Targeting 1,000 New Stores! This Fast-Food Giant’s Expansion ‘Rampage’ Has Arrived

Global fast-food giant McDonald’s recently released its financial report for Q4 and the full year 2024. Although annual net profit declined, its expansion momentum has not slowed—especially its intensified investment in the Chinese market, drawing widespread market attention. 01■ 2024 Financial Report Revenue Up, Profit Down; Robust Global Expansion The report shows that McDonald’s global total revenue for 2024 reached $25.92 billion (approximately RMB 186.04 billion), an increase of 2% year-on-year. However, due to rising interest costs and tax impacts, net profit fell by 3% to $8.223 billion (approximately RMB 59 billion). Global systemwide sales for the year totaled $130 billion (approximately RMB 936.5 billion), up $1 billion (approximately RMB 7.2 billion) year-on-year; loyalty program sales reached $30 billion (approximately RMB 216 billion), a 30% increase. Revenue Performance: Franchise Business Drives Growth McDonald’s primary growth engine remains its franchise business, which generated $15.72 billion (approximately RMB 112.81 billion) in revenue for the year—a 2% increase—and accounted for 61% of total revenue. In contrast, company-operated business performed modestly, with annual sales of $9.78 billion (approximately RMB 70.13 billion), essentially flat year-on-year. Global Store Footprint As of the end of 2024, McDonald’s global store count grew from 41,822 in 2023 to 43,477—an increase of 1,655 stores. In the U.S., store count rose to 13,557, up 100 from 2023; internationally operated markets added 249 stores, reaching 10,512; international franchised markets posted the strongest growth—reaching 19,408 stores, an increase of 1,306. 02■ Doubling Down on China Plans to Open 1,000 New Stores In recent years, China’s dumpling industry has gradually evolved from scattered street-side stalls into branded, chain-based operations, with continuous innovation across product categories. McDonald’s plans to open approximately 2,200 new stores globally in 2025—with roughly three-quarters slated for international franchised markets. China is the top priority: around 1,000 new stores are planned—nearly three per day on average.

Virtue Labs Secures Funding; McDonald’s Launches Digital Marketing Fund; Amer Sports Sells ENVE

Recently, DTC haircare brand Virtue Labs announced completion of a new round of financing, led by Clearasil and its majority shareholder Combe. Founded in 2017, Virtue Labs specializes in haircare products formulated with human keratin—a key ingredient extracted directly from human hair. Compared to processed animal keratin, this ingredient delivers superior repair for damaged hair. Meanwhile, Virtue Labs has appointed Jose Luis Palacios as its new Chief Executive Officer. (Brand Ark) Editor’s Note: Virtue Labs’ founder brings over 25 years of experience in the beauty industry—including prior service as CEO of premium haircare brand Frédéric Fekkai. Leveraging deep industry expertise and functional product advantages, Virtue Labs’ successful fundraising was virtually inevitable. French Unicorn Mistral AI to Raise $600 Million French AI startup Mistral AI is set to close a funding round of approximately $600 million. Participants include existing investors General Catalyst and Lightspeed Venture Partners. Mistral AI was founded by former researchers from Google DeepMind and Meta. It has already launched its latest large language model, Mistral Large, and debuted its first chatbot product, Le Chat. (Brand Ark) Editor’s Note: Earlier, Mistral AI raised roughly $500 million from numerous investors. Following this round, the company’s valuation is expected to reach $6 billion—trippling within just six months. – Brand News – McDonald’s Establishes Franchisee Digital Marketing Fund McDonald’s has recently launched a new global digital marketing fund. Its U.S. franchisees will begin contributing fees to this fund starting next year. Franchisees in the UK, Canada, Australia, and Germany will also contribute, with implementation rolling out to other McDonald’s markets in the near future. (CNBC) Editor’s Note: In recent years, McDonald’s has actively expanded its digital operations to strengthen member loyalty and boost user engagement. The establishment of this digital marketing fund will help McDonald’s focus more effectively on emerging business segments—and better serve consumers. – Acquisition News – Fashion Brand Boohoo’s Losses Surge to £160 Million Fast-fashion retailer Boohoo’s latest financial report reveals losses have skyrocketed from £90.7 million two years ago to £160 million. The company has also cut over 1,000 jobs and now faces potential debt distress. For the fiscal year ended February 29, Boohoo reported a pre-tax loss of £159.9 million against revenue of £1.5 billion—a 17% decline year-on-year. Moreover, GMV for the group’s core brands dropped from 9% growth in the first half to just 4% in the final six months. (Brand Ark) Editor’s Note: At its peak, Boohoo enjoyed strong consumer appeal. Yet amid broader industry headwinds, the company’s profitability and operations have steadily deteriorated.

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