McDonald's contributes £801.4m to South East economy employing more than 26,000 people

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To celebrate its 50th birthday in the UK, McDonald’s has commissioned an independent economic report, which reveals the incredible £801.4 million* contribution the business and its suppliers have made to the South East annually.

To celebrate its 50th birthday in the UK, McDonald’s has commissioned an independent economic report, which reveals the incredible £801.4 million* contribution the business and its suppliers have made to the South East annually.

Without including its supply chain, in 2023 alone, McDonald’s direct economic contribution across the South East totalled approximately £401.2m**, with the 175 restaurants directly employing 22,240 people***.

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Despite the turbulence of the last five years, with many businesses facing challenging times, McDonald’s has continued to invest in local towns and cities across the UK, where restaurants are often at the heart of the community.

McDonald's team in Brighton litter picking in the community for PrideMcDonald's team in Brighton litter picking in the community for Pride
McDonald's team in Brighton litter picking in the community for Pride

The ‘McDonald’s at 50’ report,was produced to understand the value McDonald’s has added to the UK economy, local communities, its employees, customers and suppliers since it first started operating in the UK. The new report was commissioned to mark McDonald’s 50th anniversary in the UK and builds on economic data published five years ago.

It looks at McDonald’s significant contribution to the UK’s cities, through jobs created in restaurants and the wider economic impact through its supply chain. Full breakdown of the major cities in the South East:

City

Total jobs created

Milton Keynes

1,305

Portsmouth

865

Brighton

720

Reading

720

Oxford

290

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In addition to restaurant jobs, the South East is home to one of McDonald’s biggest suppliers; Tropicana in Reading, which supplies fruit juice to all UK restaurants. Through partners, such as Tropicana, - and the wider induced effects of its operations and supply chain – McDonald’s contributes a further £400.3 million per annum to the South East economy and 4,430 extra jobs.

McDonald's team in Southampton litter picking in the communityMcDonald's team in Southampton litter picking in the community
McDonald's team in Southampton litter picking in the community

McDonald’s believes in playing an active role in the local communities in which it operates and through its programme, Makin’ It, in partnership with BBC Children in Need, is committed to partnering every restaurant across the UK with youth services. The initiative harnesses the power of youth work to provide safe, welcoming spaces in restaurants and funds programmes to provide training, real-world experience and opportunities for young people. Successful local McDonald’s partnerships include Motiv8 (Fareham), Medway Youth Servies (Medway) and Saints Foundation (Southampton).

Franchisees and their teams go above and beyond to give back to and champion their local communities. Most recently McDonald’s restaurants across Brighton took part in a mass litter pick following the Brighton Pride celebrations to clean up the local landmarks and streets ensuring a welcoming city to all visitors.

McDonald’s Franchisee Dave Padmore, who owns and operates eight restaurants across the South East, said: “Creating and sustaining jobs across the South East is of huge importance to me, and the fact that we have been able to make a significant financial contribution to the area is something my fellow Franchisees and I are very proud of. We have so many opportunities available to young people and it’s great to see so many of them taking advantage and gaining qualifications while they work – there is no longer a need to decide between learning and earning. I believe in investing in my staff and helping to provide them not only with an interesting and enjoyable place to work, but also to give them qualifications that they can draw upon throughout their life. It’s also been amazing to see the impact McDonald’s restaurants are having across local communities. From community initiatives to litter picks and outreach programmes, our restaurants and crew are constantly thinking of ways to support their local communities.”

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The report finds that overall, the business and its supply chain is estimated to be worth more than £7.25 billion annually to the UK economy (including wider, induced effects) – and that over the past 50 years, the total economic contribution is £94.45 billion, with £51.56 billion spent with UK supply chain businesses ****. McDonald’s growth over the last 50 years has seen the level of employment supported by McDonald’s and Franchisees increase from one restaurant in 1974 to 94,600 direct employees in 2013 to 171,415 in 2023.

ENDS

‘McDonald’s at 50’ can be downloaded in full from the Newsroom at mcdonalds.co.uk

Media enquiries please contact: [email protected]

Research methodology

Financial and other data used to generate these economic estimates was supplied by McDonald’s, by individual franchise operating businesses, and by businesses that comprise key elements of the McDonald’s supply chain. However, all estimates of overall economic value have been independently produced by Lichfields.

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* This figure is based on direct, indirect and induced economic output generated across the region. It is measured by Gross Value Added (GVA) which represents the value of output generated by a business or industry less the costs of production (excluding wages).

** This figure is based on the direct economic contribution to the region. It is measured by Gross Value Added (GVA), which is the value of output generated by a business or industry less the costs of production (excluding wages).

*** This figure is based on the number of restaurants and direct employees within the region as of December 2023. It is based upon data provided by McDonald’s and individual franchisees.

**** The figures represent the sum of the estimated annual GVA impact and supply chain expenditure across the UK for each of the 50 years. It takes the cumulative values reported in 2019 and adds on data for the period to 2024. All figures have been converted to (and are presented on the basis of) 2023 prices.

About Lichfields

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Lichfields is the UK's pre-eminent planning and development consultancy. For more than 60 years we have been supporting client to drive economic growth at the local and national level. We help to shape strategy and policy development, advise regarding growth sectors and development needs, and test the feasibility and economic benefits of investment.

About ‘McDonald’s at 50: Our Social and Economic Impact

‘McDonald’s at 50: Our Social and Economic Impact’ was published in August 2024. The report highlights and quantifies the economic contribution made by McDonald’s to the UK economy since it became established in the UK in 1974. All estimates of overall economic value have been independently produced by Lichfields.

The focus of the report is on the impact of the directly operated and franchised restaurants operating in the UK, together with the headquarters and distribution networks and the UK-based supply chain including farming and food manufacturing.

About McDonald’s UK & Ireland

McDonald’s has run its business in the UK since 1974 and celebrates its 50th anniversary this year. The business currently operates approximately 1,435 restaurants across the UK, serving almost four million customers each day. McDonald’s is one of the UK’s largest private sector employers, employing over 171,000 people and works with over 23,000 British and Irish farmers.

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