By Savyata Mishra
(Reuters) -McDonald’s global comparable sales beat Wall Street expectations for second quarter, as affordable meal bundles and promotions drew in budget-conscious diners looking to stretch their dollars amid persistent economic uncertainty.
Strong demand in the U.S. and international markets powered a 3.8% rise in global same-store sales, above expectations of a 2.4% rise, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Shares of the Chicago, Illinois-based company rose about 3% in premarket trading.
Fast-food chains have seen competition heat up as companies such as McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza and Taco Bell owner Yum Brands double down on value meals to counter a slowdown in demand, mainly among the lower-income households.
To improve sales, McDonald’s launched a limited-time Happy Meal offer for kids and adults tied to the “Minecraft” Movie promotion in April. In May, it introduced McCrispy Chicken Strips as a permanent menu item.
These promotions are in addition to the $5 meal deal and the buy-one, add-one for $1 offers launched last year.
Menu innovation and promotions had also helped Domino’s report upbeat U.S. same-store sales, while weakening demand hurt sales at Yum Brands and Chipotle Mexican Grill.
For the second quarter, McDonald’s outperformed the wider quick-service restaurant category, with visits rising 0.8% from a year ago and compared to a 0.7% dip in the QSR space, data from foot traffic tracking firm Placer.ai showed.
The launch of Snack Wraps on July 10 boosted visits to U.S. stores at the start of the third quarter, Placer.ai analyst R.J. Hottovy said.
Comparable sales in U.S., McDonald’s biggest market, grew 2.5%, compared with a 0.7% decline a year ago.
Sales in its business segment where restaurants are operated by local partners, jumped 5.6%, led by Japan, while international markets sales rose 4%, owing to a demand recovery in the UK, Canada and France.
Adjusted net income came in at $2.29 billion, or $3.19 per share, up 7% from a year ago.
(Reporting by Savyata Mishra in Bengaluru; Editing by Arun Koyyur)
