Bradley Chong had a McRib for lunch on Nov. 13. He had another the next day, and the next day, and the next. In fact, he claims to have eaten a McRib practically every day since McDonald's brought back their sauce-laden, processed pork patty earlier this month.
Chong knows his access to the McRib won't last forever. On Dec. 5, it will disappear from the McDonald's near his home in Honolulu and from every McDonald's in America. When will it return? No telling.
Is a McRib shortage to blame? No. McDonald's sells the sandwich year-round in Germany. But despite fans clamoring for it in the United States, McDonald's Corp. spokeswoman Ashlee Yingling explains that "it's always been a promotional menu item" available for just a few weeks at a time.
Welcome to Artificial Scarcity, Consumer Edition. The tactic is used so often in American marketing that you might expect consumers to be immune to it.
To read the rest of the story, please go to: Bloomberg Businessweek.
