As quarterly earnings calls stream out from publicly traded chains, year-over-year comp sales are coming in as a mixed bag of gains and losses. Here’s some of the reasons head honchos gave for their ups and downs.
Overseas sales
Sub-par sales in Asia, where Yum generates 40 percent of its profits, led to a collective gain of just 2 percent. The response: Spin off Yum! China.
Traffic
Domestic comps at Domino’s rose 10.5 percent, largely the result of traffic and more orders, driven by its “unmatched digital experience.”
Dayparts
With comps up 4.9 percent, Sonic Drive-In’s five-daypart strategy has been a strong driver; breakfast will be of particular interest for future gains.
Loyalty
Chili’s blames flat same-store sales on the transition from direct marketing to its loyalty program.
Stat of the month
Drink orders have declined four-percent over the last five years. While specialty drinks are growing, share leaders such as soda and milk have lost four billion servings since 2010.
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