KFC used to own the US chicken lane.
Now it’s basically getting lapped.
A new Barclays market share analysis ranked KFC as the worst performer out of 76 restaurant chains tracked, after losing more share in its category than any other chain across their respective cuisines.
KFC is bleeding share fast
Barclays data shows KFC’s share of US quick-service chicken sales fell hard over the last five years:
2019: 15% market share
2024: 9.4% market share
That’s a massive drop for what’s supposed to be the legacy king of fried chicken.
Everyone is eating KFC’s lunch
The brutal part is this isn’t happening in a weak chicken market.
Chicken demand is booming, and basically every fast food chain has been smashing the “we need chicken” button to drive sales.
But instead of KFC winning, challengers have been taking bites out of it, including:
Dave’s Hot Chicken
Jollibee
Slim Chickens
Wingstop $WING ( ▲ 1.13% )
Wingstop in particular has been the big winner, with market share rising from 4.8% in 2019 to 8.4% in 2024, nearly catching KFC.
Bad look for Yum across the board
This isn’t just a KFC problem.
Barclays also flagged Yum’s other major brands as among the biggest share losers in their categories:
Pizza Hut: down 3.4%
Taco Bell: down 4.1%
So while the market is growing and rivals are thriving, Yum’s core brands are quietly losing relevance.
Bottom line
KFC didn’t just underperform.
It got fried.
Chicken is the hottest game in fast food right now, and the brand that should have been the default winner is watching newer chains build cult followings and steal market share in real time.