首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
Fast-food firms have to be a thick-skinned bunch. Health experts regularly lambaste them for peddling food that makes people fat
Fast-food firms have to be a thick-skinned bunch. Health experts regularly lambaste them for peddling food that makes people fat
admin
2012-12-30
50
问题
Fast-food firms have to be a thick-skinned bunch. Health experts regularly lambaste them for peddling food that makes people fat. Critics even complain that McDonald’s, whose golden arches symbolise calorie excess, should not have been allowed to sponsor the World Cup. These are things fast-food firms have learnt to cope with and to deflect. But not perhaps for much longer. The burger business faces more pressure from regulators at a time when it is already adapting strategies in response to shifts in the global economy.
Fast food was once thought to be recession-proof. When consumers need to cut spending, the logic goes, cheap meals like Big Macs and Whoppers become even more attractive. Such "trading down" proved true for much of the latest recession, when fast-food companies picked up customers who could no longer afford to eat at casual restaurants. Traffic was boosted in America, the home of fast food, with discounts and promotions, such as $ 1 menus and cheap combination meals.
As a result, fast-food chains have weathered the recession better than their pricier competitors. In 2009 sales at full-service restaurants in America fell by more than 6% , but total sales remained about the same at fast-food chains. In some markets, such as Japan, France and Britain, total spending on fast food increased. Same-store sales in America at McDonald’s, the world’s largest fast-food company, did not decline throughout the downturn. Panera Bread, an American fast-food chain known for its fresh ingredients, performed well.tooiits boss, Ron Shaich, claims this is because it offers higher-quality food at lower prices than restaurants.
But not all fast-food companies have been as fortunate. Many, such as Burger King, have seen sales fall. In a severe recession, while some people trade down to fast food, many others eat at home more frequently to save money. David Palmer, an analyst at UBS, a bank, says smaller fast-food chains in America, such as Jack in the Box and Carl’s Jr. , have been hit particularly hard in this downturn because at the same time they are "slugging it out with a global powerhouse" in the form of McDonald’s, which ramped up spending on advertising by more than 7% last year as others cut back.
Some fast-food companies also cannibalised their own profits by trying to give customers better value. During the recession companies set prices low, hoping that once they had tempted customers through the door they would be persuaded to order more expensive items. But in many cases that strategy backfired. Last year Burger King franchisees sued the company over its double-cheeseburger promotion, claiming it was unfair for them to be required to sell these for $ 1 when they cost $ 1.10 to make. In May a judge ruled in favour of Burger King. Nevertheless, the company may still be cursing its decision to promote cheap choices over more expensive ones because items on its "value menu" now account for around 20% of all sales, up from 12% last October.
Analysts expect the fast-food industry to grow modestly this year. But the downturn is making them rethink their strategies. Many companies are now introducing higher-priced items to entice consumers away from $ 1 specials. KFC, a division of Yum! Brands, which also owns Taco Bell and Pizza Hut, has launched a chicken sandwich that costs around $ 5. And in May Burger King introduced barbecue pork ribs at a hefty $ 7 for eight.
The word "cannibalised" in Paragraph 5 probably means
选项
A、cut down.
B、put down.
C、stepped up.
D、maintained.
答案
A
解析
语义题。第五段首旬指出“Some fast-food companies also cannibalised their own profits bytrying to give customers better value.”,之后对该句进行解释说明,由句中的“companies set priceslow,hoping that once they had tempted customers…”可知,经营策略是降低价格,利润自然会降低,故[A]符合此处语境。
转载请注明原文地址:https://jikaoti.com/ti/ohUYFFFM
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
Airpollutionexistsnotonlyoutdoor,butalsoindoor.Ithasgreateffectsonpeople,andtherearemanymeasurestakentocor
Airpollutionexistsnotonlyoutdoor,butalsoindoor.Ithasgreateffectsonpeople,andtherearemanymeasurestakentocor
Airpollutionexistsnotonlyoutdoor,butalsoindoor.Ithasgreateffectsonpeople,andtherearemanymeasurestakentocor
ReligionsoftheEastAfewyearsagomanywell-knownpeoplecametotheEasttostudytheAsianreli-gions.Theywerecuriou
ReligionsoftheEastAfewyearsagomanywell-knownpeoplecametotheEasttostudytheAsianreli-gions.Theywerecuriou
LegendsaboutKingArthurhaveexistedsincethe6thcentury.Storiesofthemanandhisdoingshavegrownfarbeyondanythingt
Teachersandotherspecialistsinearlychildhoodeducationrecognizethatchildrendevelopatdifferentrates.Givenanythingt
Teachersandotherspecialistsinearlychildhoodeducationrecognizethatchildrendevelopatdifferentrates.Givenanythingt
Teachersandotherspecialistsinearlychildhoodeducationrecognizethatchildrendevelopatdifferentrates.Givenanythingt
随机试题
在SF-36量表中,不参与生活质量评分的是【】
属于战后日本法发展的特点的是()
讯问笔录针对的对象是()
A.砂仁、豆蔻、鱼腥草B.西洋参、西红花、人参C.车前子、葶苈子、海金沙D.姜汁、梨汁、蜂蜜E.阿胶、鳖甲胶、鹿角胶需要后下的一组药物是
20××年×月×日8:20分,某市某化学塑料制品厂发生火灾,整个厂房被烧毁,造成直接财产损失达127.6万元。当日8:00上班后,工人孙某某在该化塑制品厂压球车间门口西侧用电焊焊接压模。焊接现场的周围除一条3m宽的通道外,堆满了袋装成品浮球及废料,还有数
勘察阶段监理工作的方法有()。
教学过程的首要事件是()
()原则是指创设幼儿园环境应考虑不同地区、不同条件园所的实际情况做到因地制宜、勤俭办园。
化简并求值:其中a满足:a2+2a一1=0。
SirHowardDavies,themanwiththejobofdecidingwhetherBritainneedsanewairport,mustbelookingwithsomealarmatthe
最新回复
(
0
)