--- title: "Wingstop’s same-store sales hit once again by soft consumer spending" url: https://burnaze.com/article/3d533221-ed7b-45d0-b139-e9ab1d9b23a0 source: "Nation's Restaurant News" original_url: https://www.nrn.com/fast-casual/wingstop-s-same-store-sales-hit-once-again-by-soft-consumer-spending author: "Alicia Kelso" category: "Chicken" industry: "Restaurants" segment: "Chicken" topics: ["Finance & M&A"] published: 2026-07-29T14:48:57.000Z modified: 2026-10-31T13:17:22.836Z image: https://eu-images.contentstack.com/v3/assets/bltea7aee2fca050a19/bltbf5995820d1f225a/6a6a1333f4f70a2c0beb08a9/Wingstop-Exterior-Day_(1).jpg?width=720&quality=80&disable=upscale --- # Wingstop’s same-store sales hit once again by soft consumer spending **TL;DR:** Wingstop reported a 7.5% same-store sales decline in the second quarter, its fifth consecutive quarter of declining sales, due to soft consumer spending and inflationary pressures. The company revised its full-year guidance downward, anticipating a decline of 4%-to-6% in domestic same-store sales. *By Alicia Kelso, originally published in Nation's Restaurant News on 2026-07-29. [Read the original](https://www.nrn.com/fast-casual/wingstop-s-same-store-sales-hit-once-again-by-soft-consumer-spending).* ## Key facts - 7.5% same-store sales decline in Q2 - 4%-6% decline in domestic same-store sales expected - 102 net new openings in Q2 ## Story ## Sales and unit growth Softer consumer spending has negatively impacted Wingstop’s same-store sales performance once again. The chain recorded a 7.5% same-store sales decline in the second quarter reported Wednesday before market, which followed an 8.7% decline in the first quarter. It's the fifth straight negative quarter for the chicken-wing chain. The company revised its full-year guidance downward for the second straight quarter, citing "high levels of uncertainty" in the macroenvironment, as the company has a deep presence in lower-income markets. It now anticipates a decline of 4%-to-6% in domestic same-store sales, from a low-single-digit decline forecast in Q1. “Our financial performance this quarter fell short of our expectations. The pressure on our core guest remained more pronounced than we anticipated,” CEO Michael Skipworth said during the company’s earnings call, adding that higher gas prices in particular have had a deep impact. ## Growth strategies He outlined the company’s opportunities to get past this current hump, including the recent national launch of Club Wingstop, its first loyalty program. Skipworth said the first few weeks of the program exceeded enrollment expectations by 22%. Wingstop is also making more investments in value, menu innovation, and its Smart Kitchen technology. For the value piece, the company spent much of Q2 “testing different ways to bring forward that messaging.” Its 30 wings for $30 deal, for instance, drove higher attachment rates and higher checks. “What we learned is that it’s not just about price point, but there is compelling value in building your own bundles,” Skipworth said. “Quality, flavor, abundance, and value-per-person are the key to winning more occasions for us.” Wingstop is also increasing flavor innovations, such as its new Sweet Heat Chamoy featuring Tajín flavor, which has driven “measurable increases in repeat business.” “When we continue to drive flavor innovation, it drives engagement with our core guests and it also presents us in a way … to bring in new guests and drive new trial with the brand,” Skipworth said. Meanwhile, the chain continues to ramp up its development pace toward its goal of becoming a top 10 global brand. Systemwide sales were up 5.3% in Q2 as the company recorded 102 net new openings. As of June 27, there were 3,255 Wingstop restaurants systemwide, including 2,728 restaurants in the U.S., of which 2,671 were franchised restaurants and 57 were company-owned, and 527 franchised restaurants were in international markets, including U.S. territories. The company is on pace to register a record year of openings globally and just signed a development deal to enter Poland. “Our new restaurant development remains healthy, reinforcing the belief that our long-term unit economics remain firmly intact,” Skipworth said. “Our brand partners continue investing because they see the same opportunities we do ... Our brand partners are bought in." Wingstop’s aggressive expansion did have a slight impact on average unit volumes, which were $1.9 million during the quarter, versus $2 million at the end of 2025. However, during a recent interview, Skipworth said restaurants that were opened in Q1 “measured lower cannibalization levels than ever before and annualize at a higher volume than those opened in 2025.” Any AUV pressures in 2025, he added, were more the result of the macroenvironment. Also in Q2, Wingstop’s revenue was $185.6 million, an increase of 6.4%, vs. Q2 2025, and net income increased 16.9% to $31.3 million, or $1.15 per diluted share. ## Entities - QSR (sector) - Nation's Restaurant News (publication) - loyalty program (topic) - unit growth (topic) - Wingstop (company) - same store sales (topic) - Alicia Kelso (person) - consumer spending (topic) - Poland (location) - Michael Skipworth (person) - inflationary pressures (topic) --- Originally reported by Alicia Kelso, Nation's Restaurant News (https://www.nrn.com/fast-casual/wingstop-s-same-store-sales-hit-once-again-by-soft-consumer-spending). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/3d533221-ed7b-45d0-b139-e9ab1d9b23a0).