Snack Wraps’ return helps boost McDonald’s third quarter sales

McDonald’s sales benefited from Snack Wraps in the third quarter.

Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, increased 3.6% for the July-September period. That’s slightly higher than Wall Street’s forecast of 3.5%, according to analysts surveyed by FactSet.

Same-store sales rose 2.4% in the United States in the third quarter, the company said Wednesday.

Fan-favorite Snack Wraps returned to U.S. menus in July after a nine-year absence. Traffic to McDonald’s stores in the United States was 15% higher than average on the day they were released, according to Placer.ai, a data company.

McDonald’s also launched value-added meals in the United States in early September, hoping to appeal to customers put off by the high prices of fast food. To kick off the promotion, McDonald’s offered an $8 Big Mac meal or a $5 Sausage McMuffin meal for a limited time in most countries.

But Placer.ai said the promotion didn’t drive traffic as much as a more jaw-dropping 50-cent double cheeseburger that McDonald’s offered on Sept. 18 to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day.

Third-quarter revenue rose 3 percent to $7.08 billion, the Chicago company said Wednesday. This was in line with Wall Street’s expectations.

The company’s net profit increased 1% to $2.28 billion. After adjusting for one-time items, including $39 million in restructuring charges, McDonald’s earned $3.22 per share. That was lower than analysts’ forecasts of $3.33.