QSRs have been reviving meal deals as consumers feel pressure on their wallets, but are these promotions still resonating with customers? Foot traffic research firm Placer.ai’s latest report found that even with the recent revival of McDonald’s Extra Value Meal, visits to McDonald’s dropped 4.4% year over year (YoY) during the week of September 8 and fell a further 5.2% and 3.7% over the next two weeks.
The report highlighted how these results pale in comparison to the brand’s April 2025 Minecraft Movie Meal collaboration, which reportedly generated consistent traffic boosts throughout its run.
“The muted YoY impact of the new value meal doesn’t necessarily signal failure—after all, McDonald’s is lapping last year’s $5 Summer of Value campaign, which extended through 2024. But it highlights the limits of standard deals in a marketplace where consumers expect baseline value from QSR leaders. In an environment crowded with offerings—from Taco Bell’s Luxe Boxes, to Wendy’s Biggie Bags and Burger King’s 2 for $5 promotions—incremental savings feel less like innovation and more like table stakes,” Placer.ai wrote.
The report pointed to McDonald’s 50-cent Double Cheeseburger deal on National Cheeseburger Day as an example. On the day of the promotion, visits jumped 6.4% to the QSR compared to the chain’s recent Thursday average, revealing consumers remain “highly responsive” to promotions that feel unique or more time critical.
The mixed results of McDonald’s 2025 promotions show that standard value menus are “no longer enough to stand out in today’s price-sensitive QSR market. The most effective deals offer consumers something they can’t get anywhere else—whether freebies, unusually deep discounts or resonant pop-culture tie-ins. For QSRs, the challenge is to capture attention and disrupt routines without eroding margins through unsustainable discounting,” Placer.ai wrote.
Headed to the NACS Show in Chicago next week? Check out the Education Session “Hot Today, Gone Tomorrow? Navigating Flavor Trends” where experts will break down the lifecycle of flavor trends and Limited Time Offers (LTOs), from their initial buzz to their mainstream appeal (or quick fade).