Customers say McDonald's needs better value as sales and stock slip

Patrons of McDonald's report rising prices and a perceived lack of value, prompting some to cut back on visits as the chain’s sales slow and its shares fall.

McDonald's is facing criticism from its own customers, who say the company’s prices have risen faster than the perceived quality of its food. In a non-scientific one outlet's survey of 227 respondents, about 57% described the value they get as poor or very poor, a sentiment echoed by shoppers like Steve Armstrong, who now prefers Burger King, and Christoph Winarski, who questions the worth of a fast-food meal compared to sit-down restaurant options.

The chain’s second-quarter U.S. sales growth slowed, and its shares have dropped 9.6% this year, with CEO Chris Kempczinski attributing the dip to problems rolling out an under-$3 menu and running too many promotions simultaneously. While some customers, such as Brian Schnabel, still find specific items like the $2.99 Chicken Snack Wrap appealing, others miss past app deals and argue that only a substantial price cut would bring them back. Marketing specialist Mike Perry advised McDonald’s to drop the “value” label and instead promote meal bundles, citing success of competitors like Chili’s that focus on deal-centric offerings.