Consumer needs come first says McDonald's MD

Food outlets must start meeting the requirements of the consumers, commented Yousif Abdulghani, managing director of McDonald's Middle East and Africa at this year’s Gulfood.

Abdulghani said transparency, social media platforms and convenience are the three key factors driving the food industry.

“Consumers’ changing needs are driving us as an industry to offer more choices, better service, and better value. Consumers are changing their eating habits - there is more out of home consumption, they want convenience and they want to know more about their food, how it is made and where it comes from. They are hungry for information and demand transparency from companies,” he said.

McDonald’s currently operates more than 360 restaurants and employs 10,000 people in the GCC.

Abdulghani added: “What is exciting and also challenging to see is how lifestyle shifts, technology and social media are changing the way that people interact with brands in our industry. Customers no longer want just to be broadcast to, they expect to be able to have personalised conversations and interact one-on-one with brands. For example, consumers are more active in seeking nutritional information of the food they consume – whether this means checking the packaging for the ingredients or nutritional content.

"McDonald’s are leaders in making sure nutritional information of our products is conveniently available on our website, tray mats and flyers and will continue to innovate here to make sure our consumers make informed choices of the food they eat.”

He praised the role of regional governments in ensuring quality standards among the industry – especially in terms of halal certification, food safety and hygiene.

He also called on the industry to ensure it implements and adheres to its own internal strict sourcing and food safety checks to complement government actions.

“McDonald’s has built a system of Quality, Service and Cleanliness (QSC) into every aspect of the business, including our supply chain. Our food safety and quality requirements - which meet government standards - are among the strictest in the restaurant industry,” Abdulghani said.