Subway is set to close a further 500 sandwich stores in the US by the end of 2018, on top of the 909 stores it closed in 2017. The demise of so many Subway stores in such a short timeframe has prompted suggestions that consumers have moved on from sandwiches in favour of alternative meals, and a 1.7 percent drop in Subway sales would seem to reinforce this. However, Subway was still ranked the third-highest fast-food chain by sales volume for 2017, and the closures have been put down to a less than stable business plan and a lack of confidence in the CEO.
While Subway remains the third-highest fast food chain, there are a number of competitors also rising up the list. The sandwich category increased sales by 2.9 percent in 2017, suggesting that consumers are turning away from the big chain providers and choosing quality over immediate convenience.
