Sometimes, the “value menu” is anything but.
Eating at a fast-food restaurant for a few bucks may be a thing of the past for most Americans in an era of rising food costs — but higher prices haven’t deterred the most popular burger purveyors and taco vendors instead of trying to grow. your tab still further.
Anyone who’s gone in hoping for a sub-$10 check knows the drill—half the time, you’re walking out spending nearly $20, if not more.
All your fault? Yes and no, according to the takeout connoisseurs at The Takeout, who say it’s something called the “beauty price” that’s often to blame.
“The charm price may sound charming, but it’s anything but,” explained an insider.
“This strategy is based on the idea that odd numbers are more reliable. If the price ends in an odd number, customers are more likely to buy it. Odd numbers are also thought to be more memorable, which can help you remember and recommend products,” they said.
That’s why, say the pros, you’ll see so many items with a sale price ending in $0.99.
There’s also what’s known as the “left-digit effect” to contend with—if, say, a burger retails for $5.99, our eyes are trained to focus on the number on the left, which in this case would it was 5.
“This can trick you into feeling like an item is less expensive. If you’re buying three items priced at $5.99, your brain may immediately assume the total is $15, when in fact, it’s closer to $18,” the fast foodies found.
The paper cited an earlier report by Statista to show that the fast food industry has been growing steadily for decades in the United States – citing a number of other reasons why the big names in particular can’t seem to fail. .
Loyalty programs that encourage return visits, social media advertising and stores designed down to the smallest detail to get you to come in, stay and spend were all mentioned.
The article also focused on the growth of mobile brand apps that are now being used by 15% of fast food restaurants – a number that is expected to grow significantly in the future.
Dunkin’, for example, saw a massive increase in customer interest after a recent app upgrade, with 43% of customers saying the move meant they were more likely to visit the coffee and donut chain.
Apps for restaurants like McDonald’s and Chick-Fil-A can save customers a significant amount of money, though these new tools also often rely on the same tricks used in-store to get customers to spend more of their hard earned money.
Research published by The Post in 2024 found, however, that it’s possible to lower your check total by up to 50% by using an app versus ordering in-store.
A deal on the McDonald’s app at the time, found in the NYC area, saved customers $6 when they ordered two Big Macs — offering one for $6.29 and the second for $0.29, down from the total price of $12.58.
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Image Source : nypost.com