This Ad Age piece on retail fusion is a quick look at where fast food environments are headed.
McDonald’s franchisees John and Karen O’Keefe watched sales flatline for most of the year at their store in Chicago’s suburban Woodfield Mall while other restaurants in the fast-food chain’s system pulled in gains of 2% or better. But after the couple installed a digital video-and-music system in their store, sales shot up 17%.
Customers at the O’Keefes store can use their mobile phones to search, select and activate music and video shorts, including music videos and movie previews. After installing 10 flat-screen TVs and a sound system, the franchisees are now making cosmetic changes to the interior. They hope to separate the dining spaces into zones to appeal to different customer types, from early-morning mall walkers to shopping moms to mall employees holding meetings at the store.
