McDonald's U.S. Sales Rebound From Covid-19 Pandemic
29 Abril 2021 - 09:36AM
Noticias Dow Jones
By Heather Haddon
McDonald's Corp. said new menu items helped it beat sales
expectations in the U.S., while business abroad remained volatile
because of shifting Covid-19 restrictions.
Busy drive-throughs and a focus on menu staples have helped
propel sales in the U.S. despite the pandemic, the chain said. In
recent months, McDonald's has introduced meals in collaboration
with celebrities such as the musician Travis Scott, added a new
crispy chicken sandwich and rolled out a spicy-nuggets promotion to
increase sales.
On Thursday, McDonald's said same-store sales for the quarter
ended in March increased 13.6% from a year earlier, beating
expectations and bolstering results overall. Global same-stores
sales were up 7.5% during the period.
Much of the world has had less access to Covid-19 vaccines than
the U.S., leaving dining restrictions in place in many places.
Sales increased year over year in the U.K., China, Japan, Canada
and Australia during the quarter, while they fell in Germany and
France, McDonald's said.
Spain, Italy and other European markets popular with tourists
are struggling, Chief Executive Chris Kempczinski told investors.
About half of the company's dining rooms in Europe remain closed
because of coronavirus-related restrictions. The company said it
hopes plans to open European countries to tourists by the summer
could help sales.
Shares of McDonald's rose 1% to $234.
McDonald's reported sales of $5.1 billion for the quarter, up 9%
from a year earlier and more than the first quarter of 2019.
McDonald's said the online and delivery sales to which it gave
priority during the pandemic helped lift U.S. sales. The company is
testing a loyalty program. Starbucks Corp. said earlier this week
that such a program has aided in its pandemic recovery.
McDonald's said that federal stimulus programs helped bolster
its sales in the U.S. Sales of new chicken sandwiches introduced in
February are outpacing those of previous versions and beating
expectations despite rising competition, McDonald's said.
McDonald's said the company and its franchisees are fighting to
find enough workers, as are many U.S. restaurants. Mr. Kempczinski
said the company is evaluating what pay and benefits to offer in
company-owned stores to attract workers.
"What we're seeing in the U.S. right now is definitely a very
tight labor market that's putting pressure on both us and our
franchisees," Mr. Kempczinski said.
The company raised its 2021 global sales outlook. Executives
said they expect U.S. sales during the current quarter to outpace
pre-pandemic levels during the same period of 2019, while they
believe international same-store sales will improve but still trail
pre-pandemic levels until later in the year.
For its first quarter, McDonald's reported earnings of $1.92 a
share adjusted for one-time items. Analysts polled by FactSet
expected earnings of $1.81 a share by that metric. The chain
reported net income of $1.54 billion.
Write to Heather Haddon at heather.haddon@wsj.com
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
April 29, 2021 10:21 ET (14:21 GMT)
Copyright (c) 2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
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