Latest news with #ShamrockShake
Miami Herald
14-07-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Kroger adds seasonal Coca-Cola flavor Walmart, Target won't offer
While fast-food chains always had a handful of seasonal items, it wasn't a major trend. Burger King and Wendy's would add fish sandwiches for Lent season, and the Shamrock Shake was a McDonald's annual seasonal offering that came out around Patrick's Day, but seasonality was somewhat limited. Enter Starbucks. Related: Starbucks makes a move to battle slowing customer interest The coffee chain has made having a seasonal beverage menu table stakes for any coffee company. It's something even chains like McDonald's that have a coffee program have had to adopt. People expect that the fall season means offering pumpkin spice, and that the winter season means peppermint, eggnog, and other appropriate flavors. The fast-food industry used to operate more around movie releases and tying special food to things not dependent on the calendar. But while they do still happen, movie tie-ins are becoming increasingly rare. Now it's much more likely for companies to try to establish offerings on a seasonal basis. That's something Wendy's has done with the Summer Strawberry Salad and some of its Frosty flavors. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter This trend has spread to grocery stores, where seasonal soda flavors have become a thing. Some brands, like PepsiCo's Mountain Dew, offer so many new flavors each season that they can spread them out between retailers and restaurant chains. Coca-Cola, however, only has very limited seasonal flavors. That makes it surprising that its winter take on Sprite will only be offered at Kroger. It's only a fairly recent development that Coca-Cola's (KO) Sprite has featured brand extension flavors. That used to be something limited to Coke, as cola lends itself well to adding everything from fruit flavors to vanilla, cinnamon, and other options. Sprite, however, has been mixed with lemonade and has hit store shelves in other extensions of the popular lemon-lime classic flavor. It's not as easy to expand the Sprite brand as it is to create new Coke flavors. Adding cranberry flavor to Sprite made sense, but Sprite Vanilla Frost, a flavor that first came out in 2024 as a Kroger exclusive, seems less logical. Vanilla does not automatically seem to go with lemon and lime, and the original launch was fairly polarizing. More Retail News: Starbucks executives to get huge bonus as baristas demand better payWalmart, Sam's Club makes major donation for Texas flood reliefHome Depot spends billions on major acquisition "The broad public opinion of this soda was not enormously positive; I was sent plenty of pictures of Kroger stores flush with stock of this limited-time-only soda well into the promotional period. It turns out no one was crying out for vanilla baked-good sweetness added to their Sprite," Sporked reported. That's anecdotal, so maybe those cases flew off the shelves after the soda was around for a while, but it certainly seemed like Sprite Vanilla Frost was not a clear winner. Even though its first run may not have gone that well, Kroger (KR) will bring Sprite Vanilla Frost back as an exclusive flavor beginning in November. Perhaps the flavor will build a following in its second year, or maybe Sprite completists will simply need to own some to round out their collections. If they want it, Kroger will be the only option, since it's an exclusive product you won't find at Target, Walmart, Amazon, or any regional grocery chain. Coca-Cola has been working to tailor its product release to each market around the world. That's something CEO James Quincey talked about during its first-quarter earnings call. "During the quarter, some markets improved sequentially while other markets faced macroeconomic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions that impacted consumer confidence and consumption behaviors. Despite this backdrop, we delivered robust organic revenue growth through our stepped-up capabilities and better than ever system alignment. We're getting more granular and tailoring our execution to win locally in key geographies, categories, and channels," he said. Related: Coca-Cola brings back controversial Coke flavor Quincey had mixed feelings about Coca-Cola's North American performance, and Sprite was not one of the highlights he mentioned. "Bright spots include continued volume growth for Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, another good quarter for fairlife and Topo Chico Sabores, and continued traction with food service customer renewals and new accounts," he added. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Miami Herald
03-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Forget Grimace, McDonald's menu adds bizarre new shake
Some may remember when McDonald's Happy Meals and toys featured McDonaldland characters. In 1971, McDonald's introduced McDonaldland through commercials and marketing to further market its brand to kids. This fantasy world featured multiple fictional characters, including Grimace, Birdie, The Hamburger, Officer Big Mac, Mayor McCheese, the Fry Kids, McNugget Buddies, and the iconic Ronald McDonald. Don't miss the move: Subscribe to TheStreet's free daily newsletter This cast became memorable for those who grew up during that era since they were seen at every McDonald's location, in Happy Meals, and on merchandise. Related: McDonald's brings back unexpected breakfast item after 6 years However, in the early 2000s, McDonald's changed its marketing strategy and began phasing out the characters to appeal more to adults. After all, they are the ones with credit cards. Although this might have seemed like the end of an era, this tactic worked in McDonald's favor, allowing the chain to grow immensely and become one of the largest fast food chains worldwide. Image source: Sharrett/Bloomberg via Getty Images Over the last few years, McDonald's (MCD) has begun using nostalgic marketing to boost growth. This strategy creates a strong connection between a product and customers' emotions, promoting familiarity and creating a positive association, which, if managed correctly, could eventually develop a loyal customer base. The fast food giant brought back some of the most beloved McDonaldland characters in 2023, including the Hamburglar, to promote its burgers, and a purple Grimace Shake to celebrate Grimace's birthday. Related: Forget the Whopper, Burger King has a wild new burger This year, McDonald's also returned the seasonal Shamrock Shake to its menu, featuring O'Grimacey, Grimace's green Irish uncle. To kick off the beginning of June on another nostalgic note, the fast food giant has released another menu item that will take customers back to their childhood and remind them of "winning that big prize at every summer carnival you've ever been to," as stated on the McDonald's website. After teasing its debut on social media for a few days, McDonald's has finally unveiled its latest milkshake, the Cotton Candy Shake. This newest menu addition features vanilla soft serve mixed with cotton candy syrup. But there's a catch: Unfortunately for the U.S., this milkshake is only available at all participating locations in Canada, which once again excludes its home country's fans. McDonald's adapts its menu in different countries based on cultural preferences or conveniently available foods. The same goes for limited-time additions or seasonal items. More Food News: Walmart makes deal to open popular food chain in storesPopular fast-food burger chain to open first store in new marketPopular chicken chain brings back beloved menu item after 7 years However, just because McDonald's launches a new menu item in one country doesn't mean the chain can't launch it elsewhere. If the same ingredients are available in another country for around the same rate, and there's enough demand for it, the item can be brought to other markets. This is why exclusive menu items may overlap across some countries. McDonald's has neither confirmed nor denied that it will bring the Cotton Candy Shake to the U.S., but fans can only hope its debut is successful enough in Canada to potentially launch it in the States. The Arena Media Brands, LLC THESTREET is a registered trademark of TheStreet, Inc.
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
McDonald's restaurants donate over $6K through fundraiser
HENDERSON, Ky. (WEHT) – According to officials, local McDonald's restaurants presented a donation of $6,424 to Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of the Ohio Valley on Friday as part of the annual Shamrock Shake fundraiser. Officials say throughout the fundraiser, 25 cents from every Shamrock Shake and OREO Shamrock McFlurry sold at participating locations was donated to support RMHC's mission of keeping families close during difficult times. Posey County couple married for over 50 years win Hadi Half-Pot raffle A spokesperson says the check was presented by representatives from locally-owned McDonald's restaurants who participated in the initiative. Together, the organizations are supporting RMHC of the Ohio Valley and the services it provides to families with critically ill children. 14-day closures needed for roads north of the Lloyd 'Each shake sold represented more than just a sweet treat—it was a show of support for families facing some of their toughest moments,' said Katie Kenworthy, local McDonald's Owner/Operator and RMHC Board Member. 'We're grateful for our customers and crew members who made this donation possible.' Officials say RMHC of the Ohio Valley offers a home-away-from-home for families while their children receive medical care, providing lodging, meals and emotional support—all at no cost to them. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ronald McDonald House Charities of Siouxland gets donation from local McDonald's restaurants
SIOUX CITY, Iowa (KCAU) — Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC) of Siouxland is the recipient of a big donation from Siouxland McDonald's locations. The donation of just over $6,533 is the result of local McDonald's Shamrock Shake fundraisers taking place in February and March. 25 cents from every Shamrock Shake sold at local McDonald's restaurants went to the Ronald McDonald House of Siouxland. National Music Museum receives $1M donation for renovations 'We're so thrilled every year that McDonald's is willing to do something like this to raise money through Shamrock Shakes or any of the other ways that they do it,' said Christy Batien-Clark, Executive Director at RMHC of Siouxland. 'We're so thrilled they support us in this way, get the customers involved in supporting the Ronald McDonald House. We're so grateful for everybody that came out to buy a Shamrock Shake knowing that it was going to help the house. This money is going to help with our programs.' The McDonald's in Vermillion, South Dakota sold the most Shamrock Shakes in the tri-state. The employees there will get a t-shirt for their efforts. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
McDonald's snatches Starbucks' crown for the first time in a decade
McDonald's is the world's most valuable restaurant brand, dethroning Starbucks for the first time in a decade. After dominating since 2016, Starbucks has lost its crown to McDonald's, which has reclaimed the top spot, according to a report from consulting firm Brand Finance. McDonald's brand value surged by 7% to $40.5 billion from 2024 to 2025, while Starbucks (SBUX) saw a sharp 36% decline, dropping to $38.8 billion. Recent moves from the respective chains have been crucial to their rise and fall. Brand Finance data shows that Starbucks' decline is driven by drops in key brand strength metrics in both the U.S. and China, particularly in areas like 'reputation' and 'recommendation.' This reflects low customer expectations, rising dissatisfaction, and ultimately a decline in sales. In contrast, McDonald's has pushed forward with strategic changes to its operations, though not without challenges. Most notably, an outbreak late last year forced the chain to launch a $100 million recovery plan. Since then, the burger giant has been on a marketing blitz. Earlier this month, it reorganized its team into three departments, focusing on winning in beef, chicken, and beverages. New product launches, including the McCrispy and Chicken Big Mac, and recent promotions — like the return of the Shamrock Shake and $5 meal deal — have helped drive customer traffic. A collector's cup promotion also became a hit, with some selling for up to $100 on eBay. On the other hand, Starbucks continues to face challenges under the leadership of new CEO Brian Niccol, who is working to make the coffee giant a staple once again. Starbucks recently reported its fourth-consecutive quarter of declining sales, particularly in China, the company's second-largest market. Despite this, Starbucks is on the road to a 'Big Fix.' As part of Niccol's efforts to turn things around with a 'Back to Starbucks' strategy, the company has pared down its menu by 30%, promising to serve coffee in under four minutes. Starbucks has also removed 13 drinks from its menu, eliminated the extra charges for non-dairy milk alternatives, and is reintroducing TV marketing, condiment bars, and power outlets for paying customers. Not all the company's changes have been well received. Starbucks recently reversed its position on its 2018 open-door policy, which previously allowed anyone to sit in stores, following the arrest of two Black men at a Philadelphia location. In early March, Niccol delivered a stern message to corporate employees, urging them to step up their efforts and take more responsibility for Starbucks' financial performance after the company laid off 1,100 workers. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Sign in to access your portfolio
