The Japanese operator of McDonald's restaurants announced its third price hike in less than a year on Friday in the latest sign of compounding inflationary pressures on the nation's consumers.
McDonald's Holdings Company Japan said it would raise prices on about 80% of its menu from Jan. 16, citing currency fluctuations as well as surging costs for materials, labor, transportation and energy.
The hikes follow previous increases in March and September last year, and come as Japan grapples with inflation and a slide in the yen that has made imported ingredients more expensive.
The price for a single cheeseburger will go up to ¥200 ($1.49) this month from ¥140 a year ago. The cost of the signature Big Mac hamburger will go up to ¥450 from ¥410 previously.
Japanese consumers will see price increases on more than 4,000 food items from next month, researcher Teikoku Databank said Thursday, following an even bigger wave of hikes last October.
Separately, restaurant operators Hot Palette and Royal Holdings said on Friday that they would also be raising prices in January and March, respectively, mostly on beef and steak items.
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