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McDonald’s menus no longer list chipotle BBQ snack wraps, bacon and cheese Quarter Pounders, or premium ranch BLT chicken sandwiches.
With menu options multiplying—up to 121 from 85 in 2007—McDonald’s franchisees said service was suffering. Because the McWrap takes 85 seconds to assemble and box, it is impossible to meet a 90 second drive-thru time goal. In 2013, at 189.49 seconds, their average drive through time was at an all time high.
You can see below how the McDonald’s menu has expanded.
From: WSJ
Our Bottom Line: Choice Fatigue
Too many decisions can be exhausting.
- In one study, voters’ response to a proposition depended on its position on the ballot. Displaying choice fatigue, they were more likely to select a “decision short-cut” like maintaining the status quo for propositions that were listed close to last.
- When buying a car, choice fatigue also became an issue. Asked to choose among “4 styles of gearshift knobs, 13 kinds of wheel rims, 25 configurations of the engine and gearbox and a palette of 56 colors for the interior,” people got too worn out and turned to the (more expensive) default option.
- President Obama even told writer Michael Lewis that he avoids having wardrobe and menu decisions so he can preserve his energy for the important stuff.
McDonald’s also could be dealing with customer choice fatigue.
I am Elaine Schwartz, an economics writer, teacher, and the founder of econlife®. In so many places and ways, I have tried to make economics interesting and accessible so we could be personally, professionally, and politically knowledgeable.
