Health-Conscious Millennials Responsible for Demise of the Big Mac

This year, Drovers, a meat-focussed publication, discussed the decrease in interest toward McDonalds’ iconic Big Mac.

Journalist Dan Murphy states that millennials are to blame. He explains that the Big Mac burger is no longer an object of desire for young people, and is “becoming at best irrelevant”. In fact, research revealed that only 1 in 5 millennials had tried a Big Mac.

In 2016, McDonald’s made $24.6 billion. This has decreased notably over recent years; in 2013 the company had made $28.1 billion meaning the business saw a drop of $3.5 billion in real terms.

These downfalls are arguably connected to low customer satisfaction. Last year, the chain received a customer satisfaction index score of just 69 out of 100. Compared to its competitors, this was the lowest rating by a considerable amount.

According to another Drovers article, McDonald’s have been testing new food strategies in an attempt to restore popularity and “reverse four straight years of traffic declines”.

But the likelihood of these succeeding is questionable. More consumers are turning away from meat and dairy products in previous years, while trends in vegan eating are expected to surge.

A financial news publication attributes the decline of McDonalds’ sales to an influx of exposing health documentaries over recent years, claiming that the “health-conscious consumer is rising”.

Similarly, Drovers’ journalist Murphy stated: “The coveted younger demographic of consumers increasingly gravitates to a plethora of healthier menu choices, ethnic options, and vegetarian alternatives”. 

Pizza Hut was recently praised for adding dairy-free cheese to their menu. And while more businesses (like Trader Joes and Starbucks) are adding vegan items to their menus, it is becoming clear that the future is more plant-based than ever.