Improving service, innovating quickly and consistently, and staying “customer-centric” are the key priorities for McDonald’s amid the recession, according to the fast-food giant’s top executive.

“The downturn we’re in cannot be an excuse for sitting still,” McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner said at a Boston College Chief Executives’ Club of Boston luncheon.

McDonald’s, which services 58 million customers every day, just reported its 26th consecutive quarter of positive same-store sales.

Skinner pointed to McDonald’s touch-screen kiosks in Europe, home delivery in Asia and the rollout of its specialty coffee program as examples of its innovation.

Though the fast-food chain has been taking market share from its competitors, customers continue to be in retreat mode and are demanding more, even as they cut back on spending, Skinner said.

McDonald’s caters to their varying tastes by serving shrimp in Japan, beer in Germany, wine in France and Spam in Hawaii - which has the highest per capita consumption of Spam, according to the CEO. “They love it, and we serve it,” he said.

New products being tested by McDonald’s include the Big Mac Wrap (a Big Mac in a flour tortilla), frappes and smoothies.

Source: BostonHerald.com
By Donna Goodison
Wednesday, October 28, 2009