Technomic: Top 500 chain sales will grow 3.2 percent

Chicago / IL. (tni) The first-ever «Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report 2018 Forecast» has been released, with projections revealing that the Top 500 chain sales will grow 3.2 percent by the end of 2018. The full forecast is now available, providing segment- and menu category-level growth along with chain-level sales and unit counts for the leading 100 chains.

«We’re seeing some major movement within the top 10 chain rankings based on our 2018 projections,» said Joe Pawlak, Technomic managing principal. «Several growth players that we’ve been watching over the past couple of years are starting to encroach upon chains that are struggling to overcome branding and operational challenges.» Key trends and highlights include:

• After dipping to 3.0 percent in 2017, Technomic forecasts that cumulative sales growth for the Top 500 chains will increase modestly to 3.2 percent in 2018.
• The quick-service segment is forecasted to increase its sales this year, propelled by the impressive sales growth from Taco Bell, Chick-fil-A and Domino’s as well as another solid year from McDonald’s.
• Growth for the fast-casual segment is forecasted to remain strong but the days of annual double-digit sales growth have likely concluded.
• Sales growth for full-service chains is expected to improve marginally in 2018 after having slowed to 0.9 percent in 2017.