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Updated: January 29, 2020

McDonald's store renovations are paying off. It posted the best sales growth in a decade

Photo | FLICKR/VIA JJBERS A McDonald's restaurant in Middletown.
By Danielle Wiener-Bronner | CNN Business

McDonald's efforts to modernize its restaurants and improve its digital capabilities are paying off.

Globally, sales at stores open at least a year jumped 5.9% in the fourth quarter, marking the biggest increase in more than a decade. They also grew 5.9% for the year. In the United States, that figure was 5.1% for the quarter and 5% for the year.

New CEO Chris Kempczinski attributed the boost to McDonald's aggressive growth plan, which the company has been following since March 2017. McDonald's has been rapidly remodeling stores to include digital kiosks, expanding delivery capabilities and developing new technologies to hold on to existing customers and bring in ones.

Thanks to the plan, McDonald's sales surpassed $100 billion last year, making 2019 "a year of significant milestones," according to Kempczinski.

The burger chain has made technology a priority.

Last year, McDonald's announced the purchase of two artificial intelligence companies, both designed to boost sales at drive-thrus.

And Kempczinski has leaned into the company's technological ambitions. Since stepping into the CEO role in November, he has created a new digital customer engagement team, led by the company's first-ever chief digital customer engagement officer. Kempczinski also formed a Digital Advisory Council, made up of leaders from across the company, to work with the team and make sure it's making progress toward company goals.

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