McDonald’s U.S. sales 2026: Skye Anderson takes the wheel
McDonald’s named Skye Anderson to lead its U.S. business after traffic fell and domestic same-store sales rose just 0.8%.
By Frankie Delgado · News Reporter
2 min read
McDonald’s U.S. sales 2026 got a new leader Tuesday as the burger chain acknowledged that its home-market performance missed its own expectations. Skye Anderson became president of McDonald’s USA, replacing Joe Erlinger after more than six years in the job, CNBC reported.
The appointment arrived with a clear problem on the tray: U.S. same-store sales increased 0.8% in the second quarter ended June 30, while customer traffic declined. Higher average spending per visit made up for fewer visits, according to McDonald’s.
Anderson is a 26-year McDonald’s veteran who most recently served as chief operating officer of McDonald’s USA. She previously led the company’s Global Business Services unit.
Why did McDonald’s U.S. traffic fall?
CEO Chris Kempczinski told analysts the issue was execution rather than the company’s overall strategy, CNBC reported. He pointed to an uneven rollout of value offers, fewer national digital promotions and a crowded lineup of restaurant launches that slowed service and lowered customer-satisfaction scores.
McDonald’s U.S. locations are predominantly run by franchisees, who can set their own menu prices. Kempczinski said roughly 60% to 65% of the system had put in place the under-$3 menu, which was intended to include 10 items. He said changes around the value menu and digital offers resulted in meaningful price increases during the quarter.
Same-store sales measure sales at restaurants open at least a year, making the figure a way to track performance without the effect of newly opened locations. Globally, McDonald’s same-store sales rose 1.3%, ahead of the U.S. result.
What did McDonald’s report for the quarter?
- Adjusted earnings were $3.38 a share, above the $3.32 expected by analysts surveyed by LSEG, according to CNBC.
- Revenue rose 4% to $7.10 billion, short of the $7.13 billion analyst expectation.
- Net income reached $2.36 billion, or $3.32 a share, compared with $2.25 billion, or $3.14 a share, a year earlier.
McDonald’s said it expects U.S. same-store sales to return to its expectations in 2027 if it improves operations and marketing. CFO Ian Borden also said the company would begin offering more national digital deals the following week and pursue more personalized offers for loyal customers, ABC News reported.
Anderson now takes on the task of getting those offers, restaurant operations and marketing moving in the same direction in McDonald’s largest market. Kempczinski said the company sees room to improve U.S. performance, even as its international operated markets posted 1.5% same-store sales growth and its developmental licensed markets rose 1.9%.
This story draws on original reporting from CNBC.