Sales of fast food giant McDonald's, driven by a surge in orders for its sandwiches and fries in the United States, surpassed pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter.
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The American group saw its sales at a number of comparable stores, an important measure in the trade, increase by 7.5%.
They exceed "
the level of the first quarter of 2019,
" said the general manager of the restaurant chain, Chris Kempczinski, in a statement.
In the United States, they jumped 13.6%, boosted by higher average order amounts as well as continued growth in shipments and orders placed online.
New sandwiches
In particular, during the quarter, the group offered new chicken sandwiches and put spicy chicken nuggets back on the menu.
The international performance of the chain, which has 39,160 establishments worldwide, is more mixed.
Sales held up well in the UK, Canada and Australia, as well as China and Japan.
They fell sharply in France and Germany.
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In many countries, turnover "
continues to be affected by various levels of restrictions on restaurant operations imposed by governments,
" says the group. McDonald's slightly raised its sales growth expectations, at constant exchange rates, for the full year to “
around 15%
” from 10% to 15% previously. In the first quarter, its revenue rose 9% to 5.12 billion dollars, above analysts' forecasts (5.03 billion). Its net profit jumped 39% to $ 1.54 billion.