McDonald’s has announced that it will bring back its seasonal and iconic McRib sandwich this year. The McRib has almost a cultish following. In fact, there is a “McRib locator” blog on the internet, because not only is the sandwich seasonal, typically it’s regional as well. But in 2020 it will be available nationally, adding about 40 percent more stores than in 2019. The regionality thing is mostly marketing - in some areas of the country it is just not as big a hit as it is in other areas. But in the COVID era, comfort food rules. But the real driver of the seasonality is the supply of pork. The sandwich is made from the shoulder butt primal (and trimmings). Look at the monthly average prices of that primal,...
From WPI Consulting
Weighing in on strategic realignment
WPI’s team was retained by the governing board of a U.S. industry organization to review a decision, reached by vote, to invest significant assets into the development and management of an export trading company. WPI’s team conducted a formal review of this decision and concluded that the current level of market saturation would limit the benefits of the investment. Based on WPI’s analysis and recommended actions, the board subsequently reversed its decision and undertook a strategic planning effort to identify more impactful investments. On behalf of numerous clients, WPI has not only assisted in identifying strategic paths but also advised their implementation.