucks announced a surprise drop in same-store sales for its latest quarter, sending its shares down 17% on Wednesday. Pizza Hut and KFC also reported shrinking same-store sales. Starbucks said bad weather dragged its same-store sales lower. Wingstop , Wall Street's favorite restaurant chain, reported its U.S. same-store sales soared 21.6% in the first quarter. This marks the second consecutive quarter that Burger King reported stronger U.S. same-store sales growth than McDonald's.

Persons: It's, McDonald's, it's, Taco Bell, January's snowstorms, we've, Ian Borden, Wall, International's Popeyes, Chris Kempczinski, Laxman Narasimhan, Narasimhan, David Gibbs, Taco, Yum, Burger, – Organizations: Starbucks Workers, D.C, Starbucks, KFC, Yum Brands, Taco, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Taco Bell, Brands Locations: Dupont Circle, Washington, Pizza, U.S, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Taco

☆ Chain restaurants like Chili's are coming for fast-food giants in the latest bout of the value wars
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Erin Mcdowell | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

As fast-food prices increase, customers are finding more value in chain restaurants. Chains like Chili's are rolling out deals and portion sizes that could best fast-food chains. Chili's new Big Smasher burger is the latest offensive move in the value wars. The Big Smasher burger, Chili's newest menu item, was served in the company's test kitchen before its official launch on April 29. And if the sheer size and taste of the Chili's burger are anything to go by, it has a shot at beating fast-food chains in the value wars.

Persons: —, margarita, It's, Applebee's, John Peyton, Cate Gillon, Ian Borden, Scott Rodrick, Chris Kempczinski, Borden, McDonald's, Erin McDowell, We've, we've, Brian Paquette, Paquette, Big, Chili's, Richard Levine, Corbis, Felix Organizations: Service, Dallas, Mac, Business, Dine, Restaurant, UBS Global Consumer, Retail Conference, CNN, CBS News, Getty, Bloomberg Locations: New York, New York City, California, , New York

☆ McDonald’s earnings miss estimates as diners pull back, Middle East boycotts hit sales
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-30 | by ( Amelia Lucas | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

McDonald's reported mixed quarterly results Tuesday as its reorganization weighed on its profit and boycotts hurt its Middle Eastern sales. McDonald's reported U.S. same-store sales growth of 2.5%, missing expectations of 2.6%. A month into the second quarter, McDonald's U.S. same-store sales are roughly flat, executives said. McDonald's said the segment's same-store sales fell 0.2%, marking the first time since the pandemic that one of the chain's divisions reported a same-store sales decline. McDonald's international operated markets segment, which includes Germany and the United Kingdom, reported same-store sales growth of 2.7%.

Persons: McDonald's, Chris Kempczinski, Kempczinski, Ian Borden, we've, Borden Organizations: LSEG, U.S Locations: U.S, Israel, Japan, Latin America, Germany, United Kingdom

☆ Red Lobster, home of the endless shrimp, mulls bankruptcy after spoiling its customers with all-you-can-eat lobster: report
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

It may be the end of the line for the seafood chain Red Lobster, per Bloomberg. AdvertisementSeafood chain Red Lobster is considering filing for bankruptcy, Bloomberg reported Wednesday. According to the outlet, Red Lobster is being advised by the law firm King & Spalding. Red Lobster and King & Spalding did not respond to Bloomberg's requests for comment. Representatives for Red Lobster and King & Spalding did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.

Persons: —, Spalding, Red Lobster's, Ludovic Garnier, servings, Ian Borden, Borden Organizations: Bloomberg, Service, King, Spalding, Thai Union Group —, Golden Corral, Business Insider Locations: Maine

☆ Krispy Kreme doughnuts are coming to McDonald’s
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-26 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

Three types of Krispy Kreme donuts — original glazed, chocolate iced with sprinkles and chocolate iced “kreme” filled — will go on sale at McDonald’s restaurants starting later this year, the companies told CNN on Monday. Krispy Kreme is giving away a free glazed doughnut to guests who visit a Krispy Kreme location between 5 and 9 pm on Tuesday to celebrate the partnership. The addition of a Krispy Kreme donut to the McDonald’s customer’s breakfast order began as a test at 160 restaurants in Kentucky. But customers can buy Krispy Kreme doughnuts in other places, such as Walmart and other grocery stores. “By making Kreme Krispy accessible to fans nationwide through this partnership, we expect to more than double our points of access by the end of 2026,” said Krispy Kreme President and CEO Josh Charlesworth in a statement.

Persons: It’s, Wendy’s, McDonald’s, Ian Borden, Chris Kempczinski, ”, Krispy, Josh Charlesworth Organizations: New, New York CNN, CNN, Walmart Locations: New York, Cinnabon, Kentucky

☆ McDonald's says cash-strapped diners are choosing to eat at home more often
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Because of this, McDonald's said it will focus on value bundles and app offers. AdvertisementMore low-income consumers are choosing to eat at home instead of dining out after years of fast-food price hikes, McDonald's CFO says. Ian Borden told analysts at the UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference on Wednesday that lower-income consumers "are just choosing to eat at home more often." Like other fast-food chains, McDonald's increased menu prices significantly during the pandemic amid soaring wage and commodity inflation. McDonald's will focus on value bundles and app offersMcDonald's fries.

Persons: McDonald's, —, Ian Borden, it's, Borden, Erin McDowell Organizations: Service, UBS Global Consumer, Retail Conference, Bureau of Labor Statistics Locations: Germany

☆ McDonald's says customers don't want premium burgers — they want bigger ones instead
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

McDonald's customers want bigger burgers instead of luxury ones, CFO Ian Borden said. McDonald's spent years trialing premium burgers. AdvertisementMcDonald's says its customers want bigger burgers, not premium ones. For years, McDonald's tried to target customers with offers of premium burgers, CFO Ian Borden told analysts at the UBS Global Consumer and Retail Conference on Wednesday. Instead, there's a "significant" opportunity for "a large, more satiating-type burger" across McDonald's large markets, Borden said.

Persons: Ian Borden, McDonald's, —, Borden Organizations: Service, UBS Global Consumer, Retail Conference, Business

☆ McDonald’s prices are up, so lower-income consumers are eating at home
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Ramishah Maruf | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

“It’s a challenging consumer environment,” said Ian Borden, McDonald’s CFO, noting that many consumers are trying to manage inflation, higher interest rates and dwindling savings. That includes their spending on food at restaurants such as McDonald’s, fast-food restaurants that historically prize value and affordability as core business values. According to February inflation data in the Consumer Price Index, food at home prices grew 1% year over year, while restaurant prices rose 4.5% over the last year. But the current surge in restaurant prices has flipped the script from a year ago, when it was cheaper to dine out. At that time, restaurant prices were up 8.4% and grocery prices were up 10.2% year over year.

Persons: “, ”, Ian Borden, ” Borden, Borden, McDonald’s, Dollar Organizations: New, New York CNN, Consumers, Company, Dollar General, Walmart Locations: New York, United States

☆ Microsoft CVP discusses AI and partnership with FWD group
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

Share Share Article via Facebook Share Article via Twitter Share Article via LinkedIn Share Article via EmailAI offers 'powerful tools' for banking, financial services and insurance industry: Microsoft CVPBill Borden, corporate vice president of worldwide financial services at Microsoft, explains its partnership with Hong Kong insurance company FWD Group and how artificial intelligence can be used in the industry.

Persons: Bill Borden Organizations: Microsoft, Group Locations: Hong Kong

☆ Diners are getting annoyed at how expensive fast food has become — and the likes of McDonald's, Taco Bell, and Shake Shack seem to be listening
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementChains like McDonald's, Shake Shack, and Taco Bell say they're only planning small price increases in 2024 as inflation cools. But in the year to January 2024, prices at limited-service restaurants rose just 5.8%, per BLS data. Martin Jennings, a 51-year-old truck driver from Florida, told Business Insider that his family was being deterred by higher prices at fast-food chains. Customers are looking for app deals and choosing value menusCustomers are looking for ways to get cheaper meals at fast-food chains. Chipotle said it's eyeing a price increase in the mid-single digits, depending on consumer sentiment and actions taken by other fast-food chains.

Persons: —, Taco Bell, Martin Jennings, Ben Heyworth, Burger King, McDonald's, Ian Borden, Jennings, David Gibbs, Kempczinski, Gunther Plosch, Chipotle, it's, Katie Fogertey Organizations: Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Shack, Taco, Brands Locations: Florida, Orlando, Burger, Taco Bell, California, America

☆ McDonald's says its price hikes are putting off some customers
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

AdvertisementMcDonald's keeps putting up menu prices — and it's putting off some diners. McDonald's had said at its earnings call in October that its price increases largely hadn't put customers off. But as inflation cools, customers should expect less dramatic price hikes this year, Borden said, adding that franchisees set their own prices. "Where you see the pressure with the US consumer is that low-income consumer," Kempczinski said. Advertisement"The battleground is certainly with that low-income consumer," Kempczinski said.

Persons: McDonald's, Execs, —, Ian Borden, Chris Kempczinski, Borden, Kempczinski Organizations: Service, Bureau of Labor Statistics

☆ McDonald's says its chicken options are now just as popular as beef
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( Grace Dean | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

McDonald's makes as much money from chicken products as from beef burgers, its CEO said Monday. McDonald's told investors in December that it planned to offer the McCrispy in almost all its markets globally by the end of 2025. We've also added smoked chicken wings, and that was a direct response to Gen Z." Taco Bell's former CEO Mark King told Bloomberg that its Gen Z customers were increasingly opting for chicken over beef. Wendy's told BI that its Spicy Chicken Nuggets were especially popular among Gen Zers.

Persons: McDonald's, Chris Kempczinski, —, Ian Borden, Kempczinski, McSpicy, Chick, Laura Dickey, we've, hasn't, We've, Gen, Taco, Mark King, Wendy's, Zers Organizations: Service, KFC, Gen, Bloomberg, Morning Locations: Singapore

☆ The world is turning on American fast food, from McDonald's to Starbucks, amid Middle East unrest
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-05 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

download the appSign up to get the inside scoop on today’s biggest stories in markets, tech, and business — delivered daily. "The most pronounced impact that we're seeing is in the Middle East and in Muslim countries like Indonesia and Malaysia," CEO Chris Kempczinski said on McDonald's earnings call on Monday. Sales in countries with significant Muslim minority populations, such as France, were also affected by the boycotts, Kempczinski said. McDonald's said it gave the Israel Defense Forces "tens of thousands" of free meals in the days after the conflict began. Advertisement"We do not expect to see meaningful improvement until there is a resolution in the Middle East," McDonald's CFO Ian Borden said during the call.

Persons: —, Chris Kempczinski, Kempczinski, McDonald's, Israel —, Domino's, Ian Borden Organizations: Service, McDonald's, Reuters, Business, Israel, Starbucks, Israel Defense Forces Locations: Gaza, Indonesia, Malaysia, France, Israel

☆ We called our son by his middle name so that he wouldn't be teased. But he came to love his unusual first name.
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Elise Seyfried | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

We gave my son an unusual first name and a common second name. After that experience, I swore I would never saddle my own kids with unusual names. He was called Alex by everyone for many years. When he returned home, he announced that he would rather not be called Alex anymore. He has fully embraced his first name for more than 20 years now, and we tend to forget he was ever called Alex.

Persons: Alex, Sheridan, —, Elise McBride, Elise, Elsie . Alas, Borden, Elsie, Sheridan —, we'd, Alexander, Sheridan Seyfried, Alex didn't, Alex Sheridan Organizations: Service, Irish Locations: Europe

☆ Domino's pizza is the latest American product facing backlash in Asia amid the Middle East turmoil, exec says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-26 | by ( Alex Bitter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Read previewDomino's Pizza is the latest American brand to face blowback as some consumers change their buying habits in light of Israel's invasion of Gaza. Domino's Pizza Enterprises, a franchisee of the US company that operates Domino's restaurants in Australia, Europe, and Asia, said same-store sales in Asia fell an estimated 8.9% in the second half of 2023. Domino's Pizza Enterprises also operates in countries including Singapore, Japan and Taiwan. Spokespeople for Domino's Pizza Enterprises and Procter & Gamble did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for additional comment. In an investor presentation last month, Unilever CEO Hein Schumacher said that some of its brands in Indonesia have been affected by "the wars in the Middle East."

Persons: —, America —, Donald Meij, Domino's, Gamble, McDonald's hasn't, Ian Borden, Borden, Hein Schumacher Organizations: Service, Business, Pizza Enterprises, Enterprises, Palestine, CNN, Israel, Procter & Gamble, Bloomberg, Starbucks, Domino's Pizza Enterprises, Procter, Reuters, Unilever Locations: Gaza, Australia, Europe, Asia, Malaysia, Singapore, Japan, Taiwan, Israel, Indonesia, Pakistan, pushback, Egypt, Jordan, London

☆ The Longer This Cake Soaks, the Better It Is
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-29 | by ( Ligaya Mishan | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Sometimes those neighbors find an unexpected connection, like a love of condensed milk: milk boiled down until it’s thick enough to cling to the spoon, with sugar added to make it last longer. Yoo first tasted the cake in elementary school in Queens, on a day students were asked to bring in a dish from their heritage. He tried different brands of Thai tea and decided that a minimalist version, with just tea, vanilla and food coloring, would be best. Yoo goes so far as to leave the cake in the refrigerator for two nights, flipping it in between. The cake is finished with whipped cream, coconut flakes toasted near gold and lime zest with its bright sting.

Persons: Yoo, ”, they’re, Gail Borden, Rachel Laudan, Nestlé, It’s Organizations: Shaker Locations: New Yorker, America, American, New York, Queens, Mexico, Nicaragua, England

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