JP: McDonald’s Japan sales have been devastated by food safety scandals
The Japanese unit of McDonald’s Corp booked its first annual operating loss since going public in 2001 and its January sales plunged by a record 39 per cent as food safety scandals drove customers away.
The earnings pain … is likely to continue with analysts saying they do not expect a quick turnaround in a country where consumers are highly attuned to food quality issues. January figures showed customer numbers down 29 per cent from a year earlier.
The company has also announced plans for third-party inspections of its kitchens, fresh training for staff and sharing of information about suppliers on its website.