How exciting is it when the Shamrock Shake hits the McDonald’s menu every year? It’s unfreakingbelievably exciting, because it only happens annually and then goes away, leaving our mouths bereft of mint. To that point, McDonald’s is betting on our collective love of limited-time items to lure more customers in. They know we get bored if something sits on the menu for too long.

If variety is the spice of life, then McDonald’s thinks it’s also the key to nabbing our dollars, says the Associated Press (via Washington Post). The chain is expected to roll out even more limited-time offers in the years ahead, after figuring out how fickle our tastebuds are.

Coming up for a summer-only appearance on the menu is a blueberry banana nut oatmeal and an iced Cherry Berry Chiller drink. Get it while you can, is the message here, and customers seem to respond to that.

Research showed that consumers’ top priority was variety, says the vice president of U.S. Marketing at McDonald’s, so the company began focusing on limited-time offers on a national scale last year. Last year, McDonald’s had eight limited-time offers, a number it says they plan on increasing this year.

“Obviously customers are out there and they’re frequenting different places,” she said. “They’re starved for variety.”

So inside of visiting different places to get something less ho hum, McD’s is trying to head that off by spicing things up in the dining room now and again.

A healthy side effect of this whole plan comes in the form of fresh, locally sourced ingredients, something consumers are increasingly clamoring for. It’s easier to offer healthy menu items using those ingredients when it’s only for a short time, and not a year-long process.

McDonald’s ramping up ‘limited time offers’ to beef up profits [Associated Press via Washington Post]

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