Wendy's to experiment with "surge pricing" in peak hours

[fotze2]

What is rub a dub

[Sliver]

Originally Posted by fotze2

What is rub a dub

I don't know. It's from the Jerky Boys. Thought we were hitting the 90s stuff.

[Sainters7]

I thought it was Moe Szyslak

[Cecil Terwilliger]

[powderjunkie]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

You’re moving the goalposts. We were talking about prices and salary.

If we want more context, let’s include tax as well. That burger in Denmark will have a 25 per cent VAT added on top, compared to Canada’s 5 per cent. I’d wager your Danish McDonald’s worker pays higher income and payroll tax than their Canadian counterpart as well.

And it’s safe to assume the high input cost at Danish McDonald’s is why they have only one McDonald’s per 62k people, compared with one per 27k people in Canada. Presumably, they only operate in very high-demand, high-volume locations.

In our market economy, higher wages for those in service industry jobs will mean some combination of higher prices, increased automation, and reductions in locations (and jobs). When input costs go up, companies don’t just continue to operate as normal but with reduced profit. That’s not the way markets work.

I’m okay with prices at fast food places, grocery stores, travel and hospitality, etc. going up as wages in those industries have increased in recent years. As a middle-class person, why shouldn’t I contribute my share to better wages for the working class? You don’t get to be a more egalitarian society without making collective sacrifices.

I dunno, seems plausible to me that Danes and Euros in general just have a lower appetite for fast food

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Prices for fast food are already asinine, a loaded burger is the same price as a sit down meal at some places. You'd just rather prep your own meals at this point.

Any business that does this is getting insta-boycotted from me.

Do you 'member $7 combos just 12-15 years ago? I 'member.

[topfiverecords]

Wendy’s has also started using an AI ordering system in some of their drive-thrus.

[rohara66]

Wendy’s, McDonald’s, A&W are all waaaay up in price and waaaay the #### down in quality.

I like (liked) me some fast food but these places are all so much more terrible then 10-20 years ago. Can you even get a McDonald’s burger that isn’t dripping with grease with a thumb prints smashed through the center?

Not to mention the orders are always wrong. Extra $$’s for bags. No ketchup. We’ve sworn off fast food.

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

Quantity too. I remember getting wayyy more fries back in the day.

Also the difference between a sandwich and a breakfast combo wasn't a kids' granola bar sized block of grease they have the audacity to call a hash brown.

But I suppose the caloric density is as high as ever. So people are still getting their fill of empty calories that are likely pushing them into a surplus if they eat their share of food from these places but without any of the nutrition they need.

If they're going to make us fat and malnourished the least they can do is make it affordable!

[undercoverbrother]

This thread makes me miss Willy’s and their $0.25 1/4lbs burgers, first Monday of the month, limit of 4.

God damn they made good burgers and fries

[puckedoff]

Some irony in everyone here throwing insults at today's fast food while at the same time making comments about the old days like its the early morning seniors meet up at the A&W.

[AFireInside]

Originally Posted by CliffFletcher

You’re moving the goalposts. We were talking about prices and salary.

If we want more context, let’s include tax as well. That burger in Denmark will have a 25 per cent VAT added on top, compared to Canada’s 5 per cent. I’d wager your Danish McDonald’s worker pays higher income and payroll tax than their Canadian counterpart as well.

And it’s safe to assume the high input cost at Danish McDonald’s is why they have only one McDonald’s per 62k people, compared with one per 27k people in Canada. Presumably, they only operate in very high-demand, high-volume locations.

In our market economy, higher wages for those in service industry jobs will mean some combination of higher prices, increased automation, and reductions in locations (and jobs). When input costs go up, companies don’t just continue to operate as normal but with reduced profit. That’s not the way markets work.

I’m okay with prices at fast food places, grocery stores, travel and hospitality, etc. going up as wages in those industries have increased in recent years. As a middle-class person, why shouldn’t I contribute my share to better wages for the working class? You don’t get to be a more egalitarian society without making collective sacrifices.

I'm not moving the goalposts. You said if they pay workers more they have to raise prices. I've shown you that there are places where they pay more, and the prices are the same or lower. People may pay more taxes but so do the companies. How many McDonald's there are per person is irrelevant.

McDonald's net income for 2023 is 8.469 billion. If they have to pay people a few dollars more and only walk away with 7 billion I think they'll be ok.

There's zero reason prices need to increase it's nonsense.

[Aleks]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

While it is certainly a money grab, there may be some logic and benifit long term behind it.

If I am driving through the strip mall or walking through a food court and see a long line at lunch I will not go there. I imagine that people with short lunch breaks are even more picky. Time is Money

So if you can reduce the line at lunch by charging more, while you might lose some clients you may actually have more happy clients with the same revenue. And if the people not willing to pay extra change their behavior to come early or later, Wendy's will make more $, and the overall 'happiness' of their customers will go up

I know I would easily pay $1-2 to not wait in line. But thats me - Others dont see that time/value as worth it.

Now if the customers just go somewhere else - Then its a different question - Do you want more higher paying customers in fast food or more lower paying , slightly annoyed waiting in line customers

Also curious if this will lead to cheaper off hours pricing. This isn't entirely new as food joints often have specials as off hours to encourage customers to come.

That's cute of you to think that the service you get, the speed at which you get it, and the quality of the product will be better......

[Dion]

Wendy’s Immediately Promises No Burger ‘Surge Pricing’ After Online Backlash

Social media users clowned on the experiment, joking about playing the fast-food stock market and hoarding dozens of burgers in their fridges. Politicians and comedians alike chimed in, with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) denouncing it as “price gouging plain and simple” even as Daily Show correspondent Ronny Chieng snorted salt packets to prepare for Baconator arbitrage. Burger King even announced a promotion for free Whoppers in response, crowing that “the only thing surging at BK is our flame!”

Wendy’s sought to tamp down on the burgeoning public relations nightmare on Tuesday, saying in a statement that reports that its never-frozen beef would cost more during a lunch rush had been greatly exaggerated.

“We have no plans to do that and would not raise prices when our customers are visiting us most,” the company said. “Any features we may test in the future would be designed to benefit our customers and restaurant crew members.”

Wendy’s said the confusion had come from Tanner’s announcement on the analyst call that the chain plans to start testing more flexible “AI-enabled” digital menu boards, which could, for instance, offer discounts and value deals during off-peak hours, similar to a happy hour special.

The company did not immediately release further details about its dynamic pricing proposal or what a potential rollout would look like.

https://ca.news.yahoo.com/wendy-imme...232521330.html

[Jason14h]

Originally Posted by Aleks

That's cute of you to think that the service you get, the speed at which you get it, and the quality of the product will be better......

I never said quality or service would better …. But speed would for sure if no one was in line because the prices are higher

[troutman]

Many Canadians are fed up with shrinkflation. So what's being done about it?

https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/shr...nada-1.7114612

https://www.mashed.com/1356426/fast-...on-complaints/

[Johnny Makarov]

i wouldn't mind if they decreased the price in off hours. Like 25% off if you order after 10pm.

[Locke]

Ah 'Burger Surge Pricing' what a time to be alive.

[puffnstuff]

You mean 'The Burge' right?