Healthy sales could import McDonald’s smoothies

McDonald’s could roll out its McCafé Real Fruit Smoothies in the UK after the line proved a driving force in a better-than-expected 7% global increase in last month’s company sales.

Adult drink: McCafé’s Real Fruit Smoothies have been a hit on trial
Adult drink: McCafé’s Real Fruit Smoothies have been a hit on trial

The newly-launched smoothies were a “top contributor” to a sales lift of 5.7% in the US. A spokesman said there was nothing in the company’s current one-year plan to bring the smoothies to the UK market but refused to rule out a move in the future.

“Things that achieve great things elsewhere do have the habit of popping up over here,” the spokesman added.

McDonald’s has been undergoing trials with smoothies for almost three years in the UK with Innocent Smoothies. These have been included as part of its Happy Meal variants aimed at children.

The McCafé Smoothies, however, are very much an adult Healthy sales could import McDonald’s smoothies product. They have proved so popular on trial that last month’s proposed free sampling promotion was cancelled amid fears that supplies would run out.

The smoothies are made with yoghurt and are healthier than McDonald’s shakes – a plus for the health-conscious UK market.

In July, McDonald’s enjoyed a sales increase of 5.3% in Europe, led by France, Germany and the UK. In the UK, coffee was a “big sales driver”, helping the chain to its second busiest month on record in terms of customer numbers.