New visit data from Placer.ai shows that limited-time menu options can bring customers into stores and increase visits. Both Wendy’s and McDonald’s recently launched LTOs. On October 8, Wendy's launched its Krabby Patty Kollab, celebrating the 25th anniversary of SpongeBob with two limited-time items. That same week, McDonald’s unveiled the Chicken Big Mac, which had already existed in other countries.

“While both launches positively impacted visitation, Wendy's limited-time menu had a more pronounced effect. Wendy’s saw a dramatic surge in visits in the wake of the Kollab, with an increase of 26.4% on the Tuesday of the Krabby Patty launch, compared to a year-to-date (YTD) Tuesday average. The following Wednesday and Thursday also saw increases of 20.7% and 23.9%, respectively, compared to the YTD daily average for those days of the week,” according to Placer.ai.

The limited-time chicken offering from McDonald’s also generated an increase in visits: On the Thursday of the launch, McDonald’s saw visits jump by 7.9% compared to the chain’s YTD Thursday visit average.

Placer.ai’s report noted that the two chains are holding their ground in a tough economy and have been retaining “a steady flow of traffic despite competitive pressures and economic challenges.”

“During the first three quarters of 2024, both McDonald’s and Wendy’s experienced visit levels generally on par with those seen last year, with minimal year-over-year (YoY) variation. Despite a minor dip for McDonald’s in Q2, when visits dropped by 2.2% compared to 2023, the overall difference in visit levels for both chains was less than 1% across the remaining quarters,” according to the research data.

Last month, McDonald’s announced that it would extend its $5 meal deal into December in a majority of markets. The deal offers the choice of a McDouble or McChicken sandwich, small fries, four-piece Chicken McNuggets and a small soft drink for $5.