Lovin’ goes only so far as McDonald’s sales slide again

FILE - This Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, file photo, shows a McDonald's fast food restaurant sign in Chicago. McDonald’s said, Monday, March 9, 2015, that global sales declined in February, including a 4 percent drop in the U.S. that the company blamed on “aggressive competitive activity.” (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File) FILE - This Thursday, Jan. 15, 2015, file photo, shows a McDonald's fast food restaurant sign in Chicago. McDonald’s said, Monday, March 9, 2015, that global sales declined in February, including a 4 percent drop in the U.S. that the company blamed on “aggressive competitive activity.” (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh, File)

By Associated Press March 9, 2015 3 min read

NEW YORK (AP) – McDonald’s says global sales declined again in February, including a 4 percent drop in the U.S. where it is fighting to reinvigorate its image.

The world’s biggest hamburger chain has been struggling to hold onto customers amid shifting tastes and intensifying competition, including a slew of places that position themselves as more wholesome alternatives. In a statement Monday, McDonald’s conceded “consumer needs and preferences have changed” and that its recent performance shows it needs to evolve.

Going forward, it said its goal would be to “reassert McDonald’s as a modern, progressive burger company.”

Already, McDonald’s has been signaling that changes are on the way. In January, it said CEO Don Thompson would step down and be replaced by Steve Easterbrook, its chief brand officer.

That change took effect at the start of March and coincided with a “Turnaround Summit” for U.S. franchisees in Las Vegas last week, which the company said was designed to give “renewed energy and focus” to restaurant operations.