McDonald’s is among the brands often cited as an example of a stable business, yet maintaining that position requires talking about change. The plan called McDonald’s NEXT is intended to bring a more modern operating model to its global restaurants. This concerns not only the visual appearance but also a more efficient ordering system, better utilization of employees, and consequently an improved customer experience. Although it consists only of a series of smaller adjustments, the concept will replace the current one, Accelerating the Arches, which was introduced 6 years ago. The reasons are simple: rising prices and cautious consumers. This is also highlighted by a UBS Evidence survey, which showed that while 55% of consumers considered the restaurant a good value in 2020, that figure fell to 40% in 2024 and has remained there to this day. In the digital age, the company also wants to focus on social media, and in order to provide customers with an adequate balance of price and quality, it plans to offer higher-quality products, particularly those containing chicken. According to Yahoo Finance, the company aims to create a model capable of operating regardless of economic conditions. More information, together with financial expectations, will be presented in the autumn of this year.
The China Exception
There is one market attracting attention today, although not always for positive reasons, and that is China. Several companies, including Starbucks and Nike, have reported weaker demand due to strong local competition and changing consumer behaviour. McDonald’s has approached the situation from the opposite direction and plans to increase its number of restaurants to 10,000 by the end of 2028. This would represent an increase from the 7,700 locations reported at the end of last year. It is therefore an ambitious target that highlights the importance of China in the company’s long-term strategy. Management believes that the market’s potential is far from exhausted and, as CNBC reports, is also seeking to capitalize on nostalgia for iconic products such as the classic vanilla milkshake, which recently sparked a craze in the country. Moreover, while customer traffic is declining in America, revenue in the Asian market grew by more than 3% year-over-year in the first quarter of 2026. This figure also includes the Japanese market. China is one of McDonald's largest markets, and the company sees room for expansion especially outside the largest metropolitan areas, where it can continue building its network.
Strong Results, Weaker Outlook
In terms of the company’s overall financial health, the first quarter of 2026 delivered results that exceeded expectations. Revenue of USD 6.52 billion and earnings per share of USD 2.83 were higher than the USD 6.47 billion in revenue and USD 2.74 earnings per share estimated by LSEG analysts. Revenue increased by 9% year-over-year, while net income reached just under USD 2 billion, compared with USD 1.87 billion in the same period last year. As for comparable-store sales, they rose by 3.9% in the United States, thanks to promotions tied to movies and the oversized Big Arch burger. The outlook for the coming period brought a degree of caution, as McDonald’s announced weaker revenue expectations. Looking at the company’s stock performance on the NYSE, shares were up by more than 18% as of June 3, 2026, from a long-term five-year perspective. Shorter time periods are less positive. Over the past year, the stock lost 11.5% of its value, while it declined 9.5% since the beginning of this year alone, further highlighting market weakness. As of the same date, McDonald’s shares were trading at USD 276.36.*
Source: Google Finance*
Football as a Marketing Investment
Expansion and modernization are one part of the story; marketing is the other. McDonald’s has long leveraged major sporting events to its advantage, and this year’s FIFA World Cup will be no exception. The company has introduced a special Happy Meal edition linked to the tournament. At first glance, the new product may appear to be a standard marketing move, but in reality, Happy Meal has remained the most popular children's menu among fast-food chains for many years. The countries where the special editions will be available have not yet been announced, but it is known that each Happy Meal should contain a plush toy dressed in a football jersey. In addition, such campaigns often attract adult customers who create content on social media, and FIFA 2026 is an ideal opportunity given its global reach.
* Past performance is not a guarantee of future results.
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