McDonald’s Sales Miss Highlights Rising Consumer Anxiety

McDonald’s Corp. US sales fell sharply in the first quarter, reflecting a deterioration in consumer sentiment that’s making it harder for restaurants to lure in diners.

Same-store sales slumped 3.6% in the US, according to a statement Thursday, mainly because of a decline in guest counts. It’s the biggest drop in the chain’s home market since the second quarter of 2020, when the pandemic kept diners at home.