Quick-service and casual dining chains are kicking off the year by leaning hard into affordability, rolling out value menus and tiered meal deals to win back price-sensitive customers. Brands like Taco Bell, Wendy's, and Red Robin are spotlighting lower-cost options and limited-time offers as sticker shock reshapes dining habits. The shift comes as consumers pull back: 44% of lower-income consumers are dining out less. Chains that can balance sharp pricing with traffic-driving offers may keep consumers coming, while those that can't risk losing relevance.

McDonald’s organizational overhaul aims to get new products out faster: The speedier rate of innovation could entice customers to visit more often.

QSRs resume the value wars in 2025: McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Wendy’s are among the many fast-food chains leaning on deals to drive traffic.

McDonald’s earmarks $100 million to undo damage from the E. coli outbreak: The fast-food chain will spend big on marketing and offer franchisees more support to win back customer trust and sales.

Dynamic pricing plans risk alienating price-sensitive consumers: The mere possibility of variable prices is triggering anxiety over inflation and hurting trust in retailers

Inflation is on the rise and the competition for consumer dollars is heating up between restaurants and retailers. Here are five insights into how consumers are purchasing their food as prices continue to rise.

Knowing how price-sensitive consumers are at this moment, brands need to be extra cautious how they position themselves and their messaging. Otherwise, they could risk angering or alienating consumers, as evidenced by the reaction to recent comments from executives at the WK Kellogg Co and Wendy’s.

Retailers struggle to find a balance between growth and sustainability: Efforts to reduce environmental footprints often run counter to the desire to grow sales.

On today's episode, we discuss whether the tech boom is actually over, whether consumers can have real conversations with brands, if the promise of rapid delivery is simply make-believe, how a Wendy's in California briefly became a "Rick and Morty"-themed pop-up, whether blockbuster films can continue to prop up movie theaters, an explanation of ad budgets in 2023, how the population is changing, and more. Tune in to the discussion with our director of reports editing Rahul Chadha and analysts Blake Droesch and Dave Frankland.

The US labor market is a tale of two halves: While retailers with a strong brick-and-mortar presence are intensifying their hiring efforts, startups are taking a more cautious approach to recruitment as VC funding dries up.

Agencies spy an opportunity in the metaverse: WPP is partnering with Epic Games on a new initiative for that very reason.

Livestreaming has become a prominent feature across the social media and digital video landscapes. Here’s how marketers are taking advantage of opportunities within the space.

Brands have sought after millennials since the segment was identified as a demographic phenomenon reminiscent of the boomers. There’s been heavy investment in the creation of products and services that fit within an evolving consumer culture, one increasingly defined by this influential cohort. Growing independence and earning make this group the most digitally connected of all.