McDonald’s will close dozens of restaurants located in Walmart supermarkets in the United States, a collaboration between the two companies that has lasted three decades and is now taking a turn due to the change in consumer habits caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The fast food chain, which once had a thousand restaurants integrated into Walmart supermarkets at its best, will close those establishments with less business volume in the country and will be left with only about 150, according to The Wall Street reported this Friday. Journal.
In a document delivered to the US Securities Market Commission, McDonald’s indicates that it expects to close 325 restaurants in 2021, most of them integrated into Walmart, and explains that last year it already locked a hundred of them , generating extra provisions close to 68 million dollars.
Walmart, the largest supermarket chain in the US, increased its online sales during the pandemic year and offers pick-up of products in its parking lots, which has negatively affected the sales of McDonald’s and other integrated restaurants, such as Subway, which will also close establishments.
The departure of those restaurants can undermine the income of Walmart, which rents the space unlike other rivals such as Costco and Target, which have their own food services inside or grant licenses, so the large supermarket chain explores others. options to maintain that source of income.
Since the pandemic began, many retailers have modified their services to reduce time inside establishments and social interactions, trends that are also being seen in restaurant chains with their own points of sale, which are betting on orders ‘online’ and collection points.
After the information was released, McDonald’s shares were down 0.33% on Wall Street, while Walmart’s were down 0.30%.