McDonald’s CEO Chris Kempczinski said the company is seeing a growing divide among U.S. consumers, with lower and middle-income customers visiting less frequently. During the first-quarter earnings call, he noted that foot traffic from these groups has dropped nearly 10% year-over-year. Kempczinski said strong traffic from high-income consumers underscores a divided U.S. economy, as inflation and a bleak outlook strain low- and middle-income groups. The fast food chain reported a 3.6% year-over-year drop in same-store sales, its sharpest decline since the pandemic in 2020. The company missed analyst expectations, posting $2.67 in earnings per share on $5.96 billion in revenue.
