Cheltenham High Street’s McDonald’s branch is currently undergoing a refurbishment, but will reopen with more than just a lick of paint.
Set to open its doors again on 23rd October, the fast-food branch will feature brand new digital elements with the aim of making the experience of ordering food much easier.
Free standing self-service kiosks are a major part of this new scheme, offering customers the chance to order their food at their own pace, giving them time to look into any nutritional information and the opportunity to customise their order easily.
There is also said to be a ‘click and collect’ app available to customers, as well as phone charging points, fixed tabletop tablets for children and free WiFi. A statement on the McDonald’s website explains the idea behind the advances, aiming to put “convenience and technology at the heart of the changes.”
But McDonald’s isn’t the only high street business to have embraced digital change in the past few years. Wetherspoons also launched a similar ‘click and collect’ style app in 2017, allowing customers to order food and drink to the table without leaving their seats, much to their loyal customers’ delight.
The Wetherspoons app is on par with the invention of the wheel…
— Neil Wright ◣ ◢ (@The_Blade_77) May 6, 2018
As someone who can’t abide queuing with members of the general public, I’ve got to say my first foray into the Wetherspoons table service app has impressed me no end
— Chris Moore (@Mooro1976) October 16, 2018
Whoever thought up and designed the Wetherspoons app honestly deserves a Nobel prize
— Holly (@hollythompson98) June 16, 2018
Phone provider Vodafone has also taken a step in the digital direction by going cashless in July of this year, a move that has been discussed widely on their online community forum. One user expressed his understanding of the new scheme, posting “most people these days don’t carry cash at all so it definitely makes sense.”
The outlook for the British high street has seemed bleak this past year, with numerous retailers including M&S, House of Fraser and Waitrose announcing store closures, and plenty of others going into administration.
But figures from GlobalData show that town centre spending in the UK is set to increase by 4.9% in the next five years as the high street adapts more to the modern-day consumer. Concept stores, socialising spots and automated shopping are all set to replace more the traditional shops, openings that will eventually lead to a rise in spending.