McDonald’s starts up food delivery service in Milan

McDonald’s is rolling out its first food delivery service in Italy in Milan, to be followed by Rome, with the aim of winning back the share of consumers who have migrated towards other players.

Despite its delay with respect to other competitors in the Italian market, the US chain is keen to tap into a global business that is worth a total of $100 billion, facilitated in Italy by its 550 restaurants located throughout the country.

McDonald’s is facing tough competition from Just Eat, which has been operating in Italy since 2011 and acts as an intermediary between consumers and participating restaurants, Foodora, which is focused on high-quality food, and the UK firm Deliveroo which arrived in Italy last year and benefits from a highly effective marketing strategy.

Amongst its strategic expansion plans, McDonald’s intends to open about 1,000 fast food outlets in China over the next five years while making menus healthier and investing in technological innovation in restaurants.