{
  "id": 18120477,
  "title": "McDonald’s US sales decline for first time in six quarters despite value push",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/mcdonalds-us-sales-decline-for-first-time-in-six-quarters-despite",
  "topic": "finance",
  "section": "Finance & Markets",
  "published": "2026-11-04T12:36:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Straits Times Business",
    "slug": "straits-times-business",
    "url": "https://www.straitstimes.com/business/mcdonalds-us-sales-decline-for-first-time-in-six-quarters-despite-value-push"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "McDonald's experienced its first decline in US sales after five quarters of growth, despite a value push, according to its latest report. Financially strained consumers curtailed dining out, intensifying a slowdown that has challenged McDonald's efforts to attract budget-conscious diners with affordable options. The chain introduced a menu priced under US$3 (S$3.80) and a US$4 breakfast deal as higher living costs pushed customers towards cheaper alternatives from competitors, convenience stores, and home-cooked meals. McDonald's US sales dropped 0.2% in the quarter ending September 30, falling short of analysts' expectations of a 0.1% decline. Comparable sales across McDonald's global operations rose 1.5% as anticipated. Adjusted earnings per share climbed to $3.57, higher than the $3.22 reported a year earlier, owing to a roughly 4% reduction in operating costs and expenses. Despite a return to McDonald's Monopoly promotion and Halloween-themed Boo Buckets in October, visits to McDonald's restaurants remained below year-ago levels, falling by 4.6% in the three months to September 30, as per Placer.ai data. CEO Chris Kempczinski expressed optimism in a statement on November 4, stating that the company's intervention on value measures had resulted in improvement during the latter part of the quarter.",
  "summary": "The slowdown is testing the burger chain’s efforts to win back lower-income diners with value meals.",
  "key_points": [
    "McDonald's US sales declined 0.2% in Q3 2023, first drop in 6 quarters",
    "Value push with under $3 menu and $4 breakfast deal failed to boost sales",
    "Adjusted earnings per share rose to $3.57, up from $3.22 a year earlier"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}