This case study will focus on the fast food industry as a general, also how Porter's five forces tool may help in the food industry as overall. 

Overview

Within the food industry, there is a very large complex network of farmers and business that work together in order to supply food around the world. The food industry covers a wider range of areas that include such as Agriculture, food processing, wholesale and distribution and retail.  The food industry employed a massive number of skilled and unskilled workers. 2006 alone the food industry accounted for over 1.5 million jobs in the US and 4 million jobs in Europe, however, the food industry employs excludes survival farmers who use their produce for self-consumption. 

Competitive rivalry food industry 

Although McDonald’s hold’s on the Duopoly market as a whole is fragmented with many global chain and independent operators, therefore the competition is mainly primarily cost basted with firms continuously investing in their product and also the service for the processes to undercut for any competitors. As the capacity is easily increasing thought franchising as mostly franchising are having such as strong branding is the most prevalent weapon for competing. (Newroom,2018). 

A threat of substitution are mainly high due to the fact there is new entrance such as  gladly meal, this means there is the type of food can be purchased pretty much anywhere through the food service or other details such as marks and Spencer's, however, conveniences is the value-adding component of service which reduces the threat substitutes. Nevertheless, there are many customers who can eat cook at home for less but yet this may not be convenience element which people require nowadays the ready meals are more substantial threat competing with the fast food industry on price point as well as convenience (Data monitor, 2018). This may be cheaper for the consumer but they may not have an access to a microwave, therefore this is way fast food chain restaurant have that cheap quick-service hot meals in short time this way customer have several options for the best value. 

The suppliers have a major influence in terms of the business production capacity based on availability in terms of raw materials. This shows the impacts of suppliers on firms and in particular in the fast food industry, the environment in some case it can be weak based on the bargaining power of the suppliers.  This can be based on the following such as a large number of suppliers it can weaken the force, as well as the population of the supplier, weakens the effect of individuals with the fast food industry. (L. Gregory, 2018). 

Within the hospitality industry, McDonald’s offers an apprenticeships programme that takes up to 12 months in order to complete this programme gives the younger people an opportunity to gain at least level 2. This is a nationally recognized qualification, equivalent to five GCSEs grade A*-C at the same time they will also earn some good money while doing the apprenticeships programme. 

As McDonald’s provides thousands of jobs for population employee and are divided into mainly three groups, some of these groups may include restaurant works, corporate staff, and the franchise owners. Usually McDonald’s hires between almost over 60 people on each local restaurant and most of these positions are part-time workers; nevertheless, the chain normally runs into more problems because of the tighter labour market. As McDonald’s being to cut back in the past on training programme they have bit struggled in order to find new recruits of policy and that has led to dramatic falloff on the based on their skills of the employees. When means McDonald’s should start investing more money on training employees to provide all the necessary skills for employees such as training room and an instruction book and videos for new staff in order for them understand the company policy, as well as keeping the level of customer satisfaction (McDonald’s.2010). 

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Atherton, M. (2017) Food-to-go to be worth £23.5 billion by 2022 Available at https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2017/08/09/Food-to-go-market-in-multi-billion-pound-growth (accessed: 31 October 2018)

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E. Ibrahim . (2012). Fast-food Industry. Available: http://www.academia.edu/5193897/Fast-food_Industry. Last accessed 2018.

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