Overview
- McDonald's disclosed Wednesday that U.S. same‑store sales fell 0.2% in the July–September quarter, the first U.S. decline after five quarters of growth.
- Customer traffic remained weak, with visits down about 4.6% year‑over‑year according to Placer.ai, and executives blamed higher gas prices and the broader cost‑of‑living squeeze for reduced dining out.
- The company intensified value tactics during the quarter, reintroducing in‑app deals, maintaining under‑$3 items and a $4 breakfast, and beginning an eight‑week test of mix‑and‑match and fixed‑price bundles at 1,900 U.S. restaurants.
- Financially, global comparable sales rose roughly 1.3–1.5% and adjusted earnings beat expectations at $3.57 per share, helped by a near 4% drop in operating costs and a 9% rise in net income.
- Franchisee responses are uneven, with about 4,000 operators already launching local bundles and the company planning broader bundle rollouts next year, a gap that could slow consistent national value execution and shape how fast the chain recovers low‑income customer traffic.