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Comment by practicemaths | Hacker News Reader

In 10 years, $10 Big Mac is going to seem cheap.

The absolute price isn't what's important, we know inflation happens. What's new about the situation is that 20 years ago there was a price discount relative to real food to go along with the lower quality. Today, the quality relative to real food is lower than before and the relative price is higher. We don't know if this will be corrected ten years from now.

If you use their app and shop the deals, the prices at McDonalds drop by 20-50% vs menu list price depending on what you get. The sandwiches in my area go buy one get one free all the time or 40% off.

That sounds like a negative to me

> app and shop the deals, the prices at McDonalds drop by 20-50% vs menu list price depending on what you get

The intent is to segregate price-sensitive customers from convenience-sensitive ones. (The app orders make in-store ordering quicker.)

The problem is there are confounding factors in tech saviness and privacy sensitivity in requiring price-sensitive customers to go through an app. (As well as the basic awareness problem.)

That's what I've heard, but I wouldn't give in to surveillance for their bottom tier food.

So you pay cash for your food? Otherwise they already got you

"Shopping the deals on the McDonalds mobile app" sounds like a description of misery repackaged as a product for the American consumer.

It's not much different from clipping coupons for the grocery store, or keeping hole-punch coffee/sandwich cards in your wallet.

Actually easier than either of those, to be honest.

The convenience with which the misery is delivered, is its distinguishing characteristic. :)

"in 20 years a 5 cent burger will seem cheap" -- some guy in 1921

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