USA, September 5, 2012 (Forbes): McDonald’s plans to open vegetarian outlets in two holy cities in India. Why is the company that perfected burger flipping delving into the likes of McVeggie, McAloo Tikki and McSpicy Paneer, after more than 16 years in India? Here’s one possibility — global comparable sales were flat in July. The U.S. was down 0.1%, Europe was down 0.6%, and Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa were down 1.5%.
In the release announcing July’s disappointing figures, chief Don Thompson said he had three global priorities: optimize the menu, modernize the experience, and broaden accessibility to the brand. McDonald’s has just 271 stores in India, according to the Financial Times. That leaves plenty of room to grow.