Netizens Angry Over Price Hike at McDonald's China: "Improve Quality Too"

As news spread that McDonald's China would raise prices on most burger and snack products, netizens reacted by demanding quality improvements. Some shifted their attention to patriotic consumption, saying, "There are many good Chinese brands as well."

On the 26th, according to China's state-run Global Times (GT), the topic "McDonald's price increase" ranked first on the trending list on the Chinese social networking platform Weibo. Earlier, some media outlets reported that McDonald's plans to raise prices on about 90% of its burgers and snack products in China by 0.5 yuan (approximately 91 won) starting from the 27th. The price of McCombo meals will increase by 1 yuan. McDonald's explained, "Prices of some items and combos will be adjusted," adding that "this is part of regular price adjustments considering operating costs."

[Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

Some consumers expressed their opinions online that food quality improvements should accompany the price hikes. Some argued, "There is no need to be fixated on a specific brand," and "There are many successful domestic brands. The key is affordability." Another consumer posted, "I was indifferent to rising housing prices and oil prices, but McDonald's price increase really hurts," GT reported.

According to the third-quarter earnings announced at the end of October, McDonald's recorded sales of $6.692 billion and a net profit of $2.317 billion during this period, representing increases of 14% and 17% respectively compared to the previous year.

As of the first half of this year, McDonald's has over 5,400 stores in China, more than doubling since 2017. About half of these are located in third- and fourth-tier cities in China. Earlier this year, McDonald's announced plans to open a new store every 10 hours in China.