McDonald’s McValue Menu Is Mostly Attracting Existing Customers, Study Suggests

The launch of the McDonald’s McValue menu in January was intended to drum up business after stagnant traffic and sales had impacted the company’s bottom line.

A new survey from Numerator, however, indicated mixed results in terms of the McValue menu’s overall impact. While 90% of those polled indicated that they would be returning to McDonald’s to take advantage of the chain’s famously inexpensive value offerings, total household penetration for the burger joint’s value offers has steadily declined since September 2024 — and the McValue menu hasn’t been able to reverse that trend.

McDonald’s McValue Menu Is Very Popular With Existing Fans of the Golden Arches

One notable piece of data gleaned from the survey results: The vast majority of those polled (400 confirmed McValue menu patrons nationwide) suggested that they had visited McDonald’s in 2024, oftentimes repeatedly.

About 94% of respondents indicated that they had visited McDonald’s at least once during the period spanning January 2024 to June 2024, while nearly the same proportion (90%) stated they had visited three times or more during that time frame. Further, nearly three-quarters (70%) said they had visited the chain more than six times throughout the first half of 2024.

This data heavily implies that those ordering from the McValue menu are existing McDonald’s customers and that most of these are frequent guests of the red-and-yellow brand.

i see you @JohnCena and McValue pic.twitter.com/I2vccpzXrg

— McDonald's (@McDonalds) January 7, 2025

McDonald’s McValue Menu Is Converting Some Business Away From Competitors, Notably Burger King and Chick-fil-A

On the other hand, some statistics derived from the Numerator survey were a net positive for McDonald’s.

About 48% of respondents indicated that the McValue menu had swayed them away from eating at competing fast-food restaurants, while only a slightly lower number (44%) said they had planned to visit McDonald’s in any case.

Of the former, 18% said they had been persuaded away from Burger King, and 17% said they had been planning to eat Chick-fil-A before choosing the McValue menu instead. Wendy’s (14%), Taco Bell (11%), Arby’s (7%), and Subway (also 7%) rounded out the next few spots in this regard.

At the end of the day, the McValue menu may not have halted a sustained decline in household penetration concerning value-priced fast food, but it has created a loyal fanbase. Approximately 91% of verified McValue menu customers said they would be buying items from the menu during future visits.