As someone who has never tasted a hamburger (or any other menu item, for that matter) at McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's or any other chain, the battle for fast food market share should be meaningless to me. However, considering that I find the business world to be endlessly entertaining, I was fascinated to learn that there has been a change near the top of the U.S. fast food rankings.
According to recently released data, Wendy's has now overtaken Burger King as the #2 hamburger chain in the country, with $8.5 billion in sales at its 5,900 U.S. locations in 2011. Burger King generated $8.4 billion in revenues at its 7,200 locations in the U.S.
Of course, both chains remain distantly behind McDonald's, which cranked out $34 billion in sales at its 14,098 locations in the U.S.
On a per-store basis, McDonald's generated $2.4 million in sales per store, Wendy's $1.4 million and Burger King $1.2 million. I would never have guessed that McDonald's generates twice as much revenue per location than does Burger King.
Again, while I don't have a horse (or horse meat) in this race, I find this to be a stunning development. In my (outsider's) view of the world of Big Burger, it was always Mickey D's and the King slugging it out for superiority. Wendy's was their pesky little sister.
It will be interesting to see whether or not Burger King takes its loss of the #2 spot lying down. The company has a significant presence outside of the U.S., unlike Wendy's, and perhaps the U.S. market doesn't mean as much to their management anymore. Still, you'd have to think that they will do what they can to regain their place in the standings. Maybe, this will shake things up a bit, and the industry will take a page from the disposable razor industry's playbook.
Perhaps, in order to combat Dave's Hot & Juicy Triple Burger (1,060 calories, 67 grams of fat), currently offered by Wendy's, Burger King will introduce a Quadruple Whopper.
If that happens, it will only be a matter of time before we witness a hamburger sandwich with FIVE patties, as the meat race scales absurd new heights.
Just the prospect of such a menu item makes me excited, more than a little bit frightened, and upon reflection, completely indifferent.
2 comments:
i just have to ask...what page are you referring to from the disposable razor industry?
In the disposable razor industry, companies continually upped the ante by adding another blade. At first, a double blade was the standard. Then, a triple blade was introduced, followed shortly thereafter by a quadruple blade. I'm not certain, but it's possible that someone has come out with a five-blade razor. It seems that the industry's marketing mandate is "when in doubt, add a blade."
Post a Comment