Latest news with #McDonalds
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Business
- Irish Times
McDonald's Irish investments jump in value amid climb in profits
Profits at McDonald's Irish franchise operator jumped 17 per cent jump last year as it reported a more than fivefold increase in the value of its Irish investments under construction. New accounts for McDonald's Restaurants of Ireland, the burger chain's main Irish entity, also reveal the company declined to pay a dividend to its UK parent despite climbing profits. McDonald's had 95 franchised restaurants in the Republic last year, according to the accounts. The company does not directly operate any outlets here since it franchised out its last remaining owner-operated restaurant at Dublin Airport in 2022. The Irish entity reported that it had almost €23.2 million worth of assets under construction in the Republic at the end of last year, up from €4.3 million in 2023. READ MORE The more than 400 per cent uplift comes after McDonald's announced plans in August 2024 to invest €1.2 billion and open more than 200 new restaurants in the Republic and the UK over the next four years. At the time, the New York-listed group declined to specify its plans for the Republic, insisting only that the new restaurants would be tailored to meet 'the needs of the community'. 'The plans will also see a renewed focus on opening high street restaurants, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to supporting successful high streets across the country as town and city centres continue to evolve and respond to a variety of challenges,' the company said at the time. The latest filings also show that, having paid a dividend of €51 million in 2023 and €25 million the year before that, the Irish business did not make any dividend payment to its immediate parent company, a UK-registered entity, last year despite rising profits. McDonald's Restaurants of Ireland reported a 17 per cent jump in before-tax profits to €42.4 million last year even as revenues fell 1 per cent to €84.4 million. In a note attached to the accounts, the directors of the Irish company said administrative expenses were €8.5 million lower due to site closure costs and technology costs incurred in 2023. The Irish business has shareholder funds in excess of €114 million. Last month, the burger group's ultimate parent in the US posted its biggest drop in US sales since the height of the Covid-19 pandemic in the three months to the end of March. McDonald's chief executive Chris Kempczinski said at the time that US consumers were 'grappling with uncertainty' in the early part of 2025, adding that 'geopolitical tensions added to the uncertainty and dampened consumer sentiment more than we expected'.
The Sun
an hour ago
- Business
- The Sun
McDonald's customers left fuming ‘tell me this is a joke' after fast food chain quietly axes beloved menu item
MCDONALD'S fans have been left devastated after the chain stopped selling a popular menu item. The fast food chain has confirmed that it no longer sells the popular Triple Cheeseburger. The burger first appeared on menus in 2020 and followed the successful trial of the Triple-Decker Sandwich. It was made with three British and Irish beef patties, onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard and cheese. McDonald's confirmed to The Sun that it had been dropped in order to make room for new menu items. A spokesperson said: 'We're always evolving our menu with our customers in mind to keep things fresh and exciting.' Fast food fans have taken to social media to voice their frustration at the loss of the iconic burger. One fan said in a post on social media website X: 'mcdonalds getting rid of the Triple Cheeseburger in the UK may be the worst news i've had all week.' Another added: 'Taking the Triple Cheeseburger off the menu is my last straw - done with mcds.' While a third asked: 'McDonaldsUK Why have you removed the Triple Cheeseburger from the menu? You take that away and instead bring in that way overpriced Big Arch thing.' Others took to Facebook to share their disappointment. One disappointed customer said: 'Tell me this is a joke.' While another agreed, adding: 'Give over no they haven't.' A post on the McDonald's website apologises to customers, adding: 'Sorry it's gone, but not forgotten.' McDonald's often switches up its menu to add new burgers, desserts and sides while removing items that are no longer popular. How to save at McDonald's You could end up being charged more for a McDonald's meal based solely on the McDonald's restaurant you choose. Research by The Sun found a Big Mac meal can be up to 30% cheaper at restaurants just two miles apart from each other. You can pick up a Big Mac and fries for just £2.99 at any time by filling in a feedback survey found on McDonald's receipts. The receipt should come with a 12-digit code which you can enter into the Food for Thought website alongside your submitted survey. You'll then receive a five-digit code which is your voucher for the £2.99 offer. There are some deals and offers you can only get if you have the My McDonald's app, so it's worth signing up to get money off your meals. The MyMcDonald's app can be downloaded on iPhone and Android phones and is quick to set up. You can also bag freebies and discounts on your birthday if you're a My McDonald's app user. The chain has recently sent out reminders to app users to fill out their birthday details - otherwise they could miss out on birthday treats. This week the home of the golden arches launched five new menu items, including the launch of an iconic burger. The Big Arch made its debut on the fast food chain's menu on June 18. Several other items also rejoined the menu, to the delight of fast food fans. Among the items returning to menus were Halloumi Fries, the Toffee Crisp McFlurry, Cheesy McCrispy and Toffee Apple Pie. What other items have been discontinued? McDonald's axed several items this week to make way for the new menu offering. Among them were the Cheesy Garlic Bread Dippers, Lotus Biscoff McFlurry, Steakhouse Stack and McSpicy x Frank's RedHot. The menu update comes after the fast food chain discontinued the Chicken Bacon Caesar Wrap last month. McDonald's said it was part of a 'rotation' of its wrap offering. The wrap, which combined chicken breast strips, crispy onions, rashers of bacon and lettuce, was first launched in summer 2023. 3 3 Why are products axed or recipes changed? ANALYSIS by chief consumer reporter James Flanders. Food and drinks makers have been known to tweak their recipes or axe items altogether. They often say that this is down to the changing tastes of customers. There are several reasons why this could be done. For example, government regulation, like the "sugar tax," forces firms to change their recipes. Some manufacturers might choose to tweak ingredients to cut costs. They may opt for a cheaper alternative, especially when costs are rising to keep prices stable. For example, Tango Cherry disappeared from shelves in 2018. It has recently returned after six years away but as a sugar-free version. Fanta removed sweetener from its sugar-free alternative earlier this year. Suntory tweaked the flavour of its flagship Lucozade Original and Orange energy drinks. While the amount of sugar in every bottle remains unchanged, the supplier swapped out the sweetener aspartame for sucralose.
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kelsea Ballerini doesn't want exercise to be a 'punishment'
Kelsea Ballerini doesn't want exercise to "feel like a punishment". The 31-year-old singer's favourite way of keeping in shape is to go for a good long walk, but she also takes regular Pilates classes because she "doesn't hate" doing it as much as other formers of keeping fit. She told People magazine about her fitness routine: "For me, it's walks. Walking is so good for you. It also makes you get fresh air and some good sunshine, and that's so good for your mental health. "I'm a Pilates girly. That for me has been my tried and true the last five years because I don't hate doing it, and I don't want working out to feel like a punishment." When it comes to her diet, Kelsea follows an "80/20 rule". She explained: "So 80% of the time I'm really healthy, 20 per cent of the time catch me at McDonald's. "My favourite thing to cook — I've been upping my protein a lot recently just because I didn't realise how much protein we're supposed to have as women— and I cook a really good chimichurri steak ... that is my go-to. "I'll do it a couple of times a week. I have some in the fridge downstairs ready to go." The Cowboys Cry Too singer loves an occasional treat meal from McDonalds, which she believes is a throwback to her childhood. She said: "As a kid, I was such a picky eater, and my parents joke with me, like, 'All you would eat were waffles and chicken nuggets.' So I think it's just probably my inner child craving it still." As she gets older, Kelsea's attitude to fitness has changed with her desire to be "360 healthy". She said: "I think especially in my early twenties and mid-twenties, the idea of fitness was very much only aesthetically driven, and that was my goal. "The older I've gotten, [the more] mentally healthier I've gotten as well... "I want to be mentally healthy. I want to be physically healthy, emotionally healthy, and I want to be able to sustain the life and the career that I've been lucky enough to build for myself... "It's the most important thing to me now, honestly."
Forbes
12 hours ago
- Business
- Forbes
The Real Reason Target Is Failing While Walmart Prospers
The Real Reason Target is Failing While Walmart Prospers The history of modern retail is often the history of the people who founded the companies that became household names. As such, you might say that many legendary, successful brands have souls or a set of basic principles that somehow outlast their founders. It also follows that there is often a price to pay when companies lose or sell their souls or stray from their principles. For example, Ray Kroc gets credit for growing McDonald's into a global phenomenon but it was the founders—McDonald brothers Richard and Maurice—who came up with the Golden Arches design and whose obsession with operational efficiency remains the North Star of the company's management today. When McDonald's tried to introduce salads and gourmet sandwiches in the early 2000s, customers balked and the stock price cratered. It took three years of getting back to its principles for the price to recover. Target, the struggling discount department store, is the latest example of a brand that has lost its soul. The principal behind the 1962 launch was co-founder Douglas Dayton, grandson of the founder of Dayton's, a popular up-scale chain of department stores in the Midwest. Target began as a discount store that aimed to 'combine the best of the fashion world with the best of the discount world.' The logo represented 'hitting the mark'—the quality/value sweet spot. The approach worked so well that by the 1990s customers had conferred on it the Frenchified sobriquet 'Tar-jay' which, according to one industry observer, signaled, 'It's cheap but attractive, it's common but somehow chic, it feels easy and guilt-free.' In 1995, to compete with Walmart's growing fleet of supercenters, Target began adding grocery sections to its big box stores. The case could be made that it was the moment the company began to stray from its roots. Target had no DNA in the food business. Grocery stores operate on the thinnest of margins and chic or attractive has nothing to do with marketing commodities like eggs and bread. Target was trying to be Walmart and Target at the same time. Walmart—also launched in 1962—began as a general merchandise discount store in rural Arkansas, at the time possibly the least-chic place in America. The company's motto: "Everyday Low Prices,' or 'Always.' The first Walmart Supercenter opened in 1988 and included the now-ubiquitous full-scale grocery section. Walmart, which is today still significantly owned by descendants of founder Sam Walton, did not try to be Target by, for example, up-scaling its general merchandise. Instead, it built its grocery business into a juggernaut of sales—nearly 60% of its 2025 revenue of $681 billion. Although general merchandise is where Walmart generates the bulk of its profits, the grocery aisles drive foot traffic. Examples of consumer-facing companies that have lost their way abound. As we noted last year, Starbucks founder Howard Schultz came out of retirement twice—in 2008 and again in 2022—to rescue the company after it had drifted away from its community-centric marketing and store culture. You also don't have to look far to find examples of companies that have managed to nurture a good idea or business model for the long term. In many cases, what helps sustain a brand are significant shareholders who are members of the founding family, as in the case of Walmart. Target shares are widely-held, mostly by institutional investors, and there apparently are no Dayton descendants around to influence how the company is run who keep it true to its heritage.
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Can Crocs Defy the Footwear Slowdown With Innovation & Brand Heat?
As the global footwear industry navigates a slowdown, Crocs Inc. CROX continues to stand out with its unique brand identity and cultural relevance. Rather than leaning on heavy discounting, Crocs is fueling momentum through bold brand collaborations and headline-grabbing partnerships that keep it top of mind with Gen Z and fashion-forward of the recent partnerships include a Bath & Body Works collection featuring the Classic Clog and cozy sandal with mystery scent Jibbitz charms, as well as collaborations with Batman, Squishmallow and McDonald's Happy Meal. Crocs is also driving momentum with innovations like the Echo and in-motion franchises, and upcoming launches such as the Echo Wave, Molded Mule and Echo Search, all priced under $100, to attract budget-conscious yet style-savvy consumers. The debut of Pet Crocs, designed with BARK, appears encouraging. These efforts have helped position the brand as more than just a casual comfort option, transforming Crocs into a fashion statement with premium the heart of its strategy is a steady stream of product innovation. Crocs continues to evolve its core silhouettes with new materials, seasonal collections and proprietary comfort technology. Limited-edition drops and high-demand styles create urgency and buzz, reinforcing brand heat while supporting higher price points. This approach allows Crocs to defend margins and maintain relevance even as competitors struggle with demand there are certain risks. Weaker consumer spending and rising input costs can test Crocs' pricing power, and overreliance on collaborations may lead to brand fatigue. Still, with a strong DTC engine, global supply flexibility and a playbook rooted in disruption and reinvention, Crocs appears well-equipped to outpace the broader footwear slump and turn volatility into opportunity. Based on its focus on collaborations and innovation, Crocs' key competitors include NIKE Inc. NKE, adidas AG ADDYY and Foot Locker Inc. FL, all of which are also leveraging brand partnerships and product evolution to capture consumer is reigniting brand momentum through a focus on performance innovation and high-impact collaborations, echoing Crocs' strategy of blending function with cultural relevance. Launches like the Pegasus Premium and events like NBA All-Star Weekend keep the energy high around the NKE brand. Additionally, NIKE uses storytelling and limited drops, such as the upcoming Nike x SKIMS, to boost demand. It is also refining digital and retail channels to support full-price both CROX and NKE brands lean on innovation, NIKE's global scale and sports heritage give it a broader competitive is advancing its innovation-led strategy through a blend of performance-driven design and high-impact collaborations aimed at engaging younger, style-conscious consumers, an approach that closely parallels Crocs. Recent launches, like the F50 cleats for female athletes and collections with designers such as Wales Bonner and Pharrell Williams, showcase its ability to blend function with fashion. This mirrors Crocs' approach of using limited-edition drops and creative partnerships to stay culturally relevant and expand its customer CROX and ADDYY are focused on digital growth, direct-to-consumer expansion and sustainability, underscoring a shared playbook for capturing demand in a fast-evolving footwear Locker is advancing its strategy through store upgrades, exclusive brand collaborations, and digital enhancements, closely aligning with Crocs' innovation-led, hype-driven model. The 'Lace Up' initiative is transforming FL's stores into immersive retail spaces aimed at younger consumers. Collaborations with brands like adidas and PUMA fuel product excitement. Foot Locker is also investing in app upgrades and loyalty programs to deepen engagement and drive repeat traffic. Its focus on cultural relevance, convenience and agility positions it to better connect with trend-savvy, next-gen shoppers. CROX shares have lost 8.6% year to date compared with the industry's decline of 27.2%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation standpoint, Crocs trades at a forward price-to-earnings ratio of 7.62X, significantly lower than the industry's 11.12X. It carries a Value Score of B. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for CROX's 2025 earnings implies a year-over-year decline of 2.1%, whereas its 2026 earnings estimates indicate growth of 4.2%. EPS estimates for 2025 and 2026 have been unchanged in the past 30 days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Crocs currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report NIKE, Inc. (NKE) : Free Stock Analysis Report Foot Locker, Inc. (FL) : Free Stock Analysis Report Crocs, Inc. (CROX) : Free Stock Analysis Report Adidas AG (ADDYY) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
