McDonald's affordable $5 meal bundle continues to be available until December
The Chicago-based fast-food giant revealed their $5 meal offer in June, initially promoted as a limited-time deal for just a month. However, the popularity of this offer led to an unexpected extension, with McDonald's confirming in July that most of their outlets would continue serving it till August.
The meal consists of a choice between a McChicken sandwich or a McDouble cheeseburger, small fries, 4-pieces of Chicken McNuggets, and a small soft drink.
Historically, McDonald's has boasted about its capability to increase menu prices without affecting sales. However, customers have become more frugal, dining out less frequently and spending less when they do. In fact, earlier this year, McDonald's reported lower-than-anticipated sales at their US outlets. CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged this trend, mentioning that "eating at home has become more cost-effective."
Similarly, Starbucks, Burger King, and Wendy's have reported a decrease in foot traffic and have responded by attracting customers with equally priced, low-cost meal deals.
Joe Erlinger, President of McDonald's USA, stated, "Together with our franchisees, we're dedicated to maintaining our prices as budget-friendly as possible, which is why we're doubling down on more savings opportunities."
McDonald's also announced a series of fall deals, including $0.50 Double Cheeseburgers for National Cheeseburger Day on September 18 and a $2 McCrispy sandwich for National Fried Chicken Sandwich Day on November 9.
CNN's Jordan Valinsky contributed to this report.
The business strategy of maintaining affordable prices to attract customers is a Response by McDonald's to the trend of customers dining out less and spending less. Due to the success of their $5 meal offer, McDonald's decided to extend its availability beyond the initial limited-time period.
