Background
McDonald's serves a huge number of customers, but for decades most of them were anonymous. The company set out to build a direct digital relationship through its app and a loyalty program, which launched in the U.S. in 2021.
The challenge
With anonymous customers, McDonald's couldn't reward frequent visits or tailor deals, and it was competing with delivery apps for attention.
What they built
- Launched a rewards program built into the McDonald's app
- Added mobile ordering, deals and delivery in the same app
- Used points and personalised offers to drive repeat visits
- Rolled the program out across dozens of markets worldwide
- Set clear digital targets and measured them every quarter
The results
By the end of 2024, McDonald's had more than 170 million 90-day active loyalty users. Loyalty members accounted for about $30 billion in systemwide sales that year, up around 30%. The company is targeting 250 million active users and $45 billion in loyalty sales by the end of 2027.
Sources
- Restaurant Dive: McDonald's loyalty program and 2027 targets ↗
- McDonald's fourth quarter and full year 2024 results ↗
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