McDonald's to launch $3 value meals in US starting April, WSJ reports

March 11 (Reuters) - McDonald's will introduce menu items priced at $3 or less, along with $4 breakfast meal ‌deals in the U.S., starting in April, the ‌Wall Street Journal reported on Wednesday, as the burger chain looks ​to attract diners worn down by economic woes.

The company has been sharpening its focus on affordability as consumers become more price-conscious. Rivals such as Burger King are also ‌intensifying efforts with ⁠more economical menu options.

Last year, McDonald's offered a 15% discount on combo meals as ⁠well as introduced $5 and $8 specials.

McDonald's and other fast-food chains had raised menu prices following the pandemic to offset higher input ​costs.

The new ​offers - internally called "McValue 2.0" - ​include a McMuffin, a ‌hash brown and coffee breakfast bundle, and low-priced items such as a sausage biscuit or four-piece Chicken McNuggets, the Journal reported, citing people familiar with the discussion and an internal company message.

McDonald's did not immediately respond ‌to a Reuters request for ​comment.

In February, McDonald's beat Wall Street ​estimates for fourth-quarter ​global comparable sales and profit, as meal ‌deals and strong marketing promotions ​pulled in ​budget-strapped U.S. diners.

McDonald's has been investing heavily in marketing cheaper meals and said last month its value ​push was helping ‌bring back lower-income customers.

Its shares were down 1.5% ​in morning trading.

(Reporting by Sanskriti Shekhar in ​Bengaluru; Editing by Vijay Kishore)