Fast-food chains from abroad are going digital as part of their goal to attract more customers and boost dwindling sales performance in China.
One of the firms that recently joined the trend is McDonald's, the world's number one fast-food hamburger chain, which currently provides craft-your-own burgers to its Shanghai customers.
Through touchscreen, self-ordering kiosks, the "Create Your Taste" campaign that was launched at the end of June allows McDonald's customers to choose their burger's ingredients.
Despite the relatively higher price, a lot of customers are attracted to try and experience the campaign. One customer remarked that the idea was "a lot of fun" as one can now "choose from a large number of ingredients and leave out those [not preferred]."
Meanwhile, KFC has also recently linked with the leading e-commerce firm in China, Alibaba, to let its Beijing, Shanghai and Zhejiang customers enjoy Alipay's mobile payment services.
The new offer is expected to add convenience to the KFC dining experience.
"Sometimes I don't have enough cash with me when I am shopping, so I would ask if a store accepts Alipay mobile payment. Whether a shop accepts it affects my decision as to which shop I will visit, as it is more convenient if it does," a KFC customer remarked.
Foreign fast-food chains, who have recently witnessed a decrease in sales growth, have ventured into digital services to beef up their presence in the country.
Senior analyst Hao Fangfang of iResearch pointed out that a prime reason for the sluggish performance is the change in the consumer preference in the fast-food industry.
"The herd behavior was often found in public consumption behavior in the decade starting 2000. But what those born after 1985 or even 1990 pursue is individuality, uniqueness and being different," Hao shared.
"That's why the once massively popular fast-food chains have been losing ground to those offering niche services like theme restaurants," the analyst added.
However, she warned that such digital services alone could not regain the foreign fast-food chains' strength in the country. Better management and business decisions should also be exercised.