McDonald's Tests Ads — or 'Post-Purchase Content' — for Other Brands on Menu Screens After You Place Your Order

McDonald's is experimenting with showing advertisements from other companies on its digital menu screens after customers place their orders. This move, reported by Bloomberg, intends to generate additional revenue for the fast-food chain, which operates 13,700 restaurants across the United States. The company aims to make the most of the time between order placement and meal delivery, which can range from a few seconds to several minutes.

A McDonald's spokesperson explained that the pilot program, currently limited to select company-owned locations, seeks to present customers with post-purchase content that is potentially useful, relevant, or engaging. Despite McDonald's extensive reach - with 26 million Americans purchasing food from the restaurant daily and reaching nearly 90% of the country's population annually - the company is experiencing slower sales growth and rising costs.

To address these challenges, the fast-food giant intends to renovate its restaurants, enhancing the quality of food and customer service. Public reactions to the ad test have been varied. Some view it as an attempt by McDonald's to cut costs rather than improve customer experience, while others express concern over the potential for increased advertising bombardment. The company has not yet decided whether to roll out the ad test to all stores nationwide.