000256 McDonalds Aims For Double Digit German Sales GrowthJanuary 29, 2000Munich - U.S. fast food chain McDonald's Corp said it aimed for double digit sales growth from its German hamburger restaurants, with plans to open 80 to 100 new outlets each year. Gerd Raupeter, head of the German board of McDonald's, said sales grew 11.9% in 1999 to more than four billion marks ($1.98 billion) for the first time ever, driven by business from 81 new restaurants in the group's third biggest market after the U.S. and Japan. Profits had kept pace with the rise in sales to 4.23 billion marks, he said, but gave no specific figure. Two thirds of the growth in sales was down to the new outlets, which swelled McDonald's presence in Germany to 1,008 restaurants, at which its flagship Big Mac burger was still the most-ordered item, the group said. McDonald's franchises served 680 million customers in Germany, which has a population of 82 million, in 1999 -- a rise of 6.6%. People were ordering more and the clientele was also getting older, McDonald's said.
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