McDonald's McDrive, McCafe Sales Increased by 9% Last Year
Starbucks, 330 Stores...Order Volume Up 30% Annually
[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Hyewon] As non-face-to-face consumption increases due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, drive-thru (DT) services, where customers order and pay inside their cars, are experiencing explosive growth.
According to the food and beverage industry on the 19th, the ‘McDrive’ DT stores operated by McDonald's Korea saw a 9% increase in sales of ‘McCaf?’ menu items over the past year compared to the previous year. McCaf? refers to espresso-based drinks such as Americano, Caff? Latte, and Cappuccino.
During the same period, the proportion of customers purchasing McMorning through McDrive also exceeded 50% of total customers.
In response to the increase in DT users, McDonald's opened the first tandem DT store in Korea last October in Gwangju, Gyeonggi Province, where two vehicles can use the service simultaneously.
McDonald's, which introduced the first DT store in Korea in 1992, currently operates DT services at about 60% (around 240) of its 400 nationwide stores. The proportion of customers using McDrive increased by 23% compared to the previous year as of last year. In 2020, the number of vehicles using McDrive reached 43 million.
A McDonald's representative said, "Due to the recent spread of COVID-19 and other factors, customers' preference for non-face-to-face services has increased. To meet this demand and provide better service, we are steadily expanding DT stores. We will offer various services considering the lifestyle of domestic consumers who prefer speed and convenience."
In the case of Starbucks Korea, after opening its first DT store in Korea in 2012, the number expanded to 330 by the end of last year. This accounts for 20% of the total 1,500 stores. The number of orders at DT stores nationwide has increased by an average of 30% annually since 2019, when COVID-19 first occurred.
Starbucks' expansion of DT stores is analyzed as a strategy considering the expansion of living areas using cars due to the development of various regions such as domestic tourist spots and new towns.
Starbucks has continuously integrated various information technology (IT) services linked with its application (app) to support safe driving for drivers visiting DT stores and to facilitate vehicle inflow by shortening vehicle dwell time. In particular, it has introduced the ‘My DT Pass’ service, which automatically pays with a pre-registered Starbucks card without presenting a separate payment method by linking customer vehicle information. When a registered vehicle enters the DT zone, automatic license plate recognition allows staff to recognize customer information in advance, and automatic payment is possible through the registered Starbucks card.
Paul Bassett operates DT services at 5 out of its 110 stores nationwide. The average sales of DT stores are higher than those of regular stores, and especially the Jeju store has become the top-selling store nationwide thanks to the operation of DT services.
An industry official said, "DT stores can attract new customers who visit from long distances by car even in commercial areas with almost no foot traffic, creating demand. Since the spread of COVID-19, the number of customers preferring non-face-to-face consumption has greatly increased, and brands that have proactively expanded DT stores are generating profits."
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