Leading Brands in US Dining & Restaurants: Q3 2023 Analysis

In the dynamic world of dining and restaurants, several brands have emerged as leaders in the US market, showcasing impressive digital presence and engagement. This article explores the trends and performances of Yelp Inc., McDonald's, and Starbucks from Q2 to Q3 2023. Sensor Tower's comprehensive data provides a unique lens into these brands' cross-platform user behaviors, audience trends, and advertising strategies.

Yelp Inc.

Yelp Inc. continues to be a significant player with its website, yelp.com, and the Yelp: Food, Delivery & Reviews app.

• Audience Trends: From Q2 to Q3 2023, yelp.com experienced fluctuations in unique visits, peaking in July with over 36M visits, but dropping to approximately 32M by September. The monthly deduplicated audience remained stable above 48M throughout the quarter.

• App Engagement: The app saw a decline in monthly active users, decreasing from around 11M in April to just under 10M by September, reflecting a shift in user engagement.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Notably, Yelp did not invest in monthly advertising across any channels during this period.

McDonald's

McDonald's maintains a strong digital footprint with its website, mcdonalds.com, and the McDonald's app.

• Audience Trends: The website's unique visits remained relatively stable, hovering around 5.5M to 6.5M monthly. The true audience saw a gradual increase, reaching over 43M by September.

• App Engagement: The app's monthly active users steadily increased, peaking at over 21M in September, indicating strong mobile engagement.

• Ad Spend & Channels: McDonald's invested significantly in monthly advertising, with spends ranging from approximately $18M to $26M. Key channels included TikTok, Snapchat, and Instagram, with notable impressions delivered through OTT services.

Starbucks

Starbucks strengthens its digital presence with starbucks.com and the Starbucks app.

• Audience Trends: Starbucks.com saw consistent growth in unique visits, reaching over 10M by September. The true audience expanded from about 32M in April to over 37M in September.

• App Engagement: The app's monthly active users grew steadily, climbing from 9M in April to nearly 10M by September, highlighting robust app engagement.

• Ad Spend & Channels: Starbucks maintained a strong advertising presence, with monthly spends fluctuating between $9M and $12M. Key platforms included Instagram and TikTok, with significant impressions from OTT channels.

Conclusion

The dining and restaurant sector in the US presents a vibrant digital landscape, as evidenced by the performances of Yelp Inc., McDonald's, and Starbucks. Each brand exhibits unique strengths across web and app platforms, reflecting diverse strategies in user engagement and advertising. Sensor Tower's unparalleled data offerings, including Web Insights, Pathmatics, and App Performance Insights, provide critical insights into these trends, enabling a comprehensive understanding of market dynamics. For decision-makers, these insights are invaluable in crafting informed strategies and capitalizing on emerging opportunities in the digital dining landscape.

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