Taco Bell parent Yum Brands sales fall as weak US demand lingers
Corrects to remove reference to CEO comment in paragraph 8
Aug 6 (Reuters) -Yum Brands YUM.N reported a bigger-than-expected fall in same-store salesfor the second quarter as sticky inflation discouraged lower-income Americans from spending on dining out.
Like its peers in the fast-foodindustry, the Taco Bell parenthas been investing in loyalty programs and refreshing its menus in an attempt to appeal to budget-conscious consumers.
However, stiff competition forvalue meals and promotions has dogged Yum's KFC business in the United States this year, with consumers increasingly preferring to cook more affordable meals at home.
Same-store sales at the company's KFC division fell 5% in the United States in the second quarter, compared with a 7% decline in the prior quarter.
Weakness in sales this quarter at Yum echoesresults from other restaurant majorssuch as Domino's DPZ.N, McDonald's MCD.N and Starbucks SBUX.O.
Fast-food companieswere engaged in a "value war" this quarter, offering some popular items at a discount in a bid to offsetsteep menu-price rises in the U.S. over the last two years.
The consumer price index for food away from home increased 4.1% between June 2023 and June 2024, up from 4% growth in May, according to data from the National Restaurant Association.
Fresh menu items such as the Cantina Chicken and the popular Taco Tuesday promotional event helped drive growth in comparable sales at Yum's key Taco Bell division to 5%, ahead of expectations of 3.6%, according to LSEG data.
This helped Yum narrow its quarterly overall same-store sales decline to 1%, from 3% in the preceding quarter. However, this was wider than market expectations fora decline of 0.2%.
Reporting by Juveria Tabassum; Editing by Devika Syamnath
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