McDonalds whining like a little bitch!

Shut the f-ck up. People worried and can't afford to buy the toxic, cheap slop they serve up underneath the golden arches? What a load of crap. In fact, if fewer people go to McDonald's...let's celebrate.

The story compares cheap fast food to a Harley or a Starbucks cup of coffee? Overpriced discretionary items. Sorry I'm not buying.

McDonald's has a warning about the economy

Clouds are gathering over McDonald's and other consumer favorites as the CEO warns of customers "grappling with uncertainty"

By Catherine Baab, Quartz Media

PublishedYesterday

McDonald’s stock price declined more than 1% on Thursday on disappointing first-quarter results, as broad economic pressures weighed on customers and kept them away.

The iconic chain’s U.S. same-store sales dropped 3.6% — a rare miss uncomfortably recalling a similar drop during the 2020 pandemic. Global comparable sales slipped 1%. Total revenue declined 3% to $5.96 billion, while earnings dipped 2% to $2.60 per share.

“Consumers today are grappling with uncertainty,” said CEO Chris Kempczinski in the earnings release, calling out macro pressures as guest counts underwhelmed – i.e., as customers skipped their Big Macs and fries. Management was careful to note that the absence of Leap Day distorted year-over-year comparisons, because when you’re the size of McDonald’s, even one fewer sales day per year makes a difference. But the broader story was one of anxious consumers.

International results were uneven. Japan and the Middle East helped McDonald’s licensed markets grow 3.5%, but U.K. consumers seemed particularly cautious, dragging down company-operated regions.

Bright spot: App proves popular to the tune of $8 billion

It wasn’t all bad news, however. One bright spot was McDonald’s digital loyalty program, which drove $8 billion in systemwide sales this quarter and more than $31 billion over the past year — proof that customer engagement remains strong, even as wallets tighten.

Those app-based deals for $1.29 any-size fries and 20% off orders over $12 are simply hard to ignore, and become all the more compelling as wallets tighten.

Earnings paint portrait of diverging fortunes

McDonald’s joins a growing list of consumer-facing brands flashing warning signs. Harley-Davidson yanked its full-year guidance Thursday, citing tariff fears. Starbucks saw shrinking margins and slowing traffic. Sysco, the largest restaurant supplier in the U.S. and UK, also missed, suggesting a burgeoning restaurant recession cutting across both the higher and lower ends of the markets. Consumer confidence just saw its sharpest drop in years.

Meanwhile on Thursday, Wall Street – a part of it, anyway — is roaring. Big Tech earnings from Microsoft and Meta have powered the Nasdaq higher, with Microsoft up 9% and Meta gaining over 6%. As investors chase AI growth and bet on hyper-scaling, the disconnect between Wall Street and Main Street looks to be growing starker. And for companies relying on middle- and lower-income, discretionary spending, the squeeze is here — and it’s showing up in the numbers.