McDonald's To Expand Nordic Business With New Restaurants, Home Delivery

By Dave Simpson
McDonald's To Expand Nordic Business With New Restaurants, Home Delivery

McDonald's plans to open 200 restaurants in the Nordic region over the next 10 years and begin home deliveries this year, as it strives to win back fast food customers.

The moves are part of a turnaround drive led by chief executive Steve Easterbrook, who is aiming to recapture market share from rivals ranging from Yum Brands Inc's Taco Bell to Dunkin' Brands Group Inc.

McDonald's, which in January reported its highest sales growth in six years, currently serves 150 million customers a year in Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland from approximately 430 restaurants in the region.

Starting in May, the fast food chain will begin home delivery in Sweden and Finland, followed by Denmark and Norway in the second half of the year. Elsewhere in Europe, the company already offers home delivery in Britain, Germany and the Netherlands among other countries.

"I think it's about being where consumers want to meet us," McDonald's Nordic Group CEO Christer Aberg said in an interview.

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The expansion will create 5,000 jobs in the region, the company said.

Last year, McDonald's sales in the Nordic region grew 5% to €1.2 billion.

McDonald's in the Nordics operates under a development licence owned by British investor Guy Hands, who bought the rights to its Nordic operations in January 2017.

News by Reuters, edited by Hospitality Ireland. Click subscribe to sign up for the Hospitality Ireland print edition.