McDonald’s bets big on nostalgia and value to hit 10,000 China stores by 2028
McDonald’s is accelerating its push in China, aiming for 10,000 mainland stores by 2028 (up from 7,700 at end-2025), with about half of last year’s openings in China. First-quarter same-store sales in its international developmental licensed markets rose 3.4%. About 52% of McDonald’s China business is owned by Trustar, a Citic Capital private‑equity unit. The company leans on nostalgia—reintroducing vanilla and strawberry milkshakes at select stores—and value pricing (one-plus-one meals from roughly 14 yuan) to compete as local brands gain ground.