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

McDonald’s sales got a lift from Snack Wraps in the third quarter.

Same-store sales, or sales at locations open at least a year, rose 3.6% for the July-September period. That was slightly ahead of Wall Street’s forecast of 3.5%, according to analysts polled by FactSet.

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

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

McDonald’s also introduced Extra Value Meals in the U.S. in early September, hoping to woo back customers who’ve been turned off by high fast food prices. 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 of the country.

But Placer.ai said that promotion didn’t boost traffic as much as a more eye-popping 50-cent double cheeseburger, which McDonald’s offered on Sept. 18 to celebrate National Cheeseburger Day.

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

The company’s net income rose 1% to $2.28 billion. Adjusted for one-time items, including $39 million in restructuring charges, McDonald’s earned $3.22 per share. That was lower than the $3.33 analysts forecast.