McDonald's contribute burgers, fries and combined £9.2m to Oldham economy

The Oldham town centre McDonald's restaurant

An independent economic report commissioned by McDonald’s to mark 45 years of operating in the UK, reveals the business and its suppliers have made a combined contribution of £9.2 million annually to Oldham’s economy.

Despite numerous high-street businesses in decline across the UK, McDonald’s continues to invest in and grow both its High Street and Drive-Thru operations, many of which are located in town centre locations.  

Without including its supply chain, in 2017 alone, McDonald’s  directly generated more than £7.84m in Oldham, employing more than 548 people.

The ‘Serving the UK: McDonald’s at 45’, was researched by Development Economics to understand the value McDonald’s has made to the UK economy, local communities, its employees, customers and suppliers since it first started operating in the UK.

The new report builds on the economic data McDonald’s published five years ago to mark its 40th anniversary in the UK.

The report looks at McDonald’s significant contribution to UK’s cities, through jobs created in restaurants and the wider economic impact through its supply chain.

The study details the many changes the business has undergone to meet customer needs and the key challenges it faces as it heads towards its 50th year in 2024.

Local franchisee, Darren Price, owns and operates two restaurants in Oldham.

A supporter of the Mahdlo Youth Zone and local grassroots football, he said: “Creating and sustaining jobs across Oldham 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 team and I are very proud of.

“We employ people based on their qualities not their qualifications but, as the worlds of business and education move closer, there’s no longer a need to decide between learning and earning.

“There’s also no such thing as a typical 9-5 at my restaurants. We know that people take a job with McDonald's for all sorts of reasons, from wanting to earn some extra cash while studying at colleges or university, to needing a flexible job that fits around childcare.

"That's why it's so important to us that we offer our employees flexible working options.”

In the North West as a whole, McDonald’s has contributed £236m and supported 21,430 jobs – with local farmers receiving £25m.

By including suppliers, the total GVA contribution in the North West is £407m.

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