McDonald’s has drawn attention to itself in recent years with its refusal to pay a decent wage and the poor quality of its food, which has played a role in the obesity epidemic.
With a steady loss in sales, the company has decided to close a few hundred stores by 2016. Currently, 350 stores have been closed with another 350 due to exit in the near future.
The first quarter of 2015 has not been kind to McDonalds. The company saw a 30 percent dip in profits and an 11 percent drop in overall sales, which led to the mass store closures in the USA, China and Japan.
While Kevin Ozan, the CFO of McDonald’s, blames forced wage increases for the troubles, it is more likely due to catering to low-income customers with the Dollar Menu, which has led to an inability to sell a new $5 burger to the more affluent crowd. A recent survey conducted by the National Restaurant News placed McDonald’s near the bottom of the barrel in customer service and food quality.
In addition, McDonald’s has not followed the lead of other fast-food chains that offer healthy alternatives to customers. This has added to its burden as people make more careful choices when eating out.