TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Fastfood chain restaurant McDonald's begin to lose its market in the United States. The restaurant's sales figure on November 2014 showed a drop of 4.6 percent, compared to the same period last year, The number is the highest, following September's 4.1 percent. The drop is also the biggest rate since ever experienced by the restaurant since 2003.

McDonald's fading charm is also caused by the fierce competition among fastfood chain restaurants and marketing system failure. McDonald's has been attempting to improve marketing, simplify its menu, and implement local organization structure to improve customer's relevance.

As the attempts are yet to show results, McDonald's customer began to shift to other fast food restaurants such as Five Guys Holding LLC and Chick-fil-A-Inc, notably offering simpler menu.

In response to the degrading performance, McDonald's CEO Don Thompson promised that he will address the issue by making changes in the management level. Nevertheless, Wall Street Journal has reported that global sales of the burger franchise have dropped by 2.2 percent in November 2014. In Asia-Pacific, Middle East, and Africa, McDonald's sales dropped by four percent.

URSULA FLORENE