The strategies: McDonald’s and Starbucks are refocusing on their core strengths and rethinking the look and feel of their in-store experiences to turn their companies’ fortunes around.
- McDonald’s is focusing on speed and convenience as it rolls out a new US store format that pushes most customers to place their orders via digital kiosks, per Bloomberg. The kiosks aim to shorten ordering times and improve order accuracy. The devices also reduce the restaurants’ reliance on cashiers so staff can complete tasks like bringing food to customers who request table service.
- New Starbucks CEO Brian Niccol aims to reestablish Starbucks’ stores as “the community coffeehouse” by ensuring they offer “inviting places to linger, with comfortable seating [and] thoughtful design,” he wrote in an open letter. He also wants to speed up service during the morning rush.