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BUSINESS Tuesday 10 November 2020
Updated menu, celeb collaborations, pump McDonald's sales

By DEE-ANN DURBIN McDonald's cut menu
AP Business Writer items, including all-day
McDonald's U.S. sales breakfast, to make it easier
roared back in the third and faster to fill orders dur-
quarter with new menu ing the pandemic. Even as
items and attention-grab- sales improve, the compa-
bing celebrity collabora- ny said, it wants to be care-
tions. ful about how much com-
And the burger giant says plexity it's adding. It also
more is coming. In a vir- plans to emphasize its core
tual meeting for inves- products — beef, chicken
tors Monday, McDonald's and fries — which make up
said a much-anticipated 70% of its sales.
crispy chicken sandwich "We're going to be thought-
with pickles — an answer ful and judicious as we add
to competitors like Pop- back to our menu," said
eye's and Chick-fil-A — will Joe Erlinger, McDonald's
go on sale in the U.S. early U.S. president.
next year. The company The new chicken sandwich,
also plans to test McPlant, for example, will replace a
a plant-based burger, next smaller, less popular one.
year. And meal promotions with
McDonald's wouldn't say This June 25, 2019 file photo shows the sign outside a McDonald's restaurant in Pittsburgh. celebrities like Scott — and,
who might supply the plant- Associated Press more recently, Colombian
based burger. McDonald's singer J Blevin — feature
tested pea protein-based outside the U.S. Globally, Monday in a conference cy. It's also testing express core items that have been
patties from California- same-store sales fell 2.2% call with investors. drive-thru lanes for mobile on McDonald's menu for
based Beyond Meat at Ca- between July and Sep- Infections in the U.S. have order pickups. decades.
nadian restaurants earlier tember. Sales increases in now begun to surge as well. McDonald's said digital or- The $6 Scott meal, for ex-
this year, but it ended the Japan and Australia were But 95% of U.S. McDonald's dering — through mobile ample, includes a Quarter
trial in April. offset by declines in China, have drive-thru windows, orders, in-store kiosks and Pounder, fries and a Sprite.
With new choices like spicy Europe and Latin America. which has allowed restau- delivery — is expected to The meal promotion with
chicken nuggets and a Still, that was significantly rants to continue to oper- make up 20% of system- Scott, introduced in Sep-
meal deal promotion with better than the 24% drop ate even though less than wide sales this year, or tember, was the first time
rapper Travis Scott, Mc- the company saw in the 20% have opened their din- more than $10 billion. The McDonald's featured a ce-
Donald's exceeded most second quarter. ing rooms. Globally, only company hopes to build lebrity's name on its menu
projections for the third McDonald's warned that 65% of McDonald's have on that with a new app, since a Michael Jordan-
quarter. a resurgence of corona- drive-thru windows. MyMcDonald's, which will branded meal deal in 1992.
McDonald's same-store virus cases in key markets Mason Smoot, McDonald's be launched in six markets McDonald's also got a lift
sales — or sales at loca- like France, Germany and chief U.S. restaurant officer, by the end of 2021. from the September intro-
tions open at least a year the United Kingdom could said drive-thru represents The app will let customers duction of spicy McNug-
— jumped 4.6% in the U.S. force dining room closures around 70% of McDonald's participate in a new loyalty gets. It was the first time the
Customer traffic fell, but and other restrictions. sales in its top markets, and program and get targeted company had introduced
when diners came, they "We're pleased with our re- the vast majority of new dining offers. It's designed a new flavor since McNug-
spent more on larger group covery to date, but we also restaurants McDonald's is to make it easier to order, gets debuted in 1983.
orders. Dinner was particu- understand there inevitably building will have drive-thru whether for carryout or de- Third quarter net income
larly strong, McDonald's will be more starts and stops windows. Smoot said the livery. Around 28,000 Mc- rose 10% to $1.8 billion.
said, but other times of day with the virus resurgences," company is testing auto- Donald's restaurants world- Earnings, adjusted for one-
were elevated as well. McDonald's Chief Finan- matic order taking at drive- wide now offer delivery, time items, were $2.22 per
It wasn't the same story cial Officer Kevin Ozan said thrus to improve accura- the company said. share.q

GM to add 3,000 tech jobs to develop vehicles and software

DETROIT (AP) — General wants to increase diversity The jobs will support add-
Motors says it will hire 3,000 with the new hires to build ing electrical capacity to
more technical workers by on its existing software ex- support vehicle safety, info-
early next year to help with pertise. tainment and connectivity,
virtual product testing and Spokesman Stuart Fowle connectivity innovations
to develop software as a says most of the jobs will be as well as over-the-internet
service. at GM's Technical Center in vehicle software updates.
The automaker says it will the Detroit suburb of War- GM CEO Mary Barra has
offer more remote work ren, Michigan. Others will promised an " all-electric
opportunities to develop be at GM data and tech- future," with 20 electric
electric and autonomous nical centers in Phoenix; models that it plans to sell
vehicles. Austin, Texas; Oshawa, On- worldwide by 2023. The
GM wants to hire electrical tario; and Atlanta. He says company says one of those
system and infotainment 500 to 1,000 will be remote will be an SUV based on the
software engineers as well workers. Chevrolet Bolt electric ve-
as developers for Java, An- The company says the jobs hicle, with production start- This Jan. 27, 2020 file photo shows the General Motors logo in
droid, iOS and other plat- will be filled before March ing next summer.q Hamtramck, Mich.
forms. The company says it 30. Associated Press