Tuesday, June 20, 2006

McDonald's bid to catch KFC in China

McDonald's has partnered with China oil giant Sinopec to develop drive-thru restaurants in China and catch up with KFC's explosive growth there.

"McDonald's is aiming for 10 percent annual sales growth in China over the next five years amid stiff competition from Yum Brands Inc.'s KFC, aiming to add about 100 restaurants a year to its current stable of about 750 stores." [CNN]

UPDATE: There was a good editorial in the South China Post regarding things that should be kept in mind as the fast food industry expands in China:
"The mainland would be sensible to take note, given the popularity of fast food there. It can ill afford an explosion in modern western diseases among a huge population with problematic access to affordable health care. And studies have found that Asian immigrants to the United States are more susceptible to Type 2 diabetes, in that they develop it at lower weights than people of other races.

There is a good case for the mainland to start a revolution in healthy fast food - drive thru, cycle-thru or walk-thru."

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