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Coca-Cola, McDonald's wage unhealthy 'war' on Russia: PM aide

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Someone forcing them at gunpoint to eat the stuff? I hate both Mickey D's and Coca-Cola so... I don't consume their products. Simple.

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From what my Russian friend tells me the average Russian diet is abysmal even without the junk food! Average lifespan for a Russian male is 66.7years and a quarter of Russian men will die before 55! The reason: VODKA! I don't see them demonizing that though!

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So in the middle of a financial crisis, covert war, and murdered opposition leaders, the Russians are talking about....Big Macs.

Actually, I guess that does make sense. Good distraction and it keeps up criticism of The West which might come in handy with the murder investigation.

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Don't get petty

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mountainpear From what my Russian friend tells me the average Russian diet is abysmal even without the junk food! Average lifespan for a Russian male is 66.7years and a quarter of Russian men will die before 55! The reason: VODKA! I

I'm afraid you have no Russian friends.

As a rule Russian do not like junk food at all. They also do not eat packaged meals.

They prefer traditional home cooking. (it took a loot of time from Russian women )

And this made traditional family stronger.

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

The aggressive marketing they carry out . . . is comparable to a war against our people,” said Gennady Onishchenko

And these are the types Putin surrounds himself with. As if it weren't enough that Putin himself is a megalomaniac, he has to surround himself with bombastic, nationalism-spewing asshats like Onishchenko. And Russian media scratches its head and wonders quite vocally why the West doesn't trust Russia in the least....

McDonald's and Coca-Cola absolutely should pull out of the Russian market. Seeing as how well Russia has managed to not withstand Western economic sanctions since their little foray into Crimea, it’s be entertaining on some level to see how much further Putin is willing to drag his country's economic fortunes down the toilet before the citizenry get sick of it -- and him. Russians have a long history of initiating their own "regime change" if the political (and economic) winds of fortune shift just right.

Hey, Onishchenko, here's a novel idea: How about Russia make better efforts to educate its population regarding health, nutrition, and, oh, yeah, taking responsibility for personal health choices? Otherwise, I'm certain we can expect you to quickly round up local vodka makers and call them to task for contributing the alcohol-related deaths of some 25% of Russian males before they hit the age of 55? No? Oh, but that would suggest that this little witch hunt against clear icons of American capitalism is, err, politically motivated, despite bleating to the contrary.

Mickey D's isn't laced with heroin and Coco-Cola hasn't had any really fun levels of cocaine in it for over 100 years, so addiction clearly isn't at play here. Nor are these two companies holding guns to the heads of consumers to make them purchase their products, so the “chemical warfare” claim seems to miss the mark by a wide margin. Maybe if these two companies did indeed hold actual guns to the heads of consumers as a way to motivate them to buy what they were selling, Russian political hacks would find the companies and their products more palatable, particular since threats of violence, implicit or otherwise, have served Russia so well in Crimea of late.

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I'm afraid you have no Russian friends.

As a rule Russian do not like junk food at all.

I'm afraid you do no seem to know what you are talking about. Until recently, McDonald's was a huge success in Russia.

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slumdog As a rule Russian do not like junk food at all. I'm afraid you do no seem to know what you are talking about. Until recently, McDonald's was a huge success in Russia.

It was so 25 years before - when it started in Russia

Today Russia has a huge choice of different fast foods and not fast food establishments

McDonald - it's a very low segment in Russia

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

25 years ago Russia was the failing Soviet Union, I can see where your thinking comes from. If Junk food is such a low segment in Russia, why the percieved threat. The Russian government is diverting. No doubt in fear of being found out.

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SwissToni 25 years ago Russia was the failing Soviet Union, I can see where your thinking comes from. If Junk food is such a low segment in Russia, why the percieved threat.

“The aggressive marketing they carry out—which has nothing to do with our culinary traditions—is comparable to a war against our people,” said Gennady Onishchenko,

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

It was so 25 years before

Again, you are mistaken. McDonald's was doing very well in Russia as of 2014.

Today Russia has a huge choice of different fast foods

You are confusing me. Abover you wrote:

As a rule Russian do not like junk food at all.

Now, you admit there is fast food in Russia. Maybe you are the one who does not know much about Russia?

McDonald - it's a very low segment in Russia

In 2014, McDonald's $2.2 billion in sales accounted for as much as 8% of the worldwide revenue.That is a pretty huge segment.

The aggressive marketing they carry out—which has nothing to do with our culinary traditions—is comparable to a war against our people

Onishcenko is being ridiculous. Russians do not have to buy it, if they do not want it. Yet, they were buying it of their own free will. That is not war. That is free choice. Onischenko seems to be against free choice.

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The headline, "Coca-Cola, McDonald's wage unhealthy 'war"on Russia" is funny! Har!

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Olegek,

(You beat me to it, slumdog)

McDonald - it's a very low segment in Russia

Umm... Not really. It's estimated that McDonald's made around US$2.2 billion last year, making up roughly 8% of its global profits. According to multiple sources that are not addled by nationalist Russian sentiment, fast food made up 29% percent of the "eating out" food market in Russia, and McDonald's commanded 20% of that market. Among fast food chains, McDonald's cornered 42% of that market, and among hamburger chains, 78% with its 440 locations nationwide.

That's not a "low segment" by any stretch of the imagination.

Meanwhile, the closest home-grown fast food competitor is the 147-outlet strong Teremok chain specializing in blini, a reportedly quite delicious Russian crepe-like invention.

Interestingly, Michael Goncharov, the head of Teremok stated in 2011 in regard to international expansion of the chain that, “We won’t be positioning ourselves as a Russian brand in these countries, we are an international brand, in the same way as McDonalds, Pepsi – Cola, Coca – Cola. It shouldn’t promote any specific values.”

Hmm… Good advice, I would think.

Meanwhile, the restaurants that Onishchenko wants to chase out of Russia employ some 37,000 people. This doesn't even begin to include the number of Russians employed by Coca-Cola distributors, bottlers, and sales people in Russia, not to mention all the farmers and wholesalers who rely on McDonald's and Coca-cola business.

Yeah, politically motivated male-ego pissing contests are just proving to be oh, so prosperous and beneficial for Mother Russia....

1 ( +2 / -1 )

LFRAgain,

You actually reworded it better than I wrote it. I mistakenly wrote it in a way that made it seem as if it was 8% of all worldwide revenue, not McDonald's worldwide revenue, which is what I meant. So, thank you for that.

Yeah, politically motivated male-ego pissing contests are just proving to be oh, so prosperous and beneficial for Mother Russia....

Exactly. People are going to suffer for it and we have some people posturing as Russian supporters that are cheering on the moves that will make that suffering a reality.

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LFRAgain According to multiple sources that are not addled by nationalist Russian sentiment, fast food made up 29% percent of the "eating out" food market in Russia, and McDonald's commanded 20% of that market. Among fast food chains, McDonald's cornered 42% of that market, and among hamburger chains, 78% with its 440 locations nationwide.

I can say about some big cities like Yekaterinburg, Perm' , Chelyabinsk , Moscow, S Petersburg, Novosibirsk. ( more than 1 million people )

A lot of cafe a lot of different types of food chain. McDonald - rare case sorry, Russian in whole dislike it.

Even KFC is much more popular. And a lot of small&local food chains

But Russian (may be like French) prefer to eat and drink not in food chains.

Unique cafe (only one) or something like this.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

its safe to say that the government leaders are willing to sacrifice the average Russian's standard of living if it means creating xenophobic capital that can be spent to control the population.

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slumdog It was so 25 years before Again, you are mistaken. McDonald's was doing very well in Russia as of 2014.

25 years before McDonald's was really popular in Russia. Today it is not so.

Today Russia has a huge choice of different fast foods You are confusing me. Abover you wrote: As a rule Russian do not like junk food at all.

Russian fast food chains is not like Mc - soups, salads, side dishes, fish and meat dishes

In 2014, McDonald's $2.2 billion in sales accounted for as much as 8% of the worldwide revenue.That is a pretty huge segment.

In Russia it's a low cost & low quality segment

Onishcenko is being ridiculous. Russians do not have to buy it, if they do not want it. Yet, they were buying it of their own free will. That is not war. That is free choice. Onischenko seems to be against free choice.

This food is not healthy, with drugs you also have a right of choice

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Olegek,

Clearly, you seem to feel a great deal of pride and sentimentality for all things Russian, however (and you really need to take this to heart) . . . You're talking out of your nether regions.

KFC is not more popular that McDonald's in Russia. Russian fast food is not more popular than McDonald's. The largest and most successful Russian fast food chain is, as I mentioned before, is Teremok and it's annual sales still pale in comparison to McDonalds' annual US$2.2 billion in sales. That's 2.2 BILLION dollars.

McDonald's is VERY successful in Russia. Meanwhile, Teremok still only has location in Moscow and St. Pertersburg, while McDonald's remains the fast food choice for 20% of Russians, or rather, 1 out of every 5 Russians looking for a fast food option. Mickey D's consistently outsells KFC, Pizza Hut, and yes, even the much beloved "healthy" option of Teremok.

Meanwhile, the number of cafes and small, independently owned local restaurants grew only marginally at a rate of 4% in 2013, while fast food chains grew at a rate of 19~30% in the same period, depending on how you classified the fast food.

My sources for this are Forbes, Euromonitor International, the USDA Department of Foreign Agricultural Services, and the New York Times.

What are your sources?

While you compile that list of reputable economic and financial sources to back your claims, I would remind you to consider that if McDonald's is such a "very low segment in Russia," then why are hyper-patriotic loons like Gennady Onishchenko so afraid of McDonald's so-called "aggressive marketing?" After all, if McDonald's is such a minor consideration, as you continue to maintain, then why even care?

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

My sources for this are Forbes, Euromonitor International, the USDA Department of Foreign Agricultural Services, and the New York Times.McDonald's is VERY successful in Russia

I'm just living here

So it is some gradation : McDonald - it's a worst place from Russian point of view - only for teenagers or riff-raff

You can have any statistics - but in big sities there are a lot of possibilities to eat - and Mc - it's a last place to go.

From Russian point of view even KFC it's a better place.

Sure - you can't just stop such giant as McDonald - anyway he comes to you even if you don't want him.

My position is very simple - I'm a consumer in Russia my friends and relatives also . Macroeconomic and micro.

McDonald in Russia - the biggest chain of free lavatory - no more no less .

By the way we have a huge amount of sushi restaurants - especially very small ones.

It's 10 times more popular than Mc - may be 20 times - only my impression also from the streets of Russian cities. Only market sentiment.

good pizza suchi may be, but not burger ... not Cola

"very low segment in Russia," then why are hyper-patriotic loons like Gennady Onishchenko so afraid of McDonald's so-called "aggressive marketing?

1 It's no good for health

2 When we talking about serious anti-Russian sanctions we should ask youself - what this guys from McDonald and Coca doing in Russia ?

Sanctions means sanctions - a la guerre comme a la guerre ....

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

Olegek,

I'm just living here

Unless you've actually gone out and interviewed an entirely random sampling of 1000 or more Russians in a well-structured, unbiased survey regarding dining-out eating habits, simply "living in Russia" doesn't make any of your statements about McDonald's popularity or success in Russia true.

I think I understand where the difficulties in this discussion are coming from. You're content with presenting personal opinion and anecdotes as ample evididence for your position, while I'm operating simply from well-published financial reports, research, and a broad set of facts.

I'm not sure how old you are, or if you have any interest in the intricacies of statistical analysis analysis or, well, simple mathematics, but I highly recommend you look a little deeper into these fields, if for no other reason than so that you can present an argument that doesn't hinge on, "I'm a consumer in Russia my friends and relatives also." Not very compelling, I'm afraid. I'm really glad you enjoy good old fashioned Russian homestyle cooking. Who doesn't? Good luck and have a good night.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

LFRAgain Unless you've actually gone out and interviewed an entirely random sampling of 1000 or more Russians in a well-structured, unbiased survey regarding dining-out eating habits

For example we together can collect and analyse huge amount of statistic information about Japan consumers for example : after that we can explaine poor Japanese - what they eat what types of cars they prefer and so on.

I think as a result of such work - Japanese readers will have a real fun time. They can just burst of laughter

So I have read a lot a clever books about USA - but NEVER visit this country . Can you catch the Idea !?

If I will read 1000 good books about USA or Japan - it's only theory. To understand something I need live in this country for some period.

I (as every normal person ) knew my hometown pretty well ! So I knew - where I can eat !

I'm not sure how old you are, or if you have any interest in the intricacies of statistical analysis analysis or, well, simple mathematics,

OK for example in my Yekaterinburg (1,5 millions) we have about 448 facilities . OK ?

9 McDonalds we have ( for me it' also something new) And not in the best places.

Much popular - Pizza Mia -12 facilities - local brend as I think. Burger King -8 KFC -5

Sbarro - 6 Stolle ( local pie-network) - 6 Starbucks - 3 vostochny bazar - 3 (also good local fastfood)

yamkee ( good local fastfood) -3 Pan- Pizza (local) - 3 Shokoladniza (local) -5

So we have Mc - but as outsider ..sorry

So if you or your friends want to invest in Mc in Russia please take care.

Anyway statistics is only statistics - it always differ from real life.

I highly recommend you look a little deeper into these fields

I have learn a lot at the technical University but the first day at mechanical plant for me was a really BIG surprise

So you have theoretical knowledge - it's good - but it is not enough .

-3 ( +1 / -4 )

Anyway statistics is only statistics - it always differ from real life.

Clearly, you don't really understand the process or utility of statistics, or you wouldn't have made such an obviously clueless statement.

Statistics are used by insurance companies to determine your rates. They are used by banks to determine whether they will lend you money or not. They are used to pick presidents, race horses, stocks, and weather patterns. Statistics can tell doctors whether a new drug will save or take lives, and whether an unborn baby will be affected by a genetic disorder. Statistics are used to assess quality control for consumer products and help create accurate economic models that guide Russian policy makers when deciding how to steer the economy. Statistics determine the safety policies in place at the mechanical plant you worked at.

Pizza Mia, Burger King, Sbarro, Starbucks, and KFC all have stores in Yekaterinburg precisely because statistical analysis told them that there was a profitable to be made there. And the statistics didn't lie.

McDonald's serve over 1,000,000 Russians a day. Are you really trying to tell me that means nothing and that it's not popular at all?

Statistics are NOT "theoretical knowledge." It's a science that could give us an answer to a question as seemingly impossible to know as, "What are the chances Yekaterinburg men will wear a white shirt today?" with 99% accuracy and a margin of error of +/- 3.0 by asking as few as 1845 people out of the 1.3 million who live in your town.

You dismiss statistics as if it were some sort of fringe voodoo cult, when in fact, it is largely responsible for why most of the modern world works the way it does. That you would write statistics off as something separate from the real world suggests you really don't understand what statistics actually are. Which also goes a long way towards explain why you still insist on saying McDonald's is not popular in Russia, when you are very plainly wrong.

I would urge you to take the time to educate yourself a bit on the subject. The power of statistics might very well surprise you.

Статистика

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/%D0%A1%D1%82%D0%B0%D1%82%D0%B8%D1%81%D1%82%D0%B8%D0%BA%D0%B0

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