Listening
00:00
00:00
00:00
Download

Warm Up

Helpful Words and Phrases

Listen and repeat.

  1. traffic
    • ex. They noticed higher store traffic during the holiday season.
  2. uncertainty
    • ex. The company faced uncertainty during the economic crisis.
  3. weigh on (someone/something)
    • ex. The increase in taxes weighed on many small businesses.
  4. cut back on (something)
    • ex. We need to cut back on junk food if we want to be healthier.
  5. inflation
    • ex. Because of inflation, the price of food is higher than last year.

Article

Read the article below and answer your tutor's questions.

Font size

McDonald’s had much lower store traffic than expected in the first quarter of the year. This is because economic uncertainty has weighed on customers. The decrease is especially felt in the U.S., where sales at stores fell by 3.6%. This was the biggest drop in sales since 2020, when many restaurants closed during the pandemic.

McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski says many customers with low or middle incomes cut back on fast food because of inflation and worries about the economy. This caused store traffic to go down in the U.S. and other countries. People who make $100,000 (about ¥14.5 million) per year or more still go to McDonald’s often.

Kempczinski said McDonald’s is doing better than other companies, but it still has problems. As a solution, McDonald’s introduced a McValue menu, which lets customers buy one item for $1 (about ¥145) when they buy another item at its regular price. It also announced that its $5 Meal Deal will be available until the end of the year. The $5 Meal Deal is popular among customers, but the McValue menu is not increasing traffic as the company had hoped.

This material was based on an article by The Associated Press.

Discussion

Choose a topic and discuss the questions with your tutor.

Store Traffic

  • What kinds of stores usually have a lot of traffic in your country (ex. coffee shops, bookstores)? Discuss.
  • McDonald’s introduced a McValue Menu and the $5 Meal Deal to increase store traffic. What do you think about these solutions? Discuss.
  • What would you do if you owned a store that was losing traffic? Discuss.

Economic Uncertainty

  • In your opinion, what is the economy like in your country now (ex. good, bad)? Discuss.
  • Do you think saving money is harder now than in the past? Why do you say so? Discuss.
  • Many customers cut back on fast food because of inflation and worries about the economy. What items or activities have you cut back on to save money recently? Discuss.