McDonald's Japan began their own delivery service

On Monday, December 20, 2010, McDonald's Japan started the test run of delivery service at Yoga Inter (用賀インター) Store in Setagaya, Tokyo.

Acccording to Nikkei, ANN and FNN, McDonald's Japan installed the telephone order system, hired additional staff just for this service, and started accepting orders last Monday.

It is at the trial stage. Currently, the order has to be more than 1,500 yen. They will deliver for free within 10min or 1.5km radius from the store. But they won't deliver ice cream (obviously).

Within a half year, they are planning to expand this service to 10 or more stores in Tokyo, and the rest of Japan by summer 2011.

This is not the first time that fast food chains started the delivery services. KFC Japan and MOS Burger have already begun their delivery services at their limited locations for long time. MOS Burger opened delivery-only store, "MOS Burger Delivery Cabin" in 2007; and KFC Japan started "Otodoke Kentucky" (お届けケンタッキー) in 2006.

In addition to the fast food chain, the family restaurant chain, Skylark also provides the delivery services.

These services are, in fact, aiming to the upcoming concern of Japanese society - population aging. They want to assist the busy parents with young children, and the elderly would not be able to drive or walk to the store or restaurant.

McDonald's Japan and other food chains are hoping to mature the delivery services by the time that the young Japanese become old and unable to walk. So that they can continue to phone-in and buy their food.

The Japanese food industry now needs to focus on the services in addition to the foods themselves.

By the way, McDonald's Japan is doing the limited time sale. Big Mac is 200 yen until December 26.