In the highly competitive US fast food market, not only price war but a value war is also raging. Three competitors in recent weeks have unleashed a wave of offerings packaged as value packs that is luring customers with affordability as well as higher value for money proposition.

Burger King's latest smart deal of 10 chicken nuggets for $1.49 (AU$2) is a case in point, reports CNBC. "We always want to bring our guests the best-tasting food at a great value, so this deal is a big win for everyone,” said Eric Hirschhorn, Burger King's chief marketing officer of North America.

However, the firm has limited the deal to a handful of participating locations.

McDonald's plans

Burger King’s move was preceded by the unveiling menu McPick 2 for $2 by rival McDonald's. It offers customers the option to mix and match any two of the following --McDouble, McChicken, small fries or mozzarella sticks. The offer is valid from Jan. 4 to Feb. 8.

McDonald’s also rolled out Taste Crafted menu in more than 600 Southern California McDonald's restaurants where new items can be customised with options such as buns, beef or chicken patties, and posh toppings.

Among the offerings, Buffalo Bacon is leading in demand which has blue cheese, bacon and spicy buffalo sauce as ingredients, reports eOnline. The menu was spurred by demand for variety and customisation, according to Clay Paschen, president of the McDonald's Operators' Association in Southern California.

Wendy’s gain

Meanwhile, Wendy's--the third big burger player in terms of revenue, doubled the value offer with a four for $4 offer. It allows customers to buy a Junior Bacon Cheeseburger, four-piece nuggets, fries and a drink for four dollars.

The promotional offer also helped Wendy’s gain some kudos from Goldman analysts, who elevated Wendy’s shares to "buy" from “neutral” grade.

“We see a complete acceleration on the back of the 4 for $4 promotion disproving the thesis that a resurgent MCD means a 'zero-sum' game. WEN sounded very positive on the promotion on a recent field trip, and our own checks with competitors/franchisees and Google search trends are also encouraging," according to Goldman’s note to the investors.

According to a New York-based Transparency Market Research, the global fast food market will grow to US$617.1 billion (AU$817 billion) by 2018 from its present size of approximately $500 billion (AU$688 billion). It said the outlook on the global fast food market is quite positive.

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