As value competition among quick-service restaurants intensifies, limited-time promotions are increasingly converting online buzz into measurable sales gains.
McDonald’s launched a limited-time Grinch Meal (Dec 2-25, 2025), driving over a 3-point acceleration in trailing 4-week (T4W) YoY sales growth in the first half of December. By December 27th, sales were up over 6% YoY on a T4W basis.
Burger King saw a similar lift from its SpongeBob Menu, launched December 2nd alongside The SpongeBob Movie premiere. Sales growth accelerated by over 6 points in early December and continued to build through month-end, reaching over 8% YoY T4W as of December 27th. In contrast, the broader QSR category was roughly flat over the same period.
This pattern echoes Wendy’s earlier success from the October 8th launch of its Krabby Patty Kollab, which drove more than a 6-point acceleration in T4W sales growth over the following month.
Chick-fil-A is also stepping up its marketing efforts with its biggest campaign to date: a yearlong 80th anniversary initiative launched on January 5th, featuring new packaging, merchandise, and chances to win “free Chick-fil-A for a year”. Following the kickoff, the first half of January delivered nearly a 4-point acceleration in T4W sales growth, compared with a roughly 2-point acceleration for the broader QSR category.
As economic pressure persists and value competition escalates, limited-time promotions are playing a growing role in driving demand and protecting share.
One thought on “Major QSR Brands Lean into Limited-Time Promotions as Value Competition Intensifies”
Comments are closed.