January 16, 2005

Take Action!

Now this I didn't know:
Activists could eat McDonald's out of business, if they wanted. Allegedly, McDonald's Happy Meal is a loss leader. This means that, whenever one buys one of those cardboard boxes full of fries, a burger and a piece of plastic, the company loses money – the fast food firm banks on making a profit out of the adult accompanying the kid, who will hopefully buy a full price meal.

So if, around the world, large numbers of people went into McDonald's and each bought a Happy Meal on a daily basis for a long period, the company would start reporting massive losses. This is McDonald's automatic self-destruct mechanism, its fatal flaw. What is to be done, eh? Crusties of the world unite! Go to McDonald's! Buy six happy meals at once! Bring down capitalism while stuffing your face with fat!
Alternatively, everyone could just ask for no ice in their soft drinks (just say you have sensitive teeth) and watch the losses mount!
-- Brad Plumer 5:07 PM || ||