McDonald’s Digital Deal Pullback Slows Traffic and Sales Growth

McDonald’s has leaned harder on value as food and fuel costs make U.S. consumers more selective about eating out. The company introduced a simplified McValue menu in April with 10 items priced at $3 or less, but reduced popular app-based promotions as it shifted attention to those everyday deals. The move exposed a difficult trade-off: broader low-price messaging failed to replace the frequency generated by digital offers among loyalty customers.

On Aug. 4, McDonald’s said U.S. same-store sales rose just 0.8% in the quarter ended June 30, 2026, while global comparable sales increased 1.3%. Revenue climbed to $7.1 billion from $6.84 billion but missed Wall Street’s $7.13 billion estimate; net income rose to $2.36 billion. Chief Financial Officer Ian Borden said the digital-offer pullback accounted for roughly two-thirds of the traffic shortfall. McDonald’s plans to restore more nationwide digital deals starting next week and expand personalized offers for loyal users.