business

McDonald’s Japan giving away free hamburgers this weekend

26 Comments
By Philip Kendall

Pretty much every major business in Japan had an awful financial year in 2011. Earthquakes, tsunamis, a nuclear disaster and the world economy being in dire straits will do that to a company. But at the end of the financial year, one business did something that no others could - posted a record profit. That company was hamburger chain McDonald’s.

Maybe it’s their genuinely impressive customer service. Maybe it’s the fact that they offer their food at such low prices. Maybe it’s the fact there is seemingly always some kind of a freebie up for grabs or discount offer to be taken advantage of. With coupons available all over the internet for McDonald’s restaurants in Japan, the sight of customers flashing smartphone screens at staff or holding their mobile phones over electronic readers is extremely common. This coming weekend, however, no amount of trawling coupon websites will pay off quite as much as a trip to the store itself.

This coming Saturday and Sunday (September 15 and 16, respectively), whenever you order anything from the McDonald’s hamburger range - including seasonal burgers and sandwiches on the breakfast menu - you’ll receive a coupon for a completely free hamburger as part of the restaurant’s latest campaign. This is a no-catch deal.

The coupons can be used any time from 10:30 a.m. on Monday, September 17 until the end of September 19. And if you’re feeling especially famished, you can use two coupons at once.

Source: Narinari.com

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26 Comments
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Nice.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Pa pa ra pa pa.... I'M loving it!

2 ( +5 / -3 )

Ha! Just my luck, the McD's near my apartment closed at the end of last month. :(

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I guess McDonald's makes a profit by saving on advertising. With "articles" like this, they don't need to say a word.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Here's a thought, possibly Maccas success was due to Japanese people not being so uptight about their diet and longevity from realizing how fickle life is after the 3/11 quake, thus creating a surge in junk food consumption.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

The only way they can do this or sell their burgers at such a low price is by externalizing most of the real costs. When will business efficiency models start to include these and properly prices products?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

warispeace, just curious what you mean by externalizing most of the real costs.

In my mind, they use low cost, high fat/calorie food. The health costs of using this food is passed on to the consumer, through the Japanese health system. In that sense, they are externalizing the real costs of their business.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Ha! McPlastic has eventually priced its product sensibly. Soon, the menus will include calorific values - is this a last attempt to force people into addiction before everyone wakes up to the horrors of the Big Crac?

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Mos burger>Mcdonalds

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Free advertising for McD ? What is this news about ?! I would prefer to see free advertising when they will finance some projects in Tohoku ....

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Nom Nom Nom Nom

0 ( +1 / -1 )

" The coupons can be used any time from 10:30 a.m. on Monday, September 17 until the end of September 19. "

That means you have to come back and eat another McD burger right the next day. No way I do that to my stomach. Once a week is about all I can take.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

i'm rubbin' IT...

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

Personally not frequent client but comparing the fat in Mac and a burger at most of the family restaurants I think Macs are less oily. Add the low price and they are a winner! Just swore this morning eating middle sized peach that cost more than 140 yen (4 for 580yen). Is that properly priced product? Hell, No !!! I can't afford peaches at those prices more than once a week. If the they were 60-70 yen I'll be eating 4 every day thus consuming much more and paying much more to the producer/shop.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

YEAAAAH!!!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Only way this story could be better (for some of the Japan Today readers) is having pics of AKB48 eating free burgers! LOL! Now THAT'S a story.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Back in univ, there was a nearby McD's that had a couple of special promos: $0.29 hamburgers on Tuesdays, $0.39 cheeseburgers on Wednesdays - limit 10. Guess how many my friends and I order, haha!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

How about buying a hamburger for yourself but giving the coupon to a homeless person? That would be a nice gesture.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Awesome!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

viking68

warispeace, just curious what you mean by externalizing most of the real costs.

You mention one of the costs that is externalized: health. Then there are environmental damage costs that are pushed onto future generations and onto nature. There are waste disposal costs. There are the cost of losing bio-diversity, as producers must standardize to sell to McD, there are social costs, as McD puts out of business local restaurants that can't compete on scale economies, etc...

Basically, all businesses externalize their costs to varying degrees. Huge corporations have made this an art form because they can move around the globe finding favorable exploitative conditions.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

i rather work for my illness

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If you watch they ad:

"The times have changed, the way we play has changed but our taste hasn't."

So, IMHO, change the taste and you might get me as a customer again.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

And Japan posted record obesity figures no doubt!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I bought an Aussie Deli ( pastrami ) sandwich and a hamburger today and got 2 coupons for free hamburgers I can use from tomorrow. That Aussie Deli wasn't bad!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Bad news for Japan. You'will be getting fat ...

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I got one of my two free hamburgers today, I'll probably get the second one tomorrow.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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