UNHAPPY MEALS

As McDonald's announces its first fall in sales since 2020, Kate Ng wonders if the golden arches are losing their shine

A trip to McDonald's used to be the most exciting thing that could happen to you. The long, stretching expanse of childhood would be set aglow by those brightly coloured chairs and walls; the blinding, traffic light red of ketchup; the tingle of too much salt; the tantalising new toy waiting to be ripped out of its tiny plastic bag.

If you got invited to a birthday party at McDonald’s, it was like being invited to the Met Gala, if the Met Gala involved giggling, screaming children running around the indoor playground and an appearance by Ronald McDonald. My parents only took me as a rare treat – they weren’t keen on how unhealthy chicken nuggets and fries were, or on the idea of letting us have our way too often – but this only added to its allure.

Even as a teenager and in my early twenties, McDonald’s still held a special place in my heart. It is, after all, the world’s most famous fast food joint, having been a constant presence since 1940. The brightly lit stores, many of which stay open 24/7, became beacons – either as conveniently cheap places to meet friends and talk for hours, or reliable late night spots to feed drunken, hungry bellies. I had always looked upon those golden arches with fondness – but not so much anymore. This year, I’ve only been to McDonald’s once.

It’s not just me. In July, McDonald’s shared that its sales had fallen by one per cent worldwide across every company segment from April to June. It might not sound like a lot, but this marks the first decline in sales that the fast food behemoth has seen since the final quarter of 2020. Back then, they could blame the pandemic for forcing them to close their doors. Now, a decline of just one per cent in sales has led to the company’s net income falling by 12 per cent to $2bn (£1.55m).