How the Fast Food Industry gets you to Spend More
- Two Teachers
- Apr 11, 2022
- 1 min read
The average spend on fast food in the UK is £110 a month and even higher in the US. Here is how fast-food giants such as McDonald’s, KFC and Burger King are using certain techniques to capitalise on peoples love of fast food and to get you to spend more while in store.
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The Self-Service Kiosk
Their latest way of getting you to part with your cash. Is the self-service kiosk. Fast food chains are benefitting massively from these kiosks as recent studies have shown people are typically spending on average 20% more at self-service tills than they would when ordering from a person.
The main reason for this is upselling. The machines are designed to upsell to you in the form of going large on a meal or recommending additional items. This is particularly effective with machines, because unlike with a person, the machine doesn’t forget to ask you to go large or to recommend additional items. Whereas a person recommending a large or an additional McFlurry may seem a little pushy. However, when using the machine this tends to feel helpful rather than like a sales technique. The self-service kiosk is subtly nudging you to make purchases you didn’t intend to when you came into the store. Fast food restaurants clearly know this technique increases the average spend of their customers and have drastically cut back on the number of face-to-face tills available and have massively ramped up the number of stores with self-service kiosks. So, if you want to spend 20% less make your order in person.
Large Appetising Pictures
Removing the £ sign
Promotion (McDonald's Monopoly)
This was such an insightful read! It’s fascinating (and a little scary) how the fast food industry uses psychology to influence spending habits. The breakdown of pricing strategies and menu design was especially eye-opening. Thanks for shedding light on this – I’ll definitely be more mindful the next time I’m at a fast food restaurant! Veronica Dantas
This was such an eye-opening read! The psychological tactics used by the fast-food industry to encourage spending are fascinating (and a little scary!). I especially appreciated the breakdown of menu design tricks and the impact of upselling. It really makes you think twice about how we’re influenced when ordering food. Thanks for sharing these insights—I’ll definitely be more mindful next time I visit a fast-food restaurant! Sidney De Queiroz Pedrosa
Your article, "How the Fast Food Industry Gets You to Spend More," offers a compelling analysis of the tactics employed by fast-food chains to increase consumer spending. The insight into self-service kiosks enhancing average transaction values is particularly enlightening. Additionally, the statistic highlighting the average monthly fast-food expenditure in the UK at £110 underscores the significant impact of these strategies. Your ability to distill complex industry practices into accessible content is commendable. I look forward to reading more of your analyses on consumer behavior and industry trends. Beatriz Barata
This was a fascinating read! It’s incredible how much psychology goes into fast food marketing, from strategic menu design to subtle pricing tricks. The breakdown of these tactics really makes you think twice about how we, as consumers, are influenced without even realizing it. Thanks for the insightful analysis—definitely an eye-opener! Luiz Antonio Duarte Ferreira
This was such an eye-opening read! The way the fast food industry uses psychological tricks to encourage spending is fascinating (and a little scary!). I especially found the part about menu design and pricing strategies intriguing. Thanks for breaking it down in such an engaging way—definitely makes me think twice next time I order! Looking forward to more insightful posts from you. Daniel Dantas