Wingstop leans on marketing, AI to end sale slide

Wingstop’s streak of same-store sales declines continued into the third quarter, with the chain posting a 5.4% drop.

The brand’s sales struggle came despite marketing strategy shifts, new technology deployments and an increased emphasis on operational consistency.

“While we're beginning to see positive signals from the changes we've made, the improvement in sales performance is taking longer than we initially anticipated, as the macro trends we are seeing among customers have intensified over the last few months,” Wingstop CEO Michael Skipworth said Wednesday during an earnings call.

Sales struggles continue

Skipworth said during previous earnings calls that the chain’s core guest is under significant economic pressure, causing Wingstop’s troubles to be more acute than that of competitors.

To help draw guests back into its restaurants, the chain is focusing on its value messaging and emphasizing group occasions. It is also using artificial intelligence and other tools to send consumers personalized offers and menu suggestions based on guest preferences.

The chain developed a new marketing strategy to help regain relevance and expand brand awareness.

“Our marketing wasn't consistently connecting our differentiated food, flavor, and value into a compelling reason to choose Wingstop, particularly around occasions where we have the greatest opportunity to win,” Skipworth said.

Fixing this has meant sharpening its marketing message to drive higher consideration of the brand; as well as using its Club Winstop loyalty program and personalization to deepen guest engagement and increase frequency, Skipworth said.

The chain began rolling out the first changes to its marketing platform in the second week of September, coinciding with the kickoff of the regular NFL season.

The marketing strategy includes front-loading video investments to secure premium placements for its 30-second spots. Wingstop will also use 15-second spots to increase its reach and frequency, alongside its always-on social media strategy which keeps the brand “top of mind.”

“We are concentrating investments around high-relevance occasions, pairing it with creative that more clearly communicates Wingstop quality, bold flavor, and compelling value, and sustained engagement through paid and own channels between those moments,” Skipworth said. “We are leaning into our brand strength, bone-in wing flavor and quality, while ensuring we are clearly communicating value.”

New marketing strategy

The chain’s Watch Party Bundle and Thursday Night Football activations also had strong responses, but Wingstop isn’t looking to improve its performance through short-term promotions. These schemes are just the first step to create more repeatable guest occasions that lead to improved frequency and “long-term brand relevance,” Skipworth said.

The football-based promotions had limited impact on third-quarter results, but initial improvements in lapsed customers and organic search traffic suggest the brand is on “the right track and reinforces our conviction in this strategy,” Skipworth said.

Club Wingstop, the chain’s loyalty program that launched in May, is also building brand awareness and frequency. Newly enrolled guests are 13 points more likely to return within 30 days compared to non-members, Skipworth said.

Technology investments

Technology has long been a part of the company’s business plan and it has invested significantly to develop proprietary technology and data capabilities across Wingstop Smart Kitchen and Club Wingstop. These in-house tools allow it to personalize guest connections and understand its business more effectively.

During the last quarter, the chain hired Jordan Yankovich as chief AI officer to help lead the next “phase of our AI and data strategy,” Skipworth said.

Now that Wingstop has rolled out its Wingstop Smart Kitchen, the chain is making sure that restaurant teams are creating a consistent guest experience. The chain retrained its entire system and established new operating standards, Skipworth said.

Wingstop launched a “more comprehensive restaurant scorecard,” as well as an operations toolkit that combines guest feedback with restaurant performance data on food quality, order accuracy and speed of service, Skipworth said.

Additionally, Wingstop rolled out an AI system for its field teams that will provide quicker insights and better clarity, while identifying performance outliers for targeted support.

“We recognize that consumers are making more deliberate decisions about where they spend their money, and when they choose to spend that money on Wingstop, we have to deliver,” Skipworth said. “They expect the quality, flavor, and experience that makes Wingstop special, and it's our responsibility to deliver on that expectation every time.”

Throughout 2026, guest complaints on food quality and preparation declined by almost 30% compared to the year-ago period, Skipworth said.

“We're excited about the foundation we've built and the opportunity to continue to strengthen our competitive advantage as we scale,” Skipworth said. “Technology will continue to be a long-term compounder for our business as we improve our execution.”