D’ya want milk with that?

31st January 2012
NZX

Fast-food giant McDonald’s is muscling in on the Australian milk market but its New Zealand outlets won’t be following suit in the near future.

McDonald’s spokesman Simon Kenny said the milk sales in 14 McDonalds stores on Queensland’s Gold Coast are a trial.

While there are no immediate plans to follow suit in New Zealand the company would be watching the Australian trial and if there was demand from customers would consider it.

However, with 161 stores throughout New Zealand introducing a new range would have complex supply chain and storage issues.

According to the Gold Coast Bulletin, it’s a strategic move to offer people the convenience of grabbing the milk without having to leave the car and it could lead to more day-to-day grocery items hitting the menu.

McDonald’s franchise owner Joe Condon said “We started selling the milk about six weeks ago to see what sort of response we would get from our customers.

“The response has been great and I think it will be something that becomes permanent and will eventually be rolled out nationwide.”

Condon said at this stage milk was the only grocery item on the menu.

“Bread is another convenience item but it will take more space and care, so we will see how we go.”

The move has angered retail sector group the United Retail Federation which called for a boycott of McDonald’s stores on Australia Day.

URF general manager Bruce Mills said the practice was an un-Australian and predatory move by a “cashed-up big American bully boy brand”.

“There is nothing truly more Australian than kids jumping on their pushbikes and grabbing a bottle of milk, a loaf of bread and some basic supplies for Mum down at the local corner store around the corner in most Aussie suburbs,” Mills said.

“The American fast food giant has declared war on Mum and Dad retailers and we need everyday Australians who still believe in a fair go and local community shops, to send the McDonald’s empire a message by boycotting them on Australia Day.

“McDonald’s should stick to flipping their mass produced burgers and dropping their fries into their vats of boiling fat but leave the milk and bread retailing to real local Australian convenience stores that have been serving Australian suburbs since well before the McDonald’s invasion of Australia in the 1970s.”