US fast food giant Burger King will start its "9.9-yuan ($1.37) era" on Monday, selling its cheapest ever burger in China amid a new round of promotional activity, in order to seize market share amid rising competition.
Competitor McDonald's is also rolling out price cuts to draw consumers, which experts and media reports suggested shows that foreign fast food brands want to expand their market share and tap into China's greater potential.
Starting on Monday, four of Burger King's signature burgers will be priced at 9.9 yuan each for four consecutive weeks. For example, the price of a fruitwood grilled chicken burger will be slashed from the original 24 yuan to 9.9 yuan. The prices of other burgers will be cut by similar levels.
The company describes this promotion as an unprecedented move, aiming to engage consumers with extended duration and competitive pricing across dine-in, delivery and e-commerce platforms, without membership restrictions, according to media reports.
This move follows Burger King's strategy of frequent low-price promotions in the second half of this year. The 9.9-yuan burgers are comparable to McDonald's recent promotion offering burgers starting at 10 yuan for 14 consecutive days, which began in early July.
