McDonald's has introduced new technology to boost sales

The fast food giant said in a trading statement that it expects to report a 27% rise in second quarter profits after improved sales around the globe.

In a trading statement ahead of its results on 22 July, it said sales were up 7.8% during the period, the highest second quarter rise since 1987.

McDonald's said the US market did best, with sales twice that in Europe.

Strategy

The company did not say if its diversification into salads and the accompanying advertising blitz had been directly responsible for the improvement in sales.

Yet earlier this year McDonald's said that sales in Europe had picked up "significantly" since the introduction of the new salad range.

Under this new strategy first brought about by the late James Cantalupo, McDonald's got itself back to profit after the first loss in its history.

In addition to recognising the changing tastes of consumers, Mr Cantalupo cut back on the number of new stores.

Technology

Also on the McDonalds menu has been the introduction of a new computerised ordering system.

The touch-screen kiosks are being tried out in the United States, as well as France, Japan and Australia.

The terminals are part of McDonald's drive to streamline its ordering and food-preparation process, an area that has been prone to costly glitches.