| Indeed, and Australia demonstrates that it doesn't have to be like that. In most similar verticals we are very similar to either the UK, the US or both. Take McDonalds: incredibly successful fast food shop in Australia. That American success story works here, as does KFC and Domino's. But when Starbucks arrived, it was a hilariously dismal flop because we already had sufficiently good coffee at all of our local non-chain cafes (and exceptionally good coffee at a non trivial subset of them).[1] When Australians stop for a coffee on the way to work, a large number of us are going to a local cafe. We do have chains, but none of them command more than a very small share of the overall coffee market.[2] Ironically, the number one coffee chain in Australia is almost certainly McCafe. And there's reason for that: the McCafe brand was an invention of McDonalds Australia to help their restaurants stay relevant in the Australian market. Because they emphasised quality from day one, the menu was native to Australian tastes, and the restaurants were already popular for their traditional fare, it has been a remarkable success. (McCafe in other countries is often little more than a brand on the cup; in Australia it's a third of the restaurant interior, with its own counter and menu. [3][4][5]) [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_FGUkxn5kZQ [2] https://www.smartcompany.com.au/growth/aussies-flock-to-loca... [3] http://blueskydesigngroup.com.au/project/mcdonalds/ [4] http://juicydesign.com.au/project/item/mcdonalds-playground-... [5] https://www.moodiedavittreport.com/sydney-airport-opens-new-... |