OAK BROOK Ill. McDonald's Corp. reported positive global same-store sales in January as international results offset a slight sales decline in the United States.
Global same-store sales for McDonald’s rose 2.6 percent in January, reflecting a 0.7-percent decrease in the United States and gains of 4.3 percent in both its Europe and Asia/Pacific, Middle East and Africa divisions.
Oak Brook-based McDonald’s had closed out 2009 with a 1-percent gain in U.S. same-store sales for December after posting negative comps in October and November. The chain has kept innovating throughout the industry’s up-and-down recovery by introducing its Breakfast Dollar Menu and the Mac Snack Wrap and rolling out free Wi-Fi in its restaurants.
“McDonald’s continues to deliver great-tasting, high-quality food at an outstanding value to the growing number of customers we serve around the world every day,” said chief executive Jim Skinner. “As we raise the bar on our menu, convenience and value offerings, I am confident that will exceed our customers’ expectations again in 2010.”
In the United States, McDonald's has had to compete against rivals' discounting moves, such Burger King's $1 double cheeseburgers, but it has defended its turf on the value front with the Breakfast Dollar Menu and continued advertising of the regular Dollar Menu. In addition, the Orange County Register reported that some McDonald’s units in Southern California are testing new value meal pricing with an Extraordinary Value Menu and Mini Meals.
The Extraordinary Value Menu includes chicken Snack Wraps or the Mac Snack Wrap for $1.49, the Big N’ Tasty burger for $1.79, the Double Cheeseburger for $1.19, a 20-piece Chicken McNuggets meal for $4.99, Baked Hot Apple Pie for 50 cents, an ice cream cone for 69 cents and a small order of fries for $1.19.
Mini Meals are selling for $2.99 and bundle small fries and a small drink with a Snack Wrap, the Double Cheeseburger or the McChicken Sandwich.
McDonald's said January same-store sales in Europe were fueled by strong performance in France and the United Kingdom, offset somewhat by weakness in Germany.
In the APMEA region, restaurants in Japan and Australia led the way, while locations in China faced a difficult comparison with January 2009 and had a negative effect due to the timing of Chinese New Year.
McDonald’s has more than 32,000 restaurants, 80 percent of which are franchised, in more than 100 countries.
Contact Mark Brandau at [email protected].