As FIFA World Cup approaches, McDonald's markets meal bundles

McDonald’s is ramping up its use here of a menu-marketing tactic that has worked for it overseas: the multi-person meal bundle.

McDonald’s co-ops have the option of offering a new FIFA World Cup Bundle Box, which includes food for two (or more) in a box thematically tied to the upcoming World Cup soccer tournament in Brazil (beginning June 12). A McDonald’s spokesperson confirmed the item and said approximately 6,500 USMcDonald’s locations are participating in the Bundle Box program.

The corporate recommendation is that the Bundle Box be priced at $14.99 and include two big Macs, two 10-piece Chicken McNuggets, four sauce and two medium fries. However, co-ops have the option to change the menu items included. In Southern California, the boxed meal with World Cup graphics is labeled a Mickey D’s Value Pack and has food for four for the same $15: four McChicken sandwiches; four cheeseburgers, a 20-piece McNuggets and four medium soft drinks.

Bundled meals provide cost savings for consumers and margin improvement for operators by ensuring that high-profit fries and drinks are included.

Boxed multi-person meals are common in the pizza category but not with burgers. McDonald’s first tried the platform in 2010 with its Dinner Boxes in Australia and since spread boxed meals to several markets in Europe. In Austria the chain offers a multi-person “Chicken Box” with Chicken McNuggets and chicken wings. In the US, Kansas City, Mo. McDonald’s operators were the first to try the approach last year with a food-for-two Blitz Box. Two-person “Mickey D’s Value Pack” boxes appeared in Western markets last fall.